Army game early start

The home game against RTA (Royal Thai Army) has been switched to 1630 this Saturday. I have no idea why the kick off is so early. Due to prior engagements I will be unable to attend such an early start and will attend Chula United V Rajpracha Nonthaburi instead.

Muangthong United 4 Osotspa Saraburi M150 1 - Report

I'm back-up goalie next week!

With five goals, a red card and a striker playing in goal, what was the most curious thing about this match? The ref. Confused? Read on...

It's been a particularly harsh monsoon season and although today's downpour was relatively mild, the pitch was still slightly waterlogged from last Sunday's biblical thunderstorm that Rajpracha played in. Moreover, Abdoul, Teerasil and Datsakorn were all out injured. Perhaps Saraburi had an upset in mind.

We started with Kawin (GK) , Kaewprom (RB), Jetsada (Capt, CB), Panupong (CB), Piyachart (LB), Pitchipog (MD), Ammorn (MD), Narongchai (MD), Nawapol (MD), Siaka (AM), Christian (FW). Note the formation again.

Saraburi should have taken the lead in the opening minute. Instead, we took the lead on the fifth minute when Siaka converted after a series of rebound shots from a corner. The rest of this half was mostly Muangthong, with Ammorn creating plenty of chances. He should have scored himself but choose to make a cocky back-heeled shot when a "trap and shoot" would have been better. Easy for me to say from the stands, mind you. With Teerasil injured, I was very surprised Rungsiyo didn't get a chance. I'm sure we would've converted more first-half chances if he had played. 

At half time it was 1-0. Saraburi's mascot - a slightly scary guy dressed as some sort of ancient Thai soldier - came over to greet me and news filtered in (thanks to Dale) that Chonburi won 2-1.

Shortly into the second half, Piyaphol Bhuntao replaced Nawapol. Nothing exciting there, as Bhuntao is very much a fringe player who steadies the ship in my book. So I was eating my words (or rather, thoughts) moments later when he scored a very nice shot in front of the Ultras Stand to make it 2-0. The game then settled down as Saraburi lost their impetus a little. Soon after, Piyachart found himself through on goal but only just inside the opposition half. I screamed at him to run with it but this left back started to get a nosebleed at the thought of attacking the goal. Siaka surged up in support and Piyachart weighed the ball through to him. "You silly boy!" I yelled; "Do it yourself Piyachart!". I carried on grumbling for a few more nanoseconds until Siaka received the ball and chipped the goalie to make it 3-0. Smart move Piyachart, I knew you were doing the right thing all along. Christian added another goal shortly after. Four-nil and we're cruising. It's a familiar theme for our home games this season. All we have to do now is ride out the closing minutes. And then....

Saraburi's braided striker breaks through with only Kawin to beat. Directly in my line of sight there is light contact and the striker goes down. The ref does not hesitate. Off goes Kawin and Saraburi get a penalty. "Ah well", I think; "it's no problem. Take off a striker, bring on Phanphiphat to save the penalty and we're sorted". But then it struck me......we'd used all our subs! Bhuntao replaced Nawapol, Pakasit replaced Kaewprom and Ibrahim replaced Siaka.

So we were treated to one of those classic football moments as Christian took the goalie's jersey. The magic would have been completed if he saved the penalty but it was converted to make the score 4-1. Naturally we closed up shop after this and despite a flurry from Saraburi, Chris only had one save to make before the final whistle.

Another comfortable win and the league title is now well within our grasp. Man of the match today for me was Pitchipong. He may lack the glamor of Datsakorn with his wonder-goals but Pitchipong is a fighter who works hard every game and is no slouch in the passing department himself. Today he soldiered his way to a victory with his under-full strength colleagues.

However, the most interesting individual today was the referee. Throughout the game I was, paradoxically, impressed by him even though I disagreed with so many of his decisions. I say 'impressed' because he appeared strong minded, confident and totally unintimidated or biased towards the home side. If anything, he appeared to favour Saraburi a little.

On my way home I got a message in a bottle. The message cannot be reported but I can suggest this article is of interest. After you read it, have a think: if you were working in Thai football and needed some help, what wealthy and influential person could you turn to? And how would you express your gratitude if he helped you?

