Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TPL - Average Attendances

TPL (2011)
14,474 Buriram PEA
11,208 Muangthong
7,395 Sisaket
5,733 Bangkok Glass
5,728 Army Utd
5,369 Chonburi
3,557 Chiang Rai Utd
3,657 Osotspa Saraburi
3,638 Police Utd
3,171 Khon Kaen
2,875 Samut Songkhram
2,840 BEC Tero
2,832 Thai Port
2,285 Siam Navy
2,243 TTM Phichit
2,075 Sriracha
1,710 Pattaya
1,431 TOT

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Last Game of the TPL Season - Review

TPL
Army 1-3 Samut Songkhram
Sriracha 2-0 Navy
Chiang Rai 2-2 Buriram PEA
BEC Tero 2-3 TOT
Pattaya 1-0 Muangthong


It was a high scoring culmination to the season as the last remaining placing of any significance was decided. Siam Navy were confirmed as the third and final team to be relegated from the TPL. The Sattahip based side disappointingly lost 2-0 at Sriracha and they'll join their weekend opponents and Khon Kaen in what will be a competitive 1st Division next season. In all fairness, Navy actually had a decent second half to the season but how they must rue their dreadful start to the campaign.
Samut Songkhram and TOT secured their top flight status with away wins at Army United and BEC Tero respectively. Samut Songkhram comfortably beat a weakened Army side 3-1 while TOT hung on to claim a 3-2 win at Tero.
It was an action packed match between Chiang Rai and Buriram PEA as there were late goals and sending offs. Buriram won the red card count 2-1 but they will have glady taken a point considering Chiang Rai went 2-1 infront in the 94th minute. Buriram equalized in the 96th minute when the unfortunate Pichai sliced the ball into his own net.
Muangthong's dismal season ended with a 1-0 loss at Pattaya. A second half penalty was enough for the Dolphins as they secured a 4th place finish. It wasn't all bad news for Muangthong staff as their absent player-coach, Fowler, will have celebrated Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Man Utd in the FA Cup with his mates back in England. I hope you're taking unpaid leave while you're back home Robbie!!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Army United 1-3 Samut Songkhram

Samut Songkhram kept their place in the TPL with a 3-1 victory over an Army side which didn't field any of their Brazilian imports.

Army equalizer
The relegation threatened side got of to a flying start when Chaiwut fired in a rebound in the second minute.

Army were back on level terms when a low cross from Wanchana was swept in by Tanakorn in the 10th minute.

Napat Thamrongsupakon
Napat grabbed his first and Samut Songkhram's second when he netted from close in after the Army keeper had blocked a shot from a quickly taken free-kick. The same man then made it three for the away side seconds after the restart when he outpaced the Army defence to give the Mae Khlong a two goal cushion.

That was it as far as the scoring went. Army did hit the post and forced some late pressure but by then it was too late. Many Army supporters knew the game was up and several began trickling out the exits long before the game was over.





Friday, January 27, 2012

Division 1 - Average Attendances

The average attendances below for the season have been taken from the official Thai Premier League site. To calculate the figures, I just added up each teams home attendances and divided it by the number of games played.
The figures given on the TPL site are often debatable and if no official attendance is given then the crowd is often estimated.

Division 1 (2011)
12,633 Songkla
8,687 Chiang Mai
7,542 Buriram FC
4,466 Phuket
3,624 Chainat
2,427 Suphanburi
2,312 PTT Rayong
2,258 Chantaburi
2,115 Saraburi
1,361 Air Force
917 Bangkok FC
848 Raj Pracha
798 BBCU
772 RBAC
705 JW Rangsit
694 Customs
621 Bangkok United
462 Thai Honda

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Last Game of the TPL Season - Preview

TPL
Army v Samut Songkhram
Sriracha v Navy
Chiang Rai v Buriram PEA
BEC Tero v TOT
Pattaya v Muangthong

The TPL season will finally end this Saturday, 50 weeks after it started back in February 2011. It's been dubbed by some as the "longest season ever" and I don't think there are many TPL fans or players who will be unhappy to see the back of a season which in recent weeks has become as mundane as an episode of the barrel-scraping Celebrity Big Brother.
In truth the last weekend's fixtures are anything but mundane as TOT, Samut Songkhram and Siam Navy will be fighting it out to avoid the last relegation spot.  Khon Kaen and Sriracha have already bitten the dust and they will be joined by one of the teams above in Division 1 next season.
The temptation is to use some Sky Sports hype and bill this as being "Survival Saturday," but in reality most neutrals outwith the three clubs involved will feel insipid as to who stays up or goes down.
In short, if TOT win their trip to BEC Tero and Samut Songkram take 3 points from the Army Stadium, both sides will stay in the top flight. Anything less than a victory for either side would leave the door open for Siam Navy who visit a Sriracha side who were officially relegated on Tuesday evening.
PEA's brief but successful two year tenure in Buriram ends this Saturday as Buriram PEA travel to Chiang Rai while Pattaya host Muangthong in an inconsequential match in Nong Prue - well it must be inconsequential if a certain head coach can't be arsed turning up!!

