51. Going Toe to Toe with The Tiger

 

                     Picture credit Charles J Sharp wikipedia creative commons

EDC have made a fantastic start to the 2024 C-League Season and are so far unbeaten in the league, suffering only one defeat all season in the Hun Sen Cup to minnows Mondul Kiri. However our friends electric have bigger fish to fry this season, including helping three fishermen haul one out of the Mekong River which made national headlines. Can EDC manage to land the big catch of a C-League Title this season, or will this be caught by the other form team in Cambodia, Angkor Tiger who they find themselves neck and neck with EDC at the top of the league table after 8 games? Firstly though we have to navigate the choppy waters of the 'mid season' transfer window..

Transfer Window

Players In

EDC re-sign Joly


I am delighted to welcome back our promising left back, Ayoub Joly to the Electricity Stadium. You may remember he surprisingly left us for the brighter lights of Phnom Penh Crown, but after not making a single appearance for the Champions, he holed up at Prek Pra where he once again did the square root of nothing. That’s until we offered him a return to his ‘hometown’ club where he will provide cover for Ratana at left back.

Graca Joins EDC


EDC’s first thousand pound player flew into Phnom Penh airport from The Cape Verde Islands. He can play on the right wing and  attacking midfield, and is in the mould of Suon Veasna. An exciting signing for the club.

Players Out

Sos Suhana Leaves EDC

My experienced winger, Sos Suhana has joined fellow C-League outfit, Wat Phnom. He did a solid job for us over two seasons, making 38 appearances and scoring two goals. Unfortunately he has been a victim of my decision to play in a 4-3-3 this year and so with my blessing he was allowed to leave the club. I wish him well.

Morgan Laurent joins Phnom Penh Crown

Morgan Laurent has not featured much for us, so I allowed him to leave the club thinking he would probably carve out a decent career in the Second Division. Seems like The Crown have seen something I haven’t and snapped him up..

Khek Khemarin joins Mekong Kampuchea University

My club captain has gone back into higher education and joins the obdurate students at Mekong Kampuchea University. At 32 he is probably more of a mature student though. He wanted to leave the club after losing his place to Gbayoro in the heart of the defence. Khemarin did a solid job for us making 53 appearances, often as an understudy.

Kouch Rithy joins Nagaworld

My third choice keeper, Kouch Rithy has jumped ship to rivals Nagaworld on a free. He made a few appearances  couple of years ago and for a while was understudy to Kong Rafat. I never quite trusted him though because he had a handling stat of only 1 and despite intensive training on this area of his game it never improved. Maybe Nagaworld see something in him that I don’t.

I'm hoping I don't live to rue the day that two experienced heads like Suhana and Khemarin have left the club...

Match 11- Build Bright United v EDC

Back on the road again, this time to re-promoted Build Bright. While we are top on goal difference they are languishing in 11th place after a poor start to the season. If we are to challenge for the title this season we should be putting these teams away, so this is a good test as to how serious we are about maintaining our great start to the season. Ratana and Gbayoro are suspended so in comes Um Makara. New signing Joly to make his second debut at left back (Let’s hope it goes better than his first). Aderito Graca is out with a slight niggle but should hopefully make his debut soon.

Team: 4-3-3 Som, Pisa, Daravon, Makara, Joly, Kakada, Samnang, Pidor, Taboula, Noron, Nhem


Match Action

Build Bright start, well, brightly and have an effort over the bar from a free-kick. Right back Pisa hobbles off with a knock to his knee and is replaced by In Sambath. From the resulting throw-in Nhem finds Pidor and then to Um Makara. Um Makara what the hell is he doing there on the right wing? MAKARA GET BACK!! What’s he doing there? He flights in a lovely ball for Pelap Taboula to guide the ball home at the far post! Aww great ball Makara fantastic son.. Now get back where you belong!!

We dominate in the way we normally do this season. Noron has an effort well saved low down and Nhem almost finishes off a lovely move but his shot is parried away for a corner. Joly, who is enjoying a solid second debut does his full back job to perfection by block tackling their winger when he tried to skip past him. He then flights a ball forward which is missed by the defender and helped on by Mat Noron to Samnang Nhem who is one-on-one with the keeper. Never in doubt 2-0 a lovely finish from the youngster, his fifth goal of the season. Two up at the break...

