Sochetra's future

Cambodia's coach Hok Sochetra faces the press (www.affsuzukicup.com)

Hok Sochetra's first serious competition as the head coach of the Cambodian national team was pretty much a disaster. Four games, four defeats with two of those against teams ranked well below Cambodia in the FIFA world rankings. For many of the Kingdom's online football fans it was too much to bear. Calls for the coach to resign, who is just three months into the job, were loud and vociferous. But it is highly unlikely he's going anywhere soon. He spoke to the press after losing the final match, 3-0 to hosts Myanmar. “This is the first job for me leading the national team and many of my players are also very young so I think that we gained a lot of experience from competing here. Maybe with a better schedule, we might have done better in this competition but we had only two weeks to prepare together in Kuala Lumpur after our domestic league season ended and even then, not all of our players were there because three of them were with Phnom Penh Crown at the AFC President's Cup and they didn’t join us until three days before our opening game in Yangon. I think that we worked very hard but it was a very tight schedule for us. Unfortunately when we were training in Malaysia, I did not consider the problem that the timing of our first game was in the middle of the afternoon so our training sessions were mostly in the evening. That was a big mistake by me. I thought that we played well in the first half [against Myanmar] and managed to keep the game scoreless. But they pushed hard in the second half and we made mistakes. But we had not much time for recovery for the last game so it was difficult for us. Myanmar were well rested and they are a very good team.”
Sochetra is the football federation's man. It was he they turned too after Lee Tae-Hoon's twenty-one months in charge of the national team fizzled out when his contract was not renewed. Lee's record of 21 international matches, winning four times, drawing three and losing 14 games wasn't exactly a hard act to follow. The appointment of the country's leading goalscorer of all time (he netted 42 goals in 64 appearances) invigorated some, whilst others were seeking someone with a proven track record. Sochetra had some success as a player-coach at Samart United in the early part of the last decade, but that's been about it until he gained credibility in the federation's eyes by passing the AFC A-licence coaching course in February. Without much time to stamp his authority and style on his squad, Sochetra must've known Suzuki Cup qualification would be a tough ask, though I don't think he quite appreciated just how far Cambodia had fallen behind their nearest rivals. They were outclassed by Timor Leste and Myanmar, whilst the results against Laos and Brunei were closer on paper but Cambodia never looked capable of winning any of the matches. It certainly is a case of back to the drawing board for Sochetra and Cambodian football after this wake-up call. I would like to hear Sochetra's long-term strategy, and the federation's for that matter, on how he intends to improve the national team's fast-disappearing international credibility, but with an inept sports press in the capital, that's highly unlikely.
So what's next for Sochetra and the national team. Well, the first challenge is about five months away. The AFC Challenge Cup, 2014 edition, will have its draw later this month to decide who Cambodia will be playing. Pre-qualifying, home and away, is likely for Cambodia early next year, before the actual qualifying group stages a month later, if they get through. There's the next SEA Games, which will be held in Myanmar in December of next year, though that is for Under-23 teams rather than senior national teams. The next AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers are two years away. And of course, World Cup qualification is far in the distance, most likely sometime in 2015. With the federation's past record of failing to secure international friendlies, we're unlikely to see the national team playing again, anytime soon. So that gives the head coach and the federation a lot of thinking and planning time. Whether they put it to good use, remains to be seen. 

Non-League Day

1987 and we celebrate winning the FA Trophy, the pinnacle cup competition for Non-League teams. LtoR: Me, my brother Tim and Kidderminster player Clive Boxall

Events back in England yesterday, reminded me of the years I spent watching countless matches in what are the various leagues outside of the Barclays Premier & npower Football League divisions. No less than 40,000 semi-professional and amateur clubs exist in what is known as the Non-League game. Yesterday, was Non-League Day 2012, an opportunity for football fans around the country to celebrate what is generally regarded as less-glamorous games than in the big leagues, but which still attract great numbers of fans, week in and week out. I grew up watching my hometown team Cheltenham Town, never missed a home match and hardly any away games either, travelling the length and breadth of the country, for fifteen years before moving my allegiance to Kidderminster Harriers and doing exactly the same. At clubs like these, it's easy to get intimately involved much the same as I was, as programme editor, matchday announcer, sports reporter for radio and the newspapers, and so on. That's the beauty of the game beneath the big leagues. And that's what was celebrated yesterday. The Blue Square Bet Premier is the division below the top 4 and with England playing on Friday night and all games in the Barclays Premier and the npower Championship on-hold, it was an opportunity for the smaller fish to have their day in the sun. Free coaches were laid on for fans who wanted to take in three matches in 1-day, with a 12.30 kick-off for Macclesfield v Newport, followed by Kidderminster's visit to Stockport at 3pm and then a 6pm start for Hyde v Tamworth. A great way to sample the top level of non-league football. For more on my early football days, click here.

Outward-bound

Crown's foreign contingent have now departed: LtoR: Odion Obadin, Henry Asonibe, Kingsley Njoku, Emmanuel Frimpong, Melvin Tarley

The first list of players released by Phnom Penh Crown has been confirmed. As the club and new head coach Sam Schweingruber look to the future, there have been a number of established players who are leaving at the end of their current contracts. Schweingruber will look at some of the younger squad players very soon to decide whether to offer them a new contract or let them go. He will also hold open trials later this week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) to see what new, untapped talent is available to him. The club have just completed their least successful C-League campaign for a long time and it was obvious that changes to the playing squad would follow. The four foreign players who appeared last season, will not have their contracts renewed. They are Emmanuel Frimpong, Odion Obadin, Henry Asonibe and Kingsley Njoku. The club will keep its options open as to its overseas contingent for next season. The other squad players who have been released are Chan Chaya, Sok Pheng, Chim Rathanak, Soeng Vanthan and Sok Sovan. All of these players have been with Crown for a few years and a change of club will hopefully give them a fresh impetus. There is talk that former national teamers Chaya and Sok Pheng have already agreed to join Kirivong, who have new sponsors and are flashing the cash to entice new players. Sovan is likely to join up with Boeung Ket. Keep your eyes peeled for more player movement at Crown.

