Fabulous Crown

Fabio lines up with the Crown Academy squad this morning

Phnom Penh Crown were the focus on Fabio Cannavaro's third day in the capital. With the Crown president Rithy Samnang being the person who invited the ex-Italian World Cup-winning captain in the first place, it was only right and proper that he should show off his own youth football Academy, the only one in the country, to the world superstar. Fabio arrived on time at the club's Tuol Kork headquarters and quickly donned his football boots to join the U-13s on the pitch. He took part in shooting and ball control practice and then watched them at close quarters as they played a 20-minute match between themselves. He then took questions from the youngsters, the best in the country at their age group, and gave his answers in English. Both the Academy and the Crown first-team, who'd just completed their early morning training session under coach David Booth as Fabio arrived, posed for team group photos before Fabio once again, as he has everywhere, made sure he signed every autograph or picture that was requested of him. His willingness to oblige the football fans he's encountered has been a key feature of his visit. And his time spent at the PPCFC Academy will certainly be an inspiration to the Crown youngsters, who shared the spotlight with him this morning. Handing over a playing kit and footballs to the charity Friends International will be the last official tour event with Fabio due to leave early tomorrow morning.

The Crown first-team and Academy boys join Fabio for a group pose

Academy coach Bouy Dary translates the questions to Fabio from his young players

Fabio meets the Crown head coach David Booth

Fabio volleys a pass to Chhuot Senteang

Paying close attention to a shot by Theang Chhaya

Fabio meets the Academy youngsters on arrival this morning

In Sodavid gets an autographed photo from the former Italy captain

Welcome Fabs

Sabay capture Fabio Cannavaro meeting the Academy youngsters. Picture courtesy of Sabay.com

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy turned out in force to welcome former Italian football captain and World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro to Cambodia yesterday. The youngsters formed a welcoming guard of honour as Fabio arrived at the airport, with banners and placards displaying the football star. Fabio will give the boys a coaching clinic on Tuesday morning at their RSN Stadium in Tuol Kork.

The Crown Academy youngsters prepare for Fabio's arrival

The Academy boys carry banners of the former Italy football captain

"I think my poster is better than yours"

Here I'm trying to rearrange the boys, all of whom had their hair cut for their big moment

Crown defeat their rivals

The Crown Academy 2nd half team

With the buzz doing the rounds ahead of the arrival of Fabio Cannavaro later this afternoon, the PPCFC Academy youngsters concentrated on their football and dispatched their main rivals, Preah Khan Reach 4-0 at the RSN Stadium. The two teams are the strongest in the Barclays Capital ISF U-14 Champions League but it was the superior passing, movement and stamina of the 9-man Crown Academy that put PKR to the sword this morning. Yeu Muslim headed Crown in front after 15 minutes, from a well-worked move on the left flank, and Vat Samnang slammed in a 2nd ten minutes into the 2nd half. Orn Chanpolin capped a fine game with a goal before keeper-cum-striker Chhuot Senteang rounded off the victory with a neat finish just before the end. Crown stay at the top of the league table, with games at U-10, U-14 and U-18 girls levels being played in Tuol Kork every Sunday. The PPCFC B-team in the Premier League lost 3-4 to Komar Takhmao. After lunch, the Academy boys will head for Phnom Penh airport where they will welcome Cannavaro as he arrives in Cambodia.