In the 60th minute I make three changes, Abdi for Noron, Pheara for Pidor and Pom Vannak for the tired Kakada. Straight away they combine and Abdi is brought down in the box. Taboula takes the penalty, but his tame effort is saved by the keeper. Oh dear! Then from the restart, Build Bright pull one back. Ouk Udom releases Sokpheng who fires it low past Som...Then for the rest of the game.. Nothing, the game just ticked, no action whatsoever. Final whistle goes. I’ll take this a 2-1 win which takes us three points clear at the top of the league for the time being. Well done boys!

Final Score: Build Bright United 1-2 EDC

Sokpheng 62                     Taboula 9

                                             Nhem 42




Top of The C-League Table After 8/9 Games

EDC 25

Angkor Tiger 22

Boeung Ket 20

Nagaworld 16

National Defence 15

Match 12 EDC v Chmao Khmao

We are eighteen games unbeaten and still have not been defeated in the league this season. I expect this to continue against lowly Chamao Khmao. Gbayoro and Ratana are back and the rest are unchanged as we seek to keep pace with Angkor Tiger at the top of the table. They do have Touch Dara in their ranks, signed from Nagaworld, but other than that this should be a comfortable afternoon.

Team: Som, Pisa, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Kakada, Samnang, Pidor, Taboula, Noron, Nhem


Match Action

The visitors give as good as they get and have a couple chances we need to up our game. Som pulls off a fine double save and from the resulting corner some poor marking from us allows Kem Chamroeurn to nod home unopposed. Sort it out lads! I demand more and they respond. Normal service is resumed when from a poor goal kick Noron heads to Taboula who runs through on goal. He unselfishly squares it for Nhem who taps into an empty net from the angle. Pheww! We begin to assert our dominance but fail to create a chance of note. Then ex-EDC man Raymond squirms his way into the box and smacks the upright with a fierce shot. Khmao are determined to make a game of this. At the other end, a random free kick from Pidor finds the forehead of Samnang Nhem who buries it low into the corner of the net for a slightly undeserved 2-1 lead at the break.

We start the second half a bit sloppy. Kakada loses the ball and Prum Sambath runs through with the ball forcing a fine save from Som. This is a rocky road. Chmao Khmao win another corner and the same player, Kem Chamroeurn nuts in an equaliser. FFS! I throw on Abdi and new boy Graca to make a difference. Gbayoro wins an important challenge and the ball ends up with Abdi, who lays off to Taboula. The Nigerian offloads to Graca who slips it to Kakada. The midfielder slips a lovely through ball for the onrushing Abdi who gives the keeper the eyes and slides it effortlessly into the corner of the net. Brilliant goal!!

We look good on the break. Graca shows a few nice touches. Taboula hits the upright from one such breakaway. Chamao don’t give up and still attack. We defend well, but not without a few scares. Much relief as the final whistle goes and we scrape a hard fought 3-2 win. This though is the stuff of which Champions are made...

Nagaworld Do Us a Favour!

Normally I would not celebrate a Nagaworld win, but on this occasion the casino have done the electricity company a favour by beating the beer company, Angkor Tiger, our nearest challengers 3-0. So far this season we have been going toe to toe with the Tiger and have both been unbeaten with identical records, until now. After 10 games we are now three points clear and the only unbeaten team in the C-League after nine straight wins.


Top of The Table after 9/10 Games

EDC 28

Angkor Tiger 25

Boeung Ket 23

Nagawold 20

Phnom Penh Crown 20

International Call Ups

There’s a lull in proceedings for the International break. Two of my charges have been called up to the Cambodian National Team, Ouk Ratana and loan signing Chhom Pisa. They will take on Japan at home and then face a tricky trip to North Korea in the Asian World Cup Qualifying Group. Meanwhile, Pheara, Nhem and Soun Bath are called up to the U19s as they take on their counterparts from China and Lebanon in two friendlies. 

It’s fair to say we are flying and after ten games find ourselves three points clear and still unbeaten in the league. But let’s not get too carried away, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Whatsmore we have been a little bit lucky to win in our last two games against lower opposition, Chmao Khmao and Build Bright United. We now take on one of the bigger boys, Boeung Ket, of which we have only beaten three times during my reign, most notable 2-0 in the Hun Sen Cup Quarter Final. They are lying in third and have the Nigerian, Omakafe firing in the goals for them once again. They will be a threat and we will have to be at our best to beat them. I make once change, with Pom Vannak coming in for Chea Samnang in midfield.