Determined fightback

Wednesday morning, the Phnom Penh Crown Academy boys took on the U-16s from Preah Khan Reach at the 3G all-weather pitches in the city. This was the Academy's last run-out before the boys get the chance to head home for the Pchum Ben festival to spend time with their families. Academy coach Bouy Dary tried a different approach for this game and it didn't work out as he'd hoped as Preah Khan stormed into a four-goal lead before Orn Chanpolin pulled a goal back. Seut Baraing and Chanpolin scored again as the Academy reduced the deficit, only for PKR to wrap the result up, at 5-3, with a late goal. If you don't try it, you never know.

4 in 4

The Cambodian team line-up before the game begins

The Cambodian national team lost 3-0 to hosts Myanmar tonight in their final AFF Suzuki Cup tie, played in Yangon. As everyone pretty much expected after three successive defeats in their qualification group already this week. It's been a depressing last few days for Cambodian football fans, who had their fingers crossed that the national team would improve under the leadership of the country's all-time leading goalscorer, Hok Sochetra, but actually the form of the team is as bad as it was under the former head coach from South Korea. There's little noticeable difference, either in results or style of play, though we must give some credit to the team tonight, they held out for the opening half of the game and must've given the Burmese a few heart flutters at the break. But the writing was on the wall, it seemed only a matter of time before the Cambodian defence would crack and so it proved, a minute before the hour mark. Sochetra put the defeat down to tiredness. “It is very difficult match for us. It has not been easy for us because we had to play four games in seven days with our last game against a strong team who are playing at home. I thought that we played well in the first half and managed to keep the game scoreless. But they pushed hard in the second half and we made mistakes. But we had not much time for recovery for the last game so it was difficult for us. Myanmar were well rested and they are a very good team.”
Although the opening half was goal-less, Myanmar dominated the possession and chances. David Htan chipped onto the crossbar after 18 minutes, Kyaw Zayar Win side-footed wide when it seemed easier to score and the lively Kyi Lin toe-poked his shot the wrong side of the upright. Sos Suhana blazed Cambodia's only real attempt into orbit whilst Yan Aung Kyaw's glancing header missed the far post by inches. Myanmar were quicker, livelier, more direct but couldn't find the target. Just 18 seconds into the 2nd half and Khin Maung Lwin screwed his shot across the face of goal and then Kyi Lin sent his diving header wide of the target. Cambodia's beat chance of the game fell to Khim Borey on 54 minutes and the Crown striker was just inches away from giving his side the lead, when he glanced his header from Prak Mony Udom's free-kick wide of the far post. That was the last we saw of Cambodia as a serious attacking force. The rest of the game belonged to the hosts.
The opening goal came just before the hour. David Htan's right-wing cross was the perfect height for Kyi Lin to outjump Lay Raksmey and plant his header past Om Vichet, who was rooted to the spot. Six minutes later and substitute Kaung Sithu touched the ball over the line at the far post after a perfect first-time low cross from Zaw Min Tun. Cambodia had failed to clear their lines and it cost them dearly. Thein Than Win tested Vichet from 25 yards and then smacked a near post shot against the upright, whilst Vichet was rounded as he came charging out of his box, but Kyi Lin blazed high and wide. Vichet was quickly off his line to deny Sithu but was left clutching thin air, a minute into time added on, when Pyaye Phyo Aung's deadly accurate free-kick from 22 yards found the top corner sweet spot. It was unstoppable and Myanmar's third. Cambodia go home winless and pointless.
Cambodia line-up: Vichet, Raksmey, Pancharong, Piseth, Tiny, Sopanha (Veasna 74), Suhana, Sokngorn, PM Udom (Chhoeun 54), Borey, S Udom (Sothearath 62). Bookings: Piseth, Sothearath.

3 in a row

Khim Borey and Sos Suhana before the kick-off

No doubt Cambodia coach Hok Sochetra will feel the luck was against his team again, possibly the hot weather, but he really has to look closely at his defenders after Cambodia succumbed to their third straight AFF Suzuki Cup defeat in Myanmar this afternoon. Cambodia had led at half-time and looked pretty comfortable but defensive frailties proved to be their undoing as Brunei stormed into a 3-1 lead, only for Khim Borey to head a very late consolation goal to give the final scoreline some respectability at 3-2. What had started promisingly, turned into another nightmare for the coach and his charges as they saw their qualification hopes go up in smoke. With Sun Sopanha suspended and Tieng Tiny out injured, Sochetra was forced to change his starting line-up, though he persevered with Phourng Soksana as the lone striker. For most of the first-half it was Cambodia who created the dangerous moments with Brunei failing to pose much threat and keeper Um Vichet handling confidently when the ball did go into the Cambodian box. After Keo Sokngorn fired an early effort into the side-netting, it was Chhun Sothearath who created the opening goal on 24 minutes with a defence-splitting pass which Prak Mony Udom stole in and poked home from eight yards out. On the half hour, both Sokngorn and Sos Suhana watched in anguish as their well-struck shots sailed over the cross-bar by inches, while Vichet had to be alert to push aside a headed effort from the lively Shahrazen Said. The interval arrived with Cambodia still in front.