Christian's Goal: 

 

Result - MTU 4 Saraburi 1

Lots of goals, a couple of howlers a red carded goalie (Kawin), a striker in goal and a curious tale.

All to come in my report tomorrow.

Letter from Buriram

These are a couple of notes I got from a Buriram fan named Mark. Thanks to Mark for agreeing to let me publish them:

we came we saw we got our? haha you don't like buriram pea because next season we will win everthing,and muangthong will be nothing.we are a great club with a great future,and a great man behind us, the future prime minister of this great country,so may be you should forget muangthong and start supporting BURIRAM PEA the chelsea of the thai premiership.just for the record i don't support chelsea or any other english shit.up the BURIRAM PEA


well what a great game the only team to get a win at the leo stadium,i am so proud to be a part of this great club and the fantastic support we have.as you know yourself the best and biggest support at home and away well most of the time our away games are like home games.tell your friends at chon buri the pea are on the way 17 oct another 3 points for the pea.

FA Cup semi-final draw

Navy Rayong Vs Muangthong/Rajpracha

Thai Army Vs Chonburi

Report from Pattaya

Tor Chitinnan's article on yesterday's game. Unfortunately he mistakes goalscorer Coulibly Abdoul for someone called "Adul Kuribali". I don't want to be too harsh on Tor again as I'm sure he's a nice guy and at least he publicises Thai footie but I do wonder how a professional sports journalist cannot report the name of a goalscorer for the nation's biggest football team.

League leaders Muang Thong United came from two goals behind to scrape a 2-2 draw against Pattaya United yesterday in the Thai Premier League. Former national star Niweat Siriwong gave Pattaya the lead in the 16th minute at Nong Prue stadium and Cameroonian Ludovick Takam added a second goal just before half-time.

Muang Thong came out attacking in the second half and were rewarded when Adul Kuribali scored with a superb header to make it 2-1. The defending champions continued to pile on the pressure and made it 2-2 in the 61st minute with a goal from Kone. Muang Thong pushed for the winner but Pattaya defended strongly to ensure a well-earned draw. That result comes hot on the heels of main rivals Chonburi's 1-1 draw with Navy on Saturday.

Next up - Osotspa Saraburi M150

Image credit: wikipedia.org

The fixtures are rolling in thick and fast. As MTU come to terms with the draw at Pattaya, we must now prepare for the arrival of Osotspa Saraburi M150, hereafter referred to as "Saraburi" this Wednesday. I've left it too late to do a fan interview so here's all we know:

Saraburi are a long-established club that have also been in the top flight for a long time. They moved to Saraburi two years ago. They have been low scoring but efficient for most of this season. That record was out of the window last weekend however as they scored six past struggling Sisaket. Muangthong defeated Saraburi at their own ground three-nil. There are no new injuries that I've heard of so Rene should have a full strength side to choose from. A win would put us seven points clear of Chonburi who are now looking over their shoulders as Buriram trounced BG on their own (astro) turf at the weekend.

Result - Pattaya United 2 MTU 2

Thong came from nil-two down to grab a point. More details to follow.

Muangthong United 4 (4) Air Force United 1 (3) - Report

A goal in injury time broke the hearts of Air Force United and proved wrong any who doubted Muangthong's desire or ability to overcome a two-goal deficit from the first leg of this Toyota Cup game.

Air Force were seconds away from a dramatic victory on the away goals rule after they pulled the night's scoreline back to three-one after going three-nil down. Muangthong United - despite fielding a second-string side playing a rigid 4-5-1 formation - had blitzed the visitors with three goals in the opening fifteen minutes. I arrived late so I missed the first two goals. One was scored by Coulibaly Abdoul who also scored the third goal, a rebound in the six yard box.

The game then settled into a similar pattern to the FA Cup tie between these teams as Air Force enjoyed their fair share of possession but looked incapable. However, number twenty missed a golden chance in the second half when he was in a one-on-one with Phanphipat only to miss the goal completely, when hitting the target looked easier.

But perhaps Air Force sensed some complacency sinking into the home side and when the referee turned down what appeared to be a strong penalty claim for the underdogs and then made a poor decision against them, they galvanized. Moments later Air Force scored a superb goal that appeared to strike both the bar and the post, giving Phanphipat no chance.

