Friendly banter

This Saturday the Cambodian national football team will play a friendly against Ulsan University, a team from South Korea who are on a short tour of the region. The game will be played at the Olympic Stadium though I still haven't had confirmation of the kick-off time, even though the game is just a few days away. The Cambodian line-up will be most of the U23 side together with a few overage players, and they began the first of a series of training sessions together earlier this morning. This is a one-off game though most of the players have been in action recently as part of their club sides' qualification for the latter stages of the Hun Sen Cup. The important fixtures for the national team will be later this year, in October, when they will take part in important World Cup and Suzuki Cup qualifying matches.
If you've never heard of Ulsan, the Korean city, in the southeast of the country, was built around the corporate base of the multinational Hyundai conglomerate. It hosts the K-League football club Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (Ulsan Hyundai Tigers) and Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, who play in the National League, and who lost 2-1 to Thailand in a friendly last week. It is South Korea's 7th largest city and the country's industrial heartland. The K-League's season begins at the end of February and most clubs are enjoying pre-season training in warmer climes.
Update: Kick-off time is 3pm on Saturday and the match will be televised live by TVK. On Thursday, the same touring team will play against Preah Khan Reach at Olympic Stadium, with a 3pm start.

The future

Today's Phnom Penh Post article

The last of my reports from the adventures of the Cambodian U23 team that competed in the SEA Games is published in the Phnom Penh Post today. It's a round-up piece with national coach Scott O'Donell giving his views on what happened and what needs to happen in the future. Scott will submit a detailed report to the country's football federation of the team's showing at the SEA Games and what he would like to see take place in the future, taking into account the best practice from other nations. Preparation is a key element to any tournament and getting that right is a minefield in itself. One national team for example, Indonesia, sent their squad to Uruguay for months on end to hone their skills but still failed to reach the semi-finals of the SEA Games football competition. They also have a budget set aside for the national team of over $3 million. There is no guarantee for winning whatever the preparations are, you just have a better chance of success if your preparations are right. Some countries like Singapore have their best young stars playing together in league competition and yet Singapore, who gave us a footballing lesson in Phnom Penh a few months ago, failed to reach the SEA Games final too. As I said it's a minefield and Cambodia have had to negotiate a lot of those already just to get where they are today. There is no panacea to becoming a success overnight. It takes time, careful planning and a concerted effort from all sides and that vision of the future is what the Cambodian football federation must address sooner rather than later.
You can read the article online here.

On the radio

Anyone listen to Radio Australia? I was on the breakfast programme, Radio Australia Today, this morning, giving my thoughts on the SEA Games to the presenter Phil Kafcaloudes, just before 7.30am. It was just a quick five minutes talking about how the Laos public have embraced the games with gusto, how everyone loves the underdogs like East Timor and how enjoyable it was to attend the games and to see how seriously some countries take them, ie. Vietnam. The presenter loved the fact that Vietnam sent over 300 journalists to cover the event, whilst Cambodia sent just two, both from the Phnom Penh Post. Radio Australia focuses on Asia and the Pacific region and regularly has news items from Cambodia and neighbouring countries.
Much nearer home, at the Olympic Stadium here in Phnom Penh, the WOVD Volleyball World Cup is back in town, after creating such a stir when Cambodia grabbed bronze at the 2007 event. Six teams - Cambodia, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Malaysia and India - will compete for the cup this time around and matches will begin tomorrow and last through 'til 20 December, though at the moment, I can't find the schedule of games and times. Get along if you can, the standard of play in 2007 was top drawer and I expect no less this time too.
The match report from Friday's Vietnam game is in today's Phnom Penh Post and can be read online here. It's also below.

My article in today's Phnom Penh Post

A last look

Last minute instructions from Scott O'Donell to Lorn Sotheara, who started his first game

Lay Raksmey is getting the benefit of Scott's experience

This is a final look at the Cambodian football team during their SEA Games adventures which have just come to an end. They beat East Timor but lost their group games to Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam and failed to qualify, and it pretty much panned out according to the formbook, though apart from the Vietnam game on Friday, the Cambodians gave a good account of themselves throughout. This is their warm-up and moments before they played their last game against Vietnam, where coach Scott O'Donell made some changes to the regular line-up. Scott flew back to Phnom Penh yesterday, on the same flight as myself, and is off to Australia today for a family holiday after spending every day with the players since the beginning of October. It's time for some R&R with his family over Christmas. The players will also have some well-earned time to relax before they report back to training duties with their club teams, ready for the Hun Sen Cup which will begin sometime in January.