The second half was a different story altogether. Brunei started as if their lives depended on it and took just 19 seconds to earn a corner. On 46 seconds Shahrazen had headed the corner against the cross-bar. Brunei clearly meant business. Cambodia still posed a threat, especially when Sokngorn released Suhana but his low shot was well blocked by Brunei keeper Wardun Yusof. At the other end, Vichet clawed away a drive by Shahrazen but on 55 minutes, Brunei drew level. Touch Pancharong's weak header from Sairol Sahari's deep cross was drilled past Vichet by Aminuddin Tahir. Four minutes later Soksana had the ball in the net after some ping-pong in the Brunei box but a linesman's flag ruled it offside. Vichet was called into action again, to turn an Azwan Salleh drive around the post. On 63 minutes Brunei took advantage when Vichet couldn't hold Adi Bin Said's center under pressure from Shahrazen and Helmi Zambin was on hand to poke the ball home. Another good two-fisted save by Vichet kept out Adi Bin Said's piledriver but he was exposed twenty minutes from time as Brunei netted their third. Azwan Salleh was on the spot as Najip Tarif's cross was headed straight to him by substitute Khiev Vibol, and he made no mistake from 15 yards out. In the second minute of time added on, Suhana's close range effort was blocked and from Vibol's corner, Khim Borey escaped his marker and glanced his header inside the far post to close the game at 3-2 in Brunei's favour, though there was still time for Borey to claim a handball by a Brunei defender which the referee ignored.
Cambodia line-up: Vichet, Raksmey (Vibol 66), Pancharong, Piseth, Thavrak, Sothearath, Suhana, Sokngorn, PM Udom (Chhoeun 60), Borey, Soksana (Vathanak 62). Bookings: Thavrak, Sothearath.
Two weak clearing headers and a goalkeeping fumble were Cambodia's undoing in the final analysis. Too many players, including Udom, Soksana and Sothearath were anonymous for much of the match and having led at the break, Cambodia allowed themselves to be put on the back foot by a mediocre Brunei side. In the second match, Timor Leste brushed aside Laos 3-1 and will go forward if they beat Brunei in the last game. Cambodia meet Myanmar in their final match on Thursday, with the hosts clear favourites to push their winning streak to three matches, having already beaten Brunei 1-0 and Timor Leste 2-1. The last word goes to Cambodian coach Hok Socehtra. “We played well in first half and we had lots of chances to score but we allowed them to take control at the beginning of second half and they managed to score three times. I can’t really explain the mistakes that we made on those goals but I think that we had many chances that we didn’t take today. I think that we still could have got an equaliser in the last minute because there was a handball by Brunei that could have been a penalty for us. I’m very sorry that we had this result and I feel very sad that our team cannot go through to the Final Round now.”

Top table

Sam Schweingruber at today's press conference. Photo by 855 Media Group

The opening statement from Phnom Penh Crown's newly-appointed head coach, Sam Schweingruber, was as follows; "I am honoured to be given this opportunity as the head coach of Phnom Penh Crown. I have lived in Cambodia for almost ten years and been involved in a lot of activities in football. For the last six years I have been director of an NGO that uses football to bring about social change. During that time I have also coached the Girls national team and been a FIFA Instructor in Grassroots football. When I received this job offer at first I was hesitant as I have a lot of great opportunities already, so I took some time to understand the club's future vision. It is more than just coaching the first team, it is about developing the club to get to the next level. I am excited at this opportunity to further develop myself and help to develop the club in the future. I will do my best to bring Phnom Penh Crown to the next level with my experience and my knowledge."
His first task was to appoint the current Crown Academy head coach, Bouy Dary, as his first assistant coach. Joining him in the coaching team will be current goalkeeping coach Prak Vanny, existing Academy assistant coach Kao Kiry and a new face to the staff, former player Tes Sophat. All of Schweingruber's assistants are former Cambodia national team players and well-respected in the game. Their opening task will be to review and identify talented players who will attend trials at the club on 17, 18 and 19 October, the trials are open for players aged between 17-25 and will be held at the club's RSN Stadium in Tuol Kork.
In answering questions from the assembled media, Schweingruber indicated that he expects 2013 to be a season of transition, with a number of young players finding their feet in the C-League, and he will focus on generating the right team environment that will aid their development. His contract is for one year but if everything goes according to plan, that could be extended for a further five years, said club president, Rithy Samnang. The new coach will help with the training of the club's Academy squad, who it's hoped will improve step by step to be professional footballers of the future. The president confidently predicted that the club will be successful in the future, because Crown are going about things in the right way. Schweingruber will not divorce himself from his previous projects and will retain an advisory role with the SALT Academy and the Girls' national team, with the Crown club also forging links with the projects.
The club were also keen to place on record its appreciation and thanks to former head coach David Booth, who guided Crown to the Metfone C-League title in 2011 and to an unprecedented two AFC President's Cup final stage tournaments. Booth returned to his Thailand home on Sunday, having come to the end of his contract with the club, and is currently considering job offers from clubs in three different countries.

The top table . LtoR; Sam, Rithy Samnang (president) and me (press officer). Photo by 855 Media Group

Sam lands the top job

Sam Schweingruber speaks to the assembled press corps in Khmer

Today was the start of a new chapter in the history of Phnom Penh Crown with the appointment as head coach of Sam Schweingruber. Sam, 33, has a proven record of success in Cambodia, having founded the successful SALT Academy in Battambang six years ago. Here is a section of the club's press release providing more background on the appointment:

Born in Switzerland, Sam first came to Cambodia in 2003. Previously, in his home country he played in Third Division Swiss football for Munsterlingen, Oberglatt and Pfyn, though his interest in coaching had already began as a sixteen year old and he quickly passed his C and B coaching licences. He also coached at the FC Winterthur Academy and enjoyed Swiss Cup success at U-14 level before coming to Asia. In Cambodia he played for the Mild Seven team in 2003, quickly reverting to coaching the team and followed that with coaching spells at Royal Navy and Khmer Empire before deciding to open the SALT Academy in Battambang in October 2006.