Monday, January 23, 2012

King's Cup Review & Midweek Preview

41st King's Cup (Results)
(Sunday 15)
Denmark XI 1-1 Norway XI
Thailand 1-3 South Korea U23's

(Wednesday 18)
Denmark XI 0-0 South Korea U23's
Thailand 0-1 Norway XI

(Saturday 21)
South Korea U23's 3-0 Norway XI
Thailand 1-3 Denmark XI

Final Standings:
South Korea 7 pts
Denmark 5
Norway 4
Thailand 0

Congratulations go to the South Korean U23's. They won the King's Cup playing composed football with enthusiasm and vigor. The opposite must be said of Thailand though. It was an exhausted, characterless effort from the hosts as they ended the 4 team tournament with zero points from three games. The honeymoon period is over now for Winfried Schaefer and you have to wonder if he'll still be in the job if Thailand fail to beat Oman next month in the final Group D World Cup qualifying match. Personally I hope he is given time to set the foundations for the future, but we know that targets have been set by the footballing authorities and they'll almost certainly need a scapegoat to hide the blame for their own incompetence if these set targets aren't achieved.

Midweek Action
(TPL)
Muangthong v Sriracha (Tues)

Muangthong United play their last home game of an underachieving season tomorrow evening. While the Kirins have nothing to play for, their guests, Sriracha, must achieve a victory to have any chance of staying in the TPL.

(Division 1)
Buriram FC v JW Rangsit (Thurs)

Champions Buriram F.C welcome JW Rangsit for the final league fixture of the Division 1 season. The match was postponed from last weekend on account of a local election in Buriram. This will be the last ever game for Buriram FC as they are set to become part of the Buriram United conglomerate next season.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

TOT 1-0 Samut Songkhram

TOT claimed a vital 3 points as Samut Songkhram were beaten in Chaeng Wattana. The victory moves TOT onto 34 points and out of the relegation zone above Samut Songkhram and Siam Navy.

TOT's Takahiro Kawamura struck the post with a header in a first half that was largely dominated by the home side.

The deadlock was broken for the hosts after the break when a cross from the left flank was headed in by ex-Muangthong and Chonburi striker Kone Mohammed.

Napat Thamrongsupakon's scuffed shot bounced onto the bar and Saravut Konglap in the TOT goal produced a 'supersave' from a header in injury time as Samut Songkhram pressed for an equalizer.
Match winner - Kone Mohammed

The 1-0 was a fair result as TOT were the better side for the majority of the game. 


Next Saturday, TOT make the short trip to BEC Tero while Samut Songkhram are back in the capital to face Army United. Both sides go into these games knowing that a win will secure their TPL future. Anything other than a victory would leave the pair of them looking nervously at the outcome of the clash between Sriracha and Siam Navy. It should be a dramatic evening next Saturday.


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Weekend Preview 21 - 22 January

TPL
TOT v Samut Songkhram (Sun)

It's been a bad week for Samut Songkhram on and off the field. Last Saturday they lost a valuable three points right at the death of their relegation battle as Navy snatched a late point. More bad news followed a couple of days later as their main sponsors, the SCG Cement Group, withdrew their investment in the club and switched allegiances to Muangthong United.
A win this weekend would ensure another year in the TPL for the Mae Klong side. Defeat though would leave them staring at 1st division football and the possibility of extinction. If TOT do secure three points on Saturday, it wouldn't clinch survival, but it would leave them going into the last game with their destiny in their own hands.
TOT and Samut Songkhram have both drawn their last two games. I wouldn't bet against this one finishing even too.


41st King's Cup (Results & Fixtures)
(Sunday 15)
Denmark XI 1-1 Norway XI
Thailand 1-3 South Korea U23's

(Wednesday 18)
Denmark XI 0-0 South Korea U23's
Thailand 0-1 Norway XI

(Saturday 21)
South Korea U23's v Norway XI
Thailand v Denmark XI

Winnie Schaefer's weary troops have endured a dreadful time in this tournament so far. In the first game, Thailand lost 3-1 to a youthful South Korea and then last night they were edged out by a second string Norway. On Saturday, Thailand have nothing but pride to play for as they face a Denmark XI side. The winners of South Korea and Norway in the earlier match up will win the 41st King's Cup. A draw in this game and a Denmark victory would leave three sides tied on 5 points.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Saturday 14th January - Review

TPL
Navy 1-1 Samut Songkhram
Sisaket 1-2 TTM Phichit

A 95th minute goal from Olof Watson salvaged a valuable point for Siam Navy. The 3 points from this relegation encounter looked to be heading back to Mae Klong as Efe Obode's close range goal had given SCG a 73rd minute lead. The late eqaulizer means both sides move onto 33 points while TOT sit 2 points behind them on 31. Next week TOT face Samut Songkhram in another crucial relegation battle.
Sisaket must be relieved to finally finish this season. Their 13th placed finish is an improvement on 2010 but many at the club will see that as a disappointment after a promising start to the campaign. The 2-1 home defeat to TTM Phichit left Sisaket ending their campaign on a 12 match winless streak. For TTM it was another mid-table finish.


