Honda reward

The U23 players line up in formation

One of the rewards for the Cambodian Under-23 team and their coaching staff, for winning the inaugural BIDC Cup at the weekend, in addition to the $20,000 prize money, was the gift of 31 matching Honda Dream motorbikes (and helmets), courtesy of the Cambodian Football Federation. After the hullabaloo of the previous night, the U23 players gathered on Sunday afternoon at the scene of their triumph, the Olympic Stadium, to receive their gifts from the FFC president, HE Sao Sokha. I didn't get a call to join the party, so these pictures are courtesy of Tep Phany of the FFC. The U23 squad are now in Vietnam, returning to the Thanh Long facility just outside Saigon, where they will have another ten days of intensive training in final preparation before they depart for Vientiane and the SEA Games in Laos. They have one game scheduled, meeting Can Tho on the 25th, the day before they return to Phnom Penh.

A closer inspection of their brand new Honda Dream for some of the players

HE Sao Sokha (center) getting a closer look at the players' gifts

Press Talk

My match report from the BIDC final in today's Phnom Penh Post. It's now online here.

3rd place decider

The BIDC Cup, won by Cambodia with a thrilling 3-2 victory over HAGL on Sunday

You wouldn't have known it but there was also the third-place BIDC Cup play-off that took place yesterday before the main event. Vissai Ninh Binh met the Laos U23s and the V-League newcomers won 1-0 with a goal from Nigerian-born Dinh Hoang Max on 16 minutes, when he found space in the box to head in a whipped cross from Dang Van Thanh. Laos played the better football with Soukhavong Kaysone shining out on the left wing with his trickery, but they found Dinh Hoang La (aka Kytovka Mykola) in great form and he would've got the best keeper vote if Samreth Seiha hadn't done so well in the final. Laos will be disappointed with their showing at the BIDC ahead of the SEA Games, which they will host in a couple of weeks time. They had an unbeaten record coming into this tournament and ended up losing three out of four matches played. They have some work to do to boost their confidence after this showing.

Vissai Ninh Binh claimed 3rd place and a $5,000 prize

Laos will go back home and lick their wounds, ready for the SEA Games

Vissai Ninh Binh's matchwinner Dinh Hoang Max

Oh my god that bib is atrocious - I look pregnant. I get to shake the massive hands of Vissai Ninh Binh's talented goalkeeper Dinh Hoang La.

Expectations

That magical winning feeling will spur on the Cambodian team. Skipper Sun Sovannarith raises the BIDC Cup in triumph.

You didn't think that was the end of the football-related blog posts did you? I've got a couple more before they subside in their monotonous regularity. It's not everyday you get an international football tournament in your backyard hence my over exuberance in covering the matches. Plus the fact I'm a football nut. Normal service will be resumed soon enough, so don't despair or switch to another blog. The BIDC Cup, sponsored by a Vietnamese bank, was a chance to embrace our near neighbours from Vietnam and Laos, but also an opportunity for the Cambodian Under-23 team to replicate the pressure of four games in a week, that they will experience in Laos in two weeks time, at the SEA Games. Folks take the Southeast Asian Games very seriously around here I've found out. To be realistic, Cambodia haven't got an earthly in winning a medal at the Games. If they qualify from the group stage that would be a miracle, considering they have three teams in the same group that are way above them in the rankings, and in their development. A potential negative from winning the BIDC Cup is that expectations will have been raised amongst the football fans in this country, including the 30,000 that crammed into the Olympic Stadium yesterday. But they have to understand that this is the start of a journey of improvement for the national team, not the finished product by any stretch of the imagination. Football seems to work in cycles and we're at the beginning of this one. Coach Scott O'Donell knows how much work is still to be done to bring our team up to a suitable standard, and he won't let the players get carried away with this success. However, I would argue that you must celebrate your victories in life and yesterday's success was a sweet one for all concerned. The players felt great about it and I know they'd love to get that feeling again, so they'll work their socks off in Laos, but don't expect miracles.

Cambodia celebrating their success with a squad team photo

The team and VIPs listen to the Cambodian national anthem

Samreth Seiha receives his award as the competition's best goalkeeper, as well as $1,000 prizemoney

Lining up to received their winners medals. LtoR: Lay Raksmey,Keo Sokngorn, Khim Borey, Samreth Seiha, Chan Chhaya and Nov Soseila.