The Crown Academy 1st half team

Academy youngsters listen to their pre-match instructions

Looking just Fab

The Fabio Cannavaro visit, has been finalised. He'll be in Phnom Penh for three nights, lording it at the plush Sofitel after arriving on Sunday afternoon. Next morning will be a press conference, though Fabio's faltering English will mean a three-way translation will be required. He'll also be doing television interviews before a trip to Friends to donate footy kit and footballs to some of the street kids; with a 'sport is better than drugs' message. Without time to breathe, he'll be whisked off to the Olympic Stadium for a session on the pitch with the Cambodian U-21 squad, who are currently in training camp. Then its a meet-the-fans session at the Gold Dragon shop, opposite the Olympic Stadium front entrance, before a breather and then a cocktail dinner with sponsors and guests. He's allowed to sleep before an early start at the Phnom Penh Crown HQ in Tuol Kork next day (Tuesday at 9.30am), where the Crown Academy boys will benefit from a football clinic from the maestro, and the first-teamers will be on hand as well. Fabio has asked for an afternoon off so he can take in the sights of the city and he will take his leave the following morning. The trip will allow him to promote and support the emergence of football in the Kingdom, especially amongst the youth and disadvantaged. The hope is that someone as big a name as Fabio, will make more people sit up and take notice of the game here. Without doubt, he's the brightest star to come to Cambodia on a football gig, having won nearly every major honour in the game, including captaining Italy to the 2006 World Cup and getting the FIFA Player of the Year award from his fellow pro's in the same year. They don't come much bigger than that.

Military rule

I must say well done to the online website of Sabay.com who are devoting a great deal of coverage these days to local sport, especially football. They are even beginning to highlight some of the issues that rankle with me, but which are generally swept under the carpet, such as the heavy-handed tactics of the Army (National Defense Ministry) football club in the way they deal with their own players and carry on as if Cambodian football was their own personal fiefdom. There appears to be one rule for the Army and another rule for all of the other professional clubs, whilst the football federation stand idly by and allow the military to ride roughshod over FIFA regulations and rules. Take the debacle of last season as an example. Before the season began, a number of players wanted to leave the Army team. Some were scared off by fear of retribution from those above, whilst three or four players that did have the balls to leave were then denied playing for other Cambodian teams by a combination of the Army refusing point-blank to allow them to move clubs, and the complete ineptitude of the football federation to take a strong lead in resolving the impasse. The players were not under contract to the Army and so in effect they were free agents as footballers to join whoever they wished. However, the military team steadfastly refused to release their registrations and effectively left them in limbo. They even claimed that as bona fide members of the armed forces, they were not able to leave the club. Basically the Army's ultimatum was; play for us or play for no-one. Two of the players, Khim Borey and Sin Dalin took off to Thailand where the Army were forced to tow the line under FIFA regulations and to agree to their international clearance, but for players like Nov Soseila and Suong Virak, they were left kicking their heels in Phnom Penh, with the federation turning a blind eye to the shenanigans of the military strongmen. After negotiations, Virak did appear for Phnom Penh Crown but missed the Hun Sen Cup competition, while Soseila has not kicked a ball in anger for more than a year. When Borey attempted to return after his contract in Thailand came to an end, his registration for the C-League was withheld, though he was granted permission to play in the AFC President's Cup. You have got to feel for the players involved. They wish to further their football career but the Army will do everything in their power, which is considerable, to deny them their livelihood. And the federation, who should be protecting player's rights, simply look the other way. Safeguards against this restriction of livelihood need to be introduced, which could include a player's union for example, the federation need to act like a real federation and abide by the rules of FIFA over player's transfers and contracts, and the Army must decide whether they are a military unit that wears football boots or they are a separate professional football club, and if the latter, they should act like one.

Scott's Indian summer

Scott O'Donell in coaching mode

Former Cambodian national coach and advisor to Phnom Penh Crown, Scott O'Donell has begun a new chapter in developing youth football... in India. As the newly-appointed National Academies Manager, O'Donell will lead a joint project between football's world governing body FIFA and the All India Football federation to set up regional academies and an elite academy over the next two years. For phase 1 of the project, four residential regional centers will be set up in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi by the end of this March. "We will be selecting the players from the U-14 national festival as well as other trials to be conducted. There are already some private academies in India and a few clubs have their own but the quality varies," commented the Australian coach. Each academy will house about 30 boys and they will undergo a two-year stint in the regional academy where accommodation, food and education will be funded by the AIFF. The next phase, by March 2013, will see academies in Goa, Chennai, Chandigarh and Kerala come on board. The elite academy will be take boys from the age of 16 from the regional centers for two years before they become eligible to join professional clubs. This focus on developing youth football in India is a determined attempt by the Indian football federation to take their football to a new level in the future. O'Donnell, who had two stints as the national coach for Cambodia as well as a successful coaching spell at Geylang United in Singapore, is also a FIFA coaching instructor and pundit on ESPN/Star Sports. He will be working closely with the Dutch technical director at the AIFF, Rob Baan. O'Donell is no stranger to developing grassroots football, having worked closely with Bouy Dary to set up the Phnom Penh Crown Academy last year.

