38. Doing the Hard Yards

 





6 flippin 1... as I closed my eyes to try and sleep, that is all I could see in my dreams, 6 to the casino, 1 to the Electricity Company...  Brides 6 Bridesmaids 1, Men 6 Boys 1 Was it the formation? Going in 4-3-3 was a risk, the boys weren't quite used to playing in this formation yet, despite our best efforts in training. The normally reliable Daravon looked all at sea against the pacy Nagaworld strikers, Leap Bo and Vannak, young, enthusiastic, but inexperienced in trying to control a midfield, while young Suon Bath looked lost, up front in the inside left position, Noron isolated and Taboula once again flattered to deceive. Then Chea Sambath, our resident Bruce Lee, don't get me started on him! I scoured the Available jobs list and wondered, what would it like to venture into Thailand, Malaysia or India? On the other hand I did not want to let the big, ugly casino win. I wanted to galvanise the team and go again, starting with a home game against Boeung Ket.

Difficult Run of Fixtures

 It's fair to say the  Cambodian fixture computer has not been overly kind to us. Our run of games sees us taking on the best teams in the C-League, one after the other, starting with the Boeung Ket game, then a trip to the unpredictable National Police, followed by a trip to Phnom Penh Crown, and finally hosting the champions, Angkor Tiger.  As Nen Borey pointed out though, on the plus side it gets all the hard teams out the way and then we play the 'easier' teams at the end.. Let's see how we get on!

Maol Daravon to Break EDC Appearance Record

My best central defender and vice captain. Maol Daravon will become EDC’ most capped player when he plays against Boeung Ket, where he will notch his 59th appearance for the club.

Match 4: EDC V Boeung Ket

Our tough run of fixtures continues and after the last game, I’m parking the bus. I am also making several changes from the Nagaworld debacle. I am down in 9th and a win here would put me in the top half potentially. Ket are in 7thbut pose a big threat, especially with Omakafe up front. I just want us to compete today and make life difficult and then see what we can get on the break.

Team: 4-2-3-1 Kong Rafat, Ivonaldo, Daravon, Gbayoro, Teat Chandara, Leap Bo, Pom Vannak, Rattanak, Sos Suhana, Oudom, Taboula

Match Action

Despite our new rather cautious Mourinho-style cattenacio approach we surprisingly completely dominated the first half. We looked solid at the back and attacked with confidence. Leap Bo sent Sos Suhana down the left, whose cross was met by Taboula who nodded well over. The best chance of the half came when Rattank picked up the ball and sent a delicious pass to the onrushing Taboula, whose shot was well saved. Good half lads let’s win it second half..

Into the second half. Ket have more of the possession, but our defence holds firm. After some neat interplay between the increasingly impressive Leap Bo and Sos Suhana it ends up with the latter just shooting wide from the edge of the box.

Then Teat Chandara surges forward from left back. He nearly loses the ball, but he recovers just in time to nick the ball past the defender. He lays it to Rattanak who exchanges passes with Leap Bo. Young Tuy Oudom has come in from the right wing. Rattanak lays it off to him. The youngster takes it forward before hammering the ball into to the top corner from 30 yards. Quite brilliant from the youngster who has started this season on fire.. 1-0.. Pick that one out!

We are suddenly playing with confidence and Ket are nowhere. The impressive Rattanak picks the ball up in midfield and finds sub Mat Noron who nicks it past his marker before placing a shot onto the foot of the post. How unlucky!

We are tired now. I put Ratana and Khemarin on for Chandara and Daravon and switch to a slow short passing game to conserve energy. Boeung Ket are attacking, Sub Khemarin hacks the ball clear, which falls beautifully into the path of Mat Noron who raced clear and cooly slotted home to wrap up the game for EDC. To put the icing on the cake, Sos Suhana scores direct from a free kick late on to round off a brilliant performance and a brilliant comeback after the Nagaworld game. Maybe this EDC team can a bit play after all!

Final Score: EDC 3-0 Boeung Ket

 Oudom 59

Noron 84

Suhana 89




Match 5: National Police v EDC

We visit everybody’s least favourite team with revenge on our minds after they turned us over 3-1 in this fixture last year just at a time where we could have made a smash and grab raid to steal the C-League title. After our excellent performance in the last game I am hoping for a repeat performance, but of late we have struggled to put a consistent run of results together. The Police have a chief striker Chem Chitra who destroyed us in the last game and so we will have to stop him if we are to succeed.