Assistant coach Bouy Dary takes the team through their warm-up

Clap hands and stretch, in the pre-match warm up

Lorn Sotheara, Khim Borey and Sok Rithy

Samreth Seiha gets in some shot-stopping practice before the game

San Narith deep in concentration

A last minute team huddle before they enter the pitch

Sun Sovannarith (18), left, waiting to lead out his team

Cambodia getting ready to enter the fray

Khim Borey, Sok Rithy and Tieng Tiny

Khim Borey and Sok Rithy, 'getting their heads right'

Kuoch Sokumpheak and Prak Mony Udom just before kick off

A real thrashing

There's no escaping the final score, Cambodia 1 Vietnam 6

Apologies for the delay in providing the run-down on Cambodia's final football match in the SEA Games, which was played on Friday afternoon. In many respects the game and the result - a 6-1 defeat - against Vietnam summed up the team's tournament. Moments of real quality, smart passing and never-say-die commitment but those moments were fleeting by comparison to the skills, quick-feet and deadly finishing displayed by the Vietnam team. Cambodia were never in the hunt against Vietnam, unlike the games against Thailand and Malaysia where they always had a chance. The Viets started strongly and never really let up apart from a couple of brief spells where Cambodia had them on the back foot. Scott O'Donell gave a run-out to Sou Yaty in goal, Lay Raksmey at right-back as well as Lorn Sotheara in the middle of the park and Prak Mony Udom on the right flank. Vietnam needed at least a point to be sure of their place in the semi-finals but they went looking for all three points from the off, though it was Khim Borey who had the first shot, when he fired over the bar from 20 yards. After that it was pretty much one-way traffic as Cambodia back-pedalled and Vietnam pressed. Their captain Pham Thanh Luong cut inside Sun Sovannarith and fired in the first goal on 11 minutes while Sou Yaty got down well to keep out another effort from the same player a few minutes later.
Cambodia rallied on 22 minutes when a great half-volley from Keo Sokngorn looked set for the far corner before the giant Vietnam keeper Bui Tan Truong got his fingertips to it and pushed it wide. Sovannarith put a free kick down the keeper's throat two minutes later and moments after that, Prak Mony Udom raced clear of the Viet defence but dragged his shot wide of the target and that brief flame of Cambodia passion quickly ran its course. Vietnam's stranglehold on the game returned but they didn't cash in until 3 minutes before the break. A corner was headed in unchallenged by Phan Thanh Hung. Halftime 2-nil. Sou Yaty was in the thick of the action early in the 2nd half, distinquishing himself with a double save on 54 mins. Cambodia lost Lorn Sotheara after a clash of heads and whilst he was off getting treatment, Vietnam netted a 3rd. Stretched at the back, Luong scored his 2nd goal on 63 minutes. Two minutes later slack marking allowed Hoang Dinh Tung a free header with his first touch after coming on as a sub.
Khim Borey latched onto a Chhun Sothearath pass, turned neatly and fired it past Truong in the Viet goal for a small consolation on 68 minutes, as Cambodia offered up some resistance. A minute later, Sokngorn's cross to the far post was a whisker away from sub Oum Kumpheak and with a bit more luck, Cambodia would've added another. However, Vietnam weren't finished and on 83 mins Tung added his 2nd after Yaty had saved well from Ngoc Anh. In the last minute the Viets scored their sixth when Tran Manh Dung slotted in with ease with the Cambodian defence at sixes and sevens. It was a thrashing in reality and showed Cambodia the standard they need to achieve to begin to match the best teams in the region. Vietnam now play Singapore in the semis, with Laos meeting Malaysia in the other. The Cambodian players left the ground quickly, heads bowed low as their tournament ended in a 3rd defeat. They team left the Games Village at 7am yesterday for the two-day bus ride back to Phnom Penh, and should arrive sometime this evening.
Cambodia U23 line-up: Yaty, Raksmey, Sovannarith (capt), Tiny, Rithy, Narith (56m Sothearath), Sotheara (63m Kumpheak), PM Udom, Sokngorn (84m Laboravy), Borey, Sokumpheak.

