51. Going Toe to Toe with The Tiger
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
Verdean 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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