Chang Chonburi Invitation Promo Poster: 2013

 

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup - Previews & Results: 2016

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup 2016

Previews

Nakorn Ratchasima

by Russ John

NRFC continue their pre season build up by competing in the CHANG CHONBURI INVITATION tournament. The Swatcats have had a mixed batch of friendly results against lower league opposition, with the build up being described as satisfactory but not exceptional.

 

Having let go Dominic Adiyeah and Lee Tuck apparently in a contract dispute with the club, the club’s main attacking options appears to be Marco Tagbajumi and Promphong Kransumrong. With Prompong’s well publicized court case still ongoing, he would appear to be out of the reckoning at present.

 

Tagbajumi is a big, strong, bustling striker who has impressed and if he can link up with Bjorn Lindemann playing “in the hole” it could form a formidable partnership.

 

Other players to watch out for are the midfield powerhouse Noah Chivuta and our Japanese stopper Satoshi Nagano.

My prediction for the tournament is that The Swatcats will overcome Army and lose on penalties to the hosts in the final. Whatever the result, I am sure that Chonburi will host a most successful tournament.

 

 

 

Army Utd

by Dean Wilkins

Our preparations for the new season are set to step up a gear as we get ready to make our annual trip down the coast to the Chonburi Chang Invitational tournament. This should be a good chance to see where we find ourselves ahead of our opening day fixture against Bangkok United next week.

 

It has been a tough winter at the Home of Gentlemen which has seen our foreign contingent of Melvin de Leuuw, Ernesto, Wellington and Alex all leave to be replaced by unknown journeyman players from the lower leagues, several of which were relegated with Krabi FC last season.

 

Preseason so far has been tough as twice we have been hit for five by Bangkok United and more worryingly Thai Honda from D1. Has father time finally caught up with the creeking legs of captain Chaiwat and full back Dawut, both of which are entering the twilight of their careers?

 

On paper our starting XI should be good enough for us to avoid a relegation fight but a lot depends on us keeping brilliant Brazilian Botti fit for the season and hoping that Anuwat can maintain his form from last season. This is a big season for U23 Thailand star Ping Thossawat as well who disappointed at times last season and needs to make the step up this year as our other options in midfield are limited to say the least.

 

Probably my biggest worry for the new season is where are the goals going to come from? Our attacking options going into the new season seem to be focused on Kai Hirano, Thanakorn and overrated Thai national player Mongkol who only managed 15 league goals between them last season.

 

It was this lack of goals that saw us plummet down the table in the second half of last season as we struggled to only 3 wins, 10 defeats and 4 draws with us averaging only a goal a game. There has been little over the break to suggest that this form has been addressed.

 

We have worked our way through 6 managers during the last two seasons as well so it will be interesting to see if our clubs unwavering loyalty to the manager who oversaw the dreadful back end of last season continues or if the axe will be swinging early into the new season once again.

 

 

Chonburi FC

by Dale Farrington

The first thing I'll be looking for is how the 9-0 drubbing in Japan has affected the players' - and the coach's - confidence. There was a cautious feeling of optimism at the Yangon Utd match but that was all blown away in Tokyo. It will be interesting to see how we react.

 

Hopefully, those fans who still think everything is hunky dory will also have been given a wake up call by our AFC Champions League nighmare. They might just realise that we are not quite as good as they think we are.

 

That said, I still think the locals will turn up in numbers for Friday night's opener. We are a loyal bunch and everyone will be keen to show that we're right behind the team. I expect a healthy crowd and a decent atmosphere - for a pre season tournament. However, it could be very different on Sunday, if we're not in the final.

 

Even though these matches are really only glorified friendlies, I hope we'll be taking them seriously. One of the biggest mistakes in our AFC "campaign" was lack of preparation. For a club that usually plays friendlies more often than league games, our build up to the continent's premier competition was strangely muted. With the start of the TPL season only a week away (yikes!), we really need to get it right this weekend.

 

From what I've seen so far, the two new Koreans look impressive and it is good to have Suttinun back to full fitness. Otherwise, all the old problems seem to remain. No full backs and the lack of nastiness and genuine creativity.

