Crown go out on pens

PPCFC under floodlight, back row, LtoR: Pheng, Srin, Bisan, Obadin, Matnorotin, Yaty. Front: Sothy, Suhana, Da, Borey, Sokumpheak - click to enlarge

Final Result: PPCFC 1 Diamond FC (China) 1 [Diamond won 8-7 on penalties] - (2014 Yunnan-Asean International Tournament).
Phnom Penh Crown were beaten in a penalty shoot-out under floodlights and exited this pre-season tournament in Mangshi City, Yunnan, China. One of China’s best amateur clubs, Diamond held their nerve as penalties decided this Quarter-Final tie, after the teams drew 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes. Sary Matnorotin had given Crown the lead on 38 minutes with their first goal of the competition in Crown’s third match.  The Chinese levelled from an uncleared corner on 51 minutes. Crown had chances to win the game in both halves but didn’t convert them and then fell to sudden-death penalties 8-7 with Borey and Makara having their spot-kicks saved. Line-Up: Yaty, Da, Pheng, Srin, Obadin, Sokumpheak, Sothy, Suhana, Borey, Matnorotin, Bisan. Subs: Ary, Sokheng, Pisa, Boris, Makara, Sokthorn, Pellegrino. Goal: Matnorotin. Penalties scored: Pheng, Obadin, Sokumpheak, Bisan, Srin, Da, Sokthorn.

Another nil-nil

PPCFC in China. Back Row, LtoR: Vanny, Sothy, Sokthorn, Srin, Bisan, Matnorotin, Sam, Pheng, Obadin, Makara, Pisa, Yaty, Sophat. Front Row: Da, Pellegrino, Suhana, Borey, Sokheng, Ary, Sokumpheak, Boris - click to enlarge

Sunday 7 December 2014; Result: Phnom Penh Crown 0 Muangthong United (Thailand) 0 (2014 Yunnan-Asean Int Tournament).

In their second group match of the 2014 Yunnan-Asean International Tournament being held in Mangshi City, Yunnan Province, China, Phnom Penh Crown were held to a second consecutive goal-less draw against Muangthong, one of the better youth teams in Thailand. Head coach Sam Schweingruber commented on their second match in two days:  "The game today (vs Muangthong United U-19s) was very disappointing. The 1st half was okay, we had good possession and created a few chances. Our defence was solid but we didn't have enough going forward, things just didn’t fall our way in the final third of the pitch with miss-control, bad first touches and so on. The 2nd half was pretty boring, we didn’t really get close to scoring despite an okay amount of possession." Crown now meet Diamond FC tomorrow (Monday at 7.30pm), a Chinese amateur team who won the right to join the competition, coming top of a 14-team amateur league, winning most of their matches very easily and have four China League 1 players in their line-up. It promises to be a tough quarter-final tie for Crown. PPCFC v Muangthong: Ary, Pisa, Sokheng (Da 75), Boris, Obadin, Sokumpheak (Makara 53), Suhana (Pellegrino 83), Sothy, Matnorotin, Sokthorn (Srin 66), Bisan (Pheng 70). Subs not used: Yaty, Borey. Bookings: Sokthorn, Srin.

Dominant but no goals

PPCFC v Mengzi: Back row, LTR: Sothy, Srin, Sokthorn, Bisan, Obadin, Yaty. Front Row: Da, Pellegrino, Pheng, Borey, Sokumpheak (capt) - click to enlarge

Result: Phnom Penh Crown 0 Mengzi Wanhao (China) 0 (2014 Yunnan-Asean Int Tournament).
The draw for the Yunnan-Asean International Tournament paired Crown with two teams in their 3-team group. Crown met Mengzi Wanhao, a team from China's League 2, this afternoon in their first tie. Tomorrow they will meet Thailand's Muangthong United U-19s at 4pm.  All 6 teams in the two groups will then move into the quarter-finals, where two winning teams from an amateur competition of 14 teams, will be added. The quarter-final matches will be played on Monday 8 Dec, semi-finals on 9 Dec and the final on 10 Dec. Back to today's game and despite dominating possession for long periods, Crown couldn't convert the many chances they created and had to settle for a point in their group game. The matches are taking place in Mangshi City, Yunnan, SW China and the other three Asean club teams are Muangthong (Thailand), Yadanarbon (Myanmar) and Sabah FA (Malaysia). Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber gave his thoughts on the 0-0 draw with Mengzi Wanhao. "All in all I was happy with the performance but not with the result. We turned our dominance in the second half into good chances but failed to convert them. The opponents frustrated us and the referee didn’t help our attempt to play good football against a physical team. We need to look forward and learn from this, on how to overcome a compact defense and to stay positive in every phase of the game. With only 24 hours to rest it is going to be a chance tomorrow for fresh players to show what they can do on the international stage." The game with Muangthong will kick-off at 4pm in Mangshi City. PPCFC starting XI: Yaty, Da, Pheng, Srin (Pisa 70), Obadin, Sothy (Suhana 73), Sokumpheak, Borey (Matnorotin 78), Sokthorn (Makara 60), Pellegrino, Bisan. Subs not used: Ary, Boris, Sokheng.

Heading for China

Sam Schweingruber with his eyes on China - pic Masayori Ishikawa

The 18-man Phnom Penh Crown first-team squad fly to Kunming and onto Luxi (Mangshi City) in Yunnan Province, southwest China later today. In two days time they will begin their challenge for the 2014 Yunnan-Asean International Tournament, with six teams invited from half a dozen Asean countries and 2 from China. We will let you know the fixtures as soon as the draw is made. Head coach Sam Schweingruber is allowed to take 18 players under the competition rules and has selected the following: Yaty, Ary, Da, Pheng, Srin, Obadin, Boris, Sokheng, Sokumpheak, Suhana, Sothy, Pisa, Sokthorn, Makara, Matnorotin, Borey, Pellegrino, Bisan. Four club officials will travel with the team for the tournament. Amongst those left at home, Bin Thierry and Koen Bosma are not part of the tournament squad.

Overseas again

The PPCFC 1st-team will be heading overseas very soon

Some very big news coming later today (actually, its below) involving Phnom Penh Crown's pre-season programme. Okay, its an overseas tournament. Happening very soon. No letting the cat out of the bag just yet. If you didn't know the Hun Sen Cup - for Khmer players only - will begin in January and the Metfone C-League season is due to start in late March.

The Phnom Penh Crown 1st-team will travel to Yunnan Province in southwest China on Wednesday 3 December to join the 2014 Yunnan-Asean International Tournament, which takes place between 5-10 December. Eight teams will be taking part in this annual tournament, including 6 from Asean countries and two clubs from Yunnan Province. The invited club teams from the Asean countries are: Muang Thong United (Thailand), Hanoi T&T (Vietnam), Yadanarbon (Myanmar), Sabah FA (Malaysia), the Laos National Team and PPCFC. "This is a great opportunity to kick-start our preparation for the forthcoming 2015 season, and the high standard of the teams invited to Yunnan will give this tournament a serious competitive edge. We will take a squad of 18 players next week and though we have only just returned to serious pre-season training, we are determined to take full advantage of this opportunity," said head coach Sam Schweingruber. Last November, Crown joined the Nanning Asean International Invitation Tournament in Nanning, China and finished in third place.