THAI PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
8th July, 2013
It’s as you were at the top of the Thai Premier League following this weekend’s fixtures. Both Buriram United and Muang Thong United recorded away wins against Suphanburi and Army United respectively.
The match at Suphanburi attracted a crowd of just over 20,000, as the newly promoted side attempted to inflict a first defeat of the season on the league leaders. However, the north easterners survived a late rally from the home side to record a 2-1 win to maintain a five point lead over their nearest challengers.
Suphanburi’s loss meant that Chonburi’s 3-0 victory over BEC Tero, saw the Sharks leapfrog the War Elephants into third place and keep their slim hopes of winning the title for the first time since 2007, alive. Ivan Boskovic, Anucha Kitpongsri and Chakrit Buathong were on target for the Blues.
At the other end of the table, Pattaya United, under new head coach Jadet Meelap, recorded only their third win of the campaign against fellow relegation strugglers Samut Songkhram. The welcome three points moved the eastern seaboard club level with Chiang Rai United – who lost 1-0 at ToT – but they remain bottom on goal difference.
Elsewhere, there were good wins for Bangkok Glass and Osotspa to keep them both in comfortable mid table positions, whilst Bangkok United and Police United fought out a goalless draw in front of 3,120 paying customers at the Thai-Japanese Stadium in Din Daeng.
Sisaket started the league season but were suspended after playing only three matches following an appeal by Esan United, whose place they took at the end of the 2012 season. The previous year, Esan United had replaced Sisaket in the TPL when the owners moved the franchise to Ubon Ratchathani. The matter is now in the hands of the Thai courts and no announcement has yet been made as to which club will compete in the division or whether the postponed matches (15 and counting) will ever be played.
RESULTS
Saturday 6th July
Army Utd 0-2 Muang Thong Utd
Ratchaburi 2-3 Osotspa
Pattaya Utd 1-0 Samut Songkhram
Sunday 7th July
Bangkok Utd 0-0 Police Utd
Suphanburi 1-2 Buriram Utd
ToT 1-0 Chiang Rai Utd
Bangkok Glass 1-0 Songkhla Utd
Chonburi 3-0 BEC Tero
THAI PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
15th July, 2013
There were no TPL fixtures this week, due to the fact that Manchester United were in town. The Red Devils kicked off their pre season promotional tour against Singha All Stars in Bangkok on Saturday.
The match had caused a certain amount of controversy before kick off. The visitors were without a number of “big names”, most notably Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. The latter had actually travelled to the Thai capital but returned home the following day after reportedly picking up an injury during training. The home side too caused a stir when the Singha management appeared to snub players from teams sponsored by rival brewery Chang. This meant that three of the Premier League’s current top four clubs (Buriram Utd, Chonburi & Suphanburi) had no representatives in the squad to face the English champions.
The match itself was a fairly tame affair – as these type of friendlies so often are – but it did provide pub quiz compilers of the future with a great “Who scored the first goal against a David Moyes managed Manchester United?” question. The answer is, Teeratep “Leesaw” Winothai, a former Everton and Crystal Palace youth player, who now plies his trade with Bangkok Glass.
The Wednesday before the United match saw the fourth round of the FA Cup. The three surprise results featured teams from Division One beating Premier League rivals. The most impressive being PTT Rayong winning away at 5th placed BEC Tero. Elsewhere, everything went to form, with joint favourites Muang Thong United and Buriram United enjoying comfortable victories and Bangkok Glass – Chonburi’s conquerers in Round 3 – coming from behind to beat first division Trat.
Thai FA Cup 4th Round Results
Bangkok FC (D1) 3-3 Army Utd (TPL) (5-3 pens)
BEC Tero (TPL) 1-2 PTT Rayong (D1)
Muang Thong Utd (TPL) 5-0 Phuket (D1)
Phattalung (D2) 1-3 Chiang Rai Utd (TPL)
Police Utd (TPL) 4-2 Osotspa (TPL)
Samut Songkhram (TPL) 0-2 Buriram Utd (TPL)
Singhtarua (D1) 2-1 Bangkok Utd (TPL)
Trat (D1) 1-2 Bangkok Glass (TPL) (aet)
This coming weekend sees a return to action in the top flight. Buriram United (1st) travel to Bangkok Glass, Chonburi (3rd) face a tricky test away against Army Utd and Suphanburi (4th) journey up north to play Chiang Rai Utd. Second placed Muang Thong Utd have no game, as they were scheduled to host Sisaket.
THAI PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
19th August, 2013
As expected, the top two recorded home victories this weekend. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Muang Thong, who faced a Pattaya United side buoyed by their midweek home win against third placed Chonburi. The Qilins had to come from behind before taking a 3-1 lead and then faced a nervy final few minutes as the visitors – who had been playing with ten men since the 39th minute – pulled a goal back and pressed for an equaliser. Unfortunately for the Dolphins,it wasn’t to be and they remain effectively bottom of the table, three points away from the safety zone.
TPL leaders Buriram United had a slightly easier time of it at the Thundercastle, securing a routine 2-0 victory over Chiang Rai United. The Isaan team have stumbled a bit in recent weeks but this win and performance should give them a boost of confidence ahead of their AFC Champions League quarter final 1st leg tie in Iran on Wednesday night. It also helps to keep a sliver of daylight between them and the only other genuine challengers for the title, Muang Thong.