The away side then decided to challenge Samut Prakan in the "most frequent fake injury" award competition, but Rene responded by bringing on Christian to join Rungsiyo in attack. The former player missed a great chance but seconds later -well into the five minutes of allocated injury time - Abdoul completed his hat trick and ensured that Muangthong march on to the next round of the cup. We are, technically, still in the running for four trophies this season.

Man of the match: He's been here five minutes, he was playing out of position as a defender and he scored a hat trick, including a last gasp rescue effort for his team. But then, I've already told you that Coulibaly Abdoul would go far, eh?

Line up:
1. Phanphipat (GK)

3. Pakasit (RB)
15. Abdoul (playing as CB)
5. Jetsada (CB, capt)
18. Nawapol (LB)

20. Thammanarm (RM)
23. Bantao (MD)
28. Zaizen(MD)
30. Narongchai(MD)
16. Nontadee (LM)

9. Rungsiyo (ST)

Muangthong United 2 Al-Karamah 0 - Report

 Al-Karamah's number five. Don't make him angry!

The signs that this would be a special night came early. The singing from the Ultras' South Stand could be heard from a good distance a full thirty minutes before kick off. Usually the fans don't warm up their vocal cords until ten minutes before match time. My own home, the North Stand, was full of home fans including lots of new faces as well as the now well established 'n-zone' group creating - person for person - as much noise as the Ultras and generating a great atmosphere for this crucial game. Crucial not only for Muangthong, but for Thai football.

The line up was Kawin (GK), Piyachart (LB), Panupong (CB), Nattaporn (capt, CB), Keawprom (RB), Pitchipong (MD), Datsakorn (MD), Siaka (MD), Kone (AM), Terasil (ST), Christian (FW). Jetsada is still injured, so the armband went to Nattaporn.

The most notable thing about Al-Karamah was that their number five either lives atop a beanstalk, used to be WWE champion or is the result of some radioactive experiment. This goliath of a man nearly stepped on his own goalkeeper in the team huddle. It was scary to see.

Muangthong flew out of the traps and the game immediately became a fast-paced and skillful affair between two teams of a very equal standard. Teerasil lead the Muangthong barrage supported by a dynamic midfield with the usual long range efforts by Datsakorn and some chancers from the rest of the midfield.

I was immediately filled with optimism, not only by our bright start but by the Al-Karamah goalie, who seemed to have a very Latin style of palming away even mild efforts on goal. Nothing seemed to stay in his hands. You always have a chance against a goalie like that.

Al-Karamah continued to look capable on the break but there was no doubt which team looked more likely to score. The time wasting began - by my watch - on seven minutes when Al-Karamah's goalie palmed away an effort by Christian and spent seven minutes rolling around as a result. Afterwards, Muangthong won a whole series of corners that came close but couldn't quite breach a well organised and physically huge back line.

It needed something special to break the deadlock and overcome the first leg deficit. So, which player has produced several moments of magic this season when we needed it most? Yep, Datsakorn Thonglao scored another cracker, this time with slightly more curl and slightly less distance but perhaps the most important goal he's ever scored for his club. The celebrations were awesome.

The game continued at the same pace. Al-Karamah did play some nice through balls to their strikers but their very narrow game meant that Panupong and Nattaporn were always ready to intercept them and the defensive duo never shied away from the physical challenges. Around the thirty minute mark, Christian made a brilliant run into the opposition area, beating two men with a mazy dribble that clearly had them panicked. Christian then went down and the ref gave the penalty. It was at the other end of the pitch and I haven't seen any replays yet but it certainly looked justified. Dagno lined up and did the business. We were two-nil up. Happy days.

A little aside before I discuss the second half: throughout the first half, Al-Karamah's substitutes were warming up near the 'n-zone' group who were giving them the usual Thai banter: waved arms, thumbs down and boos. Nothing more malicious than that. At the time the penalty was given, Karamah's number twenty one began to make the finger-rubbing "money" gesture to some fans - kids, no less - in the stand. When Dagno scored the penalty, the same player ran to the 'n-zone' cheerleader and made the same gesture. Well mister twenty one, this doesn't strike me as very professional behaviour. You were at the opposite end of the pitch and were warming up when the penalty was given, so you shouldn't make such an accusation. Secondly, you might want to be a bit more careful. Had you been at Thai Port Stadium instead of the Thunderdome, fans might not have been so restrained in their reaction to your attitude.
To be fair, the same player continued the banter in the second half in a more light-hearted manner, but someone needs to tell him not to do leg stretches on the fence facing the fans in Thailand. No doubt it was innocent but again, fans of other teams might take the foot pointing so reservedly.

