TTM 1----Navy FC 0----March 9th, 2014 Congrats and thank you to everyone who helped organize the buses that took us to the match. We rode up to Bkk near the airport in comfort and safety, stopped off at a little market for lunch where I bought an ill-fitting and fairly ugly hat that was good at least to keep the sun off of my rapidly balding head. It was a hot day, but the TTM stadium had a psuedo-roof that helped a bit as well. TTM cannot seem to find a home of late, playing their last 3 seasons in Chiang Mai, Lopburi, and now on the outskirts of Bkk. They are a government team owned by the customs agency and their newly built stadium features some pretty cool architecture in front. The stadium itself can barely be called such, Ive seen better facilities at places where amateurs play, a massive fence around the pitch and support poles limiting visibility in areas, but most importantly new sod that to some players seemed like an ice skating rink. Players from both sides spent alot of time on the ground. As for the football Navy FC came out unchanged from the cup victory over TOT except for a return for first choice keeper Chinnakorn Deesai, 4-2-3-1. The first half went reasonably well, with most of the best chances being shots from distance from Navy FC. 3 shots were on target and forced vaguely comfortable saves by the TTM keeper. He juggled all of them which told me that shooting from distance wasnt the worst idea, we just needed someone to be making the secondary run after the ball was struck to get on the rebound before the keeper could regather. Noone was making this run because of a lack of communication between the forward line, ie noone knew when the shot was coming in. Hopefully this will improve with time. The best chance for Navy FC came just before halftime, when #24 Chusana Numkanitsorn received the ball at the top of the box, took a couple of dribbles to his right, and ripped one just past the post. Chusana gets himself into good positions can dribble and beat a man, passes fairly well, but couldnt score on Walking Street on a Friday night with 100,000 baht in his pocket. This is a problem when you are playing as a support striker/AMC. I also need to see more fight from him and the other members of the forward 3 when dispossed of the ball or when a pass is played that they cannot get to. So many times in this league goals come out of the defense not being able to clear their lines, when the forwards are not pressing defenders it takes away an avenue to score. TTMs goal came right after the restart through our old nemesis, the set piece. Free kick was awarded wide on the left after we gave the ball away and hacked their wing down. The foul was made by David Bahiya after a sloppy combination with Pongpeera Prajongsai. It was one of those situations where the foul was probably unnecessary as two Navy FC players were marking. The ball was curled in well by TTM and met strongly by #7 Jacques Nguemaleu with a clean header. Powerfully hit, 1-0 TTM. Thats where it stayed throughout an awful rest of the second half. Neither team could get the ball out of MF and spent alot of the time laying on the ground after a variety of not so nice challenges. Navy FC created a couple of vague half chances, a crossed free kick that Bahiya headed well wide that he probably should have left to Ludo, and then a direct free kick at the death by Ludo that Row Z couldnt even hold. The fan club was even quiet for the last 15 minutes and that never happens. A dire display, but its just one match. Allow me to point out a few of the problems that I saw. 1---With the 4-2-3-1 formation alot of pressure is put on the two central midfielders to receive the ball from the defense and get it to the forward lines. Both Komsan Merndee and Bahiya were surrounded by defenders when they tried to bring the ball up the middle, and when we played down the wing Panuwat Meenapa and Diaw Chontawat were pinned between a defender and the touch line time and time again. The format of the passing never changed, LCB to LB to LW, RCB to RB to RW, CB to MF. What we need is more of a quick switch of play, RCB to LB/LW, or LCB to RB/RW, with the midfielder on that side immediately rushing to enter the play to put the opposition at a numerical disadvantage. Its pretty simple, when you have more players closer to the ball than they do, its good. 2---The substitutes when chasing the game were very inappropriate. The two wingers were switched for Damrong Phusomneuk, #4, who is a great player in my opinion as a defensive MF or a decent defender but in no way a winger, and #19 Marot Dorkmalipa, a Navy FC veteran who Ive never seen play before, who looked off the pace and delivered the worst cross Ive ever seen, and #22 Kraison Panjaroen who came on as a forward for the LB too late and when he got on the ball he looked like hed never seen it before. Hes got a bit of pedigree having scored 25 goals in 58 appearances for Bangkok United from 2005-2008 and he played at U-23 level for Thailand, but since then hes been at 3 clubs, played in 48 matches, and scored 5 goals. When needing a goal late in a match you want better options and at the very least to bring players on who clearly have an offensive bent. 3---Ludovick Takam is shorter than I am. As such hitting long balls for him to nod on to onrushing attackers is futile, especially when he is being marked by a massive Morrocan at least a foot taller than him. If its hit and hope time we might as well switch him and Bahiya or even send Mun or Samuel up front. Hopefully Coach Mhee can iron out a few of these problems and we will beat a winless Sri Racha next Saturday at home in a very early must win match. Lets be in good voice and get there early to support our team. Hooyah!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:47:39 +0000
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