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!
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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