Saturday 30 March Review

TPL
Bangkok Utd 2-3 BEC Tero
Muangthong Utd 3-0 Songkhla Utd
TOT 1-0 Osotspa Saraburi

Muangthong made it four wins out of four with a 3-0 win over Songkhla Utd. The TPL champs had to be patient before Roland Linz netted his first goal for the club shortly after the interval. Dagno Siaka headed a second before Teerasil finished off a lively move to see Muangthong run out 3-0 winners.
BEC Tero won an end-to-end game at the Thai Japanese Stadium beating Bangkok United 3-2. The Fire Dragons took the lead three times with Cleiton Silva, Rangsan and Arzu scoring the goals to move BEC Tero into second place.
Closely behind the top 2 come TOT who beat Osotspa 1-0. Takahiro Kawamura pounced on a goalkeeper spill 15 minutes from time to score the only goal of the game

Division 1
Air Force 0-0 Nakhon Ratchasima
BBCU 2-1 Khon Kaen
Nakhon Pathom Utd 1-0 Bangkok FC
Rayong Utd 1-2 Sing Tarua
Sriracha 3-1 Navy
Trat 1-3 Krabi

Leandro Luz's cult status in Khlong Toei took another boost as the big man notched a brace to help Sing Tarua come from behind to beat Rayong Utd 2-1. Termchai was dismissed late on for Tarua but they held out for their fourth successive away win and their third 2-1 win on the bounce.
A crowd of only 199 watched BBCU move second with a 2-1 victory over Khon Kaen. Pichit was on target again scoring the winning goal 20 minutes from time.
The Air Force v Korat match saw the floodlights go out twice but neither side could make the breakthrough as the both settled for a point.
Bangkok FC tasted their first defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss at Nakhon Pathom. Anek's first half goal was rather fortunate although I'm sure he'll claim that he meant to chip Beyeme in the Bulligan's goal.
The last two games saw Krabi and Sriracha score impressive 3-1 wins. Two consecutive wins have moved Krabi into third place while Sriracha have climbed out of the relegation berths into mid-table.

Bangkok United 2-3 BEC Tero

First half action

BEC Tero edged out Bangkok United 3-2 in an entertaining game at the Thai Japanese Stadium.

The home side cheered on by their orange clad supporters, started brightly with Ronnachai and Gasmi having half chances in the opening minutes.

Meanwhile, Tero were knocking the ball around nicely without really testing Jakkaphan in the United goal.

The breakthrough for the away side came in the 27th minute when Cleiton Silva shrugged off Mario da Silva too easily before running 35 yards to score the opener.

Sho Shimoji's shot skimmed off the face of the home side's bar while Mario da Silva headed a free kick from 12 yards narrowly over as the Fire Dragons held a 1-0 advantage at the break

The opening period had been been ticking over nicely, yet it moved up a notch shortly after halftime when BU made a positive substitution bringing on attacker Paul Ekollo for midfielder Tony Costa.

On 62 minutes, the positive change brought a goal when Ronnachai crossed to Sompong in the box who controlled, turned and fired home into the bottom corner.

That lead only lasted three minutes though. Cleiton flicked on to Wichaya who ran down the flank and squared for sub Rangsan to net.

A couple of minutes later, United thought they'd levelled again but the linesman's flag ruled out Chatchai's slide in.

However in their next attack, Bangkok United where awarded a penalty when Apiwat left out a leg that Sompong gladly tripped over.

Romain Gasmi was the man on spot kick duty and he hit the penalty to the right to make it 2-2.

The home side could have taken the lead in the 75th minute after a lovely move down the left, but Chatchai's shot skewed wide of the target.

The winning goal came two minutes later with Arzu finding the corner of the net after a precise free kick from just outside the box.

That goal was to prove to be the winner although BEC Tero's coach was sent to the stand five minutes from time after kicking a water bottle towards the linesman during a bout of frustration.

In my opinion both teams are probably a couple of players short of reaching their target this season; Tero's to win the TPL title and Bangkok United's to avoid a relegation battle. I'm not saying that the Angels will go down as they have some talented attacking players. Their weakness appears to be defensively and they give the impression that they'll ship a few goals this season.


Man of the Match: Arzu - The heartbeat of the BEC Tero side

New away end at Thai Japanese

Toyota League Cup Draw - Last 32

Siam Navy v Suphanburi
Nakhon Ratchasima v Nakhon Pathom Utd
Kalasin v Buriram Utd
Luk Tapfah v Chainat
Krabi v PTT Rayong
BBCU v Army Utd
Mapthphut Marine v Rayong FC
Phrae Utd v Air Force
Khon Kaen v BEC Tero
Sriracha v Songkhla Utd
Udon Thani v Samut Songkhram
Nong Khai v Police Utd
Pichit v Chiang Rai Utd
Thai Fleet v Muangthong Utd
Trang v Chonburi
Lamphun Warrior v Ratchaburi

Ties to be played 8 May.

Matchday 4 Preview

TPL

Saturday
Bangkok Utd v BEC Tero
Muangthong Utd v Songkhla Utd
Sisaket P-P Buriram Utd
TOT v Osotspa Saraburi

The Sisaket/Esan United saga took a new twist this week when the Ubon Ratchathani court ruled that Esan United have the rights to play in the TPL instead of Sisaket. However, the top brass at the FA have declared that the Buriram game with go ahead at the Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium in Sisaket. Watch this space as this story has far from ended!!

Latest News: The Sisaket v Buriram United match has been postponed indefinitely due to the court ruling.

Talking of stadiums, anybody heading to Muangthong this Saturday should be aware that the Songkhla match clashes with the Motor Show at the adjacent Impact Arena. Expect to add an extra hour to your journey both ways if you plan to travel to Muangthong.

Muangthong and Buriram will both jet off to China afterwards as the duo resume with their AFC Champions League campaigns.

Sunday
Bangkok Glass v Police Utd
Chainat v Chiang Rai Utd
Pattaya Utd v Army Utd
Ratchaburi v Chonburi
Suphanburi v Samut Songkhram

Bangkok Glass will play Police at the Leo Stadium even though building work to their new stand isn't 100% complete. I passed by this stadium last week and it looks like it's far from complete.

The disgruntled fans of Chiang Rai United and Chonburi both face away games and another loss for either could spark changes in the coaching department.

Division 1

Saturday
Air Force v Nakhon Ratchasima
BBCU v Khon Kaen
Nakhon Pathom Utd v Bangkok FC
Rayong Utd v Singh Tarua
Sriracha v Siam Navy
Trat v Krabi

Rayong United's stadium in Klaeng isn't ready so they'll host Singh Tarua at the Rayong Stadium which is the home of Rayong FC .

Sunday
Ayutthaya v PTT Rayong
Saraburi v Rayong FC
TTM v Phuket

The travelling TTM show throws up another BEC Tero connection for the third consecutive week. Two weeks ago they hosted Bangkok FC at the current Tero home in Minburi. Last week they lost 4-1 to BEC in the cup at the 60th Anniversary Stadium in Thanyaburi while this week they welcome Phuket to the Thephasadin which was Tero's home ground last season.