The second half was more of the same but with a bit more possession by Al-Karamah. However although they are an able side, Al-Karamah seemed to lack the pace to create too many threats. "Fi-fai-fo-fum" number five came up for a corner - towering over Kawin in the build up - and of course won the header but Kawin was equal to the effort and collected comfortably.

The clock ran down and MTU - to their huge credit - had only one stretcher injury in the entire second half. The final whistle went and the celebration started. The only downside to the jubilation was the immediate rush towards the ref by several Al-Karamah staff. Security guards surrounded the officials but still the coach leaned over them and sarcastically clapped his hands in the ref's face. There was absolutely no need for this. The ref was very balanced in my opinion and the better team won the game. The penalty may be controversial but we also had a strong claim in the second half turned down. I hope the coach will apologise when he's calmed down. Al-Karamah players did not stay to say goodbye to the home fans. Perhaps it's not the culture in Syria. In any case, MTU players did a lap of honour and the joy was on everyone's face.

Two important things need to be mentioned now. First, MTU took it to a new level tonight. I usually compare the standard of Thai football to the English League 1 or 2, but this show was something much better. Indeed, it was by far the best performance the club have ever put on. Second, those who imply Muangthong fans are plastic, lacking in passion, etc. can pour some chilli sauce over their words and munch away. Tonight's passion and dedication to spurring the team on to the next level was fantastic. It was a privilege to be a part of it.

Man of the match is an agonising decision - Teerasil lead the front line brilliantly, Kawin was his usual shot-stopping, area-commanding, confident self, Kone and Siaka chased every lost cause and closed down every defender, Christian's brilliant dribble won the penalty, Datsakorn did the obvious, Nattaporn and Panupong stood tall all night.

So in my indecision, I turned to Matt who nominated midfield dynamo Pitchipong Choeichiu as MOTM and also summed up the night thus: "We have arrived. The scale of tonight is hard to fathom. Bring it on!"

Pictures here

Result - MTU 2 Al Karamah 0

A tremendous result for Thai football. Report tomorrow.

Possible change

I've been informed that MTU will now play their TLC second leg fixture against Air Force on Thursday instead of the FA Cup tie against Rajpracha. The club have not announced this officially yet.

Correction

The AFC game is tomorrow (Tuesday 21st) and not Wednesday. Kick off 1930.

If anyone can think of a good excuse I can use for this error, please do let me know.

Muangthong United Vs Al Karamah - preview, fan interview.

What do we know about Al Karamah FC? Even after last week's game, I (we?) must be honest and say: "Not a lot". They come from Damascus, they have a large support. They beat us one-nil in the first leg and their goal was scored by a Brazilian.

I could have searched out a bit more technical knowledge of Tuesday's AFC Cup opponents (Kick off 1930) but I've already done plenty of tactical analysis for the FA Cup quarter final game between MTU and Rajpracha (coming soon to this blog) so this time I opted for a different tack and decided to have a chat with a most articulate, knowledgeable and friendly fan of Al Karamah by the name of Ahmad, webmaster at the Al Karamah fan site (Arabic). Ahmad and I had a laid back chat about football culture and fans' perceptions of each other. Many thanks to him for his time. The interview took place before the first leg.

Can you tell us just a little about yourself - your first name, your age and what you do for work?
My name is Ahmad , 25 years old. I got a mathematics diploma the last year , and now I work as a math teacher while I prepare myself to get a masters degree in Information Technology (IT).


How long have you supported Al Karama and why did you choose them?

