A Blue Warriors’ player (left) tries to put pressure on a Bees FC player during the delayed 2021 National Indoor Football Championship on Sunday. SUPPLIED
The Blue Warriors FC and Tai Chi FT, both rich in Cambodian national-level futsal players, have maintained their domination in the second round of the 2021 National Indoor Football Championship, with both Group D teams claiming significant wins, while the highest achieving team from the other groups, Ov Mal FC, could not find a win against Young Gun FT.
The Blue Warriors and Tai Chi were fierce rivals during the group stages of the first round, with both teams winning twice in a row before meeting in the final to determine the winner and runner-up in Group D. The tight contest ended in a 5-5 draw, giving the blue warriors the group title, on goal differential. Topping the group table earned them automatic qualification for the second stage of the championship.
Tai Chi – with seven points from two wins and one draw – was selected as the second best team to advance to the second stage. Defending champions Mohahang who finished second in Group B, alongside Group A runners-up C-Light FT, Group C runners-up Alpha FT and Group C runners-up Red Eagle were all eliminated. These four teams had all earned 6 points with 2 wins and 1 loss from their three games.
In the opening match of the second stage – at The Blue Sports Arena on Sunday – The Blue Warriors resoundingly defeated Group B winner Bees FC 10-3. This victory helped them to stand temporarily atop the other five teams that remain in the second stage.
Tai Chi also did well, beating Group A winner Khmer Nokor FC 8-4 to finish in second place, while Group C topper’s Ov Mal FC – former runner-ups – could not get past Group E winner Young Gun FT, managing to scrape out a 4-4 draw.
All six teams still have four rounds of matches left, but the path to the final becomes harder the longer they remain winless. After the second round, the 3rd and 4th placed teams will vie with each other for a shot at the second team, who will already be waiting in the semis.
The winners of that match will meet the leading team in the final, where the Kingdom’s next champions will be crowned.
