67. One big step forward and Two Steps Back.
A run of high-scoring games has derailed our bid to win our inaugural C-League Title. Since the departure of Daravon and then his replacement Warobay, who fecked off back to Indonesia as soon as he could, plus the capable Um Makara deciding his future lay elsewhere, it has made us exposed at the back. We are left with Anderson Gbayoro who is good, but not the best and a loan signing Chan Yaty from Nagaworld who is decent, but still learning his trade. When one or both of these two are suspended or injured we are reliant on the incompetent Panha, or the the novice, Ly Vattanak. Going forward we have an embarrassment of riches, Taboula, Nhem, Pheara, Noron, Dara etc, but our defence, particularly the two centre back positions have let us down this season. Our ability though to score goals did enable us to to go on a slightly fortuitous eleven match unbeaten run, but this came to a juddering halt at the hands of those old foes, The National Police. So now is probably not a great time for the Champions, Angkor Tiger to roll into town!
Match 20 – EDC v Angkor Tiger 10th August 2025
The big one! Tiger have opened up an eight point lead, but a win here would of course reduce it to five with 7 games to go and hope they slip up elsewhere. It’s imperative we win. A draw or defeat is no use. The way we have played recently, we will be winning 5-4. I go to 4-2-3-1 for this one, with Ratana returning from international duty and captain, Chea Samnang suspended after his untimely sending off in the last game. Tola Mao makes his full debut in DMC and Chitra is given another chance on the left flank. It’s gonna be a good game!
Team: Som, Ratana, Yaty, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Tola Mao, Chea Sam, Pheara,
Nhem, Taboula, Chitra
Match Action
We start brightly. Nhem forces an early corner, Sam Chea has a free kick saved. Encouraging, Then Taboula and Nhem link up on the break which forces another save. We look up for this. We keep the ball well in midfield. Tola Mao to Pheara to Taboula to Nhem back to Taboula, into the penalty area he goes, he shoots, the keeper gets a hand on it, but the ball trickles into the corner of the net. 1-0! We nearly go 2 up when from a corner, Nhem’s header is blocked on the line. We keep coming, Bairaing this time up from left back fires a shot just wide. Som kicks the ball out onto the head of Taboula, who nods it wide to Nhem who plays an instant return ball to the Nigerian.. What vision from the youngster, he runs into the penalty area. Tabooullllaaa!!! High into the top corner, the keeper had no chance. 2-0 after just 13 minutes! Former EDC loanee, Chlom Pisa now plies his trade with the defending champions and his trademark run and cross resulted in Som making a smart stop on the line. Taboula is denied a hat-trick when Chitra’s clever through ball found Pheara, who crossed low for Taboula to divert home, but his big toe was offside..
It didn’t matter though. We look imperious today. Ratana retrieves a clearance and plays it infield to the impressive Tola Mao. He finds Pheara who plays a brilliant through ball to the onrushing Nhem who slots it into the far corner. 3-0. Stunning! Tiger muster a few attacks but fail to score. The best half of football of the season comes to an end. 3-0 at the break. Tiger cannot be that bad in the second half. They attack and rain shots and headers on our goal, but Som is equal to them or they go wide. Bista is looking an increasing threat and we cannot get the ball. I demand more and we click into gear once more. Sam Chea finally puts his foot on the ball for EDC and he spreads it wide to Samnanag Nhem who steps inside his marker and chips the ball spectacularly over the keeper’s head into the far corner, for what must be one of the goals of the season. Can’t wait to see that one again on Cambodian Match of the Day! The game ticks on. Then Tiger pull one back, Bista’s shot is charged down, but the ball falls to Prak Panha who fires in a low shot past Som. 4-1... Danger danger.. No worries.... Taboula, who is giving a masterclass in leading the line has the ball and he lays it off to Nhem, Taboula, Nhem, Brolin, Dahlin, Brolin.. Pheara! Makes it 5-1. He slips the ball easily past the keeper with a fine finish. Unbelievable football from EDC! Like in 2001 during that famous game against Germany in Munich, EDC fans look at the scoreboard and it reads 5-1 to them! Our best performance of the season by a country mile. The title race is not over yet!
Final Score: EDC 5-1 Angkor Tiger
Taboula 6,14
Panha 63
Nhem 37,54
Pheara 71
Yes.. 5-1 and five points behind.. Game on!
Match 21 – EDC v
Phnom Penh Crown
We need to build upon the amazing 5-1 win over Angkor Tiger
with another win against The Crown. They can play, with Debeiro leading the
line and other good pros behind. I keep the same team, except for Gbayoro, who
is suspended, so in comes young Ly Vatanak.