 

Rodrigo was very unlucky not to get on the score sheet against Yangon Utd, but was equally lucky not to get an early red in Tokyo - just think how bad it could have been! He's no Thiago but I'm prepared to give him a chance. I get the feeling he's a confidence player so a couple of goals this weekend would do him a power of good.

 

As for the rest, they need to convince us that they're good enough. Pin up boy Kroerkrit in particular must show that he can live up to the hype. Tiredness due to international commitments can't be trotted out as an excuse this year so go on, son, prove you're really worth all that adoration.

 

All in all, I'm looking forward to the next couple of days. It will be good to catch up with a few people and watch some (hopefully entertaining) football whilst having a drink and something to eat. Let's ope that 'm feeling a lot more confident about the year ahead by 9:00pm on Sunday.

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup 2016

Results

Friday 19th February

4:30pm Army Utd 1-3 Nakorn Ratchasima

7:00pm CHONBURI 0-2 Chainat

Venue: Chonburi Stadium

 

Sunday 21st February

4:30pm 3rd & 4th play off: CHONBURI 1-2 Army Utd

7:00pm Final: Nakorn Ratchasima 0-4 Chainat

Venue: Chonburi Stadium

 

Final Placings

Champions: Chainat

Runners up: Nakorn Ratchasima

3rd place: Army Utd

4th place: Chonburi

Chang Chonburi Invitation Tournament: 2015

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup 2015

Previews

CHONBURI FC

by Brian Enever

What can we expect  going into this week's Chang Invitation? Well for the second season running with we have another new coach in Jadet Meelarp, all be it one that is well known and liked at Chonburi. We also have a few changes in playing personnel.

From last season's squad, Natthapong has gone to Suphanburi (bet he wasn't planning on playing his first 'competitive' match back at Chonburi), Andre has gone to Chula Utd while Brent McGrath's loan move to Port FC was very strange for a player we've only just signed. And, although there's been nothing official, sadly Jackie no longer seems to be around.

 

On the plus side, after all the rumours, it's good to see Thiago at the training camp. Leandro was very popular when he was on loan in 2013 and he is a very good signing (why oh why did we choose to sign Jaime over Leandro last season, when he told us he wanted to come). Along with Dos Santos and Mineiro, we have four very good quality foreign players. With the signing of S.Korean  Cho Byung Kuk to make up the fifth foreigner it would appear that Kushida's injury problems are more long term. Again though, there's been no comment from the Club and his name is still on the unofficial squad list that I've seen for this coming season.

 

I was looking forward to pre season to see what changes, if any, Jadet would bring to our style of play  but, with our foreign contingent unavailable, the games I've seen mainly contained a mixed bag of fringe players, trialists and one or two new signings, and we've played 'average' at best. I was impressed with one centre back trialist who was good in the air, good on the ground, liked to play the ball out from the back and was a good organiser. Never saw him again though. From what I've seen of Puritat, on his return from Bangkok Glass, he has good movement and awareness in the defensive midfield role he's been asked to play. He does well breaking up the play and takes up some good positions to make himself available but seems negative when he has the ball. Early days for him, and the other new signings, though.

 

The foreign players have now joined up with the rest of squad, enjoying themselves and building team a good spirit at pre season camp in Kanchanaburi so hopefully they'll all come back raring to go, starting with the Chang Invitation.

 

Assuming Thiago, with his Timor-Leste Nationality, can also be classified as a +1 that would give us Three foreigners and two +1's which has got to give us more options. With Dos Santos partnering Suttinun at the back, Thiago and Leandro up front and Mineiro pulling the strings just behind the spine of the side looks good to me. The only question is who will play the holding role and hopefully we'll have a better idea after this weekend.

 

I'm looking forward to what should be a good weekend. Although Hallelujah are an unknown quantity it's always good to test yourself against foreign opposition while both Suphanburi and Army are good sides, have established themselves and will want to improve on the 6th and 9th places they achieved last season. For us, we all wondered how last season would pan out under a new and foreign coach. It turned out to be our best in recent seasons and Jadet will do well to equal or even improve on that. Playing against strong opposition his weekend, I hope it will give us a few pointers on what to expect for the coming season.