Well , I have supported Al-Karamah since i was 12 years old , actually it's a funny story 'cause I live in another city than where Al-Karamah comes from ....
I live in Lattakia ( on the Syrian coast ) , and Al-Karamah comes from Homs ( in the middle of Syria ) .... but my grandparents are from Homs and somehow they gave me the love of this team ... but being in another city never was a barrier in my way of supporting my team ... now I'm a moderator in Al-Karamah fans site , and I travel to Homs ( about 2 hours away from my city ) to be in the stadium for every match ....


Who is your favourite player and why?
My favorite player is the ROCK OF DEFENSE Fabio , no special reasons .... but we have great memories with this player .... specially when we reached the final of AFC Championship in 2006


Football in Syria is a bit of a mystery to us - perhaps Thai football is the same for you -- so can you tell us: what is the standard of football? What size crowds do you have and how are the stadiums?
Football in Syria is the game number ONE ... almost everyone here loves football .... my team was created in 1928 ... so we have our roots in this sport .... many Syrian players are playing in Europe in Asia ... we have Syrian players in Sweden , Norway , Italy , Iran , Egypt , China , Indonesia and more .... so there are great Syrian players ...
about our fans , i think that you can check this topic to see some pics of our fans
http://www.mtufc.com/board/index.php?topic=5371.0
there are some pics in it , and i can send you more if you want ...
about our stadium , capacity : 40,000 ... it lies in the middle of Homs

Do Syrian fans have any special customs or rituals for football games? For example, do fans exchange gifts with fans of the other team as we do in Thailand?
Well , to tell you the truth , this never happened before ... but i have this idea into my mind ... so if you are coming to Syria for this match , or any of your fans are coming ... maybe we can exchange some souvenirs ... so keep in touch with me about this please ...
As I know , there are no exact customs for our matches ... but we have our Ultras that is called ( ULTRAS BLUE SUN ) and they raise a big picture at the beginning of every match ... i will take photos for the one that they will raise in the next match to show you ...
for example , at the beginning of a match between Al-Karamah and Al-Wahda from UAE , about a year ago ... they raised this one.

What do you think about Muangthong United?
Muang-Thong is a very good team , I consider them number one in Thailand ,theyhas many many talented and very good foreign players. I saw many videos on the internet of your team and I liked the way they play especially Dangda, he is a really scary striker!

What do you think the score will be after the two games?
Of-course I have my emotions for my team and also my belief !! I think that it would end up 3-1 in the first leg for Al-Karamah  and 1-0 in the second leg also for Al-Karamah


Anything you want to say to the Muangthong Fans?

&

Anything else you want to say?

Muang-Thong fans are really great, I saw many photos and videos for the fans and I really like the way your fans shine in the stadium. I strongly hope that I can meet some of your fans here in Syria in the next match.

Thanks for Greg who interviewed me and I would also thank Thai people for their generosity and kindness. You guys are really friendly and nice , and I saw what I heard before about the all-time smile on your faces.
I really hope seeing your lovely smiling faces here in Syria for the next match , and dinner is on me!

************
Many thanks again to Ahmad and best wishes to him and his club.

Al Karamah 1 Muangthong United 0

A second half goal was enough to sink MTU in the first leg of this AFC match. An injury to Jetsada did not help matters on the pitch.

There is, of course, everything to play for in the second leg next week.

Ak Karamah V Muangthong United tomorrow

More detail to come before the home leg. This report is from www.the-afc.com

*****
Homs: Muangthong coach Rene Desaeyere feels his side could not have got a harder route to the semi-finals of the AFC Cup but is quietly confident of causing an upset when they tackle Al Karamah at Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Stadium on Tuesday.

The Thais return to West Asia after having already claimed a scalp from the region with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Qatar's Al Rayyan in the last 16.

But it will certainly be no easy task for Muangthong against last year's AFC Cup finalists Al Karamah but they will be hopeful they can extend their good domestic form onto the continental stage.

The reigning Thailand Premier League champions moved five points clear at the top of the current standings with a 1-0 win over Police United on Saturday and Desaeyere is keen for his side to maintain their recent good form.

"We were drawn in the hardest possible situation against a team who have a lot of experience and good history in the Asian competitions," said the 62-year-old Belgian.

"They also have many fans who are one of their key weapons.

"We were underdogs before the game against Al Rayyan but now we have all the attention. Now we will play against another team from West Asia but this time we will have a lot more confidence."