A moment of contemplation before Sun Sovannarith and the coaching staff receive their medals

HE Sao Sokha explains that each member of the Cambodian squad will receive a moto as a gift from the football federation

In more depth

Jubilant scenes as Cambodia's skipper Sun Sovannarith collects the BIDC Cup

Cambodia's U23 youngsters showed real grit and determination to pull off a great BIDC Cup victory against a very strong Vietnamese outfit in HAGL a few hours ago. This win on home soil will give the youngsters the right sort of confidence boost ahead of the SEA Games in a couple of weeks where they will face two of the best teams in Asian football in the group stages. At Olympic Stadium last night, coach Scott O'Donell sprang no surprises and named his strongest line-up for the tournament decider and it paid dividends on 12 minutes when Chan Chhaya raced onto a Kuoch Sokumpheak through ball and finished with aplomb inside the near post. Sokumpheak had a couple of half chances before the crowd were on their feet again on 37 minutes as Chhaya rose unchallenged in the box and headed in Khim Borey's inch-perfect corner. The massive crowd went beserk. In time added on at the end of the 1st half, HAGL's Brazilian striker Toledo made no friends when he failed to give the ball back after an injury stoppage, beat two defenders and blasted the ball against the crossbar. It was cleared to safety though the Brazilian claimed it had crossed the goal-line. In my view he should've been booked for unsporting behaviour.
Leading 2-nil at the break, Cambodia had to weather an onslaught from HAGL and were unable to stop a thunderbolt of a shot from HAGL's Le Van Truong that arrowed its way past Samreth Seiha from 25 yards, 9 minutes after the break. Four minutes later HAGL were level. Pheak Rady was caught in possession and Tran Minh Thien finished with a fierce shot inside the near post. The game was in the balance and both sides had half chances, with Pheak Rady redeeming himself with a last-ditch tackle on Vo Ut Cuong as he shaped to shoot, whilst Prak Mony Udom made space for a shot at the other end, but fired over. O'Donell threw on three pairs of fresh legs and three minutes from time, one of the subs, Lay Raksmey sent over a sublime cross that found Kuoch Sokumpheak in space ten yards out and his downward header bounced into the corner of the net. 3-2 to Cambodia. Queue wild celebrations around the stadium. Cambodia saw out 5 minutes of added time, with Seiha's safe handling a real feature of the game and confirmed his pick as the best goalkeeper in the competition, with a $1,000 reward for the stopper. The players celebrated the final whistle by throwing their shirts into the crowd and deservedly enjoyed their moment of glory.
In the award ceremonies that followed, skipper Sun Sovannarith held aloft the BIDC Cup as the players received $20,000 as a cash prize from the sponsors and another $5,000 from the FFC, in addition to a new moto for each of the playing squad and coaching staff. With Samreth Seiha collecting the $1,000 as best goalkeeper, the same prize money went to the Laos skipper Kitsada as the tournament's most valuable player (I voted for his teammate Soukhavong Kaysone) and HAGL's Evaldo Goncaves scooped the top goalscorer award with three goals. More importantly, it sent Cambodia off to the SEA Games in Laos with the ecstatic chants of their fans ringing in their ears and the determination and unity they showed in abundance in their locker.
The Cambodia U23 team: Samreth Seiha, Pheak Rady (Lay Raksmey), Sun Sovannarith, Tieng Tiny, Sok Rithy, San Narith, Khim Borey (Lorn Sotheara), Keo Sokngorn (Prak Mony Udom), Nov Soseila (Oum Kumpheak), Chan Chhaya (Khuon Laboravy), Kuoch Sokumpheak.