TPL Matchday 3 Review

Army Utd 1-0 Ratchaburi
BEC Tero 3-1 Pattaya Utd
Buriram Utd 1-0 Chainat
Chiang Rai Utd 2-2 Bangkok Glass
Chonburi 0-2 Muangthong Utd
Osotspa Saraburi 3-1 Bangkok Utd
Police Utd 0-2 Suphanburi
Samut Songkhram 0-0 TOT
Songkhla Utd 3-0 Sisaket

Two first half goals from Mario Djurovski helped Muangthong maintain their perfect league start to the season and moved them 5 points clear of title contenders Chonburi. By all accounts it was a comfortable victory for the current TPL champs against a stale looking Chonburi side.
Two points behind Muangthong sit BEC Tero, Osotspa, Buriram and Suphanburi who are all tied on seven points.
Tero and Osotspa earned routine 3-1 home wins while Bustos headed the only goal of the evening in Buriram's 1-0 win over Chainat. Surprise package Suphanburi opened the scoring at Police with a Pichit penalty before Dragan Boskovic's fine solo goal wrapped up the points for Suphan.
At the bottom, there are five sides with only one solitary point. As mentioned earlier, Bangkok United lost in Saraburi while Sisaket went down 3-0 at Songkhla and a toothless Ratchaburi lost 1-0 at Army. Chiang Rai Utd and Bangkok Glass both notched their first points after a lively game at the United stadium. Leandro Assumpcao put the home side in front before Chatree levelled for BG. Kyle Nix's scuffed effort on the stroke of half time appeared to have won the points for Chiang Rai Utd, but their lead was cancelled out late on as Peter Laeng equalized with a header.
In the final game, Samut Songkhram and TOT served up a 0-0 stinker as the points were shared in a goalless draw.

Army United 1-0 Ratchaburi

Chaiwat Nakiem's headed goal midway through the second half saw Army United earn their first victory of the season.

A lack of cutting edge from both teams was a feature of a match in which Lindemann had the first real chance of the game when his low diagonal shot crept wide of the post.

Tatree also had a chance when he stabbed wide, while the away sides best effort of the first half came when Farid hit a speculative overhead kick which was tipped over by keeper Todsaporn.

At the beginning of the second period, Chainarong's shot trickled wide before Ratchaburi sub Douglas had a header that went close

In the 66th minute, the deadlock was finally broken when a Bjorn Lindemann corner was nodded in by Chaiwat to give the Army the lead.

Ratchaburi never really threatened to fightback, and Chainarong really should have doubled the lead on full time after a Laurie Cunningham style dribble, but he kept the ball too long before his shot was easily blocked by Ukrit.

Ratchaburi fans

Overall, the 1-0 result was a fair reflection on the game. Army to me, don't look any better than last season and a mid-table finish seems their ultimate destination. Ratchaburi appear sound defensively, but zero goals in three TPL games shows you where their problems lie. 


Man of the Match: Chaiwat Nakiem - Winning goal and clean sheet

TPL Matchday 3 Fixtures

Army Utd v Ratchaburi
BEC Tero v Pattaya Utd
Buriram Utd v Chainat
Chiang Rai Utd v Bangkok Glass
Chonburi v Muangthong Utd
Osotspa Saraburi v Bangkok Utd
Police Utd v Suphanburi
Samut Songkhram v TOT
Songkhla Utd v Sisaket

All of the Wednesday matches kick off at 7pm except Osotspa v Bkk Utd (6pm), Samut Songkhram v TOT (6pm), and BEC Tero v Pattaya Utd (6.30pm)

As you can see in the banner above, the "Crash of the Titans" between Chonburi and Muangthong Utd is the highlight of tomorrow evening. Having spoken recently to fans of both sides, neither are overly impressed with their respective starts to the 2013 campaign. Despite a severe beating in Japan last time out, Muangthong can still boast an unbeaten TPL run which stretches back 36 games to their 1-0 loss at Pattaya United on the last day of the 2011 season.

At the other end of the table, Army, Chiang Rai Utd and Bangkok Glass have yet to register any points. I suppose you can excuse Army as their opening two fixtures have been away at Muangthong and Chonburi, although another loss against Ratchaburi would have alarm bells ringing. For Chiang Rai Utd and Bangkok Glass, at least one of them will break their duck when they meet at the United Stadium.

It will also be interesting to see how Chainat perform at Buriram this time. Last season the Hornbills suffered two heavy defeats. The 3-0 loss at Chainat was compounded with a 7-2 mauling at the Thunder Castle.

Former Esan United striker Mark Burchill has found work back in his native homeland after his club were disbanded a few weeks ago. He will work at Livingston FC as assistant manager.

Toyota League Cup - Last 64 Results

Saturday
Krung Thonburi 0-1 Muangthong Utd
Maptaphut Marine 2-0 Rayong Utd
Petchaburi 1-2 Chiang Rai Utd
R-BEC 1-2 BBCU
Prachinburi Utd 0-2 Ratchaburi
Raj Pracha 0-4 Chonburi
Hua Hin City 1-3 Samut Songkhram
Phang Nga 0-1 Chainat
Nong Bua Lampu 1-2 Krabi (AET)
Luk Esan 2-3 Buriram Utd
Lampang 1-1 Nakhon Pathom Utd (NP won 4-3 on pens)
Phatthalung 1-4 Rayong FC
Pichit 2-2 Bangkok FC (Pichit won 5-3 on pens)
Trang 1-0 Pattaya Utd
Phrae Utd 0-0 Bangkok Glass (PU won 5-4 on pens)
Air Force 4-1 Osotspa Saraburi (AET)
Phuket 0-1 PTT Rayong

Maptaphut Marine, Phrae, Trang and Pichit from the regional leagues beat their more illustrious opponents to progress to the last 32. Bangkok Glass, Pattaya and Osotspa Saraburi were the TPL casualties. Glass lost on penalties, Osotspa were ousted after extra time and Pattaya lost 1-0 to Trang in regulation time.
The big 3 of Muangthong, Chonburi and cup holders Buriram United all made it into the hat for the next round as expected. Thiago Cunha bagged a hat-trick for Chonburi while Pichitpong scored the only goal in Muangthong's win at Krung Thonburi. Buriram were trailing against Luk Esan but they came from behind with Dennis Buschening scoring the third and decisive goal.

