The Story So Far (Part 4) - Relegation Candidates

As the TPL table stands just now, it appears that any five from the seven below will be taking the drop to the first division.

Sisaket

Current Position: 14th

The Dangerous Kouprey can be reasonably pleased with their return to the TPL after a lengthy courtroom battle left them idle for the majority of 2013. There aren’t many household names in the squad, but that’s possibly why it’s working so far. Their key to survival is beating the teams currently below them in the table. At this moment, they are just above danger zone courtesy of goal difference. The important factor for Sisaket is to remain in the TPL and build from there. 

Bangkok United

Current Position: 15th

The club parted ways with the wily Sasom Pobprasert during the off-season and they probably regret doing that now. His replacement Rui Bento didn’t even make it to Songkran festival and former Police coach Thawatchai has been given the task of saving the Angels. I expect he'll be one of the busiest mangers in the upcoming transfer window as he brings in fresh faces to replace some of the well paid journeymen currently at the club. In the meantime, losing 7-0 at Tero a fortnight ago hardly inspires confidence and the underachieving squad are in real danger of dropping down a division.

Songkhla United

Current Position: 16th

The big dream of being the Buriram of the south has never emerged and the club are on route to return to the first division were the now extinct Songkhla FC once lingered. The Fighting Bulls are averaging less than one goal per game and the have the equal worst defensive record in the league. That’s not a good combination. Home form could be their savior.

Police

Current Position: 17th

It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde start to the season for Police. An impressive 5-1 win over Air Force and a 1-1 draw at Muangthong wasn’t capitalized on with the club losing five out of their next six games. That run cost Carlos Roberto his job and he’s been surprisingly replaced by Mika Lonnstrom. The Finn was recruited from a Roi Et United side that were second from bottom in Division 1. If Police can get their strikers firing, then they should be able to avoid the drop.

PTT Rayong

Current Position: 18th

The Oil Millionaires got off to a decent start and a comfortable mid-table finish appeared on the cards. However, the turning point in their season came when they blew a 2-0 lead at home to Chonburi, eventually drawing 2-2. Since then, their solid defensive unit have started shipping goals and their only win came nine games ago against Samut Songkhram. Fortunately, for the club, they have the money and resources to revamp their squad for the second leg.

Samut Songkhram

Current Position: 19th

The usually dysfunctional club seemed set for a stable season after a new sponsorship deal allowed them to make early purchases in the transfer market. Unfortunately hardly any of them have lived up to their billing. The upgrade of their home stadium has seen them relocate to the stadiums of Ratchaburi and Army. In their absence from home, they’ve lost all four contests. The Mackerels only win was at Air Force and they need to return to home base as soon as possible if they have any chance of survival. 

Air Force

Current Position: 20th

It’s been a dismal return to the top flight for Air Force. With no wins in 11 attempts, it appears incredibly likely that they will be making an instant return to the second tier. Instead of building on their promotion winning team, they dismantled it and brought in several new faces. Lee Tuck was acquired from Bangkok FC and with Kouassi Hermann, they were expected to bang in the goals. Neither of the duo have managed to find their first division goal scoring form and as a result Air Force are rooted to the floor of the TPL. They are already 7 points from safety and are in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom. 

Singh Tarua 2-1 Air Force

A nervy Singh Tarua booked their place for the 2014 TPL with a 2-1 victory over a lackluster Air Force.

At half time, the signs weren't looking good for the majority of the bumper crowd inside the PAT Stadium. Bangkok FC were 1-0 up at PTT Rayong while Tarua couldn't penetrate the Air Force rearguard after bossing the play in the opening 45 minutes.

However, an equalizer for PTT in Rayong eased the tension before Singh Tarua were awarded an extremely soft penalty on the hour. A composed Leandro stepped up to slot past Warut in the Air Force goal.

The hosts continued to control the contest but with four minutes left a scuffed effort was clipped in by Kittipoom to silence the Klong Toei Army.

In the 93rd minute, Singh Tarua regained the lead when substitute Sarawut outjumped his marker to nod home Ali Diarra's cross.

Seconds later, the celebrations commenced as the referee blew the final whistle. That was the cue for fireworks and flares to be set off and several fans invaded the pitch to share their joy with the players. It was even touching to see the Tarua and Air Force supporters mutually bond at the end as they applauded each other. How different that would have been had Singh Tarua not been promoted!!

