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Top Dolah: Peter's 2019 Season Review
In a 2019 with some serious ups and downs on all levels, it all still ended with some silverware and a top three league finish. Adding to that, another championship title with only a golden goal away from the double in the futsal, and it becomes clear that the Lions of Khlong Toei are top of the food chain when it comes to kicking a ball about in the Kingdom of Thailand. Remembering this one was quite the enjoyable little afternoon activity.
Game of the season
Muangthong away, T1. No away fans allowed as Port traveled to Legoland with the opportunity to shove our fiercest and most despised rivals deeper into the bottom end of the table where they truly belong. Still, some of us made the journey to the rural north in neutral colours (well, Toby more or less) and were treated to an evening of football we'll remember forever. Two fantastic goals, the first a long range effort from Bordin, who was arguably the best player in the league at that point, the second when Nitipong, of all people, put the finishing touch to a team effort of passing play that made for the most perfect counter attack I've seen since starting to follow Thai footie. Sure, they pulled one back late in the game but the gulf in class was hammered in by Pakorn all by his lonesome making most of the opposition look like pre-schoolers to see out the final moments of the match.
Suarez. Like most of my fellow Sandpitters, my vote went to the exquisite chip against Trat. Now, there are different ways to value goals. Importance, aesthetics, or a combination. But, as the only real contender to this one in my mind, the aforementioned second goal away to Muangthong, was so questionably left out of the competition I didn't even have to think twice about it. The level difficulty and technique displayed by our top scorer would have edged it in the end anyway.
Dolah. After such a fantastic season, there's intense competition for this award. The popular vote, far from undeserved, went to Nitipong "Consistency" Selanon. In the absence of a proper striking option, Sergio Suarez led the offensive line, often from an unfamiliar position as a so called "false 9". Go Seul-ki always made everyone around him look much better. But Elias earned the title in my book, through the improvement in his game from previous season, not only by finally settling into the role of centre-back, but becoming a true leader and being forced to keep the defence together, even when paired up with and having to carry a central midfielder with a severe phobia of any physical contact around for much of the season. Then, topping it all off with a Thai NT debut. Kudos, my Swedish brother.
Disappointment of the Season
Alexandre Gama. Even though I'm still fuming about what was supposed to be, and started out, as a dignified ceremony to celebrate the memory of five of the clubs' most dedicated supporters but ended up as what can only be described as perversely self-indulging behaviour from "someone". Even though hearing the very face of corruption in the sport I love congratulate Thailand on becoming the first country in the region to taint the game with the farcical phenomenon that is VAR has scarred me for life. Even though some bizarre mid-season experimenting with our formation coincided with a poor run of form that ultimately cost us the league title. I refuse to make anything remotely connected to Port FC my disappointment of the season in a year where we finished 3rd and won the FA Cup. My nomination therefore befalls Alexandre Gama. Wasn't it enough to turn Chiangrai into what is possibly the most repulsive unit ever to step on the football pitch? You had to go and save Muangthong from relegation just to add insult to injury? Really? Talk about getting on the wrong side of history…
For all the faults we bitch about week in and week out, the results still point to the club heading in the right general direction. With just a little bit of well-considered work in the transfer market *pause for snickering* to fill our foreign player quota with a clear first choice striker next year, along with some managerial freedom in team selections *pause for guffaw*, we should be well equipped to make an even better push for the title next year. Now let's all just sit back and calmly observe the ever predictable Thai silly season activities.
13 November 2019 /0 Comments/by Peter Sheppard
https://i0.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/dolah-celebrating3-e1573629628382.jpg?fit=960%2C463463960Peter Sheppardhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngPeter Sheppard2019-11-13 14:22:552019-11-13 14:54:29Top Dolah: Peter's 2019 Season Review
The Sandpit's 2019 Port FC Goal of the Season Poll
Port's most successful season this millennium saw us top-score in T1 with 55 goals, while a further 17 were netted on the road to FA Cup glory. Add in 2 more goals in Port's short-lived League Cup campaign and The Sandpit's Goal of the Season panel finds itself with 74 goals to narrow down in to a short-list of just 10.
https://i0.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/goal-of-the-season-pic.jpg?fit=960%2C540540960Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-11-06 09:00:272019-11-05 21:23:52The Sandpit's 2019 Port FC Goal of the Season Poll
FA Cup Final Ticket Info Released
The long, arduous wait for FA Cup Final tickets to go on sale is apparently nearly over, with a combination of information from the Thai FA and Thai Ticket Major suggesting that tickets will be on sale starting from 10:00 on Monday 21st October.
9,000 capacity all-seated Leo stadium was announced as the venue a few days ago, before a brief panic ensued when Thai Ticket Major pulled the event info and we all thought 'here we go again.' Now with all signs pointing towards Pathum Thani and the information online showing the zones and prices of tickets, we're pretty sure that we're all set.
Tickets are evenly split between Port and Ratchaburi fans, with Port fans occupying zones W3 (150 baht), W6 (100 baht) and S (80 baht).
