Crown look overseas

Elroy van der Hooft arrives at PPCFC

Phnom Penh Crown coach Sam Schweingruber has kept himself busy in the week long break for Khmer New Year. Assessing that his young Crown squad needed some strengthening as the second round of the Metfone C-League is just about to start, the Swiss coach decided to look overseas for a few new faces. Thwarted by clubs in the C-League not releasing players who were seeking to join Crown, he picked up a Dutch striker, the first to grace the C-League, as well as two South Korean imports looking to make a splash in Cambodia. Elroy van der Hooft earned his spurs at the famous Ajax Academy in Holland for six years before spells at other Dutch clubs, in Greece and more recently hooking up with a club in Indonesia. He has to wait to make his start over there so he's joined Crown until the end of the C-League season, to give the club an additional attacking option. The two Koreans, Lee Ha-Neul and Choi Jae-Cheol went through the Korean university system though Choi had two serious knee operations and dropped out for a stint in the Army. He's looking to get his fitness and touch back having been in the Korean national squads from age 12 to 17. Lee has just had a spell in the Japanese League, so both have an interesting pedigree. And both are attack minded players. The Crown coach knows that scoring goals has been his team's weakness in their past few games and he's looking for the new arrivals to make an impact in that area.

A welcome to Elroy from assistant coach Bouy Dary

Listening to the coaching staff, new faces Elroy (left) and Lee Ha-Neul (middle)

ASL in the limelight

The proposed Asean Super League made the headlines yesterday. Here's the basic story in Goal.com.

Eight teams have been confirmed for the inaugural season of the Asean Super League, with six countries to be involved when it kicks off in 2015. The Asean Football Federation, the governing body for football in Southeast Asia, has shed further light on its plans for a Super League competition by stating that the inaugural season will kick off in 2015 with an initial eight teams. The eight franchise clubs will compete in a relegation-free division with a playoff system to decide the winner. The AFF is seeking eventual expansion to 16 teams for the annual Super League, with a limit on the number of franchises awarded to the key markets of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore so that the likes of Myanmar and Laos can also compete. The season will be played from February to September so that it will not clash with the Asian Football Confederation's AFC Champions League or AFC Cup competitions. The AFF said a memorandum of understanding has been struck with its 11 member associations, while it is also keeping the AFC in the loop. The federation maintains the competition is not designed to supersede domestic leagues and instead seeks to build on football's huge popularity in the region and provide financial sustainability for struggling nations. "The member associations of the AFF were briefed on the potential benefits including the financial forecasts for the participating clubs," AFF council member and AFC vice-president Prince Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah told Reuters. "The concerns raised by the member associations, such as the impact to domestic leagues and the sustainability of the ASL were answered during the briefing [on April 3]." The AFF is expected to progress its plans after the AFC elects its new president on May 2. "The AFF has agreed to further develop the proposed concept of the ASEAN Super League together with [marketing agency] World Sports Group to be presented to the AFC in the near future," added Prince Abdullah.

Reuters added: Despite the huge popularity of football in the region and the success of the AFF’s Suzuki Cup - the biennial tournament for national teams in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - South-east Asia has made little impact in the rest of the confederation, let alone globally.
Vietnam are the best side in the region at 132, according to the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, with Indonesia the only one to appear at a World Cup final after qualifying for the 1938 edition as the Dutch East Indies. Other issues have plagued South-east Asian football, including match-fixing, poor attendances and domestic disputes.

Meanwhile, Patrick Johnston wrote: While all these leagues suffer in a region that is more famous for its contribution to match-fixing than achievements on the field, Southeast Asian businessmen follow the fans and plough their money into England. Cardiff City’s Malaysian owners were celebrating on Tuesday as their Welsh club finally gained promotion to the lucrative English Premier League. They could swap places with another Malaysian-owned club, with Tony Fernandes’ Queens Park Rangers in dire relegation trouble, while another struggling side, Aston Villa, are sponsored by Malaysian gaming and plantation group Genting. Elsewhere in England’s second tier, three times League Cup winners and promotion-chasing Leicester City are run by Thailand’s King Power International. Last year, Singaporean businessmen Bill Ng came close to buying Scottish club Glasgow Rangers, while compatriot Peter Lim was in advanced talks about purchasing Liverpool in 2010. Asian money men also own Manchester City, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City in the Premier League.

So where does that leave Cambodia? Lagging well behind the rest I would hazard a guess. If six countries are kicking off the ASL in 2015, I seriously doubt Cambodia will be included, with Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Philippines in the queue before us, and likely to get first dibs, with Laos, Brunei and Timor Leste trailing us. The talk of franchise clubs seems to open the door for brand new clubs to be formed, by wealthy backers keen to splash their name across the region. Not convinced there is the appetite for that in Cambodia at this time. But I could be wrong. We shall see how this develops.

Booth to move

David Booth will be leaving Salgaocar soon

Former Phnom Penh Crown coach David Booth has turned the corner at Indian Premier League club Salgaocar after his new club suffered a shocking start to the season. The arrival of some new faces in the transfer window made the difference and they are now out of the relegation mire, and undefeated in their last four outings. However, Booth is not a happy bunny and after watching his players beat United Sikkim 9-0 he told the press he was on his way out. In his typical blunt style, he said; "I don't know (if Salgaocar will be one of the front-runners next season). I won't be here. They told me that they can't keep me. I've got some interested teams, but nothing concrete at the moment. I'll be going on a holiday. I won't be here after that, so good luck to them. I have worked all over the world so I'm prepared to go anywhere. I've got a lot of contacts." David, 64, is no stranger to Indian football having coached both Mahindra United (twice) and Mumbai, as well as being voted India's coach of the year in 2009. David joined the Goa-based club in November after leaving Crown, where he guided the club to the C-League title and the final of the AFC President's Cup.

Old boy nets winner

A tight game was decided when NagaCorp's latest arrival, Cameroonian Ernest Ditipa managed to get the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Kirivong at Olympic Stadium on Wednesday in the Metfone C-League. It was a nice way to announce his return, having played for Naga in 2007 and 2008 before a serious stress fracture injury put his career on hold. He's since been back at home in Cameroon and has played in Thailand for Pattaya City before trying his luck once again with Naga. He lined up with another debutant, teenager Zogbe Gbayoro Anderson from Ivory Coast, on loan from BEC Tero Sasana in Thailand. Naga leap-frogged over Kirivong into third spot. In the other game, BBU will be pleased with their 2-0 win over National Police, with 2nd-half goals from Prum Putsethy and Pich Sina.

Eight in a row

Boeung Ket's Rubbermen stretched their lead at the top with a 1-0 win.

It was a case of as you were at the top of the Metfone C-League after the weekend matches. Boeung Ket found the going a little tougher than usual, managing a solitary goal success against the 2nd-placed team Preah Khan Reach. Bisan George netted his 10th of the season in his team's 8th straight win. That was the first game on Saturday, with Crown's goal-less draw with AEU as the follow-up match. Over at the Army Stadium, BBU punished Senate 4-0 with new face David Ekelechukwu Ogodogun (your guess is as good as mine as to his surname) netted two in quick succession early doors and rounded off his hat-trick in injury time. Not a bad start at all for the new arrival. Prum Putsethy added one more to the total. On Sunday, Kirivong shot down the Army with two goals from Friday Nwakuna and another from substitute Savorn Ratanak Visa, with Phoung Soksana scoring for Army in a 3-1 defeat, that moved Kirivong into third place in the table. Naga and National Police fought out a 2-2 draw with the lead changing hands. Naga opened up through Prak Chanratana before An Jinya levelled from the spot and Joel Omoraka put Police ahead, only for Teab Vathanak to equalise on the hour. In the final matches before the Khmer New Year break, Naga meet Kirivong on Wednesday and National Police face off against BBU the same day.

