Phnom Penh Crown 2 - National Defence 0. 15-7-2015
Again to the RSN stadium and the wastelands
of north-west Phnom Penh. Roads more 2005 than 2015. As many cows as Lexus.
A good crowd under the lights, including a
sprinkling of away fans, for the visit of Army. National Defence Ministry FC.
An anachronism in the developing world of the Metfone C League.
No Facebook site. No web-site and, until
this year, no foreign players.
Two started on Wednesday night including
the stocky (even chubby) Taku Yanagidate from Japan. The key conduit for most
of Army’s attacking play. A regular dribbler and reluctant passer.
Crown started brightly. George Bisan
hitting the crossbar but subsequently displaying a clumsy touch – every pass
bouncing off his shins in uncontrollable directions.
Both sides attacked down the flanks and
both switched their wingers. South African Shane Booysen for Crown and Army’s
Cambodian international Chinn Chhoeun as often down the right as the left. It was from the former than Chinn hit a stinging shot which Crown’s goal-keeper, Ary Yok, parried. A tendency to punch rather than catch could be Ary’s downfall
in tighter matches.
Two Oriental darter circle the stadium.
Globally near-threatened and a rare conservation success story
for Cambodia.
By half-time 2-0 to the home team. Two
quick goals – Bisan’s 4th of the season from a corner and, on the stroke of
half-time, Booysen. In between times a rapid Crown break and an effort from
Bisan hacked off the line with the goal-keeper beaten. No goals in the second
half, RSN does job lots of goalless halves. 3 points for Crown.
The league increasingly looks like a two
horse race between Phnom Penh Crown and Boeung Ket Angkor. The only points that
either have dropped this season are against each other.
Western Phnom Penh – also with a new
stadium close to Toul Kok – are also performing well – a win this round against
Naga World and they are two points behind the joint league leaders.
We do have a facebook site and did at the the time of this game last season. I was one of the sprinkle of away fans who out sang the home fans for most of the match. Good review thou especially about that mud road leading up to the stadium.
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