Follow this link to buy tickets online, or alternatively buy directly from a Major outlet near you. You'll probably need to be pretty quick, with far more Port fans expected to turn up than there are tickets available in the Port zones.
Happy hunting, and we'll see you in Pathum Thani!
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/tix.jpg?fit=600%2C450450600Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-10-18 11:59:442019-10-18 11:59:44FA Cup Final Ticket Info Released
Storm the Castle: Buriram Utd vs. Port FC Preview
Port have had some rotten results against the T1 title chasers this season, but in a league that no one seems to want to win, we're somehow still in with an outside chance of glory. Two wins for Port, against the champions on Sunday and Samut Prakan the following week, will mean that Chiang Rai can clinch the title if they win their last two games, but if they slip up in either – the second being a tricky trip to Suphanburi – the title will be Port's. On the other hand, a Buriram win more or less secures them the title, with their final day trip being a dream match-up with Chiang Mai, who will most likely already be down. All three teams have a route to ultimate victory, and all three depend on whether or not Port can storm the Thunder Castle and leave with the only plunder that matters: three priceless points.
Let's start with some of the stalwarts. Siwarak Tedsungnoen (1) is in his ninth year between the Buriram sticks, and this year has been rewarded for his longevity by being chosen as captain for both club and country. I remember one stunning performance at PAT Stadium featuring a point blank save from a Genki header that secured a 0-0 draw for The Thunder Castle, but more often than not what you get from Siwarak is consistent, mistake-free goalkeeping. He may be 35, but he's still one of the top stoppers in T1.
In defence, Buriram will be led by one of T1's best and least popular defenders. Andres Tunez (5) is everything that is wrong with Thai football. He turns his size and strength towards aggressive, hateful abuse of officials, before meekly surrendering to any pressure from attackers with pathetic playacting. Think of him as a cross between the physique of Dolah, the temperament of Boskovic and the balance of Nurul. Unfortunately, due in large part to weak Thai refereeing, he is an effective operative, leading the stingiest defence in the league. Buriram have conceded just 23 goals; 8 fewer than Port.
In midfield, the main man for Buriram has been Hajime Hosogai (7). I've been mightily impressed with his work rate, although the Japanese star also shown his creative limitations going forward. He's just so good at what he does though: harrying, harassing and dispossessing opposition midfielders. In a game where Port's midfield will be without our leader, expect Hosogai to exert plenty of influence, and make it difficult for the likes of Suarez and Siwakorn to find space in front of the back 3.
Buriram have shown a lot of faith in youth this season, with the likes of Ratthanakorn (26), Supachai (9) and Suphanat (54) racking up plenty of minutes, but the pick of the young guns has undoubtedly been attacking midfielder Supachok Sarachart (19). He's netted 10 goals in all competitions, and has made himself an indispensable member of the national team to boot. Supachok can play through the middle or out wide, and has been particularly dangerous cutting in from the left and firing in shots and crosses with his trusty right boot. Perhaps the silver lining for Port could be that Supachok's exertions across multiple fronts this season really looked to have taken a toll on the young star in the latter stages of the UAE game on Tuesday. He had been kicked all day long, and barely looked to have any gas left in the tank as the game came to a close.
Supachok's even younger brother could be leading the line for Buriram against Port, but honestly I have absolutely no idea what Buriram think their best options are up top. They spent massively on Nacer Barazite (39) and Rasmus Jonsson (20), but in the League Cup final it was 17 year old Suphanat Muenta (54) who got the nod, with both foreigners sitting out. In the last 3 T1 games Buriram have gone with three different combinations of the three, with no player starting every game. They may have the element of surprise on their side, but there's a decent chance they're the ones who end up being punished for their inconsistency up top. I can just picture Diogo smirking smugly, Malaysian Super League medal in hand, as Jonsson fluffs another shot hopelessly wide.
Trat 0-1 Buriram
Buriram 6-0 Ratchaburi
Buriram 1-1 Sukhothai
Muangthong 3-2 Buriram
Buriram 1-0 Chainat
Korat 2-3 Buriram
If ever a set of league results didn't tell the full story. Their league form may look decent, but add in the stunning FA Cup semi-final defeat to Ratchaburi, who they had just spanked 6-0 in the league, and the League Cup final loss to Prachuap, and you start to see that Buriram just can't win the big games anymore. Their biggest rivals turned them over in the league, they got dumped out of both cups and now an in-form Port, who haven't conceded a goal since August, would love nothing better than to snatch the league title from them too. Can they stop the rot?
Port FC
No Go Zone
Port will be without key midfield man Go (8). The Korean is ineligible as he's contracted to Buriram, but is also suspended after picking up his eighth yellow card. Besides this though, Port are at full strength. Kevin (97) defied a reported hamstring injury with a lively performance in the 5-1 friendly win against Honda last week, while Todsapol (6) was also fit enough to make an appearance, although he looked a little less comfortable. Todsapol has had plenty of time since then to recover though, and I expect him to start on Sunday, as his inclusion is key to Port's likely game plan.