The duo now have just over three months to prepare for life in the top flight. Both clubs have a decent nucleus of talent in their squad but several new recruits will need to be brought in for them to survive.

Man of the match: Warut Metmusik - Safe handling

BBCU 0-2 Air Force

Air Force more or less stamped their ticket for the 2014 TPL season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over BBCU.

A free kick into the box from Thongchai caused BBCU immediate problems before it was booted to safety by Nantapol.

The host's only real effort of the half came in the 12th minute when an angled shot from Pichit went straight into the arms of Samuel P Cunningham.

Air Force were in control during the first period and they opened the scoring just after the 30 minute mark. Kouassi broke through the BBCU back line and held the ball up before cutting back to Oiboh. The Nigerian drilled his shot onto the post and the rebound was then crossed by Supphakorn for Kouassi to head home.

Kouassi got his second goal of the match in the 53rd minute when he raced through to net after the powerful Supphakorn had slipped him in.

Three minutes later, Julius Oiboh almost added a third but couldn't get his laces through Supphakorn's low cross from the right.

BBCU never looked like recovering and the closest the came to scoring was from a rasping Moussa Sylla 25yard shot that was deflected over.

In the dying minutes, Kouassi almost completed his hat-trick. Yet again, a through ball set him up but his shot rolled paifully across the goal. All credit must be given to Kouassi for staying on his feet after a challenge from the BBCU keeper.

Throughout the season I've been critical of Air Force's promotion credentials but after tonight I must recognize them as potentially worthy Division 1 champions. They have the best keeper in the league in Samuel Cunningham and their robust defence is well organized by Jarulsak. Up front, the lighting pace of Kouassi and Oiboh will always cause problems and Zezinando is the modern day box-to-box footballer.
BBCU deserved nothing out of the match and they played like a side that was just going through the motions. 

Man of the Match: Kouassi Yao Hermann

Air Force 1-0 Singh Tarua

Former Portugal U20 international Zezinando capitalized on a goalkeeping flap to move Air Force 4 points clear at the top of Division 1.

In all honesty, it had been a dismal spectacle, and it looked like heading for a stalemate until Zezinando fired home after Watchara failed to collect the ball following pressure from Kouassi Hermann.

In the first couple of minutes, Leandro forced Samuel Cunningham into a full stretched save, but that was as good as it got in a turgid first 45 minutes.

The match slightly improved after the interval with Leandro firing a shot inches wide in the 57th minute while Cunningham had to make a decisive block at the feet of Christen with 16 minutes left.

In the 79th minute, Air Force just needed one chance, and they took it when Zezinando drilled home a low drive from the edge of the box.

Singh Tarua had what appeared to be a good penalty shout minutes later, but the referee produced a yellow card to Sarawut instead of pointing to the spot.

The victory moved Air Force four points clear of PTT Rayong, but more importantly, twelve points clear of fourth placed Singh Tarua. Air Force and PTT Rayong should be able to kick on and reserve a TPL spot for 2014 with any one of Bangkok FC, Singh Tarua, Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima joining them in the top flight. 

Air Force 2-1 Rayong United

Thupathemi Stadium

Air Force beat 9 man Rayong United to claim their sixth straight win and their fifth consecutive 2-1 victory.

The current Division 1 leaders appeared to be heading for a comfortable home win with two goals scored in the first 30 minutes.

The first came midway through the first half when a short corner was crossed into the box for Supphakorn to nod home after the Rayong Utd defence failed to clear the initial danger.

On the half hour, a ball cut in from the left by Julius Oiboh was knocked into his own net by Pasawee.

The away side's best effort of the half came five minutes before the break when Cunningham scooped out a goal bound Valci Junior header on the goal line.

The second half was on the verge of dying a death until the introduction of David le Bras from the Rayong Utd bench shortly after the hour.

Within a minute, the broody Frenchman had split the Air Force central defence with a precise ball to set up Wuttiphan to pull one back.

The Elephant Warrior's fight back was on and Valci Junior twice brought out good saves from Samuel Cunningham as the home side nervously held on to their slender lead.

In the 80th minute, Rayong United were reduced to ten men when Chatchai received a second yellow card.

That seemed to take the impetus out of the guests, and as full time was approaching they were effectively knocked out as Wittaya was given a straight red for a hack at Kouassi Hermann.