Sunday
Samut Prakarn Utd 0-0 Songkhla Utd (Songkla 3-2 pens)
Laem Chabang City 1-2 Nakhon Ratchasima (AET)
Kasetsart 0-6 Police Utd
Assumption Thonburi 0-2 Army Utd
TTM 1-4 BEC Tero
Udon Thani 2-0 Singh Tarua
Thai Fleet 1-0 Bangkok Utd
Uthai Thani Forest 1-2 Khon Kaen
Kalasin 1-1 Ayutthaya (Kalasin 5-4 pens)
Roi Et Utd 0-2 Siam Navy
Phitsanulok 1-2 Suphanburi
Luk Tapfah Pathumthani 0-0 TOT (LTP won 3-2 on pens)
Sriracha 1-1 Sisaket (Sriracha won 4-2 on penalties)

Wins for Udon Thani, Thai Fleet, Kalasin and Luk Tapfah means there will be 10 regional league sides in the draw for the last 32. Defeats for Bangkok United, Sisaket and TOT saw a total of 6 TPL sides exiting the tournament in the first round. Sisaket and TOT both went out after losing penalty shootouts while Bangkok United were beaten 1-0 at lowly Thai Fleet. BEC Tero swept aside TTM 4-1 while the biggest win of the weekend was Police United's second half six goal blitz at Kasetsart. Army Utd avoided a third successive early humbling as they beat Assumption Thonburi 2-0 while the 2010 winners, Singh Tarua, lost by the same scoreline at Udon Thani.

Sriracha 1-1 Sisaket (Sriracha won 4-2 on penalties)

Sriracha eventually prevailed winning a penalty shootout to knock TPL side Sisaket out of the League Cup.

It was a lively start to the game with both sides intent on attacking. The first goal of the evening went Sisaket's way when a free kick from Suttinan caused confusion at the back for Sriracha and a Diego Pishinin own goal (I think) give Sisaket the lead.

The Blue Marlins responded three minutes later with a goal of their own. Rewat unleashed a right footed shot from the left which curled past the Sisaket keeper into the net.

On the half hour, Rewat almost added a second, but his diving header was tipped over the bar by the keeper.

Maros Bacik came close for the Dangerous Kouprey slicing a shot inches wide as it ended all even at the break.

Sriracha were certainly on the front foot after the interval with Rewat heading wide and Pornsak forcing the Sisaket stopper into another sprightly save.

Preecha really should have put the TPL side into the lead seven minutes from time, but he headed the ball into the ground and over the bar.

With time ticking down, Seiya Kojima hit the visitor's crossbar and extra time was to be played.

It was a fairly uneventful extra 30 minutes and the tie had to be resolved with a penalty shootout.

Sriracha won 4-2 with Ratinho scoring the decisive penalty.

Overall, Sriracha were the better side and if they keep playing like this, I expect them to climb the Division 1 table.

Man of the Match: Rewat Meerian - Was a constant menace for the Sisaket defence.

Shoot-out

Laem Chabang City 1-2 Nakhon Ratchasima (AET)

Shota Koide's extra time goal separated the sides as Nakhon Ratchasima beat Laem Chabang City 2-1 to advance to the next round of the Toyota League Cup.

With barely two minutes on the clock, Korat took the lead when Prompong latched onto a through ball from Yusuke Kato to slot home.

For the rest of the first half, the Division 1 side held the lion's share of the play, yet it was Laem Chabang who came closest to scoring on the stroke of half time with 'Jack' Saranuwat's lob bobbling just wide of the post.

The afternoon heat seemed to sap the energy of both sides as the second half was played at a slower tempo.

Straight red

The Iron Stingray were slowly getting on top and Ekarat had to spread himself to block Phubet's shot on 70 minutes.

Seven minutes later, the Swatcats were reduced to 10 players after the referee produced a red card for Nirandrit's challenge.

Things went from bad to worse for Korat one minute later when the referee spotted a handball in the box and promptly pointed to the spot.

Penalty 1-1

Manit's resultant penalty was hit low and hard, and went under the diving keeper's body to level the contest at 1-1.

Prompong then had a low shot smothered as extra time beckoned.

Full time: Laem Chabang 1-1 Nakhon Ratchasima

The hosts had a great chance to score early in extra time, but Prirat skied over the bar after being sent on his way.

Marit headed over for Laem Chabang while Prompong's shot was parried by the home side's keeper as the first period of extra time ended 1-1.

With a penalty shoot out on the horizon, the winning goal was scored in the 111th minute by Shota Koide. The Japanese midfielder curled an exquisite right footer into the top corner giving the Laem Chabang keeper no chance.

That was it as far as the action went. Overall, it was a tough win for Nakhon Ratchasima against a plucky Laem Chabang side.

Prachinburi United 0-2 Ratchaburi

10 man Ratchaburi beat 9 man Prachinburi United 2-0 to advance to the last 32 of the Toyota League Cup. The match will mainly be remembered for a punch up which erupted midway through the first half, and the subsequent 20 minute walk off by Prachinburi.

The start of the game was a tepid run off the mill cup encounter in the baking March sun. With temperatures soaring off the pitch, tempers were set to follow suit on it when Prachinburi's #26 received his second yellow card on 18 minutes.

Start of the brawl

The referee was right to dismiss the Prachinburi player, but shortly afterwards, an altercation between Banleuasak and Sakchay escalated into a mass brawl involving both sets of players.

The match official red carded both instigators which then prompted Prachinburi to stage a walkoff while the bickering parties on both sides continued to puff their chests out for 20 minutes.

Once play was resumed, Ratchaburi went close on three occasions from corners as the first half finished with only 10 extra minutes awarded for the 20 minute delay.

Prachinburi came close to scoring on the hour when slack play from Eduardo Ferreira let in Serge who hit the base of the post with his shot.

That was to be the Black Tiger's best effort, and five minutes later Panupong glanced home a corner to give the Dragons the lead.

1-0 Rat-ri

From then on there only looked like one winner, and on 73 minutes Farid Matsoh nonchalantly curled a side footer home from outside the box to win the tie.

Lebanon 5-2 Thailand

Thailand's hopes of qualifying for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia lie in tatters after they suffered a 5-2 loss in Lebanon.

Not Going!!

The makeshift Thai side were behind after only six minutes when Hassan Chaito's shot went through Sivarak's legs.

The same man then doubled the lead before Mohammed Haider's deflected shot made it 3-0 on the half hour mark.

The only moment of cheer for the Thais in the first half came when Sivarak continued his hot penalty saving streak by blocking Hassan Maatouk's weak effort.

Shortly after the interval, Tittiphan gave Thailand a glimmer of hope when he pulled a goal back to reduce the deficit.

The Thai side continued to attack but where dealt a blow on 72 minutes when Maatouk rounded Sivarak to put the game to bed.

Tittiphan grabbed his second goal of the game to pull one back for Thailand before Abbis Ali Atwi restored the three goal cushion in the dying moments.

Thailand's next game is against Iran in October and it seems inevitable that Winnie Schafer won't be at the helm of the Thai ship for this journey.

Whoever is in charge will have a monumental task trying to salvage anything out of this group. Thailand have zero points from two attempts, and next up are back to back matches with group favourites Iran. 