 

SUPHANBURI

by Patrick Brixner

Personally speaking I am pretty confident Suphanburi FC can do well at the upcoming Chang Invitational Tournament 2015, as well as other major tournaments, such as the TPL.

 

The team has changed a lot compared with to last season. At first, one of the main changes was to bring in a high qualified coach like Sergio Farias to organise the team. In my opinion, my country mate can do a very good job for  Suphanburi FC.  Several players have already left the club also, however our management worked very fast to bring in some well experienced players like Carmelo, Chutong and André Luis to replace them.

 

On top of that, we have retained some key players like Jakkaphan, Marcio and especiallyCharryl Chappuis for this season, adding experience to the group.

 

As I have mentioned above, I strongly believe Suphanburi is forming a very consistent team for this season, adding and retaining quality players. Individually speaking we have some very talented players in our squad at this time. Hopefully, they can gel well and perform in the upcoming year, since we are all looking forward to lift a couple of trophies at the end of this season. 

 

 

SUPHANBURI

by Matt Riley

This tournament marks Suphanburi's first competitive action since they returned to training on December 1st. They had planned to arrive for this tournament on the back of an eight day training camp at Kirin Valley Stadium  but they returned to Suphanburi after only one day. There have been plenty of personnel changes. Off the pitch they welcomed AFC Champions League winning coach Sergio Farias. The Brazilian has made  a very positive impression despite his limited English. 

Big name signings Carmelo Gonzales and Pratun Chutong from Buriram United have joined the third former Buriram United man Charyl Chappuis. Unfortunately, the heroe of Thailand's AFF Suzuki Cup win picked up a knee injury that will force him to miss one to two months of the season. The first game against Bangkok United will be a confusing one for the players now that an amazing six Suphanburi players have made the switch to The Bangkok Angels Including former club captain Panupong Wongsa who joins The War Elephant's former coach Mano Polking and his assistant X.

 

ARMY UTD

by Paul Murphy

Army United enter the Chang Invitation tournament after a mixed series of pre-season results so far.

 

The Boys in Green got off to a winning start, with a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Sime Darby of Malaysia. This was followed by 1-0 defeat at Muang Thong United, though the scoreline flattered the visitors.

 

Last Saturday saw a more interesting affair, with a 3-3 draw at home to Bangkok Glass. Army started positively and went 3-0 up, with goals from Ernesto Phumipha and a double from Dutch trialist, Melvin De Leeuw. Unfortunately for the home support, the Glass Rabbits finished strongly and exposed a fragile defence with three soft goals.

 

When asked how he felt pre-season had been going, head coach Gary Stevens said: “Overall I am very pleased with our preparation for the 2015 TPL season. Rarely in football does anything go 100% to plan and as a Head Coach you need to be able to adapt quickly. We are still working hard to improve the infrastructure at Army United FC for the medium and long term as well as the squad for this season and the future.”

 

Army fans will be hoping to see more of De Leeuw if a deal can be done to secure his signature. The striker was Ross County’s player of the year in the Scottish Premier League last season and, at just 26 years old, could be quite a coup.

 

Namibian forward Tangeni Shipahu also impressed on Saturday with his speed on the right flank. But with the limit on foreign players and with AFF Cup hero Mongkol Tossakrai firmly established in the right wing position, it may be difficult to find a place for the former Osotspa man.

 

Regarding further strengthening the squad, former Spurs and England defender Stevens added: “I want to strength every department of my team every day. The way that happens might be with a new signing, but it is also achieved by working with individuals to improve their fitness, technique, confidence and understanding of the game as well as the team as a whole.”

 

Looking forward to the Chang Invitation in Chonburi, Stevens outlined his priorities, saying: “We still have 3 weeks of pre-season left as the tournament starts so our main focus will be on three areas - fitness, patterns of play and defensive shape. Only one player has played 90 minutes in the 3 pre-season friendly games we have had so far so we need to increase that number. Good patterns of play will enable us to create opportunities going forward which is important to win games. Defensive shape protects our goal and makes it difficult for the opposition to penetrate.”