Under Sam’s guidance, the SALT Academy has gone from strength to strength and has been the catalyst for an explosion of grassroots football in northwest Cambodia. Today, more than 2,000 youths and 1,000 young adults across the region are involved in the community-based football program as well as receiving life skills education and personal development training. The success of the Mighty Girls program, which creates a safe environment for at-risk girls, educates and challenges traditional gender discrimination in football, has been an outstanding success, providing most of the players for the Cambodian Girls national teams that Sam has taken to Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. Since 2009, Sam has been a FIFA Grassroots Instructor, managing courses all over Asia, training the coaches of the future both in grassroots football as well as Futsal. He also completed his AFC coaching A licence earlier this year.

Sam is 33 years old and with his understanding of Cambodian culture and language, he views this appointment as “an opportunity to test myself on a bigger stage, having had a fantastic time developing the SALT Academy and working with grassroots football for the past six years. For my first appointment in senior football, I couldn’t have chosen a bigger or better club to work with. This is a very exciting time and I can’t wait to get started. However, I will not relinquish all my ties with SALT and the Girls national team and Crown are committed to being involved with both in the future.”  Sam will be supported with the coaching duties by the Academy Head Coach Bouy Dary, who will be first assistant coach, as well as Kao Kiry, Tes Sophat and Prak Vanny, all of whom are well-respected former Cambodian national team players.

Phnom Penh Crown President Mr Rithy Samnang believes Sam is exactly the right man to take his club forward. “Sam has achieved fantastic success in grassroots football in Cambodia. He knows what it takes to develop football in the right way, building a sustainable model that is the envy of many other countries. He is the perfect individual to lead our club’s strategic objectives in the future, to develop a professional structure and act as a model for other clubs to follow, to improve the quality of Cambodian football through our Elite Academy and to evolve our fan and community engagement program. This is vitally important not just for Phnom Penh Crown but also for Cambodian football.”

The PPCFC coaching team. LtoR: Bouy Dary, Sam Schweingruber, Prak Vanny, Kao Kiry

Unlucky Cambodia

The Cambodia line-up v Laos on MyTV

In a game in which both sides produced a handful of chances, with a bit more good fortune the Cambodian national team could've got a point from their AFF Suzuki Cup encounter with Laos earlier this evening. They didn't and now sit firmly and squarely at the foot of the group with two defeats in their first two games. They have two matches remaining, against Brunei and the group leaders Myanmar, who beat Timor Leste today 2-1, but qualification looks a distant dream. Showing more determination than they did against Timor, the Cambodians should've taken the lead just before the half-hour. Khim Borey's deft pass sent Phourng Soksana racing clear but his rushed shot was too close to Laos keeper Sengphachan Bounthisanh and he cleared with his feet. Aside from a Sun Sopanha free-kick that cleared the bar by inches just before the break, Soksana's attempt was the best Cambodia managed to serve up in the opening half. Laos meanwhile, were applying the pressure after a slow start and keeper Sou Yaty was kept busy, pushing out rasping distance shots from Vilayout Sayyabounsou and Sopha Saysana. With five minutes to go, Sopha's free-kick to the near post saw Yaty scrambling to keep it out, the ball popped out to Viengsavanh Sayyaboun and he squared it for Visay Phaphouvanin to score with a simple tap-in. Cambodia also lost Tieng Tiny to a knee injury three minutes before the break, replaced by Say Piseth.

Yaty was again in action just after the interval as Sopha tried his luck from 22 yards out but found Yaty's fingertips between him and his name on the scoresheet. The next best chance fell to Cambodia and substitute Chhin Chhoeun, on for Khim Borey. With an hour of the match gone, Chhoeun found space at the far post only to see keeper Sengphachan save his first attempt and then Kovanh Namthavixay threw himself at Chhoeun to block his second shot. Less than a minute later and Cambodia's task just got much tougher. Captain Sopanha was caught on his heels, pulled back on Soukaphone Vongchiengkham and picked up his second yellow card, followed by a red one. It was not the kind of example coach Hok Sochetra would've expected from his skipper. With a numerical advantage, Laos pressed forward only to find Yaty in no mood to concede another goal. The Army keeper kept out four attempts, the best a diving save from Soukaphone, who had a clear view of goal, whilst Om Thavrak headed clear when the lightning quick Laos striker threatened in the box. Cambodia's final chance came on 77 minutes when Say Piseth headed a corner back across the face of goal only to see Soksana arrive on cue, but flash his header over the top from just three yards out. It was a glorious chance to level the tie, but the image of Soksana holding his head in his hands, spoke volumes for the missed opportunity. Laos saw the game out with no further alarms and just about deserved their success over their close neighbours. Hok Sochetra's take on the game; "My players did well today, but they were a bit unlucky. I think we had chances to score tonight so I think, I don't know how else to say it. Just unlucky. Today we did much better than in the previous game, all my players all worked very hard. It was still very hot, and I think I made a mistake, because we prepared for this tournament by practicing in the evenings, in cooler weather. We are not used to this heat." 
Cambodia line-up: Yaty, Raksmey, Pancharong, Tiny (Piseth 42), Thavrak, Sopanha, Sokngorn, Suhana, PM Udom (Saray 82), Borey (Chhoeun 53), Soksana. Bookings: Sopanha (+ red card 61)