Toyota League Cup - Round 1 Fixtures

Thursday - Result
Lampun Warrior 3-2 Trat

The Lamphun Warrior came from two goals down to take the first scalp of the tournament. With 64 minutes played, the regional league side were trailing 2-0 and seemingly heading for the exit door. However, a three goal blitz in four minutes saw them come from behind to send the White Elephants home with their trunks between their legs.

Saturday
Krung Thonburi v Muangthong Utd*
Maptaphut Marine v Rayong Utd*
Petchaburi v Chiang Rai Utd*
R-BEC v BBCU*
Prachinburi Utd v Ratchaburi*
Raj Pracha v Chonburi
TTM ___buri v BEC Tero
Hua Hin City v Samut Songkhram
Phang Nga v Chainat
Nong Bua Lampu v Krabi
Luk Esan v Buriram Utd
Lampang v Nakhon Pathom Utd
Phatthalung v Rayong FC
Pichit v Bangkok FC
Trang v Pattaya Utd
Phrae Utd v Bangkok Glass
Air Force v Osotspa Saraburi
Phuket v PTT Rayong

Sunday
Samut Prakarn Utd v Songkhla Utd*
Laem Chabang City v Nakhon Ratchasima*
Kasetsart v Police Utd*
Assumption Thonburi v Army Utd*
Udon Thani v Singh Tarua
Thai Fleet v Bangkok Utd
Uthai Thani Forest v Khon Kaen
Kalasin v Ayutthaya
Roi Et Utd v Siam Navy
Phitsanulok v Suphanburi
Luk Tapfah Pathumthani v TOT
Sriracha v Sisaket

All ties are one off games and must be concluded on the day. Extra time and then penalties will be used if the sides cannot be separated.

The * mark indicates ties which will kick off at 3.30pm. The reason for the early start is because these stadiums don't have floodlights. If these ties go to extra time and penalties, the 3.30pm start should allow enough daylight for the game to be completed.

The travelling TTM thrift store is steadily becoming a laughing stock as the club have been wandering from pillar to post searching for a venue for their cup tie with BEC Tero. It was possibly Lopburi, then Minburi before Saraburi was considered. In the end Thanyaburi (60th Anniversary Stadium) was settled upon as the venue. 

Last season, Esan Utd, BBCU, Army Utd and Chainat of the TPL all lost to lower league opposition in the first round. The current TPL roster will need no reminding not to underestimate their lower league opponents.

And who can forget the administrative balls-up at this stage last year which left Samut Songkhram with only 8 eligible players to field at Kalsasin. Fortunately for the fax man, his blushes were spared as Samut Songkhram's eight men won 1-0.

The live SMMTV games are Luk Esan v Buriram Utd on Saturday and Samut Prakarn Utd v Songkhla Utd on Sunday. 

Division 1 Results - Matchday 3

Saturday

Khon Kaen 0-2 Rayong Utd
Krabi 3-0 Ayutthaya
Phuket 3-1 Sriracha
Saraburi 1-2 Singh Tarua
Siam Navy 0-0 BBCU

Tossapol Yodchan's last gasp winner ensured that Singh Tarua remained in pole position. It's now three wins out of three for the club recently relegated from the TPL.
In the south, Phuket and Krabi both enjoyed their first wins of the season. The game in Krabi was tight until Ayutthaya had Anu dismissed on the hour. John Mary then netted his first goal for Krabi before Ekaphan added a late double to leave Ayutthaya licking their wounds.
Dudu was also on hand to notch his first double for the Islanders as they beat Sriracha 3-1. The losses for Ayutthaya and Sriracha leave them tied to the bottom on one point.
Late strikes from David Le Bras and Apirat earned Rayong United their first win with a 2-0 success at Khon Kaen while BBCU etched out another point at Siam Navy to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Sunday

Nakhon Ratchasima 1-0 Nakhon Pathom Utd
Rayong FC 1-2 Trat
TTM 0-2 Bangkok FC

Bangkok FC took advantage of the cancellation between PTT Rayong v Air Force to move into second place. Thawin headed the Bulligans in front shortly before half time and Voraves wrapped up the points seven minutes from the end. In between the goals, Jean Marc Beyeme saved a penalty from Didier Sohna to keep the Iron Bulls ahead. However, TTM would have felt aggrieved that the former BBCU keeper was still on the park for the spot kick. The referee failed to award Beyeme a second yellow card after he blatantly tugged on a TTM player to concede the penalty.
In the battle of the Nakhons it was Ratchasima who prevailed with Prompong's injury time strike sparing his blushes after he'd earlier had his penalty saved. 
Rayong United fans were officially banned for the clash with Trat but that didn't prevent many of the locals watching from the car parks adjacent to the stadium. All three goals came in the first 20 minutes with Miroslav Toth capitalizing on an error between goalkeeper and defender to score the all important winning goal.

Saraburi 1-2 Singh Tarua

Paying respects

Saraburi thought they'd snatched a precious point when Bernard Henry levelled in the 90th minute only for Tossapol Yodchan to spoil the party moments later as Singh Tarua made it three wins out of three with a 2-1 victory.

The first half was a rather quiet affair by comparison with Sing Tarua controlling possession while Saraburi were content to use the pace of their wide men on the counter attack.

The best chance in the opening 45 minutes came to Leandro after Sarawut had set him up following a probing run down the right flank. The Brazilian though, pulled his shot narrowly wide from Sarawut's cut back.

The same combination was involved for the opening goal, but this time it was Leandro setting up the wide man. Leandro flicked the ball through the Saraburi back line to an offside Christen who left it for Sarawut to burst through from an onside position to open the scoring in the 51st minute.

Ri Myong Jun had been relatively quiet, but he had a great chance to double the lead midway through the second half. The Muangthong loanee's poor pass cannoned off a Saraburi defender kindly back into his path, yet with a one on one with the keeper, he shot straight at him.

Five minutes later, Saraburi hit the post after a weak punch from Watchara was knocked back into the mix and in the melee that followed, Henry hit the post.

As the assistant referee was set to lift the board indicating five minutes of injury time, Saraburi equalized. Henry beat Termchai to the ball in the middle of the park and the Ivorian ran through on goal to slot home.

However, it was the guests who grabbed the three points when substitute Tossapol Yodchan "bent it like Beckham" from 25 yards out in the 93rd minute to win the game.

Singh Tarua's last gasp goal means that they've won three out of three with all of the games being played on the road. The Khlong Toei side top the table and are seemingly on their way to an instant return to the TPL.

Saraburi look to me like a mid-table side, but if they could improve with their final ball into the box, then a top half finish could be achieved.