Sun Sovannarith leads out the team for the BIDC Cup final

Its hand-shake time again

Sun Sovannarith and the HAGL skipper Duuong Van Pho

Apprehensive youngsters on the Cambodian bench

A view of the game and the watching crowd at Olympic Stadium last night

The main stand at last night's game with part of the 30,000 crowd

Winning - the hard way

All smiles as Cambodia win the 1st-ever BIDC Cup, held aloft by capt Sun Sovannarith (18)

The Cambodia U23 starting line-up tonight; LtoR (back) Tiny, Sovannarith, Seiha, Rithy, Rady, Narith (front) Chhaya, Sokngorn, Soseila, Sokumpheak, Borey

To say Cambodia won the BIDC Cup the hard way is an understatement. In the final at Olympic Stadium tonight, Cambodia led 2-nil with Chan Chhaya netting twice, were then pulled back to 2-2 and looked to be suffering shell-shock, when Kuoch Sokumpheak joined the party and headed the winning goal just 3 minutes from the end of normal time that sent the 30,000 crowd into raptures, though they had to endure 5 minutes extra time before they could celebrate the success. More later, when I get my breath back but in the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

The players return to the bench after celebrating their win by throwing their shirts into the crowd

The Cambodian players wait to receive their winners medals

An impromptu team photo for the winning Cambodian team and coaching staff

Sao Sokha, the president of the football federation of Cambodia, promises each of the 31 members of the Cambodia squad a moto each as an extra prize for winning the BIDC Cup

Bums on seats

The crowd at a distance: Cam v HAGL

Attendances at the BIDC Cup games make for interesting reading and debate. Last night's Cambodia game against Vissai Ninh Binh was put at 12,000 spectators. Now is that paid spectators or just a guesstimate - almost certainly the latter as there are no turnstiles at the Olympic Stadium. Tickets are issued - $2 to sit under cover in the main stand, $1 to get fried by the scorching sun in the open-air concrete seats - but this is Cambodia so I would be very surprised if the attendance figures bore any resemblance to actual bums on seats. I used to be just as skeptical about the attendances at Kidderminster Harriers games as well. I believe the main stand at Olympic seats around 8,000 and up to 50,000 can sit in the open areas but 12,000 is still a generous figure in my book. There were 7,000 at the HAGL v Laos game that was played a few hours earlier.
The attendance for the Cambodia v Laos match on Tuesday was put at a healthy 17,000, so I can only imagine that will be blown out of the water by the figures for tomorrow's final at 6pm. Floodlit football is a rarity in Cambodia - to be honest the floodlights aren't that good - so it has novelty value and the fans should turn out in high numbers for the final, urged on by the Army band who will stir the crowd into a clapping frenzy. There isn't the obvious passion in Cambodia that you find in other countries around Asia just yet, as football is still very much in its embryonic stage, though the signs are encouraging. Fans' expectations will be tough to manage - no-one should expect Cambodia to win the SEA Games for example, but I'm sure many will - but that's the nature of the beast where football is concerned, so we'll have to live with it. The national team have just begun their journey and I hope the public will give them the time, and encouragement to grow together, players and fans alike.

The Army band at much closer range

Press Talk

Match report for Cambodia v Laos

This is my match report from Tuesday's match and Cambodia's win over Laos, that appeared in yesterday's Phnom Penh Post. The match report from last night will appear on Monday, as will the report from Saturday's final. Confused? So am I. It's all about newspaper deadlines. The story is already online here.
I didn't pick a MOTM from last night's Cambodia game as to be honest not one player stood out as having a better game than anyone else. It was that sort of match for the home team. They never really got hold of the ball for more than a few minutes as Vissai NB kept it for long periods and when they did attack, over-eagerness and poor control gave possession away far too easily. It looked like the introduction of Chan Chhaya, Kuoch Sokumpheak and Nov Soseila in the closing minutes might make a difference but it didn't happen. I'm sure Scott will reintroduce all the players that sat on the bench last night for tomorrow's final against HAGL, who will be a different proposition from the team that caved-in on Sunday after leading 2-nil. It all adds up to a spicy encounter. Make sure you tell your friends and they tell their friends to get along to the Olympic Stadium tomorrow. And if you can't make it, watch the game live on the local TV5 channel. Tonight at the Tata restaurant over the Japanese Bridge, is the BIDC Cup's official dinner and I've been invited. At last I seem to made it onto the list of people to be invited to events, usually they forget to invite me. Tomorrow's match will no doubt attract a flood of VIPs, but the FFC have listened to our moans from a couple of months ago and designated a media area in the main stand, so a pat on the back to them for that. They've also upped their game in providing match information and we've been showered with a free bottle of cold water at each game. At this rate we'll have an internet connection in no time. Fat chance. They've even asked the media to select the competition's most valuable player and the best goalkeeper, who'll each get $1,000. It's nice to be asked.
At the post-match press conference last night, Cambodia's coach Scott O'Donell had this to say; "I wasn't happy with our first-half performance, we didn't play well and all credit to Ninh Binh they gave us a footballing lesson in how to keep possession. We played better in the second-half but still didn't have enough of a goal threat. Aside from one training session, this was the first time that team have played together and I cannot fault their effort or commitment. I was glad to be able to give all the players in the squad a run-out. I will sit down with my coaches tomorrow and select the team for Saturday. Everyone will be fit for the final except Chhun Sothearath, who has a knee injury. The supporters were great again and I think they understood what we were trying to do tonight in giving all the players the opportunity to play in front of their home fans. I hope they will turn out in their droves for the final on Saturday."