Sun Sovannarith leads out the Cambodian team against Vietnam

The players enter the field at Chao Anouvong stadium in Vientiane

Cambodia are at 'home' and stand to attention for the national anthem

Getting themselves ready for the start. LtoR: Tiny, Rithy, Borey, PM Udom

LtoR: PM Udom, Sokumpheak, Narith, Sokngorn

LtoR: Raksmey, Sotheara, Yaty, Sovannarith (capt)

The Cambodian bench before the gameThe Cambodia starting XI. PM Udom breaks ranks and folds his arms.

The lonely walk back to the dressing room after their 6-1 defeat to Vietnam

Success and failure

The Cambodia line-up for today's game against Vietnam: LtoR [back] Udom, Narith, Yaty, Tiny, Rithy, Borey. [front] Sotheara, Sokumpheak, Sokngorn, Raksmey, Sovannarith

Cambodia found Vietnam in no mood to dish out the niceties in their final Group A SEA Games match this afternoon at Chao Anouvong. If anyone thought that Vietnam would take it easy on their neighbours then they were mistaken, as they pummeled the Cambodian team into submission, leading 2-0 at halftime and then piling on the agony in the second half, to win 6-1. Cambodia gave their opponents too much room to play in and didn't get in nearly enough tackles, as Vietnam adopted their fast-paced style of football and proved too hot to handle for the Cambodian youngsters. Khim Borey pulled back a consolation goal for Cambodia after Vietnam had netted four without reply but it was too little too late and another couple of goals in the last 7 minutes gave the scoreline that lopsided look. Three defeats and that win over East Timor showed that Cambodia still have some way to go to match the better teams in SEAsia, but they always knew their Group was going to be very difficult, and that's exactly how it turned out. Thailand, who've won the last eight gold medals in SEA Games at mens football won't win this time around after losing late on to Malaysia, 2-1, when they only needed a draw to go through. More from the Cambodia match later.
Earlier in the day I went to the national university complex to give some support to the Cambodian petanque (boules) team and was pleased to see that the men and women's singles competitors were on top of their game. I couldn't stay for the afternoon finals but they won their semi-finals against Laos opponents with room to spare and with some style. Sok Chanmean is already a SEA Games gold medalist from 2007 and showed his class in his semi-final. At the same time, national ladies singles champion Ouk Sreymom disposed of her semi-final opponent with some ease to qualify for the final. The support given to the players by their own Cambodian contingent was noisy, with the petanque squad comprising 12 men and 12 women and all were on the sidelines cheering their colleagues onto victory. I've just heard that Sok Chanmean took the mens singles gold medal but Ouk Sreymom had to settle for the silver in her final, as she did in 2007.

The Cambodian team's pre-match huddle in front of the massed ranks of Vietnam fans

Cambodia's Petanque singles medalists: Sok Chanmean (left) and Ouk Sreymom

Press talk

Yesterday's Phnom Penh Post carried three of my stories.
Cambodian U23s waste chances but win easily here
Victory crucial for Cambodia here
Brief: Stats from SEA Games here.

Congratulations to Cheat Khemara, who collected Cambodia's first medal of the 25th SEA Games with a bronze in the individual Poomsae section of Taekwondo, held at the National University complex. Laos won the silver, Indonesia the gold medal. I don't begin to know what Taekwondo is all about though google tells me that Poomsae are a set sequence of movements that consists of the various fundamental stances, blocks, punches and kicks logically arranged in a meaningful order in response to attacks from multiple imaginary assailants. Whatever it looks like, Cambodia have their first medal on the board. Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Sen is in Vientiane today to attend the formal opening ceremony of the Games, his first ever appearance at the SEA Games.

More from last night

4 Lao students who are acting as volunteers and looking after the Cambodian football team

A few more pictures from last night at the Chao Anouvong Stadium. Before the Cambodia v Malaysia match, Thailand turned on the style against East Timor, winning 9-0 but could've scored twenty. They were missing their 3 best players but that didn't make any difference. Sompong Soleb, who scored three against Cambodia, did it again against Timor, with two players getting a brace as the goals rained in. It was plucky Timor's last game and they were unlucky not to score a couple of times, but it really was men against boys. In the Cambodia game there wasn't much to choose between the teams though Malaysia got their noses in front, held on when Cambodia pressed them at the start of the 2nd half, and increased their lead as Cambodia looked for goals. Another learning experience for the youngsters. 1-0 or 4-0, the final score doesn't really matter, it's the outcome that's important and even if they beat Vietnam in the final game on Friday, qualification isn't possible. Today is the opening ceremony of the SEA Games at the new national stadium, so everyone and their dog will be cramming into the ground for that. I haven't got a ticket and there are too many media for everyone to go, so I'll have to watch it on tv. Two of the players (Seiha and Pancharong) will be attending after a light training session this morning, as all of the squad had a made-to-measure suit for the occasion, courtesy of the country's Olympic committee, but numbers have been restricted.