Reversing the trend

Anyone who has read my blog in the past will know that I abhor age-cheating in football. The AFC, who initially used X-rays to determine the accurate age of players, and who now use the more reliable MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests, have sent a clear message to all Asian countries that age cheating will not be tolerated. They disqualified Korea, Tajikistan and Iraq from the 2008 AFC U-16 championships and then banned eight players during the 2010 event for trying to cheat the system. It looks like the bad old days of age cheating at international competitions has come to an end for the most part. In domestic football closer to home, it is still taking place as birth documentation is unreliable and often unavailable. It's difficult to know how to combat against this cheating at a local level.
Anyway, I was intrigued when Hok Sochetra, the Cambodian coach said that most of his players who got thumped by Timor Leste were under the age of 21 years old. Factually, that's a little skewed. The average age of the team that started the game against Timor was 22 years old. Five players were under 21. So then I looked into the ages of the whole Cambodian squad, which are provided by the official AFF Suzuki Cup website, with birthdates shown for all players. I cross-matched that against a document produced by the Cambodian League in 2009 (though I would add it's not stamped as official), which listed all players (and birthdates) for the ten Premier League teams at that time. The comparison left me somewhat dismayed in that nine players in the 20-man Cambodia squad appear to have managed to reverse the normal ageing process that occurs in humans. Their 2009 birthdates do not match their 2012 birthdates; their birthdates have been altered. Two of the players have actually managed to knock five years off their ages - I just wish I could do that. The nine players, whose birthdates have changed, are as follows: Sou Yaty (real age 23; current age 21), Um Vichet (19; 18), Khiev Vibol (22; 20), Touch Pancharong (25; 20), Chhun Sothearath (25; 22), Prak Mony Udom (20; 18), Tum Saray (22; 20), Phourng Soksana (22; 20) and Srey Udom (24; 19). The Suzuki Cup is not an age-level competition, so it doesn't matter in that respect. But surely, it's the principle that really matters. A lot of people couldn't give a toss about a player's age, it's what they do on the pitch that matters, and that's their view, but there are basic standards that need to be followed in any sport, especially football, and we appear to be making up our own.

Finding it hard

Head coach Hok Sochetra was left to explain the reasons for the 5-1 thumping by surprise package Timor Leste in his first competitive match in charge of the Cambodian national team. He came up with; "The players were finding it hard against the more physical side from Timor. Most of my players are under the age of 21-years-old so they struggled somewhat. With the several injuries to the senior players, we have to use a lot of the players from the Under-21. It is not a great situation to be in but that is what we are left with. And with young players, their level of concentration is unpredictable." Certainly the result made a mockery of the FIFA rankings for the five teams competing in this qualification stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup. Cambodia are ranked second in the group at 189, whilst Timor are wallowing at 206. The action on the pitch last night certainly didn't mirror that disparity in the ranking positions. Cambodia failed to get a shot on target until Keo Sokngorn's last-minute penalty conversion, whilst Timor found the back of the net with relative ease. In the later match played yesterday, the home nation, Myanmar, left it until a few minutes from the end to grab the single goal it required to put Brunei in their place, but again, the sovereign state that sits on the island of Borneo, and are ranked at 203, belied their pre-tournament status by very nearly holding the best ranked team, who sit at 184. The group action continues tomorrow, with Timor taking on their Burmese hosts in the early kick-off, whilst Cambodia get a quick chance to redeem themselves against their old foes from Laos (ranked at 193), with a 6.30pm Cambodian-time start. The last time the two teams met in Suzuki Cup action, they played out a goal-less draw in 2010 but more recently, Laos knocked Cambodia out of the World Cup with an 8-6 aggregate win over two legs. Coach Sochetra will be seeking a much improved performance from his Cambodian players, whilst the football fans back home will expect to see more passion and fight from their team, as well as more attacking intent, qualities that were sadly absent against the Timorese.
The Cambodian coach had this to say in the lead up to the Laos match. “The main thing now after our defeat against Timor Leste is that our players have to get more confidence and get back to playing again. The players were sad about the result when we talked after the game but now we must now put that behind us and try to prepare for our next game. The problem yesterday was that each of our players lost confidence so we have to forget everything now and move on. We have a good rivalry with Laos but I don’t know what to expect of them tomorrow. They have a new coach and a lot more experienced players compared to us. However in terms of physical size and skill, we are quite similar to them and we play football in a similar way so it may be quite a close game.” His opposite number, the Laos coach Kokichi Kimura, from Japan, had his own view. “Playing a first game in a tournament is difficult because you don’t really know what to expect and Cambodia have many good, young players so will not be an easy game. I thought that in terms of tactics and organisation, Cambodia were better than Timor Leste but Timor Leste have more skilful and powerful individuals who caused them problems. They had trouble with the size of the Timor Leste players but they can match up better against our team because In terms of our systems and players, we are quite similar although we may have a bit of an advantage because our players are quicker. We have confidence but it will be a tough tournament for us because we have to play four games in seven days and we will probably have to use all 20 of our players with so little time for rest in between games.”

