League Cup
Round 3
Chonburi 1-2 Sisaket (AET)
Chonburi Stadium
Attendance: 3,740
Wednesday 6th July 2016
Match Report
by Peter Reeves
Sorry, I must have been dreaming. I was sure that I read in the Bangkok Post that Jeerasek, representing the club, had said that the club had no ambitions in the PL for this season but were instead concentrating on both cup competitions both of which they were aiming to win. Clearly, judging by the team selection I must have either dreamt that or imagined it. I understand from the webmaster that Adul was cup-tied and Dos Santos carrying an injury but Leandro was on the bench. So why did the coach leave out one of his better players, and put in a reserve goalkeeper, in attempt to beat another PL club in this Cup competition they announce they were so keen on winning?
It looked a poor crowd except for the Sisaket fans, who had arrived in numbers making a lot of noise. The rest of the stadium looked sparsely populated, but then the weather I am sure had an impact.
Chonburi started with intent and as early as the 2nd minute threatened with a free kick that was well placed into the box but someone forgot to tell Rodrigo he was allowed to jump to head it. For the first 10 minutes it was all going ok, though I did sense an unease in defence. With no Dos Santos and a reserve goalkeeper there was always a potential problem. On 10 minutes it was exposed as an absent defensive shape allowed Sisaket to counter attack through the middle and the keeper beaten by a harmless looking shot. Defensive warning lights were flashing. But Sharks were having reasonable amounts of possession and Sisaket now quite happy to sit back and soak it up. They were living a dangerous game. On 13 a bit of space created down the left saw a clear cut chance for Kroerkrit. Terrible effort. Aren’t these people taught any technique at all?
On 16, Rodrigo free in the box, but just took too long to get the ball under control. On 20 a dangerous position from a free kick. Yep, you called it…car park! On 23 another chance for Rodrigo and again another poor effort. Sisaket were under the cosh, but were defending manfully, sometimes clumsily, and with a basic shape. The goalkeeper though looked very vulnerable but on 28 minutes it could have been 2-0 as a rare attack left the forward with only the keeper to beat from 10 yards. He dragged it wide. On 30 another free kick in a good area but wasted with a poor delivery and within a minute another chance flies over the bar. I think I mentioned in my last report that Chonburi’s inability for its strike force to score from open play was a problem. Welcome to the problem!
Sisaket were trying to play a high line defensively, when they weren’t hemmed into their own area. Always a dangerous ploy but it can be effective but the offside trap must be organized. It didn’t matter that much because Rodrigo clearly hasn’t mastered the offside rule yet. He just drifts beyond the last man seemingly not aware of where he or anybody else is. Four times in the first half an hour.
On 36 a bit of bad luck. Some neat build up saw a shot cannon off the post and scrambled away but it was a poorly hit shot from Kroerkrit. The Sisaket goalkeeper looked suspect from crosses, constantly punching the ball out rather than catching it, but Chonburi couldn’t exploit him because there final ball and deliveries were poor. When they did get it right he tipped a header over the bar at the end of the half.
It had been a half of dominance with only rare breakaways to deal with, chances all over the place, but still a 0-1 deficit. But there is lack of creativity. So many passes. So many of those passes irrelevant. Yes, you should build attacks, but so many passes resembled someone just getting rid of it because they didn’t know what to do with it. Despite the continuing flow of chances that we knew would could come in the second half I couldn’t see where a goal was coming from.
The rain was now very heavy as the second half started and the visitors clearly feeling they could hang on one way or another. Sharks poured forward and a good shot clattered the bar. On 57 this time the post was hit from close range and then a simple chance for the now present Leandro, was hit very poorly and allowed the defender to clear it off the line. On 59 again the woodwork, this time the bar followed by an overhead kick saved by the goalkeeper. Were they ever going to score? It was all one way now. But then a bizarre decision by the referee to award a penalty. I still don’t know why watching it played back during the match from 4 or 5 angles. Hand ball maybe? Hardly. The defender seemed to head it down and maybe it brushed his arm on its way down, but penalty? Up steps Rodrigo, In it goes and then he nearly falls over starting his celebration. A goal at last, but not from open play. Sisaket had to come out and on 76 a clear headed chance but wide. On 88 minutes Sisaket number 40 found himself in front of the goal 12 yards out by a through ball that looked offside to me but he missed. I don’t know where they find these ‘strikers’ They are absolutely awful.
And so into extra time. Sisaket started positively and on 95 another clear header was dragged wide. On 98 the Sisaket number 40 again broke through on the left but fell over on the now soaked pitch. They were clearly trying to win it. Chonburi still though hammering on the door but it never seemed to look likely they’d get another.
On 100 minutes the result was decided as a ball played in from the left was not taken by Tanachai and he dropped it. In the ensuing scramble to pick it up again the ref decided that he’d fouled the attacker and penalty. Was it? It was quite difficult to see any meaningful contact other than two players trying to get the same ball and contact was minimal, so a bit harsh really, as was the Chonburi penalty. He put it away rather cheekily. Now, this was similar to what happened in the last match a goalkeeper ‘bottling’ out. As at the weekend he tried to catch it with outstretched arms and hold it there. Didn’t get hold of it, clutch it to his chest and wait for any impact and if he was clattered still holding on to it. He didn’t fancy any contact from the incoming forward and as at the weekend he dropped it. Now here’s a little message for both of them. If you don’t like physical contact, if you’re not going to put your body in the way, if you are scared of taking knocks, don’t be a goalkeeper. It comes with the territory. It’s going to happen. Go off and sell ice creams on the beach or something.
Stlll though Chonburi had chances. On 108 Rodrigo ballooned another close range effort over the bar. (Why is this bloke playing?- please someone explain), and Leandro twice had headers he failed to convert. One last scramble in the box right at the end and that was that. Enough chances to win 3 matches but again nothing from the strike force. Sisaket came for one reason, to get a result. You can’t blame them for that and it’s up to Chonburi, coaches and players, to upset their obvious game plan. Some of their tactics and attitudes though were dubious to say the least. They came to spoil and spoil they certainly did. The interesting thing though was when they played they were ok and didn’t need to utilize the bad things they did.
Now please forgive my stupidity here but a coach often rests players in the cup for important league games coming up. Reasonable, you have to set priorities. I’m sure Bangkok United and Muangthong did last night. But I thought the emphasis for Chonburi was on the cup, so why does he not rest players in the league matches, if there exclusion was indeed needed rest or recovery time, to go all out to win the cup matches which we are told by the PR man are the priority now for this season? Surely if the cup was the priority you put out your very strongest team in every position. Whichever way you look at it this was not the strongest possible starting line-up even allowing that there were two enforced absences. It seems like the statements coming from the club and the game plan of the coach are at odds with each other and no one has the faintest idea what is happening or supposed to happen. Unless of course the statements from the club are half-hearted attempts at covering up management errors in an attempt to appease fans. A very common scenario for clubs that are having problems. Deflecting the responsibility and creating hopes that do not really exist. It never works. It just delays the inevitable I’m afraid.
So, a match Chonburi should have won more than easily, sees them dumped out of one cup. The best 11 should have played from the start and won the match. If that was the priority of course.