Man of the Match: Sarawut Kongjareon - Scored the opening goal and was lively down the flanks


Attendance: 2,042

Div 1 Fixtures - Round 3

Saturday

Khon Kaen v Rayong Utd
Krabi v Ayutthaya
Phuket v Sriracha
Saraburi v Singh Tarua
Siam Navy v BBCU

Sunday

Nakhon Ratchasima v Nakhon Pathom Utd
Rayong FC v Trat
TTM v Bangkok FC

• There are no games in the capital this weekend after Singh Tarua and Bangkok FC switched their home games to their opponent's venues
• Rayong FC fans are officially banned from their home encounter with Trat as a punishment following threats towards the referee at the end of their last home game with Air Force. In reality, there will be more fans in attendance at the Rayong Stadium than there would be at an average BBCU home game
• In case your wondering why PTT Rayong v Air Force isn't listed, that is because the game has been postponed because PTT's Kirati is away on international duty with the Thai national team. It has been rescheduled for 11th April
• The transfer window finally slammed shut on Wednesday with a few clubs making last minute buys. The most notable acquisition was Nakhon Ratchasima signing North Korean-Japanese striker Kim Seong Yong
• TTM or Ya Sup Lopburi as they are referred to on the official TPL website, have released several players after financial problems continue to fester at the club. The deal which recently brought Jorrin John on loan from Muangthong has broken down and the Englishman has been sent to play his football at regional league side Nonthaburi
• Nakhon Pathom United have cancelled Kone Kasim's contract after an injury ruled him out for the rest of the season
• The live games of the FBS schedule are Siam Navy v BBCU on Saturday, and TTM v Bangkok FC on the following day 
• And this just in. Due to quarrels with the local Lopburi government, TTM will play their match with Bangkok FC at the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi

Toyota League Cup Draw - Round 1

Here we are. The first round of the Toyota league Cup was drawn this afternoon.

Air Force v Osotspa Saraburi
Thai Fleet v Bangkok United
Sriracha v Sisaket
Udon Thani v Singh Tarua
Roi Et United v Siam Navy
Assumption Thonburi v Army Utd
Samut Prakarn Utd v Songkhla Utd
Nong Khai v A24 (Saraburi appear to have withdrawn)
Phitsanulok v Suphanburi
Raj Pracha v Chonburi
Phrae Utd v Bangkok Glass
TTM v BEC Tero
Petchaburi v Chiang Rai Utd
Laem Chabang City v Nakhon Ratchasima
Kalasin v Ayutthaya
Uthai Thani Forest v Khon Kaen
Trang v Pattaya
Phang Nga v Chainat
Phuket v PTT Rayong
Lamphun Warrior v Trat
Luk Esan v Buriram Utd
Krung Thonburi v Muangthong Utd
Maptaphut Marine v Rayong Utd
Nong Bua Lampu v Krabi
Pichit v Bangkok FC
Luk Tapfah v TOT
Phatthalung v Rayong FC
Kasetsart v Police Utd
R-BEC v BBCU
Hua Hin City v Samut Songkhram
Prachinburi v Ratchaburi
Lampang v Nakhon Prathom Utd

Ties to be played on 23/24 March

Mixed Evening for Thai Clubs in ACL

Buriram United 0-0 FC Seoul

Buriram grabbed a satisfactory point with a 0-0 draw against the current K-League champions FC Seoul.

The Korean side started on the front foot and forced the first chance of the game. Kwang Min and Molina linked up nicely before they teed up Dejan Damjanovic whose shot flew just over the bar.

Buriram were certainly trying to attack FC Seoul, but it was the Koreans who had the next chance. Escudero was allowed to skip through the Buriram defence and Siwaruk had to get down sharply at his near post to block his low angled shot.

As the half hour approached, Buriram were fortunate that the ball fell to Molina's wrong foot as the Colombian prodded wide from 12 yards out.

Buriram forced a series of corners as they pace of the half gradually slowed down. Carmelo Gonzalez got in behind the FC Seoul back line, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, Kim Ju Young got a blocking challenge in.

The best chance of the opening period came in stoppage time after Molina cut back a free kick to Choi Hyun Tae, and his low drive skimmed off the post after taking a slight nick off a Buriram defender.

Both teams freshened then things up at the interval. FC Seoul appeared to be in the ascendancy, yet it was Buriram who came closer to scoring in the third quarter. Theerathorn fizzed a right foot shot over the bar while Prathum was inches away from connecting with a great free kick delivery from Jirawat.

With the clock ticking down, the pair seemed content to stick with the point they had. However, Prathum had a couple of sticky moments in injury time. The first was a driven cross which bounced off his thigh past the post, and the second was a hack on the edge of the box which could have been given as a penalty by the Singaporean referee.

It finished 0-0 and overall it was a fair score line. Buriram fought well but lacked the final ball into the opposition box.

Man of the Match: Adilson dos Santos - composed performance from the veteran

Urawa Red Diamonds 4-1 Muangthong United

Muangthong United will want to forget their first venture in ACL territory as they lost 4-1 in Japan.
Within 8 minutes, the TPL champs were a goal down when Kashiwagi struck the ball into the ground from a corner which fortunately bounced up over Weera into a vacant net.
On 30 minutes it was game over when Piyaphon picked up his second yellow card. In the TPL, he'd probably have got away with these two challenges, but with an Australian official, his naivety saw him correctly dismissed.
It was then just a matter of time until the floodgates opened.
On 65 minutes Sekiguchi whipped a cross into the net before Haraguchi's header from the edge of the box made it 3-0 minutes later.
Muangthong's misery was complete on 78 minutes when Thritti turned the ball into his own net to give Urawa a 4-0 lead.
The Japanese side seemed to switch off when Dagno Siaka nodded in an easy consolation goal from Weerawut's cross in the 90th minute.
On reflection, Muangthong were probably punching above their weight taking on the Japanese powerhouse, but questions must be asked about the coach's negative approach.
With two games now to follow against the mega rich Guangzhou Evergrande, it appears to be game over for Muangthong's Asian adventure.

Sunday 10 March - Review

TPL

Bangkok Utd 1-1 Samut Songkhram
Chonburi 1-0 Army
Pattaya Utd 1-2 Osotspa Saraburi
Ratchaburi 0-1 BEC Tero
TOT 1-1 Police Utd

Chonburi and BEC Tero both submitted 1-0 wins to keep check at the top of the table. The Sharks left it late against Army with Boskovic netting while Cleiton Silva scored a fantastic solo goal to help BEC see off Ratchaburi.  Army finished the match with 10 men and have suffered narrow defeats in their first two matches albeit against last season's top 2. Ratchaburi have one point but have yet to find the net since they won promotion to the TPL. Next up, Army and Ratchaburi will face off when the TPL resumes on 27th March.
Osotspa also won to join Chonburi and BEC Tero on four points. Second half goals from Suradej and Apipoo helped the M-Power come back to beat Pattaya 2-1
They other two matches saw the home sides come from behind to grab 1-1 draws. Park Jae Hyun converted from the spot midway through the second period to give Samut Songkhram the lead, but Sompong headed the leveller for Bangkok United two minutes later. It was also 1-1 between TOT and Police as both teams moved onto four points.

