39. The Killer Instinct of...a Sheep...

We've done the hard yards and even gained some bonus points against Boeung Ket and Angkor Tiger and we are through to the next round of the Cup. Now to take on the so-called 'weaker' teams in the C-League, you know the ones we really should beat if we are to in any way challenge for the C-League Title, the newly promoted sides,like Mondul Kiri, the fading forces like Vishaka and the general other makeweights like the flippin' National Police. We have shown in flashes that we can mix it with the big teams, but now we have to win those matches in which we are the favourites and make hay while the sun shines. Can we handle the pressure?

Match 8: Chamao Khmao v EDC

Back to the bread and butter of the league and we play the team just below us in 5^th. This is a winnable game though and confidence is growing in my young team. The big guns return after being rested for the cup match. EDC defector, Raymond Etim lines up in midfield for them alongside Yun Raksa who had a loan spell a couple of seasons back.

Team: Kong Rafat, Ivonaldo, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Leap Bo, Samnang, Rottanak, Dara, Suhana, Noron

Match Action

It’s even Steven in the opening exchanges. Rattanak has a stinging shot tipped over but that’s about it. We were rubbish they had a Miroslav Klose bug manouvre well saved by Kong Rafat. They dominated the latter part of the half. 0-0 at the break.

We revert to a 4-4-2 and I put Taboula on up front for Chea Samnang. Then, from seemingly nowehere their left winger crosses in for Borey who sweeps home, but is also miles offside, even Stevie Wonder could have seen this one. I fully expect the offside flag to go up and it to be ruled out.. but no… play on… goal stands. WTF??

I demand more from my players and they respond, but still no clear cut chances are created, with shots blocked, crosses charged down and annoying throw ins to them frequent. I throw on young Soun Bath and young Touch Van, the right winger who had impressed in the cup game for Dara and the surprisingly ineffective Noron.

Rattanak picks up the ball and runs at the heart of the Khmao defence. He finds Leap Bo who passes it on to the full back Ouk Ratana. He creates half a yard before sending the perfect low cross to the back post where young Bath was there to poke home his first league goal 1-1.

We hunted for a winner and attacked with malice. A Vannak cross was met by the powerful head of Taboula, but was tipped over by the keeper. Then we nearly press self-destruct and but for a last ditch tackle by Gboyoro could have easily lost the game. The Ivorian injured himself in the process. Moments later Leap Bo received a second yellow card, meaning by the end of the game we only had nine players on the pitch. I’ll take the draw. We move up to 4^th, 6 points off the top.

Final Score: Chmao Khmao 1-1 EDC

Borey 52                                       Soun Bath 85

Match 9: EDC v Mondul Kiri 20/05/23

We take on newly promoted Mondul Kiri in fairly confident mood. Little is known about this lot, other than they sit in 9^th, so they are holding their own in the C-League, without pulling up too many trees. According to our scout they are a poor team who like to ‘park the bus.’ I am confident of victory and so we go with the more attacking 4-4-2. Gyaboro is injured, Leap Bo is suspended alongside Ratana. Khemarin, Teat Chandara and Vannak come in. Taboula starts alongside Mat Noron up front and Tuy Oudom returns on the right wing after an injury lay off.

Team: 4-4-2: Kong Rafat, Ivanoldo, Daravon, Khemarin, Teat Chandara, Vannak, Rottanak, Suhana, Oudom, Taboula, Noron

Match Action

Already the pattern has been set, as we dominate the opening exchanges. Taboula and Rattanak combine to force a save from the keeper in the opening minute. Then, from an innoccuos looking corner by us, there was an infringemt the box, leading to a penalty. Noron did the rest, sliding it under the keeper’s body who rather did a Sydney harbour bridge over the ball, but they all count. 1-0.

We have so much pace in this team!  Oudom is like speedy Gonzalez on the right and his pinpoint cross was met by the head of Noron, but was acrobatically saved by the keeper.

We are creating so many chances it’s almost getting embarrassing. This time Taboula got down the left before crossing for Noron whose volley was well saved once again. We need a second for security as we are only one Miroslav Klose bug goal away from an equaliser..

Into the second half and the game followed a similar pattern, but once again we were wasteful in front of goal. Noron had another shot saved, Suhana shot wide when it was easier to score, Taboula had countless headers over the bar. Noron had a goal disallowed in stoppage time. The 1-0 win was somewhat of an anti-climax. This game was like if England were playing San Marino in a World Cup Qualifier and they completely dominate the game from start to finish, in the way they always do against such opposition, but by the end of the game they only won 1-0, with only a Harry Kane penalty to show for it. Questions would be asked as to why they did not manage to score more against a very poor team who barely ventured out of their own half. Three points is three points though and we move up to third.

Final Score: EDC 1-0 Mondul Kiri

                           Noron 12 (pen)

The Transfer Window Opens Once More

Just two days after my birthday, the transfer feeding frenzy opens once more providing fun and frolics for everyone.. Already offers have come in for Noron from 2^nd Division outfit CMAC and Nagaworld have continued their relentless campaign to tempt young Ratana away from EDC. If we can survive the window with most of our squad in tact, we will have done well..

EDC Sign Pidor

Young winger, Sok Ouen Pidor joins the ranks at EDC. He can play on either flank or in the middle as a number 10, so is an interesting addition to the squad and at just 19 has plenty of room for improvement.