It just got worse

The final result on MyTV; Cambodia 1 Timor Leste 5

That tough proposition I mentioned for the Cambodian national team in qualifying for the final stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup, just got considerably harder, with an inept performance against Timor Leste in the opening fixture of the AFF Suzuki Cup. Two goals down at the interval, Cambodia succumbed to a 5-1 defeat by the final whistle and never looked like scoring until Keo Sokngorn won a penalty in injury time, which he converted. It was a performance without obvious passion, without attacking intent and one which coach Hok Sochetra will have to think long and hard about his approach to the tie. Playing a 4-1-4-1 formation, Khim Borey cut a lonely figure up front and without any invention from Sun Sopanha, Sos Suhana or Keo Sokngorn in midfield, and a lack of pace on the flanks, very little was seen of Cambodia in an offensive sense. Sochetra said before the game that he would field his best line-up and his comment; "I think Timor Leste have improved in the last two years and that this will not be an easy game for us," certainly came back to haunt him. Not only did Timor Leste make it uneasy for the Cambodian coach, they used their strength and height advantage to good effect, without really looking dangerous.
In the opening stages Alan Leandro came the closest for either team, flashing a header wide, before his cross was deftly nodded wide of keeper Sou Yaty by Murilo Ribeiro and crept inside the far post six minutes before the half-time break. Ribeiro was plying his trade in Indonesia recently and outjumped Om Thavrak to get his glancing header on target. A minute before the interval and Ribeiro put the Timorese into seventh heaven when he shrugged off Thavrak's attentions in the box and fired a low drive under Yaty's body to round off a quick counter-attack. Two goals to the good and it would only get worse for Cambodia after the break.
Ten minutes after the restart and Timor's Adelino Trindade hit a hopeful lob over Sou Yaty and it sailed into the top corner, much to everyone's surprise. On the hour mark the referee gave an indirect free-kick in the Cambodian box, a very strange decision, but the danger was averted until Trindade was on the scoresheet again, on 73 minutes, finishing off a run by Diogo Rangel that bamboozled the Khmer defence. Ten minutes from time and Tieng Tiny was lucky not to see a red card, bringing down Ribeiro as he raced through on goal. On 86 minutes, Ribeiro did break free and Yaty tussled with the striker outside and inside the box, which the referee deemed was sufficient for a penalty award. Five Timorese players debated over who should take the spot-kick until Leandro grabbed the ball and stroked home the penalty. As the clock ticked over into time added on, Ramon de Lima caught Keo Sokngorn from behind and the Boeung Ket player capped an otherwise anonymous game with a well-struck penalty to give Cambodia some scant consolation. But in reality it was a mere full stop to a game which Cambodia never looked like winning with their cautious approach from the start.
Cambodia line-Up: Yaty, Pancharong, Vibol, Thavrak, Tiny, Sopanha (Sothearath 61), Chhoeun (Saray 54), PM Udom (Vathanak 71), Sokngorn, Suhana, Borey. Bookings: Tiny, Thavrak.

The Cambodian starting line-up on MyTV

Tough proposition for Cambodia

The Cambodian national team will be expected to win when they meet Timor Leste in the opening match of the AFF Suzuki Cup Qualifying Group tomorrow afternoon at the Thuwunna Youth Training Center in Yangon, Myanmar. Past results point towards a Cambodian success, even though Timor Leste's only draw in their Suzuki Cup history came against Cambodia, 2-2 in 2008. However, they will be buoyed by a 1-0 win over Cambodia's U-21s in a cup competition in Brunei a few months ago and under recent arrival, Brazilian coach Emerson Alcantara and their squad of overseas imports from Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia mixed with local players, they will be out to pull off a shock result, undermining their FIFA ranking of 206, compared to Cambodia's 189. I take Cambodia to win by the odd goal.
Cambodia, with four games in seven days, will meet a much tougher proposition in Laos on Sunday. Still smarting from that World Cup debacle under previous coach Lee Tae-Hoon, when Cambodia went down 8-6 over two legs, the Khmers will be out for revenge but Laos are no dummies, having qualified for the final round in 2010, when the two teams fought out a goal-less draw in the Suzuki Cup that year. Laos are coached by Japanese tactician Kokichi Kimara and recently defeated Philippines 2-1 in a friendly, with five players in their squad plying their trade in Thailand. With Laos sitting below Cambodia in the rankings at 193, I believe the match will be a draw, at one goal apiece.
Third game up for Cambodia will be Brunei on Tuesday. South Korea's Kwon Oh-son is their coach, in charge of a squad of all home-based players, who were bolstered by their Hassanal Bolkiah U-21 Cup win on home soil earlier this year. Just back from an international ban, Brunei last played Cambodia in 2008, losing 2-1. They are 203rd in the rankings and I tend to go for another draw, 0-0, when the teams meet on Tuesday. I'm very concerned about Cambodia's lack of firepower and the absence of enough quality warm-up games leading up to this do or die qualifying competition.
Their final match, with Cambodia taking on the host team Myanmar a week today, should be a predictable two-goal win for the Burmese. Or will it? Without their talismanic striker Yan Paing out injured, Myanmar under another South Korean coach, Park Sung-hwa, may find goals hard to come by, though a recent 1-1 draw with Singapore showed their strength. Home advantage will count for a lot and with Myanmar ranked the best of the five teams at 184, everyone expects them to progress. So do I and I believe they'll be joined by Laos, with Cambodia finishing in third place. It's important for new coach Hok Sochetra that his Cambodian team put up a good performance, with more offensive tactics deployed against Timor and Brunei, looking for wins, whilst adopting a more cautious approach against Laos and Myanmar. There's no point in being gung-ho in their approach, as even at this level, teams are disciplined enough to make you pay, but Timor and Brunei are winnable matches, if the team believes in itself, and its coach.

Final time

The Cambodian senior national team went down to a 2-1 defeat by the Malaysian U-21 team in their final warm-up match last night ahead of their Myanmar adventures in the qualification group for the AFF Suzuki Cup that will begin this Friday. Touted invariably as a friendly against either the Malaysian senior team or their U-23 Olympic squad, it turned out to be a game against their U-21 team at the Wisma FAM at Kelan Jaya. Keo Songorn gave Cambodia the lead on 21 minutes only for two second half strikes, by Fadhli Shas on 52 minutes and Thamil Arasu with 23 minutes remaining, putting the game out of their reach. Coach Hok Sochetra commented: “We missed three players for most of the training camp but they were available for our game last night and played in the first half against the Malaysian XI. We took the lead in the first half but we changed most of our players at half-time and we ended up losing 2-1. However, it was a good workout for the players and good preparation for our first match against Timor Leste on Friday.” 
The result is unimportant in the context of Hok Sochetra's squad getting game-time together ahead of their opening match with Timor Leste this coming Friday, in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. I believe the games will be shown live on the MyTV channel here in Cambodia, which will be great news for Cambodian football fans, who will get the chance to see exactly how their new coach approaches each game in this important qualifying group. The top two in the group go onto the Suzuki Cup finals in November, so Hok Sochetra will have to be more adventurous in his tactical and formation choices than he was in the recent goal-less friendly on home soil with the Philippines. Cambodia need to target the matches against Timor Leste and Brunei as winnable games and should set his team up to go on the offensive from the off. The matches against Laos and Myanmar will be a different proposition and he will likely adopt a more cautious approach with the focus on counter-attack.