 

 

ARMY UTD

by Del Spafford

This year sees Gary Stevens in charge from the get go and it will be interesting to see if he can get the team playing attractive football and get results. After a very positive start last year, Army dropped off in the middle of season before finishing with a whimper all be it in a very comfortable 9th. Stevens will be wanting to build on that finish and keeping his stars from last year will help. Raphael Botti is rumoured to have signed a new contract as has Zdenko Kapralik. Both were standouts last season and there form and fitness will be key this year.

 

Captain fantastic, Chaiwat Nak-iem has signed for another year and his presence on and off the field will be needed to gel a new squad must come together quickly. 10 players have left and with 9 new signings, along with a few trailists yet to put pen to paper, it is essential that Stevens and his team work quickly to build a side. Army’s friendly on Saturday against Bangkok Glass was entertaining with French trialist Melvin de Leeuw impressing. With Kai Hirano penning a loan deal it could be an exciting year for the Gentlemen Rangers.  

 

Results

Friday 23rd January
Semi finals
Hallelujah 0-1 Suphanburi
CHONBURI 2-1 Army Utd
(Scorers: Dos Santos (p), Leandro)
 
Sunday 25th January
3rd & 4th place play off
Hallelujah 2-1 Army Utd

Final
CHONBURI 2-3 Suphanburi
(Scorers: Chakrit, Mineiro)
 
All matches played at the IPE Stadium
 
Final places
1st Suphanburi
2nd CHONBURI
3rd Hallelujah
4th Army Utd

Chang Chonburi Invitation Results: 2014

2014 Chang Chonburi Invitation Results

Thursday 16th January

Semi Finals

PTT Rayong 1-1 Army Utd (Army Utd won 11-10 on penalties)

CHONBURI 3-0 Police Utd

Venue: Chonburi Stadium

Saturday 18th January

3rd & 4th Place Play Off

PTT Rayong 3-0 Police Utd

Final

CHONBURI 2-0 Army Utd

Venue: Chonburi Stadium

 

FINAL PLACINGS

1st: CHONBURI

2nd: Army Utd

3rd PTT Rayong

4th: Police Utd

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup - Photos: 2014

Thursday 16th January

Semi Final

Chonburi 3-0 Police Utd

Saturday 18th January

Final

Chonburi 2-0 Army Utd

Chang Chonburi Invitation Results: 2013

2013 Chang Chonburi Invitation Results

Thursday 24th January
Group A
CHONBURI 4-0 Suphanburi

Group B
Muang Thong Utd 1-0 Pattaya Utd


Saturday 26th January
Group A
CHONBURI 3-1 Becamex Binh Duong

Group B
Busan I-Park 3-1 Pattaya Utd


Monday 28th January
Group A
Muang Thong Utd 0-1 Busan I-Park*

Group B
Suphanburi 1-2 Becamex Binh Duong*
Group A


Final Group Placings
Group A

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
CHONBURI	2	2	0	0	7	1	6
Bin Duong	2	1	0	1	3	4	3
Suphanburi	2	0	0	2	1	6	0

Group B

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Busan I-Park	2	2	0	0	4	1	6
Muang Thong Utd	2	1	0	1	1	1	3
Pattaya Utd	2	0	0	2	1	4	0

Wednesday 30th January
5th & 6th Place play off
Pattaya Utd 1-0 Suphanburi*

3rd & 4th Place play off
Muang Thong Utd 0-2 Becamex Binh Duong

Final
CHONBURI 1-1 Busan I-Park (5-6 pens)

Final placings
1st Busan I-Park
2nd CHONBURI
3rd Becamex Binh Duong
4th Muang Thong Utd
5th Pattaya Utd
6th Suphanburi

All matches played at Chonburi Stadium apart from *

Chang Chonburi Invitation Cup - Photos: 2013

Thursday 24th January

Group A

CHONBURI 4-0 Suphanburi

Saturday 26th January

Group A

CHONBURI 3-1 Becamex Binh Duong

Wednesday 30th January 

Final

CHONBURI 1-1 Busan I-Park (5-6 pens)