The starting team for the PPCFC Academy youngsters against HFCA

Academy on form

The Phnom Penh Crown Academy team played a friendly against a bigger, stronger and older team this afternoon and dished out a footballing lesson with a demonstration of passing that carved open their opponents defence with ease. Crown ran out 10-3 winners but it could've been much more of a landslide. The opposition came in the form of the Happy Football Cambodia Australia team, who are a year or two older than the Academy boys, including their star player, the speedy Chan Sophandara, who is fifteen and it was he who scored a hat-trick to keep them in the game early on.

The game was a friendly encounter and an opportunity for all of the Crown Academy youngsters, 23 in total, and all 13 years of age or under, to put into practice what they have been learning on the training ground since they began their Academy life a couple of months ago. They have definitely taken on board what their coaches, Bouy Dary and Kao Kiry, have been instilling into them and looked comfortable on the ball from the first whistle. The match was played in three sections of twenty minutes each, with all of the boys getting good game time. The team spirit amongst the Academy boys was clearly evident and if this is an example of what can be achieved after just two months together, we can look forward to even more progress over the coming months and years. The prospects are very exciting.

For the record, the Crown boys led 2-1, 5-3 and then 10-3 at the end of each period. Ratha Phearom netted a quick-fire hat-trick in the 2nd period, Orn Chanpolin scored twice and there was a goal apiece for Soun Neout, Yue Muslim, Ken Chansopheak, Theam Chhaya and Sath Rozak.