HAGL go through

The HAGL team that eased past Laos U23 and into tomorrow's final

The earlier match yesterday afternoon saw HAGL sweep aside a tired looking Laos U23 team with some ease and in the process go top of the BIDC league table with a better goal difference over Cambodia. The two sides now meet in Saturday's 6pm final. HAGL have now won their last two games with considerable ease and look a much different proposition than when Cambodia beat them 3-2 in the first game. Saturday's clash is sure to be an interesting one. I think HAGL underestimated the Cambodian's ability to fight back after they took a 2-nil lead last Sunday, and I don't expect them to fall into that trap again. In Evaldo Goncaves, they have one of the tournament's best players and its top scorer and he scored again against Laos. Skipper Doan Van Sakada opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime from a free-kick, Goncaves netted five minutes into the 2nd period and Ho Van Thuan got the third. Laos were never really in the hunt.
HAGL are definitely aiming high in the next V-League season and want to win the title. It all starts again at the end of January. The squad they have brought to Cambodia for the BIDC is missing a few of its stars, including their coach. They have 2 players each in the Vietnam and Thailand national teams, 4 players in the Vietnam U23s, 1 player training in the USA, and two of their stars didn't register for this tournament but have been out kicking balls on the pitch throughout the warm-ups. They are spending a lot of money to ensure they get success next season. Vissai Ninh Binh, who beat Cambodia 1-0 last night, are also not afraid to get the chequebook out for new players, and have 4 players not here as they are with the Vietnam national team preparing for an Asian Cup qualifying game. For a newly-promoted team to have 4 players in the national squad says something about their ambitions too. Vissai will play-off against Laos for the 3rd place match (and $5,000) at 3.30pm on Saturday. The Final, with a $20,000 reward for the winners, will be at 6pm between Cambodia and HAGL. Tell your friends.

The Laos team looked tired and uninspiring against HAGL

The HAGL capt Doan Van Sakada scored the opening goal, and won himself $200

HAGL's third goal was scored by baby-faced assassin Ho Van Thuan

Laos' best player by a country mile has been left winger Soukhavong Kaysone

To complete the set, this is Nguyen Thanh Son who scored the Vissai goal against Cambodia and won $200

Down but not out

The Cambodia U23s line up for tonight's match

Now for the bad news. The Cambodian U23s lost 1-0 to Vissai Ninh Binh in their final BIDC Cup group match tonight but of course are already through to the final on Saturday, where they will meet HAGL, who sent the Laos U23s packing with a 3-0 win earlier today. As expected coach Scott O'Donell took the opportunity to give his squad members who hadn't played in the previous games, a run out but they didn't step up to the mark as he would've hoped and they were definitely second-best against the V-League new boys. The only goal of the game came on 16 minutes when Nguyen Thanh Son ran through a big hole in the Cambodia back-line and fired a shot inside Sou Yaty's near post. To be honest VNB never really looked in trouble as the Cambodian team lacked real punch up front though VNB didn't really bust a gut either, doing just enough to claim the win. What they did do was keep possession of the ball and that was most frustrating as it didn't allow the Cambodian youngsters to get up a head of steam at any time. Aside from a couple of half-chances by Oum Kumpheak and Prak Mony Udom in the opening minutes, there was little else to get excited by and the game will give O'Donell a good indication of the strength in depth that he has to call on. It will be back to the full-strength team for the final on Saturday with no injury worries from the line-ups that beat HAGL first-time around and Laos.
O'Donell was realistic at the final whistle. "I wasn't happy with our first-half performance, we didn't play well and all credit to Ninh Binh they gave us a footballing lesson in how to keep possession. We played better in the second-half but still didn't have enough of a goal threat. This was the first time that team have played together and I cannot fault their effort or commitment. The supporters were great again and I think they understood what we were trying to do tonight in giving all the players the opportunity to play in front of their home fans. I hope they will turn out in their droves for the final on Saturday." I am sure they will, egged on by the impromptu band in the main stand and the Army orchestra and singers who provide the pre-match and halftime entertainment. The Cambodian line-up for the 6pm final against HAGL on Saturday will look very different from today's starting XI: Sou Yaty, Lay Raksmey,Chan Dara, Touch Pancharong, Tieng Tiny (capt) (Sok Rithy), Phuong Narong (Ieng Piseth), Lorn Sotheara (San Narith), Keo Kosal (Nov Soseila) Khuon Laboravy, Prak Mony Udom (Kouch Sokumpheak), Oum Kumpheak (Chan Chhaya).