PKR compete in Malay

The Malaysian football federation have at last confirmed that Preah Khan Reach, the 3rd best team in last season's Metfone C-League and last term's Hun Sen Cup winners, will compete in the Malaysian FA Cup this coming season. They are due to play their first round match on 18 February, which falls right in the middle of the Hun Sen Cup in Phnom Penh, so there needs to be some accommodation there. Presumably the game will have to be played in Malaysia as well. PKR, also known as Royal Sword and backed by the Military Police, have had an affinity with the country over the last few years, playing a series of friendly games there. PKR are replacing the Harimau Muda B team (the country's U-19 squad who play in the domestic league) as they are involved in competitions in Singapore and Brunei that month. The other foreign team to take part in the Malaysian FA Cup next season will be the LionsXII (effectively their country's U-23 team) from Singapore. Just a snippet for your info: the winners of the Malaysian Super League stand to collect a tidy sum of $235,000 as champions this time around, whilst Phnom Penh Crown picked up a paltry $15,000 as Metfone C-League winners last season. Meanwhile, the top dogs in Thailand will get $315,000, in Vietnam, the champions earn $150,000 and in Singapore, $115,000.

Academy open up 2012

Yeu Muslim celebrates a 6-1 win with some after-match fruit and a wet wipe

The youngsters of the Phnom Penh Crown Academy began 2012 in fine style with a 6-1 success against Prek Kdam in this morning's friendly encounter. Three goals in each half for the Academy U-13s against their older opponents was more than enough to confirm their superiority. Head coach Bouy Dary has the luxury with his 22-strong Academy squad to field a different line-up in each half and with this friendly match, played with 11-a-side and forty minutes each way, gave his whole squad a run out on the first morning of the new year. Just three minutes into the game and Ken Chansopheak opened the scoring for PPCFC and a minute later In Sodavid added a second. It looked ominous for the visitors but they fought back gamely, weathered the storm and pulled a goal back on 25 minutes. Five minutes before the break Yeu Muslim pounced on a loose ball in the area and the Academy went in 3-1 ahead at the break. Seven minutes into the second half and the eagle-eyed referee spotted an infringement that no-one else did and Theang Chhaya stepped up to despatch the penalty kick with confidence. Fifteen minutes later and Suon Noeut set up Chhuot Senteang for a tap-in before Pov Ponvuthy wrapped it up at 6-1 with a simple finish. The Academy boys will get back to their Barclays Capital ISF Champions League campaign next week before they take the opportunity to spend a few days training and playing games in Vietnam in the middle of the month.

Academy team in 1st half. Back LtoR: Sovann, Piphop, S Samnang, Sopheak, Chanpolin, Sakrovy. Front: Chansopheak, Muslim, Chanchav, Sodavid, Phearath

Academy team in 2nd half. Back Row LtoR: Baraing, S Samnang, Sovannaroth, Sodavid, Kim Chhaya, Senteang. Front: Rozak, Noeut, Ponvuthy, Theang Chhaya, David

Suon Noeut outpaces a Prek Kdam defender to set up a goal

One of many saves made by Prek Kdam's athletic keeper Vuthy, a Cambodian U-13 player