Team: Som, Ratana,
Vatanak, Yaty, Bairaing, Tola Mao, Sam Chea, Pheara, Nhem, Taboula, Chitra
Match Action
Crown start well and some early Brazilian magic from Debeiro
nearly breaks the deadlock, but the striker can only find the arms of Som. A
fierce shot from Panha then forces the best out of our goalkeeper again. They
are on top, we have shown nothing. Then the inevitable happened. Samoeun got
down the right. Where was my left back? He finds Perun, whose first time pass
finds Debeiro, who looked suspiciously offside. He slots the ball home, the
flag never comes. 1-0 Phnom Penh Crown..
Then, disaster... Crown have a corner. The ball is swung in right under the
crossbar. Som cannot reach it and can only palm the ball over the line. 2-0 We
just have not turned up here at all. 2-0 at the break.
I fire up my team at half time and bring on Mony Udom to balance up the left and Men Samnang as a more attacking option in midfield and tell them to go for it. Nhem’s delicious through ball set up Taboula, but his shot was turned round the post.. We are on top. Bairaing strides forward who finds Nhem. His clever flick finds Taboula free in the area. He doesn’t miss, coolly slotting the ball home to halve the deficit. We press for an equaliser. Substitute Noron has a fierce shot parried behind for a corner. A bullet header from the same player goes just over the bar. Meanwhile Debeiro and co look dangerous on the break and thwack the underside of the bar in an attempt to put the game beyond doubt. The Crown hang on. I am disappointed, it was after the Lord Mayor’s show today and once again we lose ground and slip to third, our victors taking our place behind the Tiger who have a game in hand. Once again we fail to make it count when it mattered.
The World FM Game Moves
South
I’ve decided that
instead of heading West I am now going to move South, meaning that my playable
leagues have changed.
Out:
Nepal
Pakistan
India
Bangladesh
In:
The Phillipines
Papua New Guinea
Australia
East Timor
Match 22 – Port
Autonome v EDC 23/08/25
The season is slowly coming to an all too predictable end.
Angkor Tiger at the top, another team in second and little old EDC in third.
There are six more games to play this season, eighteen points to play for and
we must win them all to even be in with a
shout of winning the title. I bemoan my defensive instabilities this
season, which has ultimately cost us I think for this season. Anyway on we go,
on an away trip to newly promote Port Autonome, who themselves occupy the top
relegation spot on 17 points. Yaty is suspended, so Panha is given another
opportunity alongside Gbayoro. The old firm of Taboula, Noron and Nhem are
reunited up front with Men Samnang preferred to Pheara in the number 10 role.
Team: Som, Ratana,
Panha, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Sam Chea, Chea Samnang, Men Samnang, Taboula, Noron,
Nhem
We look the most threatening in the opening exchanges, with
Nhem causing problems down the right. Men Samnang has a fierce shot tipped over
the bar. At the other end Autonome have also created a bit, such is the way
this season, but have failed to properly test Som. Then we score. Chea Samnang intercepts
the ball in midfield, before releasing Taboula down the left. He sprints past
the defender, creating a 2 on 1 situation. He does the right thing by sliding
the ball across to Nhem who makes no mistake. Then it’s all Autonome as they
fire ball after ball into the box, like an old fashioned English 3rd
Division side. It pays off. From a goal kick, Chainuth uses his strength to
turn past Bairaing and then chips the perfect ball for the onrushing Srey Odom
who fires the ball past Som. Their direct style is causing us problems. The
goalscorer, Odom has another chance when he latches onto a flick on but Som is
equal to it. 1-1 at half time. I tell the boys they are not playing well. We go
out for the second half, but it’s the same old nonsense. Then they go and
score. From our free kick they clear and hoof it downfield, Wimbledon style. It
pays off as Srey Odom runs through with our defenders not in the same postcode.
Som didn’t stand a chance as the striker fired it into the corner for 2-1. I
demand more, this is pathetic. I bring on Chitra and Pheara on and go 4-2-4.
The we equalise. A hopeful ball into the box from Sam Chea was flicked past the
keeper by Nhem and Taboula latched onto the loose ball to fire into an empty
net. 2-2. Autonome look dangerous on the break, with the lively Odom leading
the charge. He is one on one again with Som, after making our defenders look like pair of oil tankers chasing a Ferrari. The sports car fires wide.
A let off for EDC. A free kick from Sam
Chea is overhit. Taboula retrieves before firing in a cross which is met by the
head of Chey Chitra who guides the ball into the bottom corner. 3-2! As is the
way with this team though. We can’t keep a lead for toffee. That man, Srey Odom
had the final word when he diverts home a Sun Visal cross deep into stoppage
time. Sums up our season and is why we will not win the C-League this season.
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