Preah Khan retained 2nd spot despite losing.

Academy are 1 and 2

Academy1. Back row LtoR: Kao Kiry (coach), Noeut, S Samnang, Baraing, K Chhaya, Sakrovy. Front Row: Piphop, David, V Samnang, Ponvuthy, Rozak, Chanchav.

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy teams both won their matches in the CFDL U-16 competition, with the Academy 1 team playing on Saturday morning, beating the Army U-16s 3-0, with all the goals coming in the last five minutes. Svang Samnang kept the Army at bay early doors with a couple of saves, but the Academy were always on top and let their superior stamina make its mark late on. Vat Samnang opened the scoring and then set up Men Piphop twice, to wrap up the victory. Academy 2 lie 2nd in the table. In the Sunday afternoon encounter with RSISA, Academy 2 kept their lead intact at the top of the competition with an emphatic 9-1 success. RSISA started off on the wrong foot, fielding just seven players until reinforcements arrived by the time they were three goals behind. Ouk Sovann headed the first on two minutes with Yeu Muslim and Theang Chhaya quickly adding two more. Chhuot Senteang netted a quick-fire double, both times racing clear of his marker, and then set up Chhaya for his second. Mat Nuron's quick feet was rewarded when his inch-perfect cross was headed home by Orn Chanpolin for 7-0 at the interval. Chanpolin cantered through for his second after the break before Senteang rounded off his hat-trick with a cute finish. RSISA netted a late consolation, and will be glad they kept it under double figures. The other club results from the CFDL matches on Sunday, saw the PPCFC 1 team beat their teammates in PPCFC 2 in the U-12's match, 6-3. In the U-14 division, PPCFC 1 beat Young Wolf 6-3, but PPCFC 2 lost 4-1 to SSCA 2. The PPCFC Community team in the U-16s age group went down to SSCA 4-0.

Academy 2. Back row, LtoR: Chanpolin, Senteang, Soksela, Sovann, Titchhy. Front: Muslim, Chansopheak, T Chhaya, Nuron, Phearath, Sodavid.

Lack-lustre performance

Crown v AEU. Back Row, LtoR: Obadin, Thierry, Boris, Pheng, Narin, Ary. Front: Seyha, Suhana, Makara, Borey (capt), Sokumpheak.

After a good start to their Metfone C-league season, Phnom Penh Crown's recent slippages against the top two teams was compounded by a lacklustre showing against newcomers Asia Euro University at the Olympic Stadium this afternoon. A goal-less draw and a below-par performance was not what coach Sam Schweingruber was looking for going into the Khmer New Year break. "We were terrible today. In the first half we had zero purpose in what we were doing. Nothing worked. All in all a deserved draw, we were definitely not the better team. Simply not good enough in my opinion. Fair to say, definitely a wake-up call to me and the whole team. We will have to work very hard in training to correct this situation. If we continue to play like this, we will struggle to make the play-offs." A frank assessment from the Swiss-born coach, who had just watched his team struggle to overcome one of the league's less-fancied teams. The game highlighted Crown's shyness in front of goal, despite a team boasting national team players and big reputations. For their part, AEU are a team of journeymen and youngsters, new to the C-League this year, and proving that hard work and a fighting spirit will occasionally prevail. Granted, they didn't produce one single shot on target throughout today's game and Crown's goal was never seriously threatened, but they proved to be an obstacle to the former champions getting back on track following defeats to Preah Khan Reach and Boeung Ket. A wake-up call, as Schweingruber points out, is exactly what it was.

With Samrith Seiha missing through illness, Yok Ary retained his place in the Crown goal and had one of his quietest-ever games. At the other end, Um Sereyrath was tested by Bin Thierry's 30-yard free-kick on eleven minutes, with the keeper pushing out the goal attempt and then thwarting Sos Suhana's follow-up. Ten minutes later, Hong Pheng crashed through two tackles but his final shot lacked the power to beat Sereyrath who collected cleanly at the second attempt. Less than a minute late, Kouch Sokumpheak fed Leng Makara but his lobbed attempt cleared the goal-frame. On the half-hour, Suhana and Khim Borey played a clever one-two and the latter's thunderous left-foot shot on the run crashed against the cross-bar and into the arms of a grateful Sereyrath. Moments later, Pheng took a pass from Borey in his stride but his low drive again lacked conviction. AEU's first real attempt was a free-kick on 37 minutes that flashed wide of the target. Coach Schweingruber left his team in no doubt at the half-time dressing-down, what he thought of their first-half showing.

Twelve minutes after the break, Borey found the net with a superb finish over Sereyrath's head but his joy was short-lived as the flag was raised. Video replays show that Borey was onside as Pheng's pass struck a defender and looped into his path. Two minutes later Borey broke down the left wing and his cross to the far post saw Makara attempt an audacious mid-air volley that whistled a yard wide. On 67 minutes, Pheng's pass found Borey goal-side of his marker and as Sereyrath came to meet him, the striker's attempted chip wasn't quite high enough and the keeper's fingertips diverted it for a corner. Crown, seeking to gain maximum points, sent on Nelson Oladiji and his first touch inadvertently sent Odion Obadin's downward header into the hands of Sereyrath. A minute later, Oladiji was booked on what would be his final Crown appearance. Borey was determined to end Crown's drought but skyed his shot from 20 yards out, when set up by Makara. Chhom Pisa entered the fray and sent a 30-yarder over the top and picked up a booking two minutes later. AEU's free-kick from the infringement sailed harmlessly over the cross-bar. Crown's final chance fell at the feet of Makara but his two attempts came to nothing, his second keeping the ball-boys busy, as the match ended all-square. Crown now have a break for the new year until they face Kirivong in the final match of the first round of the MCL on 27 April. Fifteen-year-old keeper Keo Soksela made his first appearance on the bench as understudy to Ary. It was confirmed after the match that Pheak Rady has retired for injury and business reasons, while Nelosn Oladiji's short-term contract would not be renewed.
PPCFC line-up: Ary, Boris, Seyha (Oladiji 72), Narin (Lika 28), Obadin, Thierry, Suhana (Pisa 82), Pheng, Makara, Sokumpheak, Borey. Subs not used: Soksela, Dara, Kano, Sothy, Dary, Morslim, Phearun. Bookings: Borey, Nelson, Pisa, Pheng. MOTM: Borey.

Coach Sam Schweingruber makes his point forcibly at half-time

Khim Borey leads out Crown followed by Yok Ary

Asean Super Teams

Looking at football in Asia, there was an announcement earlier this week that could have far-reaching implications for Cambodian football. On the sidelines of the AFF meeting, the arrival of the Asean Super League in 2015 was being touted as the next big thing to give Asean club sides their own UEFA Champions League style competition.The details are still to be ironed out but the regional super league would reportedly feature 16 teams, two each from 8 member nations, namely Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines and Cambodia, whilst "on a franchise basis" was also mentioned - which could literally mean anything, such as brand new clubs being formed or 'best of' teams being entered. It's all very fuzzy at the moment as the high level discussions will determine the future make-up of the ASL 2015. It's certainly not as cut and dried as Cambodia's best two clubs being invited to join for example. We'll pretty much have to wait and see what transpires.

Almost in the same breath, it was announced the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2014 will be co-hosted by Vietnam and Singapore but more importantly, the pre-qualifying series of matches have been scrapped, so all 11 - or maybe 12 nations, if Australia are admitted - will get to appear. In last year's edition, you'll recall Cambodia finished rock-bottom in pre-qualifying, losing all four matches to Timor Leste 5-1, Laos 1-0, Brunei 3-2 and Myanmar 3-0 and didn't carry onto the final stage. Singapore won the 2012 cup, a 3-2 success on aggregate against Thailand. 