The Airmen's victory saw them move six points clear at the top and despite not looking entirely convincing, they have a healthy lead at to kick on and claim a TPL spot.

Rayong United need to improve at the back as they conceded a couple of sloppy goals today. With Valci Junior in the side, they always look like scoring and keeping the Brazilian fit will be vital to their survival bid.

Man of the Match: Valci Junior - a constant threat

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

Air Force United 0-2 Krabi

An early and a late goal were enough to give Krabi a 2-0 victory over first division strugglers Air Force at the Thupathemi Stadium.

Thaweephong stroked home from close range for the Energy in ten minutes after Devala Gorrick had twice blocked previous attempts.

With about ten minutes left, a low cross from the right channel was flicked on by Lopes to set up Aran who gleefully netted to end the contest.

In between the goals, Annan's fierce first half shot for Air Force flew inches wide while Krabi almost doubled their lead in the second period with an inswinging free kick that stuck the crossbar.

Air Force's hopes of salvaging an unlikely late point were dashed as Theerawat saved a late penalty from Kouassi Yao Herman to complete a disheartening night for the Airmen.

Both sides' seasons now hinge on how they perform in the transfer window. Air Force to me, look about 50/50 whether or not they'll stay up. The same could be said of Krabi as they bid to enter the TPL. The addition of loan signing John Mary could be the final piece in the jigsaw. Only time will tell!!

Look at the second from right. The mascot is as tall as the Krabi player.

Bangkok FC 3-0 Air Force United

Bangkok United ended their 6 game losing streak with a well earned 3-0 triumph over Air Force United. The victory lifts Bangkok FC out of the relegation zone, although the respite may be only temporary as a victory for JW Rangsit tomorrow would drop the Iron Bulls back into the bottom 4.

The Bulligans (that's what it says on the fans' shirts) started with Lee Tuck upfront. The Englishman looked hungry and he forced a couple of early efforts on goal.

On the half hour, the home side had their best attempt of the half. A cross from the right from Samuel Danquah landed at the feet of Ekkapoj in the box. His shot from inside the penalty area was gamely blocked by Air Force keeper, Devala Gorrick.

The same attacking combination weren't going to be denied as they created the first goal of the game shortly after the break. Gorrick produced a great reflex save from Danquah's shot, but unfortunately for the big American, the first half sub, Ekkapoj, got to the block swiftly and tapped it into the empty net.

Nice haircuts

The closest Air Force came to equalising was a shot after a good run from Michael Dixon that flew inches over.

On 78 minutes the game was effectively over when Bangkok doubled their lead from a low powerful shot by Sattha.

Devala Gorrick had no chance with the second goal, and the same could be said for the third as the impressive Danquah's shot from inside the box put the icing on the cake with a minute left on the clock.

Air Force might feel that the 3-0 was slightly harsh on them. At half-time, it was difficult to predict a winner. The disappointing aspect of this match for Air Force would be the failure to lift their game once they went behind. The seemed to submissively accept defeat.

The Bang Mot side on the other hand will be very encouraged with this performance and result. Next week, they have a difficult match at home to Chainat.

Final Score

Air Force United 0-2 Buriram FC

Buriram FC eased to a comfortable 2-0 win at the Thupatmee Stadium against Air Force United in the FA Cup this evening.

Last weekend, Air Force were knocked out of the Toyata League Cup by second division Mahasarakham. Tonight they were hoping to repay their fans by defeating Buriram FC in the FA Cup. It didn't happen and I was surprised that they fielded an understrength team against the current Division 1 leaders.

On the other hand, Buriram FC had no thoughts of resting first team regulars and fielded a strong team. They currently have an abundance of ex Buriram PEA players at their disposal and added to that tonight were new coach Sasom Pobpraserd's recent recruits from TPL side Thai Port. Jirawat and Alef started the match and Sompong and Ekkachai came on as second half substitutes.

The game was won in the last 10 minutes of the first half with goals form Supakit and Rattana. The home side had put up a half-decent fight until then but they never looked like they would breech the solid central defensive partnership of Henri Joel and Kone Seydou.

In the second half, Buriram should have added to their lead. The lack of composure shown by the Buriram players in front of goal meant that the game ended 2-0.

Air Force are now out of both cup competitions and they have a game against Bangkok FC this weekend that is a must win game. A victory would see them edge up to mid-table safety in Division 1.