It's a very similar game plan to the one Port employed in the 3-1 defeat to Buriram in the first half of the season to be fair, but with some key changes of personnel. Todsapol and Dolah (4) started in central defence that day, with Rochela (22) deployed out of position in defensive midfield. Port will likely once again shift a central defender in to defensive midfield, but this time we will be moving Tanaboon (71) in to his more natural position, while replacing him with a better centre back. Is it ideal? No, but at least it's not Rochela in midfield again!
Alternatively, Port could leave Tanaboon in place at the back and try any number of options in midfield. It's unlikely we'll see any of Anon (20), Adisorn (13) or Athibordee (35) brought in from the cold, but Sumanya (11) could be given a start with Siwakorn (16) shifted back to a position with more defensive responsibility. This would be a very bold move from Port, especially with Supachok likely occupying the space between defence and midfield. I think we should really have a dedicated defensive player in place there, but going for the throat with an all-out attacking system is another way to go. A draw won't be enough for Port, so there is something to be said for going all out for the win.
Another sub-plot will be yellow card suspensions, which could mean players missing out on the final day. Siwakorn sits ominously on 7, just one away from his second suspension, whilst Bodin (10) has accrued 3, one away from his first. A yellow for Siwakorn would mean he's finished for the season, missing both the potentially decisive league game and the FA Cup final, while Bodin – one of Port's players of the season – would be a massive loss for the visit of Samut Prakan.
Port 2-0 Muangthong
Suphanburi 1-3 Port
Bangkok Utd 2-0 Port
Chiang Mai 0-2 Port
Port 3-0 Korat
Port 4-0 Chainat
Oh, and we won that cup semi-final. Looking good.
Predicted Lineup
The match will be shown on True 4U at 18:00 on Sunday 20 October, 2019. For those who can't make it to The Chang Arena in Buriram, The Sportsman on Sukhumvit 13 will show the match on a big screen with sound. Don't forget to wear your Port shirt for a 10% discount on drinks.
17 October 2019 /1 Comment/by Tom Earls
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/I-fart-in-your-general-direction.jpeg?fit=400%2C250250400Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-10-17 18:00:162019-10-17 18:19:03Storm the Castle: Buriram Utd vs. Port FC Preview
Port's Foreign Signings – A Statistical Analysis
I was standing around in The Sandpit after the home game against Nakhon Ratchasima when, as often happens, an unusual claim was made that piqued my interest.
"Do you know how many foreign players Port have signed from clubs outside Thailand? One. Rolando Blackburn."
Now, as with most unusual claims it was immediately obvious that this wasn't accurate, but seeing as the club itself has almost certainly made no effort to analyze their own transfer dealings, I thought I'd do the hard yards for them and run some numbers.
What I ended up doing was a little more comprehensive than I originally intended. First, I used the three articles that myself and Marco had written (foreign strikers from 2009-12, foreign strikers from 2012-18, foreign midfielders from 2012-18) about Port signings and collated the data with a little help from Wikipedia and Transfermarkt. Then I found this excellent list of Thai League Foreign Players on Wikipedia which gave me a few even earlier players I'd never head of. Vietnamese defender Lương Trung Tuấn who joined Port in 2004, anyone?
I ultimately settled on a sample size of 53 foreign signings from which to draw my analysis. It's not a huge number, but it's an almost exhaustive list of foreign players who have joined Port since 2009 with a few notable extras from before that time period. Only a few players, for which I could not find sufficient information, were left out. I think with this number, drawing conclusions from differences of a few percentage points is probably not worthwhile, but we can be reasonably happy that some of the clear trends are unlikely to be anomalous.
There are only two data points I used, which were the nationality of the player and the country they played in immediately before joining Port. This basically gave me two separate groups of analysis:
The countries Port most commonly sign players from
The nationality of players that Port sign
Within these two groups, I separated my findings in to 3 sections.
Overall (the total %)
Before Pang (the % before Pang's tenure)
With Pang (the % during Pang's tenure)
So, what did I learn after messing around on Microsoft Excel for a couple of hours?
Well, it's fair to say that Rolando Blackburn is not the only Port foreign player to have been signed from abroad. In fact, foreign players signed from abroad account for 62% of Port's foreign signings. Before Pang's tenure it was 65% and during Pang's tenure the number drops slightly to 58%.
Overall 62%
Before Pang 65%
With Pang 58%
What has changed somewhat is the areas from which Port have bought these players. Dealing with continents rather than individual countries makes more sense to me here, so here is the breakdown of the continents from which Port have signed their foreign players.
Foreign Players signed from Thai clubs
Foreign Players signed from Asian clubs (not including Thailand)
Foreign Players signed from South American clubs
Before Pang 3%
Foreign Players signed from European clubs
Foreign Players signed from African clubs
With Pang 0%
Arranging the numbers differently shows the key trends more clearly.
Foreign players signed from… Before Pang With Pang
Thai clubs 35% 42%