Big secret

Just before I left for Tajikistan on 22 September, it has come to light that the Cambodia national team played a secret, behind-closed-doors friendly match with the Malaysian national team, two days earlier, with the Malays winning 3-0. Both sides wanted the match without any media attention as the game wasn't an official international friendly. "Since it was just a sparring match, we decided to keep it low key," said the Malaysian team manager. The match was played at the Wisma FAM center with goals from Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak and Mohd Safee Sali sealing a 3-0 win for the home team. I think this has only been reported in the Malaysian media, who wondered why it was a big secret.
The match tonight has been confirmed that the Cambodia national team will meet the Malaysian U-23 team, or will they. I'm not convinced they have an U-23 team. They call their junior sides Harimua Muda and they have two as far as I can tell. The Harimua Muda A squad (Under-22) under Kim Swee are currently playing in the Singapore League (and played last night) while the Harimau Muda B squad (Under-19), training under Ismail Ibrahim, played in the Malaysian Premier League this year. Your guess is as good as mine.

Warm-ups

3 PPCFC players, Khim Borey (left), Tieng Tiny and Sos Suhana, fly out to join the main squad. Pic courtesy of Khim Borey

The Cambodian national team are in their final stretch of preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup qualification matches which begin this Friday when they meet Timor Leste in Myanmar, one of four matches in a space of a week that will determine their immediate future, in coach Hok Sochetra's first big test of his reign. On Saturday, minus the Phnom Penh Crown trio of Khim Borey, Tieng Tiny and Sos Suhana, the Cambodian squad drew 3-3 with Courts Young Lions, the feeder team for the Singapore U-23s side. The visiting national team goals came from Prak Mony Udom, Phoung Soksana and Teab Vathanak, after the Young Lions led 2-1 at half-time. Tomorrow they will be back in Malaysia, where they've had a two-week training camp, to play a final warm-up against a Malaysian team and then they will head to Myanmar for their moment of truth. It's not clear which team the Malaysians will play, their senior side or their U-23s, as the main squad are preparing for their own Suzuki Cup involvement in November with matches against Hong Kong and Vietnam. The three Phnom Penh Crown players flew out to join the national squad at noon today, after returning in the early hours from their AFC President's Cup trip to Tajikistan. Cambodia begin their Suzuki Cup qualifiers against Timor Leste on Friday and then meet Laos (7 Oct), Brunei (9 Oct) and Myanmar (11 Oct).

Home champions

Istiklol win the AFC President's Cup, as expected

Yesterday was spent travelling back from Tajikistan with two stop-overs in China, so didn't see the result of the AFC President's Cup final until today. As expected by everyone, the home team FC Istiklol captured the trophy, as Taiwan Power did last year and as usually happens in this competition. It wasn't all plain sailing though for the near 20,000 delerious Tajik fans as the surprise finalists, Al Amma’ri Youth from Palestine, took the lead after 20 minutes through an Ahmed Keshkesh, at the Central Stadium in Dushanbe. With twenty minutes left on the clock, the Tajik team's best player, Davronjon Ergashev equalised before the home skipper, Dilshod Vasiev put the icing on the cake with the winner with twelve minutes to go. There is now talk of increasing the matches in the final stages with two teams going through to semi-finals from each group and then playing the final. That would certainly maintain the interest within the group matches and give teams two bites at the cherry. The tournament's most valuable player went to Tajik goalkeeper Alisher Tuychiev, who kept out an important Sos Suhana goal-bound effort against Phnom Penh Crown that could've made the difference in our group match, before the home team went onto steam-roller us in the 2nd half.

Picture post

Tieng Tiny and Yok Ary shake hands before the start

A few snaps from last night at the Central Stadium, here in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Someone stayed at home so the official attendance was announced at 9,999, providing a boisterous evening atmosphere in the stadium where the number of Crown fans numbered precisely two (including me).

Referee Khamis Al Marri from Qatar looks to the heavens whilst tossing

Crown line-up behind the ball boys - in a clash of red shirts

The final pre-match huddle of the season

Waiting for the 2nd half to start

Emmanuel Frimpong being interviewed live for Tajik TV

The last hurrah

David Booth takes his Crown players for one final warm-up session

Last night's 6-0 beating by home team favourites Istiklol was David Booth's last game in charge of the Phnom Penh Crown team, as he announced a few days ago. He wanted to go out on a high, but it didn't quite pan out that way. Up til half-time, though the Tajik team had the majority of the play, Crown were in the game and beginning to frustrate their opponents. Two minutes after the restart that was all forgotten, as Istiklol took the game by the scruff of the neck and whacked in another five goals without reply. The sag in the shoulders of players and staff said it all. Soundly beaten by a better team, for the second time in three days. David Booth admitted his team were simply not good enough and it was the end of this particular road for the English coach.

His final press conference as Crown's head coach was not a happy one

Reviewing his troops ahead of the Istiklol match

Final instructions in the warm-up room outside the team's dressing room

Out of our depth

PPCFC line-up: Back LtoR: Dara, Vanthan, Rady, Frimpong, S Pheng, Tiny. Front: Sovanna, Suhana, Ary, Lika, Borey - click to enlarge

The curtain came crashing down tonight on Phnom Penh Crown's involvement in this year's AFC President's Cup with a second heavy defeat in three days, as they succumbed 6-0 to home favourites FC Istiklol, in front of a noisy crowd of 9,999. Behind to a single goal at the interval, the floodgates opened in the second half, as they had against Dordoi in the previous game, leaving Crown head coach David Booth a dejected figure at the post-match press conference. "I look at the two games, at how my team have played and its obvious we're out of our depth here this year. There's been a lot of changes in the club and perhaps it would've been better if we'd stayed at home. We made changes for today, our goalkeeper couldn't play, one or two positional changes but we've got young players, with absolutely no experience whatsoever, but its all we have. It's just embarrassing, I've never been in this situation before. To come here and be beaten like that twice - we're not good enough to be here. We had a couple of chances in the game but nothing that would hurt them. I'm quite embarrassed really with the two performances. My team were way below par, way below the standard that's required for this competition and the two teams that played against us didn't have to play at their best. Going on history, the home team usually wins this competition - I don't know who will win and I'm not really bothered now."