Taking a look at the V-League

Peering inside the V-League

The Word what's on guide to Hoi Chi Minh City takes a look at Vietnam League football, which makes interesting reading. It's regarded as a much higher standard than Cambodia football, the players get paid considerably more, the fans are fanatical and its reflected in the international standing of their national team.

A League of Its Own 
After months of intrigue and turmoil, the V-League is kicking off two months late. Football fans are hoping that there will be no more disruptions and that the 12-team league will be as exciting as last season. Derek Milroy reports on what the future holds for the Beautiful Game in Vietnam. Last season’s title race could not have been scripted better and, although not in the same ballpark as the two Manchester clubs going head-to-head in England, it was arguably just as exciting. The nation’s three biggest cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang all went into the final day knowing they could win the championship. Hanoi was top and only needed a draw against the Ho Chi Minh City team, Saigon, who had to win and have Danang lose — but if the central side did win and there was a stalemate in Saigon, they would be crowned winners. The latter happened, and Danang won their second title in four years.

Turn the clock forward six months, and the never-ending economic slowdown resulted in local officials deciding to postpone the nation’s championship until Mar 2 — with the number of teams going from 14 to 12 due to clubs suffering from financial uncertainty. This season’s line-up consists of Danang, Kien Giang, Long An, Thanh Hoa, Song Lam Nghe An, Hai Phong (who have taken the franchise of Khataco Khanh Hoa from Nha Trang), Hanoi T&T, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Saigon XT, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ninh Binh. With one team being relegated and three being promoted from the First Division, there will be a 14-team league in 2014. In 2015, the league is expected to expand to 16.

Word tracked down local sports reporter, Thanh Nguyen, to clarify the goings-on over the last few months. “The V-League has been through uncertain times for a number of months now and instead of kicking off in January, the league has been delayed,” he says of the recent turbulence. “Two football teams (ACB Hanoi and Hanoi FC) owned by disgraced mogul Nguyen Duc Kien, have officially withdrawn from the V-League and First Division Tournament 2013, meaning a lot of players will have to find new teams. Navibank Saigon has also folded.” Officials from Vietnam Professional Football Company (VPF), the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), football donors and local officials have been frantically trying to help local teams out. There are also new regulations on the number of foreign players and the age limit of domestic players with regards to transfers. With 30 players in a team on average, the V-League and First Division Tournament have more than 200 players who are now jobless.

A Great Migration

This cull of players in nothing new to football, but this time it has not only affected the little-known and young players. Stars who are members of the national team who are currently unemployed include top striker Le Cong Vinh of Hanoi T&T and Doan Viet Cuong of Saigon Xuan Thanh. Song Lam Nghe An FC was close to dissolving but has survived, a relief to their huge and loyal fan base. After some haggling, national midfielders Nguyen Trong Hoang, Nguyen Dinh Dong and Au Van Hoan reached an agreement with the team. This turmoil has been bad for the players, but good for sports reporters. “The most outstanding story is the case of national striker Le Cong Vinh, who is the glamour boy of Vietnamese football,” Thanh says. “He admits his chances of playing in the V-League this season are very slim. No club will be able to afford a transfer fee of hundreds of thousands of US dollars to buy him, despite being without a club. He will almost certainly go to a sports college while trying to maintain his form to look for opportunities in the next season.”

But Thanh also describes with some sadness the absurdity of another case. “The most tragic story is of national striker Quang Hai who has a real dilemma because his team, Navibank Saigon, was disbanded. If he wants to join a new team, he or his new club will have to pay VND3.5 billion in compensation as he is in debt to the team. Quang Hai said he has had to sell his motorbike to pay debts and support his family.” Saigon XT have also had enough with national defender Viet Cuong, who has been put up for sale after suffering from the ‘Primadona disease’, an affliction we associate with the likes of Carlos Tevez. In this case, the lazy star used an alleged illness as an excuse for not training with the city side.

Saigon has only been in existence for two years but it’s been a terrific 24 months for the city club. They ran away with the First Division title last season and only lost out on the league title on the last day. But they unexpectedly won the National Cup — beating Hanoi T&T, one of the country’s most successful sides in recent years, 4-1 in the final at Thong Nhat Stadium a week later. However, they might suffer this season, as they have lost some of their highly-paid foreign stars. Striker Van Quyen has been let go from Song Lam Nghe An due to a dip in form, but minnows Ninh Binh FC seem keen to give him a helping hand. That would result in a huge drop in club and wages for the former Vietnam star. Thanh Luong, another player from Vietnam’s national squad, is fortunate in that Hanoi T&T paid VND3 billion (about US$144,000) to take him from the recently disbanded Hanoi FC.

The Long Road Back

Hanoi T&T striker Thach Bao Khanh, 33, insists Vietnam’s top clubs need to get their houses in order to ensure the survival of the V-League. But providing the VFF can improve quality and professionalism both on and off the pitch, he remains optimistic about the future of the game. "Reform is needed in our game but I think it will be gradual,” he says. “It’s the Vietnamese way. The individual teams have to put in a great effort to ensure the finance is there to continue for the long-term. Since we introduced the V-League ten years [ago] it has definitely helped improve the quality of [football in Vietnam].” Khanh is convinced the reduction in the number of teams this season will mean it will be more competitive, with every game becoming a mini ‘cup final’. He is hoping Hanoi T&T can add to their only title win in 2010, as one of the newest clubs in the V-League. They have also been runners-up in the last two seasons. “The number of teams being reduced is not necessarily synonymous with reducing quality and after being runners-up with the last two years, we are hoping to go one better this season,” he says.

VFF has made a bold decision to invite Kazuyoshi Tanabe to be their deputy director in the 2013 season. The Japanese official will take responsibility for the organisation of the national football leagues, and is expected to heighten the quality and competitiveness of tournaments and matches, attracting spectators back to stadiums. Meanwhile, this season Vietnam Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank) will sponsor the National Football Championship, V-League, the First Division football and National Football Cup, after the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Eximbank signed an agreement in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the contract, Eximbank becomes the first-ever sponsor of the three big tournaments and this is the third consecutive year of V-League sponsorship by the firm.

Building the Future

Based in Pleiku in the Central Highlands, Hoang Anh Gia Lai-Arsenal JMG Academy is the only operational football academy in Vietnam at this moment. The academy is a cooperation between Premiership giants Arsenal and privately-owned Vietnamese corporation Hoang Anh Gia Lai, and it will hopefully help produce Vietnamese stars of the future. To help bring through young players, a new V-League regulation states that each team must have at least three Vietnamese players aged 23 and under registered in matchday squads of 20 for every league game. Under new rules of the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF), the 2013 season will restrict the number of foreign players in the V-League to three per team squad.

Thanh sees the current uncertainty as a good thing for these future stars. “One thing which will also help the young players come through is the fact that due to a cut in wages this season, a lot of foreign players have left Vietnam to seek opportunities elsewhere,” he says. “Those who stay have to accept a significant reduction of salary. Over the years wage cuts have led to foreign players moving to other countries in the region such as Thailand and Malaysia.”

Stat Attack

The Leagues

Vietnamese football has two divisions, the V-League and the First Division. The current V-League deal is worth VND100 billion (US$4.8 million) from 2011 to 2013. Sponsor Eximbank plans to spend some VND47.3 billion this season.

V-League 2013 begins on Mar 2 and concludes on Aug 25. Teams will play each other home and away for 22 matches in total.

The Cup
The National Football Cup qualifying round will begin on Mar 16 and the final will be played on Aug 31. The winners will receive VND1 billion. VPF will award VND4 billion to the winners, with second and third receiving VND2 billion and VND1 billion.

The First Division tournament starts on Mar 9 and concludes on Jul 6. The VPF said only eight teams will compete this season for a championship bounty of VND1 billion. First Division teams will also play each other home-and-away over 14 rounds.

