Udon Thani FC - The 2013-season

[Svein66]

A farang before the game last Sunday. Someone has posted it on UDFC`s FB-page. He should clearly have stayed at home...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[Brian Davis]

I sort of know this guy, a regular and even though I tend to get there early to secure an orange seat, he's usually in situ already. I did spend a game with him, but it was difficult, as I had trouble understanding his English and accent. He always wears an Italian club shirt, although I can't even confirm if he's from Italy.

The photo must have been taken very early, because he was sitting on the chair when I arrived, almost 90 mins before ko. (He wouldn't have had the space to stretch out later with that crowd.) He spoke to me before the game, enquiring of the previous day's Ubon result and was pleased with the news. No sign of him having been drinking as far as I was concerned.

People will, reasonably, think he's had a few, but I actually think he was just trying to catnap, awaiting the game. I happened to notice he had a problem with his leg, which was bandaged. Perhaps some pills making him sleepy?

[Svein66]

The last leaguegame of the season - at home to Roi Et United on Sunday at 4pm/1600...

[phen]

Thanks for the update and I hope the weather will be better than now.

[Svein66]

UDFC (Reserves) lost 0-1 at home to Roi Et in the last leaguegame of the season yesterday. There was at last 7 players missing from the Udon team, so they didn`t see it as an important game. But good for those who hasn`t played too much this season to get a game ahead of the play-off.
Udon should have got at least a draw, but poor finishing and good goalkeeping gave Roi Et the 3 points.

Udon finished the season in 2nd place, 9 points behind champions Roi Et, and 8 more than Ubon in 3rd place.

There are now 11 teams qualified for the Regional Champions League, and the last place will be decided by a single game next weekend between no 2 in South and no 3 in North. The draw will then be made on Monday September 23rd, UDFC-fans has told me.

1: Roi Et United - 1st
2: Paknampho NSRU - 1st
3: Nakhon Nayok - 2nd
4: Chiang Mai - 1st
5: Ang Thong - 1st
6: Nara United - 1st
7: Look E-San - 1st
8: Udon Thani - 2nd
9: Prachuap - 2nd
10: Kasetsart - 2nd
11: Phitsanulok TSY - 2nd
12: Chumphon vs Sukhothai - 2nd/3rd

[Polleke]

Sven, agreed with your conclusion that UDFC earned a draw. First half UDFC was not playing well, but they improved and brought more passion during the second half, with some nice shots on goal. We missed Pouya dearly.
I'm looking forward to the Regional Champions League. Seeing that even a B team in a match like yesterday can draw a full house, I expect the home games in the RCL will be fun.
And I'm hoping for a pool with Chiang Mai: perfect excuse for a trip up north.
A rumor that could not be confirmed 100% yesterday is that probably next week UDFC will play against the national team of Laos. If I hear more I'll share it here.

But first time to watch and cheer the Thai Takraew team at an individual's Cup Tournament this. Free attendance, location : Conference hall at Central Plaza. Schedule (in English) can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 801&type=1

[Brian Davis]

.....
And I'm hoping for a pool with Chiang Mai: perfect excuse for a trip up north......
A rumor that could not be confirmed 100% yesterday is that probably next week UDFC will play against the national team of Laos.

IF Chiang Mai, Nok Air, Udon to Chiang Mai, if one wanted to avoid a long drive. However, probably want to hire car when there. Think it's a small plane! Chiang Mai seems to be the most attractive place, if one wanted to take in more than just the football match. I imagine most teams/fans might wish to avoid Nara.

Bit of a surprise if Udon do play Laos, the latter presumably of a fair standard, at this stage of the season. My thinking is that Laos may have an international fixture coming up and they'd use the friendly very much as an experimental/training exercise.
If Udon chose to rest/protect their best players for the Roi Et game, I can't see them being risked in the Laos game either with the Champions League coming up. I'd expect a 'reserve' XI.

[Svein66]

The draw will be made in Ang Thong on Monday from 10am. There will be 3 winners and 3 runners-up in each of the 2 groups. Teams from the same region can not be drawn in the same group, except if Sukhothai beats Chumpon. The Northern region will then have 3 teams in the draw, so 2 of them has to be together. Udon Thani and Roi Et will not be drawn in the same group.
The best 2 teams in each group will be promoted to Division 1.

[Polleke]

Confirmed now: This Friday, 20 September at 17:00 UDFC will play against the national team of Laos (under 23), as part of their preparations for the upcoming South East Asian Games.
Tickets 50 baht, match played at the regular stadium, at the Institute of Physical Education on the Ring Road.
Nice start of the weekend.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[Brian Davis]

A few surprises at last night’s game, which Laos won 4-2.

Kick off was 6 pm, not 5 pm as originally advertised, so I sat there an hour longer than necessary! The later ko didn’t appear to boost the attendance, if that was the intention, which was modest.

Udon used a large number of players, including first-teamers. I was concerned about the risk of injury with the Champions League coming up. Fortunately, both teams had been told to ‘take it easy’ (can’t recall a crunching tackle in the whole game) and it appeared there were no casualties, at least on the Udon side.

And, at last there’s been an initiative to flatten the pitch – well half of it anyway! I didn’t see the machine in action, but facebook photos suggest the massive thing came straight from the highway. Still, a big improvement. I spoke to a guy busily filling holes with sand in the other half of the pitch. He indicated the pitch was too soft to use the heavy roller there. Well, we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, if that’s the correct expression, but one might have hoped for a lighter roller too. Maybe, just maybe, my own posting of roller and fork images and ‘digs’ to some of the people at the Club actually hit home.