The Cambodian team take a bow before their warm-up

The toss up by referee Sipaseuth from Laos with Tieng Tiny (blue) and VNB capt Luu Ngoc Hung

The Cambodian team waiting in line for the hand-shakes

The Cambodian bench before the match

Scott O'Donell, Cambodia's coach and his Ninh Binh counterpart at the after-match press conference

Final group games

There's more football at the Olympic Stadium today as the final group games of the BIDC Cup are played and Cambodia will find out who they will meet in Saturday's Final. It's important as the winning team gets to share $20,000, which is pretty big prize money. The game at 3.30pm today will be a very interesting encounter between HAGL and the Laos U23 team. It will likely be a close game as both teams have shown enough to suggest they have sufficient quality in their ranks to cause the other team trouble. I think the Brazilian strikeforce for HAGL will give the Laos youngsters a few headaches, probably having to listen to Toledo moaning, whining and falling over all the time. In the 6pm kick-off, Cambodia's U23s will face Vissai Ninh Binh, who looked completely out of sorts in their last match against HAGL. I expect them to play better today, on pain of death. As Cambodia are already through to the final, expect a raft of changes from coach Scott O'Donell, who intends to give his squad members the opportunity to shine, especially after he expressed his acute disappointment in the 2nd half showing of his team against Laos. Plus a few players were showing signs of knocks and strains after the game on Tuesday, so they could do with some R&R.

One way traffic

HAGL (Hoang Anh Gia Lai) line-up in the hot and humid afternoon sun

You'd be mistaken if you thought Cambodia versus Laos was the only BIDC Cup match played yesterday. In fact it was the second match at 6pm under floodlights - which aren't great by the way, especially with my eyesight. The first game kicked off at 3.30pm in incredibly hot and humid conditions and it was so one-sided that I don't recall the HAGL keeper touching the ball until late in the 2nd half. So as you might assume from that comment, HAGL coasted to a 3-0 win over Vissai Ninh Binh, with the latter offering almost nothing in an attacking capacity, relying at times, on the massive frame of goalkeeper Ding Hoang La (aka Ukraine born, Lytovka Mykola) to keep the scoreline down, which he did, singlehandedly. Matches like this are not much fun to watch, but I do think the conditions played a part as well as VNB's ineptitude, who lost Ha Hoang Dam 2 minutes before halftime, sent off for squaring up to an opponent. HAGL's twin Brazilian strikeforce gave VNB the runaround with Evaldo Goncaves netting twice and Toledo moaning about everything as usual. Phung Van Nhien also scored for HAGL, who led 2-0 at halftime. If VNB play like this against Cambodia on Thursday, I might ask Scott O'Donell for a game. It also made me think that Cambodia caught the V-Leaguers off balance in their first encounter last Sunday and my money is on the two sides meeting again in the final on Saturday.

Vissai Ninh Binh turned up but hardly offered any resistance

HAGL's Evaldo Goncaves with his $200 bonus for scoring the first goal

HAGL's Phung Van Nhien doesn't look too pleased that he scored

A lovely sunny day but boy was it hot and humid at the Olympic Stadium, which was devoid of spectators when I took this photo. Thousands turned up for the Cambodia v Laos match later.