Sasom Pobpraserd will be happy to get of to a winning start at Buriram FC but he'll know that he'll have bigger challenges to face in the forthcoming months.

Karuna Chidchob - Buriram FC owner and cheerleader

Air Force United 1-1 FC Phuket

The mid-table battle between Air Force and Phuket ended in a draw as Phuket claimed a point at the Thupatemee Stadium.

Air Force United took the lead shortly after half-time with a Kritsana header from a free-kick. The goal was probably their first meaningful contribution to the game.

Phuket levelled midway through the second half with a goal from Watcharapong. Phuket thoroughly deserved the point and will be disappointed that they didn't win the game.

Devala Gorrick

Air Force's goalkeeper, Devala Gorrick, had an excellent game and kept his side in the contest with a solid goalkeeping performance.

Phuket seemed to tire towards the end, but for the first 80 minutes they looked like the more likely winners. Ex Muangthong striker, Kone Adama, is a big powerful lad and he was a handful for the Air Force back 4 all game. I was also impressed with the impish performance from midfielder Sarat. Phuket are an attack minded team and are certainly worth watching for the neutral when they are up in Bangkok.

The Airmen are currently mid-table and from what I saw tonight, that's where they'll most likely finish. They've got enough in their locker to avoid a relegation battle but I'd be very surprised if they're in the promotion shake-up come the end of the season.

Attendance: 1,993

Final score

The Season So Far

Thai Premier League

The 2011 Thai Premier League Championship has already become a two-horse race between PEA Buriram and Chonburi. Most Thai football experts are tipping PEA to be the eventual champions, but for the sake of entertainment, I hope that Chonburi can hold on to the PEA coattails and keep the title race interesting.

The reigning two times champions Muangthong Utd, have been inconsistent and currently sit in 6^th place. Looking at the positives so far, they’ve kept 8 clean sheets out of 11 and are unbeaten at home. On the flip side of the coin, they’ve only won once away from the Thunderdome and have only scored 13 goals in 11 games. That’s definitely not the form of champions!! Thong’s best chance of a trophy could be the AFC cup. Last season they reached the semi-final of the competition and will be hoping that the experience learned from last year can help them lift the cup this time around.

Bangkok Glass and Thai Port have both had disappointing campaigns so far. Bangkok Glass are mid-table while Thai Port are hovering just above the relegation zone. BG have been very inconsistent and many of the BG faithful aren’t happy with the lackluster performances they’ve had to endure this season. Thai Port’s troubles have been of their own making. The boardroom battle between Super Rich and Port Authority has deeply affected morale in the camp. Also the failure to replace star striker Jo has seen the goals dry up with only 9 from 11 games.

Other local teams BEC Tero, Police United and Army United are all currently in the top 5. That’s a vast improvement from last season and a top 5 placing would be a decent finish for any of these teams. On current form TOT would be in the top 5 with them, but after losing their first 5 games, I’m sure they’ll currently be happy with the 13th position they occupy just now.

1^st Division

Similar to the TPL, the 1^st division has developed into a two-horse race between Buriram FC and BBCU. They are both unbeaten and sit on 30 points, and are 11 points clear of 4^th placed Songkla. As 3 teams will be promoted, both are looking odds on to be playing with the big boys next season. The remaining place could go to any one of about 8 teams. Bangkok United will be hoping to be that team and make a swift return to the TPL.

Air Force United are 5 points off promotion and 5 points off relegation. They have the league’s top goalscorer, Anusak, so the Airmen will need him to keep banging in the goals if they want to join the promotion chasing pack.

RBAC, Thai Honda, Bangkok FC and JW Rangsit are all firmly set in the relegation battle. With 4 teams being relegated, we could see at least 2 or 3 of them dropping down to Division 2. RBAC are almost certain to go down with Thai Honda looking likely to join them. Bangkok and JW Rangsit will both be happy to remain in Division 1 after being promoted from the Bangkok Regional league last year.

2^nd Division (Bangkok)

After 10 games, North Bangkok Uni and Prachinburi occupy the top 2 spots. Amazingly, both have only played one home game each and 9 away games due to home ground reconstruction. With an abundance of home games to come, both must be feeling confident of reaching the Division 2 Champions League playoff. Rajvithi and Kasetsart appear to be the other contenders although Samutprakarn United, Bangkok Christian and Nontaburi could come into contention if they can hit a run of form.