Desaeyere vowed his side will be going for victory in the first-leg match in Syria but knows a certain amount of caution will be necessary as a heavy defeat would be a major blow to their hopes of getting a result in the return leg next week.

"I'm looking forward to getting the best possible result, which is to win the game," he added.

"However, we respect our opponents and we will try our best to avoid a bad result which could cost us everything."

A disadvantage for Muangthong, however, is that Desaeyere will not be able to take his place in the dugout for the game as he serves a suspension.

Why I love Tor Chittinan

He says things like:

"Chonburi should cut the deficit back to two points when they go to bottom club Bangkok United tomorrow."

....and then they go and lose 1-3. Meaning we now have a five point gap once again.

Yaya interview

A special thanks to Erwin for translating this.


Yaya, you're the new golden boy of "The Buffalos"
Yes, it is a great honnour to me but the team is the most important.

You are very fast on the left wing!
Yes, it's my speciality, but the most important is the team and serving for the situation which is established.

How did an Ivorian end up in Thailand?
That's a long story but this is a good time to tell it:
In Thailand I was presented to Mr Procereur who is the director of the Thai team Muangthong United .He brought me into the team , and I have had many fabulous moments. He told me about KAA Ghent.


Réné Desayere was very enthusiastic about you, he described you as an extraordinary player!
Mr Réné is a great Manager! He came to me at the right moment and we always worked together productively! Thanks to him and to God that I could develop in Thailand!
Réné taught me about the Jupilat league and what I could expect at the Belgium Vice Champion and Cup Winner 2010, KAA Ghent.

Your role model is Gervinho?
He is also an Ivorian player and an example for any young, upcoming Ivorain player !

Next you'll play with Gent against Gervinho in the group phase of The Europa League!!
It's a big honor! I hope it will be an enjoyable game!


Thanks and much success.
No,no! I have to thank you!

Muangthong United 1 Police United 0 - Report

The away team mascot - or did I dream that bit?

Friday night would not appear to be the best time to play a league game of football anywhere in the world. Certainly today's important game attracted a below-average sized crowd.

Kawin arrived home from India in the late hours of Thursday but still turned out for this game, as did his international teammates. The line up was almost full strength: Kawin (GK) , Panupong (CB) , Jetsada (Capt, CB) , Kaewprom (RB) , Kavem (LB),  Abdoul (DM) , Datsakorn (MD), Siaka (MD), Kone (AM), Christian (LW/FW), Teerasil (ST).

Note the unusual name at LB. How well he played depends on who you ask. I thought he was OK, did nothing wrong but I'd like to see him be more aggressive when attacking. Other fans thought he did very well.

The first half was unspectacular. Police immediately looked very well organised at the back. They contained us in a similar way to Thai Port, but while Port relied mainly on brute strength, Police's back line - unlike actual police in Thailand -  looked very fit and pacy. Clearly they have good coaches at the Thammasat stadium.

Predictably, we held the majority of possession but unlike many other teams, Police looked like their counter-attack strategy had an outside chance of paying off.

When the goal did come, it was strange and costly. One player - it may have been Kaewprom - was hit with a late challenge from a Police midfielder. Our player might well have been hurt but was OK and got the pass off. The police player realised his mistake may be costly and decided to do the: "I'll roll around and pretend I'm in agony" stunt, however the ref rightly allowed play to continue so as the player played dead, Datsakorn unleashed one of his thunderbolts from outside the box. It hit a defender and fell to Teersail. The lanky frontman was just ahead of the ball and appeared to stab at it with his weak foot, and yet it went straight into the far corner. One - nil, which is how it was at half time.

Now, as Teerasil celebrated right in front of us, one of three things happened to injure him. He either:

a) Did a deliberate forward roll as part of his celebration, but hurt his shoulder in the process.

b) Slipped on the wet surface, rolled forward and hurt his shoulder.

c) Was hurt by his team mates piling on his back in celebration.

Either way, he was off the pitch for a while then came back on but was substituted (for Ammorn) on the stroke of half time.

I wrote this before the video below went online, now you can watch and judge for yourself.