The Stadiums

Sai Gon FC plays at Thong Nhat Stadium (138 Dao Duy Tu, Q10), while Hanoi T & T plats at Hang Day Stadium (Trinh Hoai Duc, Dong Da). Both have a capacity of over 20,000.

The Fans

The V-League in 2009 attracted a record 1.8 million fans, an average of 11,143 fans per game, according to VFF. However, the V-League attracted just 697,500 fans — an average of 7,837 fans at each game — in the 2012 season.

The Salaries

Despite the economic crisis, 14 V-League teams spent a total of VND300 billion in 2009 on players. Vietnamese footballers were being paid on average between VND10 million and VND20 million a month. The minimal salary for players in the V-League 2013 is set at VND10 million per month. It is VND6 million for First Division stars.

He does it again

Match official Yean Kivatana

I know its not ideal to blast the match officials when you've just been defeated by the league leaders but this is an occasion where it's fully deserved. They were abysmal. Referee Yean Kivatana (also called Kivatanak or Kywadhana) has never been my favourite official since he began in the middle in 2009. He has a penchant for brandishing red and yellow cards where none are required and clearly has no idea about how the game is played. I've said it many times before and nothing changes. He gets the biggest game of the season and because of his ineptitude, by the 25th minute he's ruined the match as a evenly-matched spectacle. He's been running the line for quite a few games over the past two seasons in what appeared a demotion from the middle, but he was back there yesterday, doing what he does best, spoiling what could've been a great game. In the 25th minute his eyes told him that Ngoy Srin's foot was high in tackling Chan Vathanaka, though it was more likely based on the latter's high-pitched squeal and rolling around as if he'd been shot by a sniper in the crowd. Video and photographic evidence clearly shows that both players played the ball at the same time. The referee was wrong. He brought out his yellow card with a flourish, and shoved it towards Srin, as he likes to do and then quickly held his red card as high as he could, allegedly because Srin said something insulting to Vathanaka. Probably something along the lines of, "get up, you big girl's blouse." Kivatana simply compounding his original error. Phnom Penh Crown were reduced to 10-men against the league leaders who'd won six out of six coming into the match. Blow me down, just over ten minutes later, Yob Romaton and Odion Obadin collide in the penalty box and Kivatana couldn't wait to point to the spot for a penalty kick. Obadin was distraught. Those who have seen Kivatana in action before, were not surprised at all. Boeung Ket were two goals to the good, helped in no small measure by the match referee. Other decisions that beggared belief were a booking for Bin Thierry just after the break, where video evidence clearly shows that no contact was made with an opponent. And on two occasions, Kivatana's assistant flagged for offside when the video again shows that both calls were shockingly bad and totally inept. The referee refused to speak to the Crown coach at the end of the match, brushing off his questions and then blew a kiss to the crowd as he left the field. Nice performance ref.

Sabay.com's Kem Sovanna captures the ridiculous yellow card for Ngoy Srin

Two blatant examples

Both players play the ball at the same time yet Srin (red) gets booked, and subsequently dismissed

To say I'm fuming would be a severe understatement. I will post my match report from Phnom Penh Crown's 3-1 defeat by Boeung Ket later but suffice to show you a couple of video screen-grabs as examples of piss-poor decisions by today's referee Yean Kivatana and his linesmen. The top one shows the challenge for the ball on 25 minutes when Ngoy Srin (red) and Chan Vathanaka (white) were involved in a 50-50 tackle, where you can see the ball is played by both players at the same time. The difference is that Vathanaka rolled around on the ground squealing and the referee immediately showed a yellow card to Srin. Words were exchanged and the referee then flashed a red card at Srin, presumably for something he said (Note: The referee's report says he was dismissed for insulting behaviour to an opponent). Fact, the referee got the first decision badly wrong and compounded it by dismissing the Crown defender. Let's just say that Yean Kivatana has a long history of flourishing his favourite red card. The picture below is another screen-grab showing Kouch Sokumpheak (red), the ball having already left his foot, sending a long pass behind the defence to Khim Borey (far left). The linesman flagged and the referee agreed with him that Borey was offside when its clear that he is at least 2 yards onside and its the linesman who's in the wrong place. There was a catalogue of such decisions in today's match. Of course, the FFC should look at the video of the game and take action. I'll be waiting til hell freezes over before I see that day arrive.

Khim Borey (red at left) is clearly well onside yet is denied a goalscoring opportunity by the match officials

Playing against 12

PPCFC v Boeung Ket. Back Row LtoR: Boris, Pheng, Thierry, Obadin, Narin, Srin. Front Row: Suhana, Ary, Makara, Borey (capt), Sokumpheak.

In an eagerly-awaited Metfone C-League clash at Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh Crown were looking to dent the 100% record of leaders Boeung Ket after six matches, but didn't realise they'd be up against the match referee as well. Without goalkeeper Samrith Seiha, out with a fever, Crown had some early jitters with Leng Narin completely missing his clearance kick and needing Odion Obadin to strong-arm Yob Romaton out of the danger area. Then Keo Sokngorn got above Ngoy Srin but his header sailed wide, before Srin cleared his lines as Chan Vathanaka broke through. On 16 minutes Boeung Ket took the lead with another Sumaila Momoh special. A poor decision gave the leaders a free-kick which was cleared out to Momoh, who by-passed Sos Suhana's challenge and fired in an arrow-like drive from 20 yards that struck the inside of the post and nestled in the net. Crown's first real effort came as Suhana's drilled free-kick was put behind by Ly Ravy, before match referee Yean Kivatana stepped up to put his stamp on the match. Srin and Vathanaka challenged for the ball, both connecting at the same time as video evidence shows, but the Boeung Ket striker's reaction and squeal made up the referee's mind. A yellow card for Srin. Seconds later, Kivatana was brandishing a red card, allegedly for insulting behaviour by the Crown defender, recalled to the team after sitting out the last few matches. The match was 25 minutes old and Crown were reduced to 10-men. Stung into action, Kouch Sokumpheak sent a drive over the top from the edge of the area and then headed another effort wide of the upright. Referee Kivatana, never one to shy away from the spotlight, decided on 37 minutes that Crown hadn't suffered enough, by awarding a soft penalty for a collision between Obadin and Romaton in the penalty box. It was a very questionable award, for which Vathanaka stepped up to send Yok Ary the wrong way with the spot-kick. As the teams entered the fourth minute of time added on at the end of the 1st half, another poor decision gave Crown a free-kick about 20 yards from goal. Bin Thierry's left-foot curler took a wicked deflection off the head of Romaton and landed in the far corner of the Boeung Ket net. 2-1 down at half-time but Crown were not dead in the water. Game on.

Vathanaka's goal-bound free-kick early after the restart was headed clear by Obadin, before Thierry was cautioned, even though he never touched his opponent. Fourteen minutes after the break, Khim Borey's cross found Sokumpheak all alone in the box but his header sailed harmlessly wide, and seconds later his turn and shot hit Ly Ravy and went for a corner. The best opportunity fell to Sos Suhana on sixteen minutes when Peng Bunchhay's punch landed at his feet on the edge of the box but he blasted his drive over the top with the goalkeeper on the floor. Sam Schweingruber tried to enliven his team with a couple of substitutions and positional changes and it very nearly paid dividends on 69 minutes. Another Thierry free-kick, this time 30-yards from goal, was heading for the top corner only for Bunchhay to leap to his left and claw the ball away for a corner. Fabulous stuff from both players. Moments later and Suhana sent a looping header over the cross-bar. Unable to find an equaliser, Crown paid a heavy price as Boeung Ket broke quickly, Vathanaka out-muscled Pheak Rady and played a one-two with Sokngorn, racing into the box and finishing with confidence, on 76 minutes. Crest-fallen, Crown replied with a looping overhead kick from Leng Makara after Bunchhay's weak punch, but Boeung Ket raced clear again, only for new signing Befolo Mbarga to find Ary in no mood to concede a fourth goal. In another five minutes of added on time, Crown continued to press with Borey having a shot blocked, Bunchhay pulling off another finger-tip full-length save this time from Nelson Oladiji's bobbling drive, Hong Pheng hammering a 25-yarder inches high and finally, Oladiji mis-kicking in front of goal with the final kick of the match. Game over, 3-1 to the league leaders to extend their run to seven straight wins, but it was far from plain-sailing and without referee Yean Kivatana's intervention, the match would've been a much closer affair.