Prek Kdam offered up stern resistance for much of the match

Head coach Bouy Dary (blue) issues pre-match instructions to his squad

The Academy boys listen intently to their coach

More domestic friendlies

Lee Tae-Hoon's preferred build-up towards taking his Cambodian U-21 team (plus 5 overage players) to the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy in Brunei between 25 Feb-5 March begins in earnest this afternoon when his squad take on Preah Khan Reach at the Olympic Stadium. It's the usual formula for Lee, games against C-League teams, as he did before the SEA Games, rather than pushing the boat out and getting some really tough opposition over here to test his squad against. Essentially, the cheap and cheerful alternative. Lee has lined-up a series of friendly matches, starting with PKR today and then games against newcomers Boeung Ket (4 Jan) and Naga (6 Jan) at the national football center at Cheng Meng, before meeting BBU at Olympic on 10 Jan. All the while, this is taking the players away from their domestic clubs, who are smack bang in the middle of their pre-season preparation. The timing is pretty abysmal. Boeung Ket for example are due to open up their Hun Sen Cup qualifying games on 7 Jan. The tournament itself, for Asean U-21 teams, is also geared to interrupt the flow of the pre-season Hun Sen Cup competition latter stages as well. Let's hope the federation are not expecting clubs to play without their Brunei-bound players.

Fabio tops the bill

Fabio Cannavaro with his most prized possession

It's been confirmed. Fabio Cannavaro, he of the short height and always willing to take his shirt off to show his handsome torso, as well as being the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year and Italy's World Cup-winning captain in that same year, will be popping over to Phnom Penh for a couple of nights (8th and 9th January) to show his face, promote Cambodian football and sports, make a few personal appearances (probably in the high-class fashion boutiques), and generally spread goodwill and his winning smile to all and sundry. Lots of television and media photocalls no doubt, a gala dinner perhaps and of course some time on the coaching field, most likely at Olympic Stadium, passing on the skills for which he was so blessed. Certainly not one of the tallest defenders around, his desire to win, his anticipation and his single-mindedness were his key attributes that made him one of the very best defenders on the planet in the last 20 years. He's certainly the biggest name from world football to ever grace these shores and will be warmly welcomed. He played in the teams of Parma, Juventus, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, won the European Player of the Year award, a bagful of domestic league and cup titles before finally calling it a day last year due to a persistent knee problem. He also happens to be a handsome devil (so my lady friends tell me) and won the accolade as the world's sexiest footballer on a number of occasions. Welcome to Phnom Penh Fabio.

Time for chat

I caught an hour long television show tonight from the PPCTV channel, in Khmer language, which they billed as Internet Sport Talk Show for PPCTVSport. I believe the show has been running for a few weeks already and for much of the show they talked about football, both local and international. Other sports were shown on signs behind the two presenters but football was all they discussed. In one segment, they showed an online copy of the Phnom Penh Post and proceeded to read out loud the whole report, on the Cambodian national team, word for word. They also showed photographs of international players from other countries, displayed on their own facebook page and discussed potential tranfers and suchlike. An hour of football talk is certainly what the Khmer football-loving public want but I think they need to be a lot more innovative about their content, rather than reading verbatim from an online newspaper. I know Rome wasn't built in a day, so I welcome the show, but there's certainly lots of room to improve. Teach me to speak Khmer and I'll jump at the chance to take part as a pundit. If Shebby Singh can get away with it, anyone can. The Thais have what seems like almost continuous football chat shows, though most of it covers the Barclays Premier. I'd like the Khmer channels to be much more homegrown-focused, but without losing an element of international coverage of the big stories as well. The more coverage of the Cambodian League the better.

Lesson learnt

Khim Borey (yellow bib) is inches wide with this effort against AEU this afternoon

In this afternoon's practice match at the RSN Stadium in Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh Crown beat the students of the Asia Euro University 4-1, after it was tied at 1-1 at the half-time break. Crown used 23 players during the match in order to give their trialists a taste of the action. Sok Pheng opened the scoring after just five minutes with a simple tap-in and then Mak Theara, in the AEU goal, pulled off one of a few good saves to deny Kouch Sokumpheak. AEU equalised on 11 minutes with an effort that looked suspiciously offside but was ruled good by the match officials. Khim Borey, pushing forward from midfield, missed a couple of guilt-edged opportunities and then Theara pulled off another great stop to deny Sok Pheng before the break. In the 2nd half, Crown rang the changes and two goals were scored by one of the club's trialists, on 60 and 70 minutes, both of the goals were neat finishes. Hong Pheng, fresh from his recent run-out in training for the Cambodian U-21 squad, out-fought a defender and lashed in a 15-yard effort on 72 minutes to complete the scoreline. In the starting line-up for Crown, only five players were with the club last season (Dara, Tiny, Sok Pheng, Borey, Sokumpheak), and another six from last term joined the fray in the 2nd half (Sovan, Sophanal, Vanthan, Hong Pheng, Rathanak, Sochivorn). The remainder, amongst the 23 players used, were all new additions or trialists. The club will announce its new signings at a pre-season press conference next month.