Division 1

Nakhon Pathom 1-1 PTT Rayong
Nakhon Ratchasima 2-2 TTM
Phuket 2-2 Bangkok FC
Trat 1-2 Singh Tarua

Singh Tarua were the only winners of the day and their 2-1 at Trat moved them to the summit of the table. The Khlong Toei side had to come from behind after Pimwitti gave Trat a 13th minute lead. Trat were reduced to 10 men on the hour before a Chokchai own goal and a crisp Christen strike maintained Singh Tarua's 100% winning record.
After only two rounds of fixtures, every side in the division has at least one point. That statistic shows how tight this league will be this season with three draws out of four on Sunday helping to emphasise this fact.
In the game that will have most bearing on the promotion race, it was honors even as Phuket drew 2-2 with Bangkok FC with the Bulligans equalizing twice to grab a point.
Up in Korat, the natives are growing slightly restless after their side has failed to win either of their opening home games. The 2-2 against TTM was one they'd have expected to win, but they won't win games if they continue to concede cheap goals.
Nakhon Pathom's first home game since 2010 ended 1-1 with PTT Rayong. The Hunters would have been happy with a point against a strong PTT Rayong side. 

TOT 1-1 Police Utd

TOT came from behind to claim a point in a 1-1 draw against Police United at the TOT Stadium.

The home side shaded the first half with Rodoljub Paunovic coming close on three occasions. His first attempt was scooped over the bar on three minutes while his second was a low shot saved by Pattara. The Serb's third effort of the half curled inches wide after he'd been set up by Bas Savage.

1-0 Police

Police never really had any clear cut chances in the opening period, but it was them who took the lead in the 52nd minute when Lee Han Guk sent a rasping shot past Manthewa.

On the hour, Noppol's curling free kick from the left clipped the crossbar as TOT pressed for an equaliser.

With 15 minutes left, Police played their defensive card by taking off Daniel Cortes, who'd looked their best attacking threat, to bring on Whoo Hyun as a defensive midfielder.

That tactical decision backfired three minutes later when Panomkorn drilled a low shot home to level for the hosts.

Pokkhao almost restored the lead for Police after his shot was tipped onto bar and over by Manthawa.

As the clock whittled down, TOT made a defensive change and both managers seemed content with a point. The draw meant the duo remain unbeaten and moved onto four points.

From what I saw, both sides have mid-table written all over them and I'd be surprised if either of them got sucked into a relegation battle.

Gangnam Style

Man of the Match: Noppol Pol-udom - He pulls the strings for TOT in the centre of the park. 

Saturday 9 March - Review

TPL

Buriram Utd 2-0 Bangkok Glass
Chainat 2-0 Songkhla Utd
Suphanburi 1-0 Chiang Rai Utd

It was a day that saw three home wins accompanied with three clean sheets as Buriram, Chainat and Suphanburi all enjoyed wins after opening day draws.
A crowd of just under 20,000 watched Buriram United beat Bangkok Glass 2-0. Two second half strikes from Carmelo Gonzales earned Buriram their first league win of the campaign and consigned BG to their second straight defeat.
Suphanburi left it late as Adisak prodded home an injury time winner for the War Elephants. Again it's worth noting the attendance with just over 10,000 present at the newly refurbished Suphanburi Municipality Stadium. It's nice to report that a club can complete stadium refurbishments on time during the pre-season.
Michael Byrne rattled in a free kick from the edge of the penalty area just after the break to open the scoring while Phuwadol added a second in the 75th minute to wrap up the points for Chainat. Darko Racocevic was given a second yellow card for an act of petulance as Songkhla finished the match with 10 players.

Division 1

Air Force 1-0 Krabi
Ayutthaya 0-0 Rayong FC
BBCU 3-1 Sriracha
Saraburi 0-0 Khon Kaen
Siam Navy 1-0 Rayong Utd

BBCU produced the performance of the day as they came from a goal down and a man down to win 3-1 over Sriracha. Gaston fired the Blue Marlins in front before Pichit leveled on the stroke of half time. Abbo was then dismissed for the Big Bang, but a quickly taken free kick from Pichit and a penalty from the same man which rebounded off the crossbar onto Hassachai completed the 3-1 scoreline. The official source has credited Pichit with the hat-trick but in my opinion the penalty has to go down as an own goal.
There wasn't much else to excite Division 1 followers with Ayutthaya v Rayong FC and Saraburi v Khon Kaen drawing blanks while Air Force edged out Krabi 1-0 and Tinnapob was on target for Siam Navy in their 1-0 win over Rayong United.

Air Force 1-0 Krabi

Air Force edged out Krabi 1-0 to win a largely forgettable match.

Ugly game

The only goal of the game came in the 34 minute when Supphakorn won possession on the left flank, and his ball across goal eventually ended up at right back Taweesap who fired low through a crowded goalmouth into the net.

John Mary shot wide and Natthapol forced Cunningham into a save as the visitors tried in vain to muster a fightback in the second half.

Bored spectator

Kouassi Herman almost added a second for the hosts three minutes from time but he failed to latch onto Julius Oiboh's cross.

In the last minute of the match, Liade Michel was give a second yellow card to reduce Krabi to 10 men. In all honesty, he should have been sent off in the first half for an ugly lunge at Kouassi.

Attendance: 1,672


Man of the Match: Me - For sitting through 90 minutes of this dour encounter to write a match report

Sisaket 1-2 Muangthong United

Teerasil's 92nd minute winner earned a hard fought 2-1 win for Muangthong United at Sisaket.

Sisaket set their stall out to sit deep while at the same time allowing Muangthong's back 3 unchallenged possession in their own half.

After only eight minutes, that plan took a severe beating when Adnan Barakat unleashed a peach of a strike with his left foot past Pusit in the Sisaket goal. The opening goal came after a sustained spell of Muangthong possession.

The pattern of the match continued with the visitors stroking the ball around patiently with the hosts digging in playing chase ball.

Muangthong could have been two up on 24 minutes, but the linesman thought otherwise. Datsakorn split the Sisaket back 4 to release Piyaphon whose low cross was chested in by Linz. Replays show that Linz may have used his arm but the assistant referee made an incorrect call initially by flagging Piyaphon offside.

The injured Panupong had to be replaced by Thritti on the 28th minute for Muangthong, and seconds later Weera was picking the ball out of his net. A through ball from midfield found a suspiciously offside looking Kittirach who stroked the ball past the advancing Weera to level for Sisaket.

Sisaket were second best for most of the first half, but most importantly for them the scoreline was 1-1 going into the break.

After the interval, clear cut chances were hard to come by and it began to look increasingly likely that the next goal would be the winner.

Teerasil was thwarted twice by Pusit before Datsakorn was furiously kicking the post midway through the half after he slid an effort wide infront of an open goal.

With six minutes left, Weera had to race from his box to head clear after Muangthong's high back line had been caught out by a long ball.

At the other end, Teesasil's strike from a tight angle hit the outside of the post as injury time loomed.