Nen Borey has Continental C Coaching Badge

My assistant manager and faithful friend, Nen Borey has now got his Continental C License certificate. Well done mate you are now more qualified than me!

Match 10: EDC v Prek Patra 28/05/23

Like our last opponents Prek Patra are newly promoted and lie in 7^th which means they are doing better than expected. Apparently they play a tika taka style of football, although not many of their players resemble Xavi, Iniesta and co to be honest.. They have a decent striker,  Sok Phal Udom who will need to be watched, but otherwise I am confident of victory as my confidence in my young charges grows by the game.

I go with an attacking 4-4-2. Ratana comes in a left back while Khemarin retains his place as Anderson Gbayoro is only fit enough for the bench.

Team: Kong Rafat, Ivanoldo, Daravon, Khemarin, Ratana, Vannak, Rattanak, Oudom, Noron, Taboula, Suhana

Match Action

We start brightly and Noron has an early shot saved. They show nothing until the clock ticks on and they get a random free kick on the edge of the area. Where this came from, nobody knows, was it a bad foul, was it a dive, was it handbags at 20 paces, did Daravon fart at the wrong time..who knows?.. it’s a mystery, but the result was devastating as Soy Ratana belted it into roof of the net. Bugger!

Rattanak is dominating the midfield and his fierce shot is tipped over by the keeper. The attacking midfielder’s burst of pace, almost Gascoigne-like, takes him past two before delivering a fine cross but Taboula’s shot is again well saved. This kind of play is repeated often. Tuy Oudom gets away down the right but the cross is blocked, deflects clear. Taboula can’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo this season. Rottanak despite his brilliant approach play misses a sitter from inside the penalty area, rolling the ball wide when it was easier to score. To their credit our opponents looked useful on the break and had one or two opportunities themselves, but they really did not deserve to win this game. Three points slip through our fingers against opponents we really should be putting away easily. In the last few games our team have shown all the killer instinct of a sheep. Baaa!!

Final Score: EDC 0-1 Prek Patra

                                                Ratana 16

Match 11- Khmera Keila v EDC

We meet the biggest upstarts in the C-League, Khmera Keila, but things have not quite gone to plan this season for this ambitious team. They lie in 7^th but play a strange narrow diamond formation in midfield. This includes a familiar name, Suon Veasna who seems to be playing in some kind of deep lying playmaker role. My response will be to play with two wingers but revert back to a 4-2-3-1 which served us fairly well this season.  I’ve made a few changes, Pidor makes his first start on the left flank, while Chea Sambath slots into a central midfield three which alongside Rattanak aims to provide service to Noron up front.

Team: 4-2-3-1 Rafat, Ivonaldo, Teat Chandara, Daravon, Gbayoro, Vannak, Sambath, Rattanak, Pidor, Oudom, Noron

Match Action

We kick off and have decent posession in midfield but nothing much more. Then out of nowhere they get..yes you’ve guessed it a free-kick. This is taken quickly and catches Daravon unawares as their striker cleverly moves goal side and slots it past Kong Rafat at his near post. A really bad goal to concede after just nine minutes. Our response though is fantastic. Samnang is like a dog with a bone in midfield and he runs at the Khmera defence. His smart cross finds Noron whose shot deflects wide. Then a sumptuous through ball from the same player sends him clean through on goal but his finish is well saved ..again..

Then the equaliser. Noron’s short free-kick finds Pom Vannak who plays it back to Teat Chandara on the halfway line. His brilliant flighted ball into the box is met with a crisp volley from Pidor for his first EDC goal. Brilliant!

Soon after though Bunheing sprints down the right on the breakaway and squares it for Ravy whose shot could only be palmed over the line by Kong Rafat, who really should have done better with both the goals. 2-1 down at half time in an evenly matched contest.

In the second half I reverted to a 4-4-2 in search of an equaliser. Taboula partnered Noron up front. The impressive Pidor switched to the right. The problem with this was by leaving only two in midfield, which gave Suon Veasna too much space and he was starting to pull some strings in midfield. I went to 4-3-3 and very attacking. This almost reaped rewards. A breakaway was on, Rattanak released Taboula down the left. His low cross found Pidor in acres of space, onside and only the keeper to beat…… and he miscontrolled the ball and the keeper dived on it gratefully. It’s not our day….again… We deserved better…again.. Baaaaa!!

Final Score: Khmera Keila 2-1 EDC

Dara 10                                                      Pidor 30

Rany 36

The C-League Table After 10 Games

We lie in 6^th place, but a yawning 14 points off the top and just five off the relegation zone. It is clearly a season of transition for us and so midtable mediocrity looks a distinct possibility..

1^st Nagaworld 28

2^nd Phnom Penh Crown 26

3^rd Boeug Ket 21

4^th Angkor Tiger 16

5^th Khmera 15

6^th EDC 14

7^th Prek Pra 13

8^th Chmma Khmao 12

9^th National Police 11

10^th Wat Phnom 11

11^th Chhlam Samuth 9

12^th Mondul Kiri 9

After a season which promised something, a lack of killer instinct in front of goal has seen EDC reduced to mid-table makeweights in the C-League this term. However, with only ten league matches played there is still time for our friends electric to turn things around and make a late run for glory.. and they are still in the cup! Find out what happens next on The Ultimate World Football Manager Game! 

Read my first anniversary message here!