Hong Pheng (yellow bib) takes evasive action as the AEU keeper clears

Examination time

Phnom Penh Crown's first-team squad, currently being re-shaped after their recent upheaval, have a practice match against the Asia Euro University team tomorrow (Wednesday) at their RSN Stadium HQ in Tuol Kork at 3pm. Crown have met the University side a couple of times earlier this year in friendly matches. In June, a Crown B-team beat them 5-2 and back in March, five goals from Kingsley Njoku helped Crown to a 10-1 success. The students came third in the Division 1A play-offs and were pipped for a place in this season's Metfone C-League by Western University and Boeung Ket. However, they will compete in the forthcoming Hun Sen Cup qualifying rounds, with their group matches to be played in Siem Reap.

I've just heard a whisper that one of the world's greatest footballers, a former FIFA World Player of the Year and a World Cup-winning captain, will be coming to Phnom Penh early next month for some special appearances and to shed a bit more light on Cambodian football and sport. My lips are sealed as to any more information at this point.

I was asked by a local journalist for details of the salaries paid by Phnom Penh Crown to their players, as they were writing an article about it. I was tempted to tell him to mind his own bloody business, but just stopped myself and instead said that the player's salaries are a private matter between the club and the player concerned. There is an expectation it seems in Cambodia that everyone should know the salary of everyone else, especially if they are in the public spotlight, like sportsmen. I come from a very different background where such personal information is a completely private matter. And that will be how it will remains for Phnom Penh Crown. Our players receive a monthly salary which is part of a private contract agreed between the club and the player concerned. It is no-one else's business. Read my lips.

No reward for failure

Sacked Vietnam coach Falko Goetz ponders his future

Have Vietnam got their priorities right? They have sacked their German national team coach Falko Goetz, just seven months into his tenure, for an abysmal performance in the recent SEA Games. They finished 4th and for the Vietnam football federation, that was clearly unacceptable. Talking to the press, they pointed out the German coach had introduced an unsuitable playing style while failing to use the right players and create stability within the team. Vietnam's U-23s picked up 4th spot after a humiliating 4-1 loss to Myanmar in the bronze medal play-off, and after losing 2-0 to Indonesia in the semi-final. Goetz was the eighth foreign coach of Vietnam since 1995. He had already offered suggestions to restrict the number of foreign players at clubs in order to give more opportunities to locals and additional team places for younger players, before the curtain came down on his stint in charge. It seems the Vietnam federation won't tolerate failure, which is the complete opposite of their Cambodian counterparts, who perversely reward failure. Cambodia returned from the SEA Games with a sorry record, played 4, lost 4. Yet the Cambodian federation had already increased the contract of the South Korean coach (Lee Tae-Hoon) after 14 months of uninspiring and insipid football, where the team had failed in every competition they had entered. Now Lee is testing a batch of young players ahead of an unofficial regional U-21 tournament in Brunei at the end of February, with a view to preparing for Cambodia's next big senior competition, the AFF Suzuki Cup in October. This will be Cambodia's major international focus for 2012 and they will enter the qualifying rounds in Myanmar, which will determine who will join the big boys in the group stages, to be played in Malaysia and Thailand the following month. Cambodia failed to qualify for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup to be held in Nepal in March.

An Asean Super Football League is back on the agenda, after Asean Sports Ministers recently agreed on a Malaysian proposal to form such a league competition. The Super League would feature the leading football teams from all Asean countries. The proposal will be discussed in greater depth by the chief executive officers of all the leagues involved in the middle of next month in Kuala Lumpur.