Muangthong's persistence paid off when they hit the winner in the 92nd minute. Dagno's long chip from the right was nodded back across goal by Naphat to Piyaphon. His header bounced off the underside off the bar and Jan Marcin's attempted clearance was bundled home off a combination of Teerasil's face and arm.

On the balance of play, a 2-1 scoreline was fair although some might have sympathy for Sisaket as they possibly deserved a point for their effort and robust defensive display. Muangthong still aren't firing on all cylinders but a brace of 2-1 victories ensure that they'll end this round of fixtures on a higher points total than Buriram United, Chonburi and BEC Tero.

Man of the Match: Dagno Siaka - Energetic performance

Round 2 - Fixtures

TPL

Friday

Sisaket v Muangthong Utd

• This match has been brought forward to Friday to give Muangthong an extra 24 hours to prepare for their trip to Urawa Reds in the AFC Champions league next Tuesday
• Tatpong Latam of Sisaket has received a one game ban after misconduct last week against Chainat

Saturday

Buriram Utd v Bangkok Glass
Chainat v Songkhla Utd
Suphanburi v Chiang Rai Utd

• Anurak Srikert will take charge of Bangkok Glass after Phil Stubbins resigned on Tuesday
• The Bangkok Glass v Buriram match was switched to Buriram because the building of the new main stand at Bangkok Glass isn't complete yet
• Shinnosuke Honda and Goran Jerkovic are on loan from Buriram and won't be able to start for BG against their parent club
• Buriram Utd have signed Han Jae Woong from Incheon Utd. The 28 year old winger has represented South Korea's U-20's
• Suphanburi will be able to add Kim Tae Young to their squad. He was in exile after the liquidation of Esan United
• Anon Sangsanoi has joined Chiang Rai United signing a 4 year contract

Sunday

Bangkok Utd v Samut Songkhram
Chonburi v Army
Pattaya Utd v Osotspa Saraburi
Ratchaburi v BEC Tero
TOT v Police Utd

• BEC Tero have signed Belux Bukasa Kasongo. The 33 year old defender from the DR Congo was signed from AmaZulu FC in Durban, South Africa. They have also boosted goalkeeping options with the capture of Sujin Naknayom
• Samut Songkhram have snapped up Guy Hubert from the Esan United closing down sale 
• Ratchaburi have signed Guadeloupe international forward Larry Clavier

Division 1

Saturday

Air Force v Krabi
Ayutthaya v Rayong FC
BBCU v Sriracha
Saraburi v Khon Kaen
Siam Navy v Rayong Utd

• Rayong FC are B135,000 lighter after fines incurred for hostility by fans towards the notorious referee Thanom 'Bomber' Borikut last weekend
• Rayong United's stadium in Klaeng is still being upgraded so the match has been switched to Siam Navy's home in Sattahip

Sunday

Nakhon Pathom v PTT Rayong
Nakhon Ratchasima v TTM
Phuket v Bangkok FC
Trat v Thai Port

• You guessed it. Another venue change. TTM v Nakhon Ratchasima has been switched to Korat
• The reinstated Nakhon Pathom will play their home games at the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Stadium
• Nakhon Ratchasima have snapped up goal stopper Ulrich Munze after he became available from..........wait for it......... Esan United 
• Singh Tarua have reportedly taken Chalermkiat Bunnet on loan for the 2013 season. The defender only recently joined BG from Bangkok FC.

Opening Sunday Review

TPL 

Buriram Utd 1-1 Suphanburi
Chiang Rai Utd 1-3 TOT 
Sisaket 0-0 Chainat
Songkhla Utd 1-0 Bangkok Glass

Suphanburi enjoyed a satisfactory opening on their long awaited return to the TPL with a 1-1 draw at Buriram United. It certainly wasn't a day that either goalkeeper will look back fondly on. On 57 minutes, Dragan Boskovic's trundling shot baffled Siwarak with the Buriram keeper somehow fumbling the ball into his own net. Eight minutes later, Chappuis caught Kosin out of position as he floated a corner past him to equalize.
Supporters of Sisaket would never have welcomed a drab 0-0 draw with so much happiness after spending 2012 in the footballing equivalent of limbo. The biggest cheer of the day would have come when Phusit saved an injury time penalty from Jagdeosingh as the Dangerous Kouprey collected their first point.
The current league ladder has TOT perched at the top after they won 3-1 at Chiang Rai United. Goals from newbie Zarko Jelicic, Bas Savage and Prakit won it for the Hello Boys.
Songkhla United edged out Bangkok Glass 1-0 with Manop knocking in a rebound for the only goal of the game. 

Division 1

Khon Kaen 1-1 Trat
Krabi 1-1 Nakhon Pathom Utd
PTT Rayong 3-0 TTM Lopburi
Sriracha 2-2 Rayong Utd

PTT beat TTM 3-0 to win the battle of the initialisms. The club from Rayong also took the honor of being the only first division side to win a home match on the opening weekend. The contest was over before the interval with two goals from Adisak and one from Pipat. PTT had Chalermsuk ordered off late in the first half, so that might explain why they didn't add any second half goals.
In Sriracha, all four goals were scored by foreigners. Berlin and Gaston sandwiched goals for Sriracha inbetween two goals scored by former Swatcats. The much travelled Valci Junior opened the scoring for Rayong United while Le Bras grabbed an injury time equalizer.
In the other two games, both home sides came from behind to draw 1-1. Douglas Cobo's first half penalty for Trat was cancelled out by a late Christ Mbondi free kick while Nakhon Pathom United returned to the fold with a decent point at Krabi. Nakhon Pathom's keeper, Narong, saved a penalty before Worayut converted one at the other end. Thaweephong levelled for Krabi in the second half to grab a share of the spoils. 

Songkhla United 1-0 Bangkok Glass

Manop Sornkaew scored the only goal of the game as Songkhla United beat Bangkok Glass 1-0.

The first quarter of an hour was rather tentative until Kone Seydou had the ball in the back of the net. The goal was correctly disallowed as the defender had strayed offside following a flick on from a free kick.

The home side began to take control with Jules Baga forcing the bulky Narit to sprawl across the goal to block his header.

In the 22nd minute, the BG back 4 were caught napping as Wanit was allowed to run into acres of space down the left flank, but his left footed shot flew over the bar.

The home side were on top and Manop couldn't keep his lob from 25 yards on target after Narit had rushed out of his box miscuing his clearance straight to the Songkhla number 21.

As the interval approached. the game lost it's momentum with several ugly fouls disrupting the play.

Songkhla took the lead on 54 minutes when Manop held his composure to knock home after the ball had rebounded off the bar to him. It was tough on Narit who'd initially made a great save tipping the ball onto the crossbar.

Bangkok Glass had been toothless for the majority of the game and they freshened things up on 66 minutes bringing on Leandro dos Santos and Saruta for Ekkaphan and Honda.