In the second half we found a lot more space. Kone and Christian began a tactic of actually switching positions while making forward runs. It caught Police by surprise several times and Christian often found himself with space and a direct route to goal. On a  better day we would have had more goals. By the end however, we were holding on for a slender lead against a gutsy, strong and well organised team. Kavem was booked towards the end for taking too long with a throw-in. One comical moment occurred when Datsakorn ran up to a free kick, slipped and hit the ball with his face. Everyone laughed, but away fans laughed less when his second effort skimmed the bar.

The final score was one - nil. Not a classic game but at this stage, results are everything. I also recall a similarly worrying set of displays before we pulled off our last major shock in the AFC. Bring on the Syrians!

Oh yeh, sorry to sound like a broken record but I must mention how poor the three officials were in this game, especially the first half. It doesn't strike as total incompetence as much as nerves. The ref - like so many of his colleagues - seemed to panic and blow his whistle whenever he was not sure what to do. The best I can say about him is that he appeared to grow in courage a little towards the end of the game, but this problem needs to be sorted. Like I said, get these guys trained up overseas, increase their salary and increase the punishment for players who disrespect them.

Man of the match:
I personally thought Datsakorn Thonglao was very good in this match. He sprayed the ball round very well in the second half and appeared to be at the heart of everything positive for MTU. Others disagree however, and I've had mentions of Panupong and Jetsada. That's the beauty of football; one set of fans, a wealth of opinions.

Score - Muangthong United 1 Police United 0

Report to follow.

FA Cup draw

Army v Nakhon Pathom
MTU v Rajpracha-Nontaburi
Pattaya v Chonburi
Navy-Rayong v Si Saket


Before anyone asks, I'll be wearing neutral colours.

Muangthong United Vs Police United - preview and fan interview.

Muangthong will be out to avenge one of only three defeats all season on Friday at either 1900 or 1800 when they take on Insee Police United. Police were promoted from D1 last season and have given a reasonable account of themselves so far. The reverse fixture was probably our poorest league performance this season and with next week's big AFC match on the horizon, the lads will be desperate to give a good account of themselves.

Muangthong now have Narongchai Vachiraban in their ranks, who is on loan from Police for the rest of this season. It's possible, however, that he will be contractually unable to play in this game.

I did request a fan interview with Police on their English website (that I was consulted on during its creation) however I left it a little late. Here then, is an interview I conducted earlier this season with a PU fan and staff member named Yanyong. Yanyong eschewed some of my questions as he felt that fans but not staff should answer them. Here are the questions he felt he could answer:

Last season you were promoted from D1. This season so far it's been difficult. Do you think the team will survive and improve?

As a new comer, every point is difficult to get but we will survive. We got many new players this season but have few time to make them play as a team. Then,first 5 matches result are very poor. We are now improving.

As the team is named after the Police, do a lot of policemen support the team? Do the club work with the police in any way?

All policemen suppose to support us but they are busy with political situation. I hope peace come to our country soon.
However, we are professional team, Police is our root. When we grow up, we expect to be the mass team as MTU and BG.

What do you think the score will be between PU and MTU? Can we expect a good welcome and friendly atmosphere?

I will tell you after match what the result is :-). Yes , MTU and our PUFC fans are very nice and friendly. Football is for friendship sport. It is for fun, not the war

Anything else you would like to say?

Good luck for MTU.  Insee police is not the top rank team but we love to make big team (like TOT) go back with empty hand.

Thanks to Yanyong and welcome all PU fans this Friday.

Mystery kick off

There seems to be confusion over the kick off time for Friday's clash with Police United. The OS says 1900, other sources say 1800. Best to arrive before 1800 just in case.

Muangthong violate foreign quota in last match

Siamsport have now confirmed that MTU played one foreigner more than allowed by Toyota Cup rules in yesterday's match with Air Force United. No punishment has been announced yet.

Muangthong played Abdoul, Zaizen, Christian and (I think) Ibrahim. If anyone can confirm who the fourth player was, please do.

Score - Air Force United 2 Muangthong United 0

Credit: thaileagueonline.com

A second string MTU side face a two goal deficit in the second leg of this contest as they went down to a goal either side of half time.

Zaizen missed a good chance late in the match.

I was not as this game so if anybody has details over and above the online reports, please do let me know.