I make two changes with Ratana replacing Teat Chandara at left back and Noron in for Taboula as the lone striker.

Team: Kong Rafat, Ivonaldo, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Pom Vannak, Leap Bo, Rattanak, Oudom, Suhana, Noron

Match Action

We started the game brightly. Rattanak picked the ball up in midfield and fed Sos Suhana who cut in from the left and had his shot tipped over the bar. Then Pom Vannak flighted the ball to Noron whose stinging shot smacked the crossbar. How unlucky., the goal was still vibrating five minutes later..

We are camped in their half and dominating the game. Noron has another bullet header tipped over the bar. Oudom sprints down the right, but Rattanak’s volley goes way over the bar. Then the breakthrough came. From a throw in Oudom and Rattanak exchange passes. The young right winger sprints to the bye-line before floating in a pinpoint cross straight onto Noron’s head to nod home. 1-0 to the EDC.

In the second half and the Police are attacking more, but from a cleared corner, Sos Suhana picked up the ball and cut inside from the left wing. He lays it off to Min Rattanak who lets fly from 25 yards straight into the top corner! Take a bow son!

Then out of nowhere a free kick to them was floated to the far post where Meas Veasna nutted in a surprise goal back. Bummer!

It was tit for tat from then on as they hunted an equaliser and we counter attacked to try and get a third. Neither happened and it finished 2-1 to us. We move up to 3rd…It's always nice to get one over the Rozzers!


Final Score: National Police 1-2 EDC

                   Veasna    68                Noron 43

                                                   Rattanak 53


Match  6 – Phnom Penh Crown v EDC 29/04/23

The games are coming thick and fast and the fixture computer has given us all the stronger teams in a row. Having said that we have just dispatched two of them and lie 4th in the table, which has come as a surprise to many including myself. I am not changing the formation. Crown lie in 7th and play 4-2-3-1 with the Nigerian, Debeiro leading the line. But we have Matty Noron! We make one change as on-loan Ivanoldo cannot play against his parent club, so In Sambath makes his competitive debut at right back.

Kong Rafat, Sambath, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Vannak, Leap Bo, Rattanak, Suhana, Oudom, Noron

Match Action

Crown start the strongest and have a fierce volley well saved by Kong Rafat in the opening few minutes. They are too readily winning random free kicks for my liking.

We eventually have the ball in their half! Leap Bo flights a lovely ball to Tuy Oudom whose angled shot is well saved by the keeper.

Than from their random throw in Sam Rouhen gets to the bye-line and his teasing cross is met by the head of Khek Tola 1-0. Tuy Oudom had to go off injured and was replaced by Mat Dara.

Yet another free kick results in and Adekunjo powerfully headed home. Oh dear!

I change the tactics and it seems to result in us having more of the ball. We knock it around. Mat Noron comes deep and picks up the ball before dribbling past his man and into the penalty area and fouled. Penalty! The striker dusts himself down and buries it emphatically into the bottom corner. Game on!

I bring on Sam Bath at half time for the ineffective Suhana and play him in an odd left inside forward position to support Noron with sub Dara reverting to the right flank as an out and out winger. I’m hoping this may confuse the opposition in some way. They start the strongest and Tola’s fierce shot stung the palms of Kong Rafat.

Then the game just became end-to end with both sides attacking with verve and intent. I bring on Taboula and go to a 4-2-4. This has opened the game up, but I back my boys to get an equaliser. This nearly happens when Dara touches just wide after a lovely flighted ball from Bo. Crown have numerous shots on goal as they play fast, attacking football. We have less attempts. Sub Ly Ravy puts us out of our misery after turning home yet another cross for 3-1. Debeiro adds a fourth from the penalty spot We didn’t really deserve that. Wasn’t our day today..

Final Score: Phnom Penh Crown 4-1 EDC

 Tola 22                                               Noron 43 (pen)

 Adekunyo 39

Ravy 88

Debeiro 90                                                     


Match 7 EDC v Angkor Tiger 06/05/23

Jumping from the frying pan into the fire, we face the Champions, but which EDC will turn up today? Will it be the one that gets thrashed 6-1 and 4-1, or the one that turns over Boeung Ket 3-0?  We lie in 6th place while our opponents are in 8th. We make two changes with Ivonaldo back at right back and the in-form Sam Bath starting on the left, with Sos Suhana switching to the right after Tuy Oudom’s injury. Midfielder Um Makara starts on the bench after returning from injury.