With 5 minutes left, Glass had their best chance of the game when Saruta found space between two defenders, but he headed wide from six yards out.

There was to be no further scoring as Songkhla held out for a deserved 1-0 victory. The home side can be happy with their first outing and if they play like this every week then they should finish in mid-table.

Bangkok Glass on the other hand were a big disappointment. Their physical approach to bully Songkhla meant they conceded too many free kicks and their attacking threat in the final third lacked imagination. They do however, have Goran Jerkovic to enter the frame eventually. He won't be able to play next week as BG face his parent club Buriram United.

Man of the Match: Kone Seydou - The rock of Songkhla's back 4

Opening Day Review

TPL

BEC Tero 2-2 Chonburi
Muangthong Utd 2-1 Army Utd
Osotspa Saraburi 0-0 Ratchaburi
Police Utd 1-0 Bangkok Utd
Samut Songkhram 0-2 Pattaya Utd

BEC Tero came flying out of the starting blocks and were 2-0 up within 10 minutes. Amorn and Cleiton Silva were on target for the Fire Dragons before Irfan Bachdim netted on his Chonburi debut. It was another new boy, Ivan Boskovic, who lost his marker in the last minute to salvage a point for Chonburi. Tero's captain, Arzu, was sent off in injury time.
It didn't take Teerasil long to score his first goal of the new season. Within a few minutes he had the reigning champs in front before Dagno Siaka doubled that lead later in the first half. Tatree pulled one back for Army to make it a nervous last 20 minutes for the Muangthong fans. Despite a spirited fightback from the colorfully kitted Army, it was Muangthong who held on to win 2-1.
Goals late in each half must have had alarm bells ringing in Samut Songkhram as they went down 2-0 at home to Pattaya. Patawee and Jung Ji Soo were on target to position the Dolphins at the top of the table.
The new boys of Ratchaburi and Bangkok United both failed to find the net on their debut, although Ratchaburi would have been satisfied with a point from Osotspa. Daniel Cortes snuck in at the back post to score the only goal of the game on 10 minutes as Police beat Bangkok United 1-0. The scoreline could have been greater had the woodwork not saved Bangkok United on three occasions.

Division 1

Ayutthaya 0-2 Singtarua
BBCU 1-1 Phuket
Nakhon Ratchasima 1-2 Bangkok FC
Rayong FC 1-2 Air Force
Siam Navy 0-1 Saraburi FC

It certainly wasn't a day for the home sides with four of them suffering losses. BBCU were the only hosts not to lose as they took a point at home to Phuket.
Up in Korat, the referee had a stinker with a performance that already has him a strong front runner for the worst refereeing performance of 2013. Korat hit woodwork before Lee Tuck netted from the spot for the Bulligans in first half stoppage time. Voraves doubled  the scoring after the break before he was ordered off with 10 minutes left. Prompong scored a late penalty for the hosts but it was too little, too late.
Two second half goals from Leandro Luz pointed Singhtarua in the right direction as they won their first game in Division 1. Both goals came after Ayutthaya's Justin Herve was dismissed for receiving two yellow cards.
Home losses for Rayong FC and Siam Navy against Air Force and Saraburi respectively, indicate it's going to be a long season for the pair from the eastern region.

BBCU 1-1 Phuket

2013 season kicks off

BBCU and Phuket opened their Division 1 campaigns by sharing a 1-1 draw.

It was a slow start to the game with the man wearing lime green dominating early proceedings with the constant use of his whistle.

BBCU took the lead midway through the first half when a free kick from the right was headed back across the goal by Bouba Abbo for Pichit to tap in to an empty net.

The away side levelled a few minutes later after Nene Bi directed the ball home from Sakareya's free kick

There weren't many chances in the opening half although Nontapan went close with a shot for Phuket before BBCU's opening goal was almost duplicated with Abbo's back post header finding Pichet once again, but this time his swiveled shot flew over the bar.

Following the break, Abbo's low shot missed the post by a couple of inches after the big man had jinked past a couple of Phuket players.

BBCU had a goal chalked off on 73 minutes when Phuket's Sato Yusuke was bundled into the net with the ball following a friendly shove from a BBCU player.

In injury time, BBCU's Boonyarit was shown a straight red card after aiming a softish looking kick at the newly introduced sub, Giorgi Tsimakuridze.

Giorgi gets a yellow before ref gives Boonyarit red

It ended 1-1 which was fair and both sides would probably have been satisfied with a point.

BBCU were solid and look to me that they'll grind out results rather than win by playing attractive football. Phuket still appear to be 'work in progress' while the coach works out what his best starting 11 and formation is. The pair should be challenging for the top 6 but I didn't see enough tonight to suggest that either will be promoted come November.

Attendance: 517


Man of the Match: Roberto da Silva (BBCU)  - Had a solid game at the back

Full time

Opening Weekend Fixtures

TPL

Saturday

BEC Tero v Chonburi
Muangthong Utd v Army Utd
Osotspa Saraburi v Ratchaburi
Police Utd v Bangkok Utd
Samut Songkhram v Pattaya Utd

• BEC Tero will play home games at Chalerm Prakiat 72 Stadium in Minburi this season. If you're travelling from downtown Bangkok, allow at least an hour for your journey
• Reports suggest that Ney Fabiano and Samut Songkhram have parted ways after the ex Chonburi man recently joined the club

Sunday

Buriram Utd v Suphanburi
Chiang Rai Utd v TOT
Sisaket v Chainat
Songkhla Utd v Bangkok Glass

• Sisaket/Esan United will host Chainat at the Srilamduan Stadium in Sisaket. It was confirmed by the TPL earlier in the week that Sisaket FC will replace Esan Utd. It's unclear which squad players from Esan Utd will line up for Sisaket FC this Sunday
• In case you are wondering what happened to Wuachon Utd, they have been renamed as Songkhla Utd. They will continue to play at the Tinsulanon Stadium
• Goran Jerkovic has joined Bangkok Glass on a season long loan from Buriram Utd after what appears to have been a falling out with Buriram Utd

Division 1

Saturday

Ayutthaya v Singtarua
BBCU v Phuket
Nakhon Ratchasima v Bangkok FC
Rayong FC v Air Force
Siam Navy v Saraburi FC

• Ayutthaya v Singtarua was switched from the PAT Stadium to Ayutthaya due to the PAT Stadium still undergoing renovations
• Singtarua are off course the newly rebranded Thai Port.
• BBCU have moved from the Rajamangala back to the Army Stadium where they spent the 2011 season

Sunday

Khon Kaen v Trat
Krabi v Nakhon Pathom Utd
PTT Rayong v TTM Lopburi
Sriracha v Rayong Utd

• Nakhon Pathom Utd will play their first competitive game since they were suspended from the Thai football structure at the end of 2010
• TTM Lopburi are the side formerly known as TTM Chiang Mai, TTM Pichit, TTM Samut Sakhon and once upon a time as just plain old TTM