Kingdom of Wonder vs the Thunder Dragons.

Cambodia 2 Bhutan 0
Olympic Stadium 21-8-2015

Bhutan’s alternative to GDP is Gross National Happiness, the country has more than 70% forest cover, and over 100 tigers. They even believe in Yeti's. Cambodia have Hun Sen.

However under the lights of the Olympic Stadium Gross National Happiness was no match for the Angkor Warriors. 

Although Bhutan often looked, comfortably, the most technically competent of the teams - FIFA ranking 164 vs 180 -   Cambodia dominated and created chance after chance. However poor decision-making, nerves, and at time comical finishing all let the Khmer down in the penalty area. Whilst, based on chances, the final score could have been 4 or 5 nil Bhutan were fast and you felt a counter-attacking goal was never far away. That one did not come was a credit to Cambodia and also the voluble and large crowd; less than in the World Cup Qualifiers earlier but a far thing from the echoing emptiness of youth football or even the Metfone C League.

Cambodia played with a 5-3-2 with wing-backs Chiin Chouen (National Defence) and Rous Samoeun (Boueng Ket) providing much of the attacking impetus. The 3 centre-backs were less involved and when Bhutan broke forward looked a little shaky. 

The goals came - one in each half - courtesy of Rous Samoeun and number 14, who showed touches of pace and flair particularly in the second half, Keo Sokpheng (PP Crown). Chances continued coming for Cambodia in the second half - a recurring sight heads-in-hands on the field and in the stands. 

Next up for the Khmer a daunting trip to Saitama to face Japan  - keeping the score to single figures could be a result.

A League of Goals: how many goals in the C League

An analysis of C League goal-scoring

Football is a game of goals but the rarity of goals - the transformative event in a match - is one of the beauties of football. In no other major sport is scoring some rare.

In the worlds top leagues rates of goal-scoring are remarkably consistent - the mean number of goals per match is about 2.5 with around 50% of games having 2 or fewer strikes. The table below shows this information from the top five European leagues last season.

	Goals  Per Match	>2.5 goals	>3.5 goals
EPL	2.57	48%	26%
Italy	2.69	51%	29%
Spain	2.66	48%	27%
France	2.49	45%	24%
Germany	2.75	51%	32%

In ASEAN leagues, as the quality of football declines, the number of goals increases. The table below shows the data from this year from four ASEAN leagues including here in Cambodia.

	Goal Per Match	>2.5 goals	>3.5 goals
Thailand	2.57	46%	24%
Vietnam	2.95	56%	34%
Malaysia	3.1	55%	39%
Cambodia	4	70%	50%

Outside Thailand, which shows patterns very similar to the top European leagues, ASEAN is a region of goals and Cambodia a Kingdom of Goals. More than half the matches in this years Metfone C League have had 4 or more goals - twice the total from the goal-shy Ligue 1. 

The number of goals per team in the C League, with the league mean of 4 indicated and teams organised based on league position,  also shows an interesting pattern:

The teams at the top and bottom of the league have goal-filed games - presumably filling their boots (or getting thrashed) when they meet each other - as epitomised by Boeung Ket's 12-2 victory over bottom side Kirivong. Teams in the middle of the table have less goals in their games with National Police fans seeing just 2.6 goals per game.

The most common score-line this season so far has been a fairly conventional 2-1 (13% of matches) but it is the large number of abnormal score-lines 3-3 or above that causes the C League goal-skew. Eleven games - 14% of matches so far this season -  have had 7 or more goals compared to just 6 (1.6%) in the 2014/2015 English Premier League. In addition to the 12-2 mentioned above we have had a 9-5, a 6-4, 5-3 and more whilst only 4 matches (5%) have finished goal-less.

As, and when, the quality of the C League improves and the gap between teams at the top and teams at the bottom narrows it is likely that the number of goals per game will decrease. For the moment, however, if goals are your thing and matches more resembling basketball games than Catenaccio excite the Cambodian league has something for you,

Goalless at the Western Stadium: Cambodia Tiger 0 - PP Crown 0

Cambodian Tiger 0 - Phnom Penh Crown 0

Western Stadium, 15-8-2015

As many goals at the Western Stadium as there are tigers in Cambodia as Cambodian Tiger forced Phnom Penh Crown to drop their 5th and 6th points of the season. Saturday three o'clock is a sacred time for British football fans and, as if in homage to the home of football, a kick-off at a similar time.

Again a sizeable crowd filling the single stand at Western Stadium. Crown fans to the right, Tiger to the left conducted by their Japanese style tiger-girls.  Crown dominated early on with Dani Kouch marauding down the left touch-line and the champions looking to get into space on the flanks; Shane Booysen and Sary Matnorotin switching between left and right touchlines.

However tiger were resilient and in Japanese Yasuyuki Yoshida they may have the best goal-keeper in the league. In the second half, as tiring legs allowed more space to be exploited by both teams, Yoshida made a couple of excellent saves whilst, in contrast to his opposite number, always looking in command of his penalty area. Crown keeper Yok Ary must be giving the substantial Crown coaching staff some jitters. A Grobbelaar-esque tendency to rush off his line - at least three times relying on sweeper-keeper headers.

Both teams had chances to seal the 3 points Privat Mbarga - a robust and short-tempered number 9 from Cameroon - a wonderful run down the left and a vicious shot just over the bar. Kihara Maskau, Tigers second Japanese starter, small but steely and creating space for this team mates. Tiger look like a team finding their feet and should make the end-of-season play-offs.  

CV11 and the Rubber Men: Western PP 5- Boeungket Angkor 9

1st August at the Western Stadium

Two-three step-overs and a nutmeg. The crowd roar and you tear down the left flank. No matter the possession comes to nothing. Half an hour later you have the match-ball; four goals in one game - all but one a tap-in from great work by your team-mates down the flanks. An incredible 23 goals from 10 games. Welcome to the life of Cambodia's best footballer: CV11 - Chan Vathanaka.

A slight figure, a little tall and gangly. Scruffy (stylish?) hair. He would not look out of place working for Cintri. But a football talent - fast, dynamic, skilful. Getting in the right place at the right time and leading his team to a win by a snooker score. Nine frames to Five.

They may, like many of the teams in the Metfone C League, be funded by a nefarious business but, on the pitch, the Rubber Men are a joy to watch. They average 4.5 goals scored per game and sit atop the league.

The second new shiny stadium for the C League. Western Stadium - a single stand to one side of the artificial pitch. Goals hemmed in by giant nets to prevent wayward shots disappearing into the building sites of a growing capital.

Despite being the home team there was little support for Western; the packed stand full of white and red Boeungket replica shirts. Screaming with delight when CV11 and the equally impressive Khuon Laboravy are on the ball. The best two Cambodians in the Cambodian league. Supported by, probably, the best African in the Cambodian league. Esoh Omogba  sporting a Ballotelli-esque mohican and far to strong and direct for the Western defenders - one goal and two assists for the Nigerian.

Western Phnom Penh have their moments. An attacking trio of the Ghanian Tijani Mohammad, Nigerian Matthew Osas and the C League's Charlie Adam look and play-a-like the Aussie Joshua Maiguire. Maguire sits deep, finding space and imploring - hands to his sides - for the ball. When obtained he tries to initiate attacks and find the roaming Africans.

As the black clouds gather heralding an impending Phnom Penh mega storm four goals and a missed penalty  - the second Boeungket goalkeeper Sou Yaty has saved this season - mark a frantic final 10 minutes. The crowd give up counting the score.