Team: Kong Rafat, Ivanoldo, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Vannak, Bo, Rattanak, Bath, Suhana, Noron

Match Action

We start the brightest and after just five minutes we take the lead! Suhana’s cross was cleared only as far as Ivanaldo who lobs the ball straight into the penalty area. Suhana has cut in from the right and he flicks the ball on into the path of Rattanak whose first time half volley blasts into the top of the net. Great start!

We look right up for this and territorially are superior. Then from a random free-kick, Tiger have two headers brilliantly saved by Kong Rafat before the follow up effort hits the post. Could this be our day?

But moments later… from Mantornin’s corner, the ball is nutted in by Srin to make it one each.

In the second half we dominate the game, but cannot fashion a chance. Noron keeps being caught offside and Suhana keeps overhitting his crosses. Then flippin Miroslav Klose bug goal means from nowhere Phanhasith is one on one with Rafat. He makes no mistake, confidently slipping the ball past the young goalkeeper for an undeserved 2-1 lead..

I revert to an attacking 4-4-2 with young Sam Bath and Taboula leading the line, Mat Dara on the left and Suhana on the right, with Rattanak pulling the strings in midfield. Dara has a free kick beaten away by their keeper and Taboula heads just wide.

Then Dara puts in a perfect low cross for the youngster Bath to slot home from 6 yards for his first ever goal for EDC … but is ruled out because Dara’s big toe was offside when he received the ball. This is not our day after all..

Mat Dara has been brilliant since his introduction and has run at his full back on every occasion. We have a player here. One such piece of brilliance sees him combine with Taboula before placing a beautiful slide rule pass for the onrushing Rattanak to take the ball into the penalty area and slot home a richly deserved equaliser. We hunted down a winner as we attacked with verve and creativity, but Taboula like Noron kept being caught offside which frustrated our efforts. It was end to end stuff until the final whistle, but a Desmond 2-2 was perhaps a fair result. Rest in Peace!

Final Score: EDC 2-2 Angkor Tiger

          Rattanak 6, 68            Srin 22 Phanasith 63

  

Match 8: EDC v Paillin Hun Sen Cup 2nd Qualifying Round 09/05/23

I love a good cup tie and I really want to take the Hun Sen Cup seriously as it is the best chance of silverware we have. Having said that, I also want to give some minutes to some of my fringe and younger players too to keep the squad happy and give them a taste of first team action. Paillin lie in 4th place of the Second Division Group B, but to look at their squad they barely have eleven men to put on the field. Somebody is doing a decent job there with next to no resources. On their team is a familiar face, midfielder, Nan Punlock who was at EDC in my first season and was a decent player for us. We line up in an attacking 4-4-2 with many changes from the draw with Angkor Tiger, a side hopefully good enough to get the job done.

Team: Chainuth, Hem Sokha, Run Sokha, Ratana, Teat Chandara, Makara, Samnang, Dara, Touch Vannak, Taboula, Sam Bath

Match Action

We are camped inside their half for the opening fifteen minutes, with the visitors putting ten men behind the ball. We have a couple of half chances but nothing major, Then finally we break the deadlock. Chea Samnang retrieved the ball in midfield before spraying a lovely ball to Touch Van on the right wing. His pinpoint cross found the head of Pelap Taboula, whose powerful header beat the keeper. 1-0.

Samnang and Touch Van exchanged passes before the youngster dashed into t he penalty area and sidefooted it in off the post for 2-0.

EDC old boy Nan Punlock scored a consolation with a remarkable 30 yard shot into the top corner, but young Soun Bath scored his first goal for EDC, latching onto a delicious through ball from sub Rattanak to round off a comfortable afternoon. Into the 1st round proper we go!

Final Score: EDC 3-1 Paillin

 Taboula   16                Punlock 90

 Touch Van 31

 Sam Bath 90

A Bright Future

Granted, Paillin were hardly the toughest of opponents, but it was great to see my fringe and young players coming to the fore. Um Makara made his long awaited debut in midfield, which had been delayed due to injury and looked very accomplished. Touch Van on the right wing looked very good, while Sam Bath was a threat going forward and got himself on the scoresheet near the end. In defence, Ouk Ratana looked the part alongside Run Sokha. The future is bright for Electricitie Du Cambodge.

A mixed set of results against the better teams in Cambodia has propelled EDC into the top 5 once more and with the so-called 'weaker teams' to come, can the Electricite' du Cambodge finally mount a serious title challenge, or will their campaign lose its spark?

Read Part 39 - The Killer Instinct.. of a Sheep Here!

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