Division 1
Suphanburi 2-0 Raj Pracha
Chainat 3-0 FC Phuket
Air Force 0-1 BBCU
Buriram FC P-P JW Rangsit (26 Jan)
Chantaburi 6-1 RBAC
Saraburi 2-1 Bangkok Utd
Customs 2-2 Songkla
Thai Honda 0-2 PTT Rayong
Bangkok FC 2-2 Chiang Mai

There was no last day drama in Division 1. With all bar one of the promotion and relegation issues already decided prior to the last round of fixtures, the only games with any significance were at Chantaburi and Customs. Chantaburi needed a win to stay up and they achieved that in style as they dispatched a depleted RBAC 6-1. Labi and Rattaporn both grabbed hat-tricks as Chantaburi confirmed their first division status on the last day for the second consecutive season. The Forza stadium witnessed its last Division 1 fixture for the time being as Customs were held to a 2-2 draw by Songkla. The Lat Krabang side will join Thai Honda and RBAC in Bangkok's 2nd division next season.
Elsewhere Chainat were too strong for Phuket as they beat the troubled side 3-0. Chainat finished the game with 9 men after two reds were quickly issued midway through the second half. BBCU edged out Air Force 1-0, Bangkok FC were twice pegged back by Chiang Mai and Bangkok United's disappointing season ended as they conceded an injury time goal to lose 2-1 at Saraburi

41st King's Cup (Fixtures)
(Sunday 15)
Denmark XI v Norway XI
Thailand v South Korea U23's

(Wednesday 18)
Denmark XI v South Korea U23's
Thailand v Norway XI

(Saturday 21)
South Korea U23's v Norway XI
Thailand v Denmark XI


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Weekend Preview 14 - 15 January

TPL
Navy v Samut Songkhram (Sat)
Sisaket v TTM Phichit (Sat)

The victors of Navy v Samut Songkhram will take a giant step towards TPL safety this Saturday. Siam Navy were on fine form last month when this game should have originally been played, but it was rescheduled to a later date due to a request from Navy officials. That decision may come back to haunt the owners of the Sattahip club if they fail to pick up 3 points!! Samut Songkhram and Navy are both locked on 32 points with TOT one point behind them on 31.
Sisaket will be delighted to see the back of the 2011 season as they are currently on a run of 11 games without a win. Their early season promise is a distant memory and it's been four months since the Dangerous Kouprey last collected 3 points. If TTM avoid defeat in Sisaket, they will finish above them in the final standings.


Division 1 (Saturday)
Suphanburi v Raj Pracha
Chainat v FC Phuket
Air Force v BBCU
Buriram FC v JW Rangsit
Chantaburi v RBAC
Saraburi v Bangkok Utd
Customs v Songkla
Thai Honda v PTT Rayong
Bangkok FC v Chiang Mai

The 1st Division will finally draw to a close this weekend after 48 weeks of stop/start action. Out of the 18 teams that have played in the league this term, it seems likely that 50% of them won't be lining up in Division 1 next season. Buriram FC, Chainat and BBCU have been promoted while RBAC, Thai Honda and Chiang Mai have fallen through the relegation trap door into the regional leagues. They will most likely be joined by Customs on Saturday unless the unlikely double result occurs of Customs beating Songkla and depleted RBAC defeating the Hares in Chantaburi.
The other two imminent departing teams are Songkla and FC Phuket for contrasting reasons. Songkla FC have purchased the discarded golden PEA ticket from Buriram and have bought a place in next season's TPL under the amalgam Songkla PEA FC or as they should be known Songkla Promotion Easily Achieved For Cash!
The impending demise of FC Phuket is rather a sad story of a local government and chief benefactor becoming bored of their project and as a result it's 'game over' for the club unless a new benefactor comes in.

41st King's Cup
(Sunday 15)
Denmark XI v Norway XI
Thailand v South Korea U23's

(Wednesday 18)
Denmark XI v South Korea U23's
Thailand v Norway XI

(Saturday 21)
South Korea U23's v Norway XI
Thailand v Denmark XI

If your interested in attending, all the games will be played at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.