Elsewhere, there were good away wins for Chonburi and Army Utd. The latter seem to be picking up a headful of steam, collecting a maximum twelve points from their last four matches, and must now be eyeing a top four finish. While the Sharks will be glad to get back to winning ways following the disappointing reverse in their previous outing.
The lowest crowd of the weekend (1,445) witnessed Bangkok Utd’s 4-2 triumph over Ratchburi, and saw the home side leapfrog over their rivals into 14th place and put an end to their five game winless streak. They face relegation rivals Pattaya Utd on Wednesday night and will be hopeful of picking up another three points to edge themselves towards mid table and safety.
At the Leo Stadium, BEC Tero came from 2-1 down to win 3-2, with a brace by Cleiton Silva. Sadly, the match was marred by an unseemly injury time brawl, which resulted in Flavien Micelini (Bangkok Glass) and Chanathip Songkrasin (BEC Tero) both being shown red cards.
Saturday 17th August
Muang Thong Utd 3-2 Pattaya Utd
Bangkok Utd 4-2 Ratchaburi
Songkhla Utd 0-2 Police Utd
Buriram Utd 2-0 Chiang Rai Utd
Sunday 18th August
ToT 1-2 Chonburi
Bangkok Glass 2-3 BEC Tero
Chainat 1-2 Osotspa
Suphanburi 0-1 Army Utd
THAI PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
26th August, 2013
The TPL finds itself with new leaders, following the latest rounds of fixtures. Muang Thong Utd took advantage of Buriram Utd’s AFC Champions League distraction to force their way to the summit on Wednesday night. The Nonthaburi club registered an impressive 3-1 away win in Chiang Rai during the week and followed it up with a 3-2 home victory against Bangkok Utd four days later. However, the latter scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Qilins netted twice in added on time, to come from behind and snatch the three points in dramatic fashion.
Earlier the same evening, previous table toppers Buriram Utd had thrashed lowly Samut Songkhram 5-1, with Gonzalez Carmelo helping himself to four of the goals. This haul included a hat trick, scored in the space of fifteen first half minutes. Javier Patino bagged the north easterner’s fifth. Guy Hubert was on target for the hapless visitors.
With nearest challengers Chonburi and Suphanburi only managing two goalless draws – the first against each other – any lingering thoughts that the battle for the title is anything other than a two horse race (again!), were surely laid to raid.
At the bottom, Pattaya Utd bounced back from a disappointing 1-2 home reverse to chalk up a 3-0 win at ToT. But still find themselves in 17th place, thanks to results elsewhere. However, their opponents on Saturday will now be looking over their shoulder, as they themselves are plummeting towards the relegation zone, following seven defeats in a row. Incidentally, the attendance of 560 at this match is the lowest in the TPL this season. Beating the 765 who turned up to watch ToT play BEC Tero a couple of weeks ago.
The two other stand out results from the past four days are Chainat’s 4-2 triumph at BEC Tero and Bangkok Glass winning 3-0 at the Army Stadium. With safety guaranteed, both clubs must surely be looking to kick on and finish as high as they can in the final standings.
Wednesday 21st August
Pattaya Utd 1-2 Bangkok Utd
Samut Songkhram 2-0 Songkhla Utd
Chiang Rai Utd 1-3 Muang Thong Utd
BEC Tero 2-4 Chainat
Army Utd 0-3 Bangkok Glass
Chonburi 0-0 Suphanburi
Saturday 24th August
Bangkok Glass 0-0 Chonburi
Suphanburi 0-0 Ratchaburi
ToT 0-3 Pattaya Utd
Sunday 25th August
Chainat 2-2 Army Utd
Buriram Utd 5-1 Samut Songkhram
Songkhla Utd 2-2 Osotspa
Muang Thong Utd 3-2 Bangkok Utd
Chiang Rai Utd 2-2 Police Utd
THAI PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
23rd September, 2013
Buriram Utd missed the chance to increase their lead at the top of the table, following their 0-0 draw against Army Utd in atrocious conditions, on Sunday. Twenty four hours earlier Muang Thong Utd, their closest rivals, had come from behind to scrape a 1-1 draw with relegation candidates Samut Songkhram. However, it still looks likely that the north eastern side will go on to win the title, as it would require an incredible set of results over the final five weeks of the season to deny them the league trophy.
Third placed Chonburi thumped the luckless Songkhla Utd 5-1, with Thiago Cunha netting two in his first start since returning from a long term injury. Leandro Assumpcao, Samuel Ajayi and Therdsak Chaiman (penalty) were the other scorers. Former Shark Darko Recocevic was on target for the visitors.
Pattaya Utd strengthened their chances of maintaining TPL status next year by recording a 3-0 home win against the erratic Chainat. This was the Eastern Seaboard club’s fourth win in five outings and they do seem to be picking up a headful of steam at exactly the right time. This is just as well, as close rivals Chiang Rai Utd won 4-2 on their travels and all the other teams around them have games in hand.
In the weekend’s other games, Police Utd equalised with the last kick at Osotspa and ten man Bangkok Glass came from behind to earn a point against Bangkok Utd.
The ToT v Suphanburi fixture was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
TPL Results 21st/22nd September
Chonburi 5-1 Songkhla Utd
BEC Tero 2-4 Chiang Rai Utd
Samut Songkhram 1-1 Muang Thong Utd
Army Utd 0-0 Buriram Utd
Pattaya Utd 3-0 Chainat
Bangkok Utd 1-1 Bangkok Glass
Osotspa 1-1 Police Utd
ToT P-P Suphanburi
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