Christmas present

Pov Ponvuthy belts a shot towards goal in this morning's 10-0 success

The Academy team who netted seven goals in the 2nd half. Back Row LtoR: Baraing, Sopheak, Senteang, Chanpolin. Front: Noeut, Chanchav, Chhaya, Sodavid, Ponvuthy

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy youngsters gave themselves a nice Christmas morning gift with a 10-0 win over the plucky Komar Takhmao, in their Barclays Capital ISF U-14 Champions League encounter though the scoreline could easily have been doubled with their opponents not getting out of their own half in the second period. Crisp passing and interchanges saw the Crown boys carve open their visitors to the RSN Stadium, time and time again. After a slow start, an own goal settled any nerves before Ken Chansopheak and Yeu Muslim were on target ahead of the half-time break. Chhuot Senteang netted twice soon after the restart and then Theang Chhaya fired in a thunderbolt that the keeper didn't even see. Choun Chanchav, Suon Noeut and two late goals from Pov Ponvuthy completed the rout.
The foundations for the two new futsal artificial grass pitches at the RSN Stadium are currently being laid. This will be another very welcome addition to the club's facilities, which both the Crown senior and Academy teams can use, as well as being rented out to other clubs and associations. Floodlights will allow night-time use of the pitches as well.

The Academy line-up who played the 1st-half against Komar Takhmao. Back Row LtoR: Piphop, Sakrovy, Sodavid, Sovann; Front: Phearath, Chansopheak, Noeut, Muslim, Rozak

Mat Sakrovy keeps a close eye on the ball

The boys line-up for the pre-match handshakes

Sath Rozak leads the youngsters through their pre-game warm-up

An early look at Crown's new floodlit futsal pitches

The Crown futsal pitches greet visitors immediately they enter the stadium area

New look web

I'm currently working on a new Phnom Penh Crown website as we approach the brand new season, with our designer Sak. He's the technical expert, I'm the ideas man. And the one who'll have to fill it. The above design is a prototype frontpage which we still need to fiddle around with and make some changes to, but I don't think the final outcome will be a million miles away from this look. And yes, before you say it, we'll need to replace the two players featured at the top of the page. The intention is to come close to some of the best football websites in the Barclays Premier, which is a tall order for a team in Cambodia, but Sak is a whiz at this stuff and I always aim high. We hope to have it on board in time for the start of the new season. Watch this space.

Cambodia off to Brunei

I've just heard that Cambodia will be sending an U-21 team to Brunei in late February to compete in the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy that will take place between 25 Feb - 5 March. This tournament, an unofficial U-21 competition for ASEAN countries, has been on-hold for the last few years as Brunei Darussalam were suspended from all competitions by FIFA. That ban was lifted in the middle of this year just in time for Brunei to take part in the recent SEA Games. I've been harking on about better quality opposition for the national team and a well-structured build-up programme towards the qualifying rounds for the AFF Suzuki Cup next October, and this goes part of the way to fulfilling that requirement, though the HB Trophy is essentially an U-21 tournament although the rules have been changed this year to allow a handful of over-age players. Meanwhile, the Suzuki Cup is for the senior Cambodian team. What doesn't sit well is that the tournament looks like it will be smack-bang in the middle of the latter stages of the Hun Sen Cup and the preparation of teams for the Metfone C-League. I've yet to see the revised dates for the Hun Sen Cup, as they keep changing them, and no start date has yet been fixed for the C-League campaign to get underway. For the national coach, South Korean Lee Tae-Hoon, it will be an opportunity to wipe some of the egg off his face after the SEA Games debacle when his charges went down in all four matches and exited the SEA Games with a whimper. The timing isn't great though, as players will be called up for training for the U-21s when they should be getting good pre-season fitness and tactical sessions under their belt with their individual teams ahead of their involvement in the Hun Sen Cup, and later the league campaign. The tournament in Brunei just about ticks the box in terms of the start of serious Suzuki Cup preparation, but much more is needed, particularly tough, high-profile friendly matches at senior team level, which doesn't include Korean university teams or 2nd-rate Vietnam club sides. Brunei have just returned from the international wilderness after a two-year plus ban was lifted so they could compete in the recent SEA Games, where they did pretty well, beating Philippines, drawing with Laos and losing against Timor Leste, Myanmar and Vietnam. Cambodia's U-23s lost all four of their SEA Games matches. Brunei's only professional club DPMM FC are rejoining the Singapore League after their football federation's FIFA reprieve and the 2012 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy will be the 4th time that Brunei has hosted the tournament. Indonesia won it in 2002 and then Thailand claimed the prize in 2005 and 2007 before the competition was suspended. In that 2007 competition, Cambodia's results were as follows: Brunei D2-2, Myanmar L0-7, Philippines W6-0, Thailand L1-10. For the record, in the FIFA world rankings, Cambodia lie at 170 whilst Brunei wallow at 202, as you'd expect for a team who haven't played for a few years.

