Round two of the Cambodian League Cup
Last weekend saw round 2 of the Cambodian League Cup and while it did not offer any shocks, there were goals and at least some controversy.
To read about the Cambodian League Cup click here.
Round 2 of the Cambodian League Cup – Featured Match Next Step FC vs Angkor Tiger
OK, so we realise this is week two of us covering Next Step, but it was the game with the most goals and perhaps the most controversy.
Three games and three 6-0 crushing’s are not the form dreams were made of, but Next Step FC actually started the game really strong and were the better team in the first 15 minutes, with the pairing of Bruno and Joseph up front really seeming to make the difference.
In the end though it was Angkor Tiger who struck first and within 30 minutes were 2-0 up. It was then that things got saucy! After being denied what looked like a sure fire penalty Next Step coach Charlie Pomroy threw down his notepad and said a few choice words, only to have the 4th official call the referee over. Strangely the referee walked over with a red card in his hand before even talking about the incident. Amazingly this has been cut from the footage, make of that what you will.
After that things just got worse, with Next Step going down to 10 men and entering half-time 2-0 down. The match finished 6-0 to Tiger, who again controversially had fielded largely a youth team, something that upset the Tiger Army. Tiger coach Alistair Heath has since said he will address the fans, as well as play a stronger team in later rounds, but his decision seems justified by the score and the performance. Eighteen year old David was phenomenal upfront and managed a fine brace.
Round 2 of the Cambodian League Cup – Best of the Rest
Best of the rest? All games pretty much went to plan with all top-tier clubs beating their lower-tier opposition, with the most interesting fights being by Koh Kong and ISI, who both narrowly lost by one goal.
Svay Rieng showed their class and indeed how seriously they are taking the competition by winning 5-1 away at EDC FC, with Marcus Haber grabbing a brace. Visakha also managed a 5-1 away win against arguably their feeder club Prey Veng FC.
To read our interview with Marcus Haber click here.
So far as the tables look there are unlikely to be any shocks going into the quarter-finals, but let’s we what the final week brings.
And we only have to wait until late June for the Cambodian Premier League.
Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
