Talking Points from Round 8 of C League 2016

Round Eight Talking Points

Prodigal CV11 and BKA escape to victory

In a match that, to the cynical, may have had ‘too good to be too true’ written all-over it Boeung Ket Angkor, 1-0 down with five minutes to play, escaped to a 3-1 victory at the Olympic Stadium. CV11 scored an eight minute hat-trick (85’, 89’, 93’), his second of the season, the first a stunning left-footed first-time volley [at 4:57 here].  Vathanaka now shares top-spot on the scoring chart with Army’s North Korean sensation Choe Myong-ho - 12 goals from the opening 8 rounds of league fixtures. CV11 and strike-partner Khoun Laboravy have, between them, scored 28% of all goals by Cambodian players in the league this season!

Tiger maul Western

In the round’s opening fixture Cambodian Tiger put six past hapless Western Phnom Penh. Masato Yoshihara opened the scoring with a cracking strike from the edge of the area, the Olympic Stadium seems to encourage Golazos, whilst compatriot Tomoki Muramatsu scored a hat-trick. Western have now conceded 30 goals in eight games; they may have their own stadium but they have little else.

Phnom Penh Crown make Chelsea’s title defence look competent

Asia Euro Utd travelled to the RSN, the home of the champions, on Sunday evening with no win from their opening 7 league games and 17 goals conceded. They emerged with a 2-0 win that left Crown in 6^th ten points behind the dual league leaders. Similarities with the poor title defence of the English champions who also parted ways with an Iberian coach mid-season. Current Coach Sam Schweingruber’s assessment on the Crown Facebook page was accurate – the lack of clear chances and strikers capable of finishing is a major hindrance. With no Booysen and no Bisan there are no goals and little excitement. Despite playing a single game South African Booysen has scored 1/3^rd of the team's league strikes this season. Whilst the academy produces decent players the recruitment, particularly of the critical foreign players, looks sub-optimal.

Army under-represented in National Team

Another break in the league next week-end as the Angkor Warriors (FIFA ranking 183) take on East Timor (ranking 175) at Olympic Stadium on Sunday ahead of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers (2nd June away; 7th at home) versus Chinese Tapei. Twenty-five players called up from six C League clubs:

Club	National team players
Svay Rieng	7
Boeung Ket Angkor	6
Phnom Penh Crown	5
Nagaworld	2
Army	2
Police	2

Army, given their barnstorming league form, seem under-represented and Pom Tola, Khek Khemrin, Phoung Soksana and Chhin Chhouen are unlucky not to be represented.

State of the League

	Round 8	Season
Goals per Game	3.6	3.83
Foreigner Goals	56%	57.5%