footballers
Conclude Word Cup Play Sunday
Before
his team began the World Cup qualifying tournament, Cambodia football
coach Joachim Fickert said his goal was to play "respectable
matches" against China, the heavy favorite to advance from the
four-team qualifying group.
Cambodia
certainly played decently in its 4-0 loss to China at Old Stadium on
May 6, especially on defense. But Cambodia will be hard-pressed to
keep the score as close when the two teams meet again Sunday night in
China's Guangzhou province.
The
only Cambodian player who showed any offensive spark in the first
match was striker Chan Arunreath, and a shoulder injury he suffered in
that contest will keep him out of the lineup Sunday.
China
overcame an early 1-0 deficit to whip visiting Indonesia, 5-1, last
Sunday, which all but guaranteed the Chinese will advance to the next
World Cup round. Indonesian star Kurniawan Yulianto scored the only
goal in after intermission with two goals by Xie Hui and single
tallies Yang Chen, Qi Hong and defender Li Weifeng.
China is now 4-0 while Indonesia fell to 4-1. The two team play the
final match in the qualifying tournament on May 27 in Jakarta.
Sunday's
match is the finale for Cambodia. The team will likely finish 0-5-1
with a 1-1 draw against the Maldives-the lone bright spot. Cambodia
also finished 0-5-1 in the last World Cup four years ago, managing a 1-1
draw with Indonesia.
By
Dave Bloss
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