For coach Schweingruber, there were pluses to take from the game. "It definitely didn't go our way today. I don't understand what happened with the red card, but we were already a goal down which came pretty much out of nowhere and was unstoppable. Then the red card and a second goal. That's when we finally woke up and I saw a PPC team who though we didn't dominate, you didn't know who had less players and I have to compliment my team for working extremely hard until the 70th minute. Up to that point we looked like the team who could walk off as winners, 10-men and at 2-1 down we looked the better team in my opinion. They were restricted to a few counter-attacks and we were creating chances, moving well, fighting hard, everyone was working for each other. We had a great chance with a free-kick and also from a corner, but its those chances you have to take when you are in our position. We couldn't manage to score, which is the story of our season, we don't score enough of our chances. We had to do something, we made a couple of changes but it didn't work. They scored on a break, which wasn't a surprise and that finished the game off. Then again in the last ten minutes I have to compliment my team, we were down but we were fighting and that's the kind of spirit I want to see and in any other game, we'd walk off with a victory." 
PPCFC line-up: Ary, Srin, Pheng, Narin (Rady 62), Obadin, Boris, Thierry, Suhana, Makara (Pisa 84), Sokumpheak (Nelson 69), Borey. Subs not used: Dara, Sothy, Lika, Dary, Seyha, Morslim, Kano, Phearun. Bookings: Srin (+ red card), Thierry, Obadin. MOTM: Thierry.

Stop the game!

Referee Tuy Vichheka stands over 2 players with head injuries watching play continue

The only goal of the game between Phnom Penh Crown and Preah Khan Reach on Saturday should not have been allowed. Period. This screen-grab from a video of the match, albeit the quality isn't great, shows referee Tuy Vichheka (in yellow) standing over two players lying prone on the ground, both holding their heads, after a collision involving them and a high foot from Crown keeper Samrith Seiha. FIFA have instructed referees to stop play for any serious injury, especially head injuries as the safety of players must always come first. In this instance, you can see on the video that the referee made a cursory glance at the two prone players, having been thirty yards from the incident when it happened, and simply let play continue, appearing to have no regard for the health of the injured players. Preah Khan reacted quicker than Crown and fourteen seconds later the ball was in the net for the match-winning goal. It's clear that the referee should've blown immediately to stop the game. He didn't. Preah Khan scored and Crown lost the match. You can watch the video highlights, with the incident taking place after 3 mins 29 seconds, @ http://youtu.be/MQO_ucIMJfs.

No change

There was no change at the top of the Metfone C-League championship with leaders Boeung Ket registering their sixth straight win, grabbing a rather fortunate 1-nil success over National Police, after Chan Vathanaka came off the bench to score with 20 minutes to go. Police were without skipper Say Piseth who is joining Boeung Ket ahead of their AFC President's Cup involvement, as is BBU's Chhun Sothearath. Preah Khan Reach moved into second place with their win over PPCFC, whilst NagaCorp moved up to third on goal difference over Crown with their expected 3-0 victory over club-in-turmoil BBU. Chan Dara and Ishola Abiodun gave Naga a head start and Teab Vathanak rounded it off late on. Army played out a 1-1 draw with Asia Euro University at Olympic in Saturday's later game. Meak Chhordaravuth netted for Army only for Thorn Darapich to level on the hour. Over at the Army Stadium on Saturday, Kirivong beat Senate 4-0 with two goals in each half from Heng Kimhong, Ntim Spirit, Friday Nwakuna and Ek Vannak respectively.

Table-toppers

The PPCFC Academy 2 team that top the table. Back Row, LtoR: Chanpolin, Sodavid, Soksela, Senteang, Sovann, Titchhy. Front Row: Phearath, Chansopheak, T Chhaya, Nuron, Muslim.

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy teams recorded two more victories in the Cambodia Football Development League U-16s division on Sunday afternoon in week 4. PPCFC 2 lead the table with four straight wins, brushing aside the initially stiff opposition provided by their PPCFC Community team colleagues 5-0. The community boys held out for fifteen minutes until Yeu Muslim struck the cross-bar and Mat Nuron bundled the ball over the goal-line. Muslim finished with ease five minutes later and in time added on at the end of the first-half,  Nuron added his second through a forest of legs. Without goalkeeper Khek Chan Sambattey, the community team would've been looking at a cricket score, as the youngster, who's already made his C-League debut for BBU this season, kept out a series of goal-bound attempts. After the break, Nuron completed his hat-trick, finishing off an In Sodavid cross and then Muslim added a deft-touch to a breakaway for his side's fifth. In the earlier kick-off, PPCFC Academy 1 put RSISA to the sword, winning 7-1 despite a plucky start from their opponents. Suon Noeut opened the floodgates from the penalty spot after Pov Ponvuthy had been upended. Vat Samnang quickly added a second and then set up Mat Sakrovy for a delightful chip from 20 yards out. RSISA managed to pull a goal back but almost immediately, Sakrovy raced clear to score with ease. Just 46 seconds into the second period of thirty minutes each way, Ponvuthy beat the offside trap to dance around the keeper. Sakrovy completed his hat-trick fifteen minutes in with another trademark chip, before Ponvuthy showed another clean pair of heels to a dispirited RSISA defence for the final nail in their coffin. The two Academy teams are first and second in the table. The results for the U-12 and U-14 teams in Crown's colours weren't so encouraging on Sunday morning. The two U-12 teams lost 8-3 to PKR2 and 10-1 to PKR1. In the U-14 competition, PPCFC 1 were beaten 6-0 by PKR and the PPCFC 2 boys went down 7-1 to Youth Shark. Both age groups are finding the league a tough baptism after recently forming their teams, but they continue to play with enthusiasm and spirit and will definitely get better.

The PPCFC Academy 1 team beat RSISA 7-1. Back Row, LtoR: K Chhaya, Chanchav, Baraing, Rozak, Sakrovy, S Samnang. Front Row: David, Noeut, Piphop, V Samnang, Ponvuthy, Ronaldo.

The PPCFC Community team in the U-16 competition

Not switched on

PPCFC v PKR. Back Row LtoR: Seiha, Boris, Thierry, Oladiji, Obadin, Narin. Front: Rady, Pheng, Suhana, Sokumpheak, Borey - click to enlarge.