Incidentally, spoke to Pouya(No 20) before the game. I asked about his mate Amir, as I, at least, didn’t know what his role was. The Thai fans may already have been aware, but turns out Amir is a player, also Iranian. According to Pouya, Amir played for the top Iranian Club, a midfielder/playmaker. He couldn’t be signed by Udon this season, as they have their quota of foreign players already. Next? As a friendly game, Amir was allowed to turn out as a 2nd half substitute.

[Svein66]

Kick off was 6 pm, not 5 pm as originally advertised, so I sat there an hour longer than necessary!

Incidentally, spoke to Pouya(No 20) before the game. I asked about his mate Amir, as I, at least, didn’t know what his role was. The Thai fans may already have been aware, but turns out Amir is a player, also Iranian. According to Pouya, Amir played for the top Iranian Club, a midfielder/playmaker. He couldn’t be signed by Udon this season, as they have their quota of foreign players already. Next? As a friendly game, Amir was allowed to turn out as a 2nd half substitute.

Good I didn`t go. Wouldn`t have been happy with the extra hour for this kind of game.

Both me and another person on Facebook has asked about No 10 Amir, but we didn`t get any answers, so good that you got one.

[Svein66]

The latest on the draw tomorrow is that it`s now at noon (1200). Sukhothai beat Chumphon 1-0 today to give them the 12th and last place in the play-off.

The regional winners:
Roi Et United
Paknampho NSRU
Chiang Mai
Ang Thong
Nara United
Look E-San

The runners-up:
Nakhon Nayok
Udon Thani
Prachuap
Kasetsart
Phitsanulok
Sukhothai

[phen]

Someone already hear from the results off the draw?

[Svein66]

Someone already hear from the results off the draw?

There`s been a few delays today, but it looks like the draw will start "shortly".

The play-off starts on October 5th and ends on December 8th.

[Svein66]

Group B:
Ang Thong
Sukhothai
Chiang Mai
Udon Thani
Nakhon Nayok
Paknampho NSRU

Group B kicks-off on October 6th.

[Svein66]

As it was in the league, UDFC again starts with 2 awaygames and finish with 2 homegames.

6/10 Sukhothai vs Udon Thani
13/10 Ang Thong vs Udon Thani
19/10 Udon Thani vs Nakhon Nayok
26/10 Chiang Mai s Udon Thani
3/11 Udon Thani vs Paknampho NSRU
10/11 Paknampho NSRU vs Udon Thani
17/11 Udon Thani vs Chiang Mai
24/11 Nakhon Nayok vs Udon Thani
30/11 Udon Thani vs Ang Thong
7/12 Udon Thani vs Sukhothai

[Brian Davis]

I’d imagine Udon are happy with the draw, everything this side of the capital, avoiding Bangkok itself and the long trips further south.
I’m confused by the fixture system, like that for the league games. Is there some logic I’m missing? So Udon play Paknampho two weeks running and Sukhothai is the first and last game of the group. For games 6 to 10, why not just reverse the venue of games 1-5?
Who knows the strength of the other regions? Chiang Mai certainly appears a threat. The Club has experience of the Champions League before, lost only 3 games in the league, with a goal difference of 50! According to wiki, they have a stadium with very large capacity (although I don’t know what attendances they’ve had) and a large city behind them.
I’ll certainly be giving some consideration to away games and being very nice to the wife! :-"

[Svein66]

Who knows the strength of the other regions? Chiang Mai certainly appears a threat. The Club has experience of the Champions League before, lost only 3 games in the league, with a goal difference of 50! According to wiki, they have a stadium with very large capacity (although I don’t know what attendances they’ve had) and a large city behind them.
I’ll certainly be giving some consideration to away games and being very nice to the wife! :-"

It`s hard to compare the different regions as there are different number of teams and lots of changes from season to season, but people are calling this group the "group of death". It might be very hard for Udon to finish amongst the top 2 teams and get promotion, but it won`t be impossible.

Both Chiang Mai and Sukhothai from the northern region are good teams. Chiang Mai was relegated from D1 in 2011 and also won the northern D2 last season, but failed to get promoted after a 3rd place in the play-off. Sukhothai finished this season in 3rd place, but had a point more than Udon.

Ang Thong and Paknampho won the league in their regions, but both lost 6 times in 24/26 games, so hard to say how good they are.
Nakhon Nayok is a feeder team for Muang Thong United, like a reserve team, and uses Muang Thong coaches. They ended 2nd after Look E-San, who is a feeder team for Police United. Again, hard to say how good they are.

I do not understand why it`s so hard in thai football to give all teams one homegame and one awaygame in the first 2 rounds. And also, no teams should finish a season with 2 homegames in a row. And for the same thing to happen to the same team twice in a season is crazy. But it went well in the league, so let`s hope for the same in the play-off. With one or two good results, I`m sure it will be a packed stadium for the first homegame. Hopefully the club will give the fans attend the game, and don`t do the same as they did vs Buriram (only half of the tickets for their own fans).

[phen]

Why they plan the important game against Chiang Mai on 17/11?
Loi Krathong is a special day and this can cost a lot off supporters.
Maybe good for Udon when the Chiang Mai supporters don't come

[Brian Davis]

Why they plan the important game against Chiang Mai on 17/11?
Loi Krathong is a special day and this can cost a lot off supporters.
Maybe good for Udon when the Chiang Mai supporters don't come

Well spotted, Phen.
I suppose changes to fixture dates are allowed, at least from a Sunday to Saturday, which might be the best option here. If not, as far as the home fans are concerned, Loi Krathong is very much an evening thing and even with a 6 pm ko, there'd still be time to, ahem, push out the boat.