The rampant Thailand team, who slaughtered East Timor 9-0

The media scrum that surrounds Thai coach Steve Darby's every word

End of the pre-match warm-up and time for liquids, Nov Soseila in center

Final instructions to skipper Tieng Tiny from the coaching staff

High kicks in the pre-match warm up

More warm-up routines before last night's game against Malaysia

Nov Soseila was recalled to the team for last night's match

Chhun Sothearath (16) leads the players in the warm-up

Clap hands and bounce!

Gentle jogging and a few stretching exercises for the Cambodian team before the game begins

No hiding place

Scott O'Donell watches his team line up for a photo

Well I've eaten at last and now that the internet connection is working in my guesthouse room, I'll give you the low-down on tonight's game. Malaysia had two players suspended before the match after their unacceptable behaviour towards the referee in their last game. They should've had a 3rd player suspended too, for allegedly striking the ref, but somehow he got away with it. They came into the game in the same position as Cambodia, needing to win it. Cambodia coach Scott O'Donell dropped Chan Chhaya, bringing Nov Soseila in on the right flank, and moving Khim Borey into attack. Chan Dara replaced the suspended Sun Sovannarith. Cheered on by a small contingent of flag-waving Cambodian competitors from the shuttlecock and petanque teams, Cambodia kicked off and were fortunate that Malaysia's Idlan Talaha was a bit rusty with a couple of early efforts. Khim Borey had Cambodia's best chance of the first half when he got goalside but dragged his shot across the face of the goal. On 35 minutes, a 1-2 on the edge of the box allowed Manaf Mamat time to round Samreth Seiha and slot the ball home to give Malaysia a one-goal halftime advantage.
Cambodia made the early running after the break. Sokumpheak fired over, before he was pushed from behind and the ref from the Maldives pointed to the penalty spot, 8 minutes into the half. Annoyingly, there was indecision about who would take the penalty after Borey's miss in another game, so Sokumpheak stepped up and duly sent the keeper the wrong way. Cue celebrations, which were cut short when the referee ordered it to be retaken for encroachment. This was a crucial decision, as Sokumpheak fired his 2nd spot-kick straight at the keeper. Ten minutes later, a Tieng Tiny free kick on the edge of the D, was finger-tipped over by the Malay keeper and not much was going Cambodia's way. That was confirmed when on 77 minutes, Malaysia got behind the defence and Idlan Talaha finished well. Cambodia went to three at the back to force the issue and on 82 minutes, after Seiha had saved well and the ball had pinged around the box, Kunanlan Subamaniam poked in the 3rd. Four minutes later Seiha conceded a penalty when he brought down Subamaniam and Safiq Rahim netted from the spot kick. In injury time, Prak Mony Udom had a 25-yarder tipped over and Tieng Tiny had a headed goal disallowed but it was too little too late. Malaysia had won and Cambodia's hopes had been well and truly dashed. The players sat on the sideline for at least fifteen minutes whilst the result sunk in and the ground cleared. There was no hiding place for the defeated.
Cambodia U23 line-up: Seiha, Rady, Dara, Tiny (capt), Rithy (79m Chhaya), Narith, Sothearath (61m PM Udom), Soseila, Sokngorn (72m Laboravy), Borey, Sokumpheak.

Waiting for the start. Lto R: Narith, Dara, Sothearath, Seiha and stand-in skipper Tiny

More waiting. LtoR: Borey, Sokngorn, Rady, Narith, Dara, Sothearath

LtoR: Rithy, Sokumpheak, Soseila, Borey, Sokngorn

The players line up waiting to shake hands

The national anthem for Cambodia

Getting ready to take their chance if selected, the Cambodian substitutes

The Cambodia bench before kick off

The players line up ready for their entrance onto the field

Waiting to enter the fray: LtoR: Borey, Sokumpheak, Rithy