"We were not good enough. In all areas. Physically, our players returning from national team were low on confidence, they didn't fit into the team today and tactically we didn't play as well as we wanted. We were not better, we made too many simple mistakes, they were quicker and we were always caught by surprise. We just weren't switched on." Those were the immediate after-match comments from a plainly disappointed Phnom Penh Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber after he watched his side go down to their first Metfone C-League defeat of the season against their age old rivals Preah Khan Reach. The only goal of the game was scored by Khuon Laboravy in the 73rd minute but that too came in for some flack from the Swiss coach. "The goal should not have been allowed. Two players were down, each holding their head, clearly the FIFA rules state the referee should stop the game, he didn't, they scored. We still should've stopped the goal but it was a reflection of how we played the game today," he bemoaned. However, his Crown team were definitely not at their best in the two o'clock kick-off, with four players returning from the national team's debacle in the Philippines and looking almost like strangers alongside their teammates. PKR's Laboravy sent a header harmlessly wide with the game's first real effort, before Crown's Sos Suhana burst into the box on fifteen minutes, only for his foray to be blocked and the ball cleared. Kouch Sokumpheak sent a skidding shot wide after keeper Sar Sophea had punched poorly from Nelson Oladiji's cross, and the goalkeeper then pushed a free-kick from Bin Thierry out for a corner at the foot of the upright. On 24 minutes, Crown keeper Samrith Seiha's stood strong with a one-handed fist as Tum Saray drove in a thunderous strike from Laboravy's break and pass, and from the inswinging corner by Nen Sothearoth, Leng Narin was well-placed to head away at the far post. The game swung to the other end as Oladiji broke and crossed long only for Khim Borey to send his volley wide on the stretch. Just after the half-hour a good build-up gave Pheak Rady a sight of goal but his shot was deflected off target. With little to choose between the teams, Chea Samnang sent a low header wide, Laboravy was closed down as he shot and Samnang rode a challenge, only to scuff his drive wide of the mark.

Crown pressed from the start and as a corner fell to Kok Boris, his shot was deflected into the path of Thierry and as he got his shot away, an outstretched leg took it away from danger. Borey used his hand to divert Oladiji's cross into the net and he was reprimanded with a yellow card. Seiha was again in the thick of the action, as Saray's cross found Laboravy on his own but the goalkeeper made himself big enough to thwart the striker. Two minutes before the hour, the national team custodian showed exactly why he's one of the best in the league. Prak Mony Udom's wickedly bouncing free-kick was pushed out by Seiha, who then blocked a header from Laboravy and dived bravely at the feet of Sok Chanrasmey for an outstanding triple save. Sokumpheak then had Crown's best chance to date when he drilled a shot on target only for Sophea to push the shot wide at full stretch. Seiha was again called on to keep out another Udom free-kick but with 17 minutes to go, his high challenge outside his penalty box led to the game's only goal. As he cleared, leaving Phany Ratha and Hong Pheng on the floor holding their heads, referee Tuy Vichheka allowed play to continue, PKR reacted quicker and Samoeun Pidor's cross-shot was parried by Seiha only to Laboravy who nodded in from five yards out. With five minute remaining, Narin's deep cross found Odion Obadin free at the far post but his header flashed wide of the goal-frame, though Sokumpheak looked set to equalise in the third minute of injury time. Seiha's long range free-kick fell at his feet, twelve yards out and central, only for the striker to miscue and fail to hit the target. A minute later, Seiha rugby-tackled Laboravy forty yards from goal, and next to the touchline, to earn a yellow card and then reacted with his feet to deny Saray, after PKR caught Crown napping with a quick free-kick. At the final whistle, PKR leap-frogged their opponents into second-place and gave Crown boss Schweingruber food for thought ahead of Wednesday's clash with table toppers Boeung Ket.
PPCFC line-up: Seiha, Rady, Pheng, Narin, Obadin, Boris (Sothy 77), Thierry, Suhana, Sokumpheak, Oladiji, Borey. Subs not used: Ary, Dara, Lika, Dary, Phearun, Kano, Srin, Pisa, Morslim. Bookings: Borey, Seiha. MOTM: Seiha.
Duh...on 67 minutes Crown attempted to bring Leng Makara on as a substitute only for the match officials to point out that he wasn't included on the team-sheet and the disappointed player sat back down again.

Laos through by rulebook

Not that it matters to Cambodia, but the AFC have delved deep into the rule book and have amended the list of qualifiers for the final stages of the AFC Challenge Cup next year, following Brunei's last-minute withdrawal from the competition. The seven qualifiers who will joins hosts Maldives in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup have been confirmed, with Laos and Turkmenistan receiving a ticket to next year’s finals as the two best runners-up. Brunei's pull-out in Group E meant that the results of the matches in the four other groups between the runner-up and the bottom-placed team were declared null and void based on Article 16.1 and Appendix 2 of the tournament regulations.
The affected matches were as follows:
Group A: India 2-1 Chinese Taipei
Group B: Macau 0-3 Tajikistan
Group C: Laos 1-1 Mongolia
Group D: Bangladesh 4-0 Northern Mariana Islands
So with these results no longer being factored into the outcome, Laos emerged as the best of the second-placed team with four points. Turkmenistan, AFC Challenge Cup runners-up in 2012 and 2010, took the second ticket to the Maldives, with their superior goal difference separating them from 2008 champions India, Bangladesh (who originally celebrated getting through only to have that rug pulled firmly out from beneath them) and inaugural winners Tajikistan, who all finished with three points.

Cambodia hammered

Cambodia's keeper Samrith Seiha challenging Philippines' Angel Guirado. Pic: Josh Albelda/Rappler

As I forecast before Cambodia's national team left for their AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers in Manila, they didn't stand a chance. Once Brunei withdrew two days before the opening games, it was clear that Cambodia were there to take a beating from two of the better-placed teams in FIFA's world rankings, who were determined to make the Challenge Cup finals that will take place in the Maldives next year. Some forty ranking places above Cambodia speaks for itself as to the quality that Turkmenistan and Philippines can produce in the international arena, and the rankings on this occasion, held water. Turkmenistan went about their task from the outset, scoring as early as the 7th minute in Friday's opener against Prak Sovannara's team. They led 4-nil by the break, which included an own goal by Om Thavrak, but found it a little tougher in the second period until the last fifteen minutes, when they rattled in three more goals. In front of a crowd of just 200, Sovannara went with his young midfield trio of Hoy Phallin, Suon Veasna and Prak Mony Udom but left his brightest spark, Chan Vathanaka on the bench until just before half-time. Defensively, Thavrak replaced Tieng Tiny before the half-hour mark but the move failed to stem the tide. Cambodia were hammered and left to lick their wounds until they faced the hosts Philippines two days later. Cambodia's line-up: Yaty, Raksmey, Pancharong, Tiny (Thavrak 27), Piseth, Phallin, Veasna, Suhana (Vathanaka 42), PM Udom, Vathanak, Borey (Narith 55).

For the Philippines encounter on Sunday, coach Sovannara made seven changes, suggesting he had lost faith in his original line-up and was clutching at straws, which as it turned out, was about as good as it got. There was no stopping Philippines in front of a 6,500 crowd once Phil Younghusband netted an eight-minute hat-trick midway through the first half. A goal either side of the interval killed off Cambodia completely and after the Azkals scored a sixth, the match was held up for an hour by a torrential downpour. Two late goals including Younghusband's fourth gave the home team an 8-0 win. Two crushing defeats for Sovannara's team, who ended the qualifiers on three points after Brunei's withdrawal gave them a 3-0 win and three points by default. Cambodia's line-up: Seiha, Raksmey (Phallin 35), Pancharong, Rithy, Piseth, Narith (Borey 81), Khemrin, PM Udom (Thavrak 46), Chanrasmey, Chhoeun, Sokumpheak.

Younghusband was on target again with the game's only goal when Philippines met Turkmenistan in the final game on Tuesday, which sent the home side through as group E winners, whilst Turkmenistan qualified as one of the two best second-placed teams from the five groups. The other best-placed ticket went to Bangladesh who edged out India courtesy of a plus five goal difference. Bangladesh finished runners-up in Group D behind Palestine while Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan topped groups A, B and C respectively.

For Cambodia's fans the two defeats, by such heavy margins, will be hard to swallow. They saw their team hold Philippines to a goal-less draw at the Olympic Stadium last year, so will be stumped that the two teams could've grown so far apart in the intervening period. But in cup football, Philippines have shown they can step up to the plate and they've proved that again. As for Turkmenistan, they are one of the strongest teams at this level of competition and were twice beaten finalists, so they have the pedigree as well. I wasn't surprised that both games ended in defeat but the margins did raise one eyebrow, especially as Sovannara had placed his faith on defensive formations in the matches leading up to the competition. In that respect, it really is back to the drawing board for the national team.

