Phnom Penh Crown (in green) returned from an away game against Angkor Tigers with heavy hearts after a 1-1 draw meant they lost the top spot in the lague. CPL
Phnom Penh Crown team’s long-standing effort to maintain their grip on the top spot in the Cambodian Premier League (CPL) came to an end in Week 21, as they lost the number 1 position to Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC.
The change in fortune came at the hands of Siem Reap-based Angkor Tigers, who held Crown to a 1-1 draw, even as Svay Rieng earned three points from a 3-1 victory over Life FC from Preah Sihanouk province.
Svay Rieng head coach Pep Munoz expressed his delight at the result, which his club ahead of Crown by just one point – 49 to 48.
The remarkable comeback, from being six points down to taking the lead, has excited the Kingdom’s football fans.
“This was a great match, especially during the first 15 minutes, where we really played well. We should have scored one or two more goals, but unfortunately, we conceded a goal due to an error of ours, where we failed to clear the ball properly,” Munoz told the media.
“We saw that Life FC is a very strong team and they put pressure on us throughout the match. I want to congratulate them on their performance. If we hadn’t been able to finish our chances, we definitely would have faced difficulties in this game,” he said.
Laotian player Bounphachan Bounkong scored the opening goal for Svay Rieng in the 13th minute of the February 9 match, but Life FC’s Uk Devin quickly equalised in the 16th minute after bypassing two Svay Rieng defenders and firing into the net.
Sunday’s match between Svay Rieng (in white) and Life Sihanoukville ended in a 3-1 win for the reigning CPL champions, who now return to the top of the table. CPL
A mistake by goalkeeper Georgino Dasilva, who fouled Bounkong inside the penalty box in the 36th minute, led to a penalty kick for Svay Rieng. Captain Takashi Odawara took the penalty but saw his shot saved by Life FC’s goalkeeper.
In the second half, Bounkong scored his second goal of the match in the 48th minute, and then striker Nhean Sosidan added another in the 80th minute to help Svay Rieng secure a 3-1 victory over Life FC.
The Crown-Tiger match was a tense draw, with both teams having several chances to score but only managing one goal each.
Crown’s Jelle Joost Goselink scored the opening goal in the 19th minute, but a penalty awarded to Angkor Tiger in the 60th minute – after a foul by goalkeeper Saveng Samnang – allowed Kodai Nagashima from Japan to equalise.
The draw means Phnom Penh Crown has lost its top spot, dropping to 2nd place with 48 points, while Svay Rieng moves into first place with 49 points.
Svay Rieng and Crown are closely followed by Visakha (41 points) and Angkor Tiger (34 points) after 19 matches of the CPL.
In the weekend’s other matches, Nagaworld defeated the Ministry of Interior’s team 2-1 on Sunday to hold the 5th position in the league with 33 points, while Beoung Ket FC secured an impressive 8-1 win over a hapless ISI Dangkor Senchey on Saturday. This result ensures Beoung Ket’s safety in the Top 6, while ISI, with just 24 points, has dropped into the Bottom 5 of the league.