On loan striker hits the target

Photo credit: rajprachanonthaburi.com

This is Kouame Yao Mathieu, currently on loan from Muangthong to Rajpracha Nonthaburi where he scored the winning goal against Mika Chunuonsee's Customs FC last Sunday. The goal can be seen here.....

Thai squad for India

Coutersy of thai-fusball.de, obviously the MTU players will not feature in the away game at Air Force United in the Toyota Cup:


Goalkeepers: Kawin Thamsatchanan (Muang Thong United), Samuel P. Cunningham (TTM-Phichit FC)

Defenders: Nattaporn Phanrit (Muang Thong United), Nattaphong Samana, Suttinan Phukhom ( Chonburi FC), Sutjarit Jantakon (Siracha FC), Polawat Wangkahart (TOT-CAT FC)

Midfielders: Pichitpong Choichieu, Narongchai Vachiraban ( Muang Thong United), Phuritad Jarikanon (Chonburi FC), Wichaya Dechmitr, Surachet Ngamtip, Peter Läng, Anawin Jujeen (Bangkok Glass FC), Kabfah Boonamatoon (Osotspa Saraburi FC)

Forwards: Ronnachai Rangsiyo (Muang Thong United), Keerati Kaewsombat (Buriram-PEA FC), Kraikitti In-utate (TTM-Phichit FC), Teeratep Winothai (BEC-Tero Sasana)

MTU "Quiz"

The club OS has a "quiz" asking which player wears these shoes....

Now I'm bad enough at remembering each player's name and I'm always getting Kone and Siaka mixed up (to be fair, they are very similar looking) so I have no idea who this player is. Luckily the prize for winning the quiz is tickets for the Police game, and I already have one of those.

PS I do recall Kone, Keawprom and Christian sporting the flash gold boots at various times. I don't go much for all the flashy coloured boots myself, being a grumpy old purist.

Muangthong United 1 (3) Samut Prakan 1 (2) - Report

Narrapol Arromsawa advances in the torrential rain 

 Photo credit: v@lentine ณ เมืองทอง at mtufc.com

Muangthong moved into the next round of the Toyota Cup (to face Air Force United) but had a slightly tougher ride than expected as they drew 1-1 on the night and beat Samut Prakan 3-2 on aggregate.

The TPL champions rested nearly all regular first team players except Kone and Jetsada. Christian and Zaizen both played in the second half.

The game kicked off in front of a small crowd at the Thunderdome but fans who made the effort to attend were rewarded with some open attacking football from both sides. However, after Samut Prakan scored -  around the twenty minute mark -  the D2 side switched to a distinctly less admirable style of play. "Injuries" suddenly occurred every five minutes, tackles and tussles became more frequent and any form of time wasting was utilised. At half time it was 0-1.

In the second half the away players made a concentrated effort to antagonise Christian, who seems to have established a reputation as a talented but hot-headed player, and the sudden "injuries" continued to occur. One tussle threatened to erupt into a full scale brawl and there were several shoves to the face by Samut Prakan players. Shortly after, the Prakan coach stood up to abuse a Muangthong player. He quickly sat down when Rene approached him and offered to discuss the matter further.

Muangthong finally equalised (Abdoul) with about five minutes left. At the end of the game home fans applauded the visitors. I truly admire them for this as it preserves the friendly atmosphere of these matches. I can't always bring myself to applaud blatant cheats.

The three officials in this game were very poor. The referee appeared to be indecisive, weak-minded and scared to deal out any punishments. On most occasions he allowed the stretcher team on the pitch but even on occasions where he rightly waved 'play on', it seemed due to indecisiveness rather than any sense of fair play. Thai officials need further professional coaching to learn how to play their role in the development of Thai football. Otherwise these problems will continue.

Video of the goals here. If you can't view it due to restrictions, enjoy some professional quality photographs here and here.


Muangthong (1st half):
1. Phanpiphat (GK)
3. Pakasit (RB)
5. Jetsada (CB)
11. Piyachart (LB)
8. Kaewprom (Playing as CB?)
15. Abdoul (DM)
23. Buntao (MD)
20. Thummanam (MD)
18. Arromsawa (MD)
17. Ibrahim (FW)
22. Kone (AM/FW)