Academy on tour

The Academy team v Pursat. Back LtoR: Sodavid, Sovann, Soksela, Senteang, Chanpolin, Titchhy. Front: Phearath, Chansopheak, Muslim, T Chhaya, Nuron.

The Phnom Penh Crown tour of the northwest also allowed the Academy squad to play three matches as well as spend time with the first team over the three days of the tour, which cemented an already close relationship. It also gave head coach Sam Schweingruber the opportunity to give game-time to four of the Academy squad as substitutes in the four matches played by the senior team. As for the Academy games, their first came on Friday afternoon, when they met the Pursat youth team U-17s, winning 3-0. Chhuot Senteang opened the scoring after 17 minutes, holding off two challenges to score. Two minutes later, Yeu Muslim's cross set up an easy tap-in for In Sodavid. The Academy's third goal came three minutes from the end of the game when Orn Chanpolin netted confidently from the penalty box after a handball offense. The 2nd game for the Academy came in Poipet against Blooming FC U-16s, which the Crown youngsters won 4-1. Mat Sakrovy netted from Chanpolin's pass on 4 minutes, with Chanpolin adding a quick-fire second just two minutes later. Theang Chhaya fired a shot against the upright but Crown had to wait until the 15th minute of the 2nd half to add to their tally. Vat Samnang chased and cut back the ball from the bye-line to give Ken Chansopheak a simple tap-in, and on 22 minutes Pov Ponvuthy's shot took a wicked deflection before ending up in the net. Kim Chhaya headed an own goal for Blooming's late consolation effort.

The final game for the Academy was perhaps the most eagerly-awaited as they faced the Mighty Girls, the best female team in Cambodia by a country mile. The girls ages ranged from 14 to 17 and most of them have represented their country in international matches. However, on the day they were simply no match for a rampant Academy team, determined to prove themselves. In the heat of mid-day the match was played for 25 minutes each way. It took just 4 minutes for In Sodavid's free-kick to find the back of the net with a deflection and the goals continued to rain in. Mat Nuron then scored a 9-minute hat-trick with three close range finishes. Chhuot Senteang chipped in with two quick-fire goals and Sath Rozak sent in a cheeky 25-yard chip to give the Academy a seven-goal half-time lead. There was no let up at the start of the 2nd half. Vat Samnang slotted home, Mat Sakrovy found the net with a 25-yard lob and Rozak netted his second with a simple tap-in. Pov Ponvuthy raced clear to score and Sakrovy fired in his second before two of four young trialists, Vuth Sophara and Sok Panha added their names to the scoresheet. The final score: 14-0. In addition to the Academy players, we also took Keo Soksela on tour, the 15 year old goalkeeper who is attached to the club but not a member of the Academy. He featured in all the Academy matches as well as three of the senior team games and will this week sign C-League forms for the club, as will Seut Baraing. Soksela, Baraing, In Sodavid and Chhuot Senteang also got game-time with the senior team whilst on tour.

The Academy team v Mighty Girls. Back LtoR: Chanpolin, Sovann, S Samnang, Sodavid, Senteang, Titchhy. Front: Muslim, Chansopheak, Rozak, Nuron, Phearath

Football hot-bed

PPCFC starting XI. Back LtoR: Pheng, Seyha, Obadin, Oladiji, Thierry, Narin. Front: Boris, Rady, Morslim, Ary, Sothy.

Battambang is a footballing hot-bed with a fantastic league network of youth football, boys and girls, unrivaled across the country. That was the location of Phnom Penh Crown's final series of matches on their northwest tour of the country on Sunday. In the mid-day sun, the Crown senior team took on Thaneakea Srov, the local champions and Division A1 play-off potentials later in the year. It promised to be Crown's toughest challenge on tour and after a minute, the home team sent a shot across the Yok Ary's goal. The third minute however, saw Crown take the lead and they never really looked back after that. Ary sent a long kick over the heads of the home defenders and they watched as Ly Morslim raced away, kept his cool and touched it past the onrushing keeper. Men Seyha and Bin Thierry took pot-shots before Nelson Oladiji maintained his goal in each of the tour matches with Crown's second. Thierry had his wits about him as he took a quick free-kick to Oladiji and he planted his shot under the goalkeeper and then finished it off for good measure in the ninth minute. Oladiji queried why another goal was ruled out for offside before Ary was called into action for the first of three good saves before the break. Thierry was keen to get on the scoresheet but his efforts went unrewarded. On 22 minutes, Morslim popped up to poke in Crown's third goal after Hong Pheng's shot was blocked by the keeper. As the first half closed, Ary was called upon to keep his goal intact with two smart saves. Immediately after the break, the visitors were on the offensive again. Oladiji touched a corner onto the cross-bar, Chhom Pisa had a shot tipped over and Leng Makara was inches away from a goal too. Just six minutes in and Pisa hammered the ball through a forest of legs to make it four-nil. Ouk Sothy wasted a great chance before Makara followed up to tap in a Pheng shot that was saved, to add a fifth nine minutes into the second period. Two minutes later, a Pheng pass intended for Makara was guided into his own net by the home goalkeeper as he miss-kicked. A string of substitutions followed, as Pisa clipped a shot onto the bar, Makara rounded the keeper as he raced onto Mak Phearun's ball over the top to score, on 57 minutes and six minutes later the same player notched his hat-trick. The nippy striker held off two challenges as he collected Ran Ratana's pass and found the far corner with an accurate finish. 8-0 to Crown and a job well done in the debilitating heat of mid-day. Before the senior match, the Academy beat the Mighty Girls 14-0. After lunch and an hour watching the SALT Academy youth finals for boys and girls, the Crown touring party headed back to Phnom Penh, well content with their three days in the northwest provinces. 
Line-up: Ary (Soksela), Rady (Dara), Seyha (Phearun), Narin (Lika), Obadin ( (Srin), Sothy (Ratana), Boris (Sodavid), Thierry (Pisa), Morslim (Makara), Pheng (Kano), Oladiji (Senteang). Booking: Kano. MOTM: Makara.

The PPCFC XI that started the 2nd half. Back LtoR: Pheng, Boris, Oladiji, Ary, Lika, Srin. Front: Sothy, Phearun, Pisa, Makara, Dara.

Tiny pitch

The starting XI for Crown. Back LtoR: Pheng, Narin, Thierry, Oladiji, Obadin, Boris. Front: Da, Seyha, Makara, Ary, Lika

Phnom Penh Crown's tour of the northwest continued with a match against the local champions of Poipet, Black Eagle FC at the tiny Don Bosco school pitch earlier today. Forty minutes each way, Crown made all the early running with Leng Narin sending a couple of efforts goalwards and Nelson Oladiji heading wide before Men Seyha gave the touring team a 15th minute lead. Bin Thierry's pass put him wide on the left and as he reached the goal-line he sent a cheeky shot inside the near post, surprising the keeper. Three minutes later and Thierry's pass to Oladiji gave the Nigerian striker the space to strike a fierce shot that gave the goalkeeper no chance. The opposition gave themselves a lifeline on 36 minutes when a miss-placed pass from Chhom Pisa allowed them to pull a goal back with a quick breakaway. After the interval, the Black Eagles keeper was kept much the busier as he was called on to tip over a Leng Makara header just 28 seconds in, and then forced to come to his team's rescue as efforts from Oladiji, Pisa and Makara rained in. Hong Pheng sent a header just over the bar and Pisa's 20 yard screamer was pushed around the post before Crown grabbed their third goal of the afternoon. With 69 minutes on the clock, Mak Phearun's cross to the far post was powerfully headed in by the late arrival of Pheak Rady. Chhuot Senteang went very close on two occasions to opening his senior account but looked on as his efforts failed to find the target, whilst Thierry rounded three players but also watched in disbelief as the upright came to the opposition's rescue. 3-1 and Crown's third win on the road. The Academy team beat Blooming FC 4-1 in a game played before the main attraction.
Line-up: Ary (Soksela), Da (Rady ((Ratana)), Seyha (Srin), Obadin (Narin ((Dara)), Lika (Phearun ((Kano)), Boris (Thierry), Narin (Sothy ((Sodavid)), Pheng (Morslim), Thierry (Pisa), Makara, Oladiji (Senteang). MOTM: Bin Thierry.

