Cambodia's soccer team lacks strategy that structures timing, energy, and offensive moves into a platform
- From: Chim <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 02:52:44 -0800 (PST)
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/Sport/Heavy-losers-Cambodia-still-crowd-favourites-over-Singapore.html
Heavy losers Cambodia still crowd favourites over Singapore
Written by Paul Freelend
Monday, 08 December 2008
Pummelled 5-0 by the defending champions in Friday's AFF Suzuki Cup
opener, Cambodia still drew most cheers in Jakarta than import-reliant
Singapore
JAKARTA
IT doesn't say much for a team's prospects when its best defender is a
wide midfielder.
Two-time defending champion Singapore made a stuttering start to the
2008 AFF Suzuki Cup at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, taking
most of the first half to find their feet before seeing off Cambodia
5-0.
While Singapore had the lion's share of shots, possession and scoring
chances, coach Radojko Avramovic credited Cambodia for attempting to
play.
"[Cambodia] didn't just concentrate on defence," he said. "They tried
to compete. We didn't create enough chances to get an early goal, but
we knew if we kept trying to create chances, the goal would come."
Singapore's offensive pressure kept Cambodia hemmed in their own end
for much of the first half.
The Royals kept no fewer than three of their four defenders back to
deal with Emuejeraye Precious and Aleksandar Duric, often utilising
all four defenders and pinching in the wide midfielder on the weak
side for defensive support.
That approach left Cambodia with few options up front. Long balls to
forward pairing Khim Borey and Kouch Sokumpheak were easily cleared
without runners providing support, and the two set-piece opportunities
Cambodia had in the first half stood little chance with only three
attacking players going up against Singapore's back line.
Singapore breakthrough
The seemingly inevitable breakthrough came in the 44th minute after
the Cambodia penalty area devolved into an arcade shooting gallery.
An 18-yard shot by Shi Jiayi following a short corner was cleared off
the line by Chan Rithy, with goalkeeper Samreth Seiha pulling off a
picture-perfect kick save on Baihakki Bin Khaizan at the far post and
a follow-up effort bouncing back off the crossbar.
The ball was cleared behind, giving Singapore another corner kick, and
after the initial shot was cleared off the line, Agu Casmir stuffed
home the rebound to give the Lions the lead.
Singapore's breakthrough was met largely with derision from the sparse
but vocally pro-Cambodia crowd. The Lions were jeered throughout the
match, with their naturalised players receiving particular attention
from the spectators.
Defence by numbers
Cambodia spent the match defending with numbers, if not with skill.
First touches by defenders frequently went astray, turning simple
clearances into hurried attempts and, on more than one occasion,
turnovers deep in their defensive end.
A 59th-minute penalty kick from captain Mustafic Fahrudin put the
result beyond doubt.
Cambodia made a game effort at generating more offence from that
point, but it was too little, far too late.
Indra Sahdan, brought on for Aleksandar Duric in the 55th minute,
capped Singapore's best move of the night in the 70th. Fahrudin set
off on a long run down the left and centred the ball to Casmir, who
touched the ball on to Sahdan. The substitute took one touch before
firing a low, hard shot past Seiha.
Casmir made it 4-0 two minutes later, stabbing home a deflected pass
dribbling across the goalmouth.
Noh Alam Shah wrapped up the scoring just as regular time expired,
running onto a first-time ball from Jiayi and beating Seiha one-on-
one.
THE JAKARTA GLOBE
.
- Prev by Date: Nguon Meng Tech of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce: Cambodia's stock market will not materialise as scheduled because the country knows nothing about a stock market
- Next by Date: Rockers Placebo play anti-slavery gig at Cambodia's Angkor Wat
- Previous by thread: Nguon Meng Tech of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce: Cambodia's stock market will not materialise as scheduled because the country knows nothing about a stock market
- Next by thread: Rockers Placebo play anti-slavery gig at Cambodia's Angkor Wat
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