Team: Som, Pisa, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana Vannak, Kakada, Pidor, Taboula, Noron, Nhem


Match Action

It’s end to end as both teams assert their dominance on the game, but without creating anything of significance. Pidor is looking to run at the Boeung Ket defence. Then on twelve minutes Chhun Chouen intercepts the ball and proceeds to run half the length of the field and squeeze the ball home past Som at his near post. Nobody could keep up with this guy! 1-0. It’s almost two when a cleverly worked free kick let in Sotheaven who forced a good save from Som. We come back into it. Daravon flashes a header wide from a Pidor free kick and Nhem has a shot beaten away after a swift breakaway. The hosts then have couple of chances to make it two. We are skating on thin ice here. One nil at the break. I substitute the ineffectual Noron for Graca and will play a 4-2-4, retaining the holding midfielders, Vannak and Kakada, but having Pidor wide left and the Cape Verean wide right. Come on lads we can do this! Second half. They kick off we cannot get hold of the ball. Former EDC man Ouch Oudom plays a teasing ball into the box. Our defence hopes Som can get there, but Rasheed Omakafe is alert and nips in to poke the ball beyond him into the net to double their lead. We respond well but cannot land a blow. Substitute Abdi has a header brilliantly saved from a Pidor free kick. Two late disallowed goals from Graca and Abdi further added to our frustrations. The FM gods were firmly against us tonight and our amazing 14 match unbeaten run has finally come to an end, but it’s not a complete disaster.

Final Score – Boeung Ket 2-0 EDC

Chhoeun 13

Omakafe 48


Match 14: Angkor Tiger v EDC 29/06/24

It’s showdown time. At the halfway point in the season we finally face our challengers for the league title, Angkor Tiger. The beer company have been going toe to toe with us all season and we can only be separated at the top by goal difference, of which they just shade by one goal. They are a good side and have a very good Nepalese striker, Biseth who could cause us problems, alongside Matnornin their left winger... you know what enough of that! We have some great players too, Taboula, Graca, who makes his first start, Pidor, Samnang, Daravon...  Yeah we can beat this lot, even though Kakada is suspended. Come on EDC! We’ve got this! Let’s beat the Tiger!

Team: 4-2-3-1 Som, Pisa, Daravon, Gbayoro, Ratana, Makara, Samnang, Pheara, Pidor, Graca, Taboula


Match Action

We start well and a flowing move through midfield results in Pidor shooting just wide. The from a clearance Bista is one on one with Som (bit of a Klose bug going on) but he stands firm and parries it wide for a corner. Sok Samnang has the ball in our net, but was disallowed for offside. Meanwhile another good move from us results in Graca having a fierce shot well saved. The Nepalese striker, Bista is as strong as an ox and he barges Gbayoro out the way, who is no shrinking violet himself. He beats Som but not the upright and Samnang clears. That’s the closest either side have come to breaking the deadlock in this tightly contested game. It’s end to end stuff. Pidor and Taboula combine well, but Graca’s shot is blocked. At the other end, Samnang forces another fine save from Som after a lucky deflection. They have been the better team, but 0-0 at half time. It’s evenly matched as the two teams at the top of the C-League go toe to toe.

Into the second half, we have a spell of possession but create little. Our defence have struggled with Bista’s aerial presence all day. A long ball is flicked on by the Nepalese striker to the onrushing Phanhasith who seemingly appears out of nowhere to sprint into the box and slide the ball past Som... We respond by taking off Graca and Pheara  for Noron and Nhem. I go to the 4-3-3 which has served us well this season and take a more direct approach. This almost works as Taboula shoots just wide. A feature of Tiger’s play has been the onslaught of long goal kicks which have caused problems in our defence. One such hoofball results in Mantornornin sending Samnang into the channel. He works half a yard before sliding in a low cross for Bista to tap home from 2 yards.. Killer..

We respond well. Taboula gets down the left channel before providing a cross which was headed just over by Samnang. Then an incisive one touch breakaway involving Taboula, Noron and Pidor results in Nhem having his fierce shot brilliantly saved. It’s just not our day..  Pidor then has a shot well saved. The same player then whips in a free-kick and Maol Daravon stoops to head home a late consolation. We deserve a goal. We have played well, but Tiger have just been too strong for us on the day. There’s no shame in this defeat and on another day it could have been a different story. We have gone toe to toe with the tiger but ultimately lost...

Final Score Angkor Tiger 2-1 EDC

Phanhasith 48                          Daravon 90

Bista 70


Can EDC recover from losing their unbeaten run to Boeung Ket and then a damaging defeat to title rivals Angkor Tiger? Find out next time on the Ultimate World Football Manager Game! Read the next part Here1



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