Making friends

PPCFC v Ponley Town. Back LtoR: Obadin, Boris, Thierry, Oladiji, Narin, Pheng, Schweingruber (coach). Front: Rady, Makara, Ary, Pisa, Sothy

Phnom Penh Crown enjoyed a successful first day on their northwest tour, winning both matches and making many new friends. The touring party left their RSN Stadium HQ just after seven-thirty and headed straight to Kompong Chhnang where they faced Ponley Town FC on the sun-baked mud pitch in the center of the provincial capital. Coach Sam Schweingruber picked a strong team to start their tour friendly matches and because of the tight schedule, the game was played for thirty minutes each way. The only players missing from the tour party were the injured Mart Hasan and the four who were with Cambodia in the Philippines, namely Kouch Sokumpheak, Khim Borey, Samrith Seiha and Sos Suhana. Hong Pheng opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when he took a Kok Boris pass in his stride, burst between two defenders and guided his low drive into the corner of the net. One-up and a good start to the tour. Nelson Oladiji sent a header wide and a half volley over the top as Crown pressed. Chhom Pisa's shot was tipped over the bar and then he rode two challenges only for the goalkeeper to smother at his feet. On 27 minutes Oladiji's cross found Bin Thierry in acres of space and his header, or was it his ear, put Crown two goals to the good. The half ended with Thourng Da skying a great opportunity after bursting into the box. Schweingruber rang the changes during the interval and throughout the game, giving first-team opportunities to Academy youngsters In Sodavid, Seut Baraing, teenage goalkeeper Keo Soksela and new recruit, 19-year-old Ran Ratana. The 2nd half was 58 seconds old when Vi Lika miss-controlled and gifted Ponley a goal. Fourteen minutes in and Nelson Oladiji thrust out a foot at a Ly Morslim shot and got the decisive touch to register Crown's third goal. Da and Pheng squandered good chances, though Tin Kano's howler at the far post was the easiest opportunity before Thierry smacked a shot against the cross-bar from eight yards out at the very end. 3-1 to Crown and a match played in very good spirits on a hard, bobbly pitch.
Line-Up: Ary (Soksela), Rady (Da ((Kano)), Pheng (Seyha), Narin (Srin ((Dara)), Obadin (Lika), Sothy (Baraing), Pisa (Thierry), Boris (Phearun ((Narin)), Makara (Sodavid), Thierry (Morslim ((Pheng)), Oladiji (Ratana). MOTM: Pisa.

After lunch in Kompong Chhnang, the tour party headed for Pursat where Ratanakea FC were ready to provide the next opposition to Crown's senior team. Before that game the Academy met the Pursat youth team and won 3-0. The senior match saw Crown run out 3-0 winners on a better surface, with the goals coming in the first-half, again of thirty minutes duration. Hong Pheng fluffed the first good chance before Nelson Oladiji headed Crown in front on 22 minutes with a powerful finish from Leng Makara's cross. Less than a minute later and Bin Thierry hit a screamer from 25 yards out, cashing in on a neat one-two with Oladiji to put Crown further ahead. They didn't have to wait long for number three. Two minutes later and Oladiji scored his second, getting an effective header in on goal to a deep Pheak Rady cross as the goalkeeper left his line. Chhom Pisa looked to make it four just before the break but was thwarted by the keeper, and Kok Boris sent the rebound wide of the mark. The only move worthy of note after the break was more good combination play between Oladiji and Thierry, only for the latter to be denied by more brave goalkeeping. Amongst the many personnel changes, given his first opportunity in the senior team for the last 13 minutes was Academy striker Chhuot Senteang. Another win, and the team headed for their overnight stop in Poipet, arriving after 10.30pm.
Line-Up: Ary, Rady (Seyha ((Baraing)), Phearun (Da ((Kano)), Srin (Dara), Obadin (Lika), Boris (Sothy), Thierry (Sodavid), Pheng (Morslim), Pisa (Narin), Makara (Senteang), Oladiji (Ratana). MOTM: Oladiji.

PPCFC v Ratanakea FC in Pursat. Back LtoR: Boris, Thierry, Oladiji, Obadin, Srin, Pisa. Front: Rady, Makara, Phearun, Ary, Pheng.

Crown on tour

The PPCFC seniors and academy squads at a ground near you this weekend - click to enlarge

With the Cambodian national team in the Philippines with four of Phnom Penh Crown's finest amongst their ranks, the remainder of Crown's squad heads for the northwest provinces of Cambodia early tomorrow morning in a weekend tour designed to bring one of the country's best clubs into contact with as many football lovers in that part of the Kingdom as possible. Kicking off in Kompong Chhnang, the Crown seniors will meet a select team at 9am before moving onto Pursat, where they will meet Ratanakea FC, the top team in the city at 3pm. A quick dash to sleep overnight in Poipet, Crown will meet a local Thai team on Saturday afternoon, before heading to Battambang early on Sunday morning to meet Thaneakea Srov FC at 10am. They will attend the finals of the SALT Academy league in the afternoon, before heading back to Phnom Penh, their task of bringing top level football to the northwest masses complete. The full squad, minus Sokumpheak, Borey, Seiha and Suhana, will make the trek, and will be accompanied by the Academy squad, who will also take the opportunity to play three games, including a mouth-watering clash against the best female team in the country, Battambang's Mighty Girls, on Sunday morning. It promises to be an eye-opener for all concerned and another step on the ladder of Crown's multifaceted community and fan engagement program, that the club is committed to.

Grapevine news

The grapevine informs me, before any official announcement, that Cambodia will take a squad of 22 players to the Philippines on Wednesday ready for their first AFC Challenge Cup qualifying tie against Turkmenistan two days later on Friday. From the squad of 25 players who took on Boeung Ket in last Friday's practice match, I understand that two players carrying injuries, Naga's Choun Chum and Sun Sovannrithy, will not travel, as well as PKR's Khuon Laboravy, just back after a seven month spell on the touchlines. That means that four Phnom Penh Crown players will make the trip - goalkeeper Samrith Seiha, Sos Suhana, Kouch Sokumpheak and Khim Borey. After the Turkmenistan game on 22 March, Cambodia meet hosts Philippines on Sunday (24 Mar) and then Brunei on Tuesday (26 Mar). Only the group winners are guaranteed entry into next year's finals. Turkmenistan are the favourites to top the table though the Philippines will be gunning for goals in their matches against Brunei and Cambodia in an effort to get the best-placed runners-up spot, as two second-placed teams also qualify. It's a very tough task for Cambodia against nations of the caliber of Turkmenistan and Philippines, who will call on eight overseas players for their squad, and their best bet for a positive result must be against the ever-improving Brunei.
The Cambodia squad is as follows: Yaty, Seiha, Bunchhay, Raksmey, Khemrin, Pancharong, Tiny, Piseth, Thavrak, Rithy, Narith, Phallin, Sopanha, Veasna, Chanrasmey, PM Udom, Chhoeun, Suhana, Vathanak, Borey, Vathanaka, Sokumpheak.