Forced to include Yok Ary in goal for the injured Samrith Seiha, David Booth also brought in Soeng Vanthan and Chhun Sovanna into midfield and Sok Pheng to partner Khim Borey in attack. Apart from a fine piece of handling from Ary to deny Makhmadali Sadykov, Crown were giving as good as they got until Istiklol captain Dilshod Vasiev escaped his marker on 26 minutes to rifle the ball into the top corner to send the big crowd into raptures. The home team required a point from the match to qualify for the final but were determined to put on a good show. However, they were so nearly caught out less than a minute later when Khim Borey and Sos Suhana exchanged passes which released Suhana into the box only to see goalkeeper Alisher Tuychiev block his shot, and with it Crown's best chance of the half. Ary was called upon to snuff out attempts by Davronjon Ergashev from all of forty yards, and Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev from much closer, whilst Ibragim Rabimov and Umedzhon Sharipov were a whisker away with their target practice just before half-time.

With 47 seconds on the clock of the second period, Ary had to be quick off his line to keep out Farkhod Tokhirov's shot with his feet but within two minutes of the restart, the half-time substitute had doubled Istiklol's lead. Ergashev's long-range shot took a deflection off Tokhirov's head and wrong-footed Ary, with the striker looking at least a couple of yards offside, but the match officials waved aside Crown's appeals and the home team fans rejoiced. Sok Pheng twice found space on the edge of the home penalty area, only for Tuychiev to collect his first shot easily enough and a defender charged down the second. In between, Sharipov took the ball off Hong Pheng's toe, bore down on goal and his swerving shot evaded Ary's dive for their third goal on 52 minutes. Six minutes later, Vi Lika failed to cut out a cross and Rabimov's aim was true from the edge of the box to extend his team's lead even further. Two minutes later and Khim Borey tried his luck from thirty yards, only to see his drive dip just over the crossbar. Most of the attacking intent was coming from Istiklol, though a great chance fell to Borey, when Emmanuel Frimpong's corner was headed down by Pheak Rady, only for goalkeeper Tuychiev to block Borey's shot with his body.

Istiklol continued to press forward, encouraged by their supporters and on 75 minutes they netted again. A jinking run by Alexander Frank allowed Fatkhuloev the time to pick his spot from twelve yards out and he made no mistake. Tieng Tiny's last-ditch tackle prevented Rabimov from adding to the tally but he wasn't to be denied and eight seconds into time added on, the Istiklol number 7 fired in from the edge of the box after more good work from Frank. Istiklol's tally of six goals without reply was food and drink to the home fans, whilst the Crown players trudged wearily from the pitch, having conceded 14 goals in their two cup matches. There were bookings for Vanthan, Frimpong and Tiny, with Frimpong selected by the host broadcaster for the post-match interview.
PPCFC line-up: Ary, Dara, Rady, Lika, Tiny, Suhana (Chaya 25), Frimpong, Vanthan, Sovanna (H Pheng 45), S Pheng (Sothy 67), Borey. Subs not used: Seiha, Sovan, Makara. Bookings: Vanthan, Frimpong, Tiny.

Theatre of truth

Crown coach David Booth (left) will be in the Central Stadium sunken dug-out for the last time tonight

Phnom Penh Crown face the host nation's favourite sons, FC Istiklol, tonight under floodlights at the Central Stadium, and with a big point to prove. An 8-goal thrashing against Dordoi two nights ago will have given the Crown players nightmares, and if it didn't, it should've. The performance of the team was below an acceptable standard at this level of competition. The clubs in the AFC President's Cup are champions of their respective countries for a reason, they are the cream of the emerging nations and if Cambodia wants to stand toe to toe with them, its players need to step up to the plate. Professionalism is not just a long word, it's a state of mind and attitude to the task in hand. If you don't adopt a professional mindset then you will fail, because every one of the other teams in this competition are treating it as if their lives depend on it. Dordoi came at Crown from the first whistle and we wilted, especially as the game wore on. Tonight, we will face a similar barrage from Istiklol, who will be roared on by a large partisan crowd. They need a point but they will be going for the jugular right from the off. The Crown players know it and they must deal with it. Coach David Booth has made changes to his line-up for what he has said, will be his final game in charge of the team. He will not want to bow out without a performance that is passionate, hard-working and honest. The players owe him that.

All of the AFC President's Cup matches are being played at the Dushanbe Central Stadium, the theatre of dreams for Tajik football since it was built in 1956 during the Soviet-era. While league matches are routinely held in other stadiums – Aviator, Polytechnic and Spartak – the big matches are reserved for the 20,000-seater Central Stadium. Such is the landmark’s aura that even during devastating civil war from 1992 until 1997 the stadium was used for football matches, providing moments of major respite to the sports-loving populace. Some of Tajikistan’s unforgettable football victories have taken place at the Central. Fans fondly remember the 4-0 defeat of neighbours Uzbekistan in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in 1996. It was here the popular Central Asian Games, filled with pomp and pageantry, were held in 2003. And the Tajiks will not forget the goalless draw against Bahrain in FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying action in 2004. The Central has undergone major renovation in recent years and continues to be the main address of Tajik sports.

The main stand and VIP area of the Central Stadium

The seats opposite the main stand at the Central Stadium

The electronic scoreboard at Central Stadium

Some of the Crown players in the renovated dressing rooms at Central Stadium