Unveiling plans

With the new football season in Cambodia fast approaching, all teams entering the Hun Sen Cup this season must submit their playing squads to the football federation ahead of the start of the competition, to be played in five regional centers, from 7 January. The involvement of the C-League clubs has now been put back until the first week of February. This cup is treated as the pre-season warm-up ahead of the domestic league campaign, likely to begin in April, though no word yet from the FFC on an official start date. At Phnom Penh Crown, coach David Booth and his coaching staff have been busy putting a number of trialists, both as part of the normal pre-season intake of new faces as well as following the open trials on 10 and 11 December, through their paces and decisions are being made as to which players will be signed by the club. Crown will hold a press conference in the week before their first involvement in the Hun Sen Cup to announce the additions to their playing squad, to unveil their new playing kit and for interviews with coach David Booth and his players, ahead of the new season. The club will also undertake a short pre-season tour outside the country from the middle of January as part of their preparation.
In another positive development, the club have begun construction of 2 futsal artificial grass floodlit pitches at their RSN Stadium in Tuol Kork. This will take a couple of months to complete and will greatly enhance the training facilities for the Crown first-team and Academy players, as well as being made available for rental by other clubs and associations.

Cup qualifying

The Hun Sen Cup begins in under a month. It's the pre-season warm-up competition ahead of the Metfone C-League for Khmer players only. It's the Cambodian version of the FA Cup. No foreigners are allowed to compete. And the minnows from the provinces get a chance to rub shoulders with the big boys. Though this time around, fewer minnows will get that opportunity. It starts on 7 January with representative and club teams from the provinces fighting amongst themselves in five regional qualifying mini-leagues. The winner of each region (north, south, east, west and central) and three best runners-up will advance to the group stage. That's when the top 8 C-League teams (including Phnom Penh Crown) will join the fray, alongwith the 8 provincial reps, in 4 groups of 4 teams. These Group stage matches will begin on 20 January and last for a couple of weeks, with all matches being played in Phnom Penh. Following that, we enter the final eight-club knock-out stage. For the record, last season's winners were Preah Khan Reach.
The 5 regional qualifying groups (with teams representing the named provinces) are as follows:
East: Boeung Ket - Kompong Cham (host), Prey Veng, Chhma Khmao - Svay Rieng, Western University - Phnom Penh.
Central: Baksey Chamkrong - Siem Reap (host), Univ of Management & Economics - Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Asia Europe Univ - Preah Vihear.
West: Kompong Chhnang (host), Battambang, Pailin.
North: Kratie (host), Mondulkiri, Mekong Kampuchea Univ - Ratanakiri, Stung Treng.
South: Koh Kong (host), Kampot, Kep.

Crown on trial

Phnom Penh Crown got their pre-season practice matches off to a good start, as they build up towards the Hun Sen Cup competition that will kick-off in January. Not only did they beat Chhlam Samuth 6-0 in this afternoon's friendly encounter at Crown's RSN Stadium, but they started the game with an almost full complement of trialists, all of whom coach David Booth reported "did very well." More of the club's established players took over later on to complete the game and the positive scoreline. Hok Sochivorn grabbed a couple of goals, Khim Borey got on the scoresheet and three goals were scored by unnamed trialists. The club gave no advance notice of the game, effectively making it a behind-closed-doors game. Most of the trialists have been training with the club this week after impressing in open trials the club put on last weekend. The club is looking to bolster its squad after last week releasing no less than six experienced players for disciplinary reasons following their AFC President's Cup Final appearance in September.

Sokngorn to rubber club

Keo Sokngorn will be holding the Boeung Ket scarf for the coming season

I'm scratching my head over one of the two new teams to join the Metfone C-League in 2012. They are called Boeung Ket and will be managed by former Phnom Penh Crown manager Be Makara for the upcoming new season, with Prak Vuthy as coach. My understanding is that they are backed by the owners of the huge rubber plantation and processing plant north of Kompong Cham city, that operates under the Long Sreng International company name. However, last season, Crown played a team by the name of Neak Khiev, or Blue Dragons, that also originated from the same company - so I presume they've merely changed their name. The word on the grapevine is that the rubber baron behind the company has deep pockets and might explain how they've managed to persuade players like Keo Sokngorn, Touch Pancharong and Ly Ravy to join the C-League newcomers. I'm sure they'll be making other new signings before the season begins, with returnees from Thailand high on their agenda. Sokngorn and Ravy both spent last season in the Thai 2nd Division, with Samut Sakhon and North Bangkok respectively. Their facebook page calls them the Boeung Ket Rubber Field FC team, a rather unfortunate mouthful for anyone. Western United were the team to come out on top of the Division 1A play-off and gain promotion to the C-League, with Boeung Ket getting the 2nd spot as runners-up. Missing out were Asia Europe University and Oddar Meanchey.

Whitewash for Academy

Yeu Muslim (10) nets the first of his three 1st-half goals

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy youngsters kicked off their Barclays Capital ISF U-14 Champions League series of matches in the most emphatic of ways, demolishing their opponents, Komar Athyreach, 19-0 at their RSN Stadium headquarters. On a mission to regain the BCISF trophy they won last season, the Academy team passed their guests to death from the start and quickly established an unassailable lead. As the goals rattled in, Yeu Muslim netted a first-half hat-trick, with Mat Sakrovy scoring twice and a goal apiece or Ken Chansopheak, In Sodavid and Pov Ponvuthy. An interval lead of 8-0 was a fraction of what it could've been. Coach Bouy Dary changed his complete line-up at the break and the youngsters of Komar Athyreach simply had no answer to the power, pace and precision passing of the home team. Full-back Ouk Sovann ventured upfield to open the Academy's second-half account, an own goal and then the other full-back, Seut Baraing got his name on the scoresheet too. Midfield strongman Orn Chanpolin rattled in a hat-trick, Pov Ponvuthy scored twice more to claim his trio, Vat Samnang netted a couple and Suon Noeut completed the 19-0 rout in the final seconds. A clinical display in anyone's book.
The second string of Crown's U-14 youngsters compete in the BCISF U-14 Premier League with a mix of Academy and non-Academy boys, some of which are ten years old. On the smaller pitch, they peppered the goal of their New Hope opponents throughout but found it almost impossible to beat the keeper until he punched the ball into his own goal from a corner. New Hope equalised but after the break, two goals from Nop David including a penalty, Kim Chhaya and Thy Ronaldo eased Crown to a 5-2 victory.

The Crown Academy first-half team. Back Row LtoR: Sopheak, Piphop, Senteang, Sakrovy, Rozak. Front: Muslim, Phearath, Sodavid, Chansopheak

The Crown Academy 2nd-half team. Back Row LtoR: Chanpolin, Baraing, Sovann, Titchhy. Front: Ponvuthy, Noeut, Chanchav, T Chhaya, V Samnang

Mat Sakrovy scores a goal with a slide-rule finish

Midfielder In Sodavid pushed up to net a goal in the first-half

Listening intently to their coach at half-time. LtoR: Rozak, Chanpolin, Sopheak, Baraing and Sovann

Coach Bouy Dary carries on the instructions at the half-time interval

The Crown Premier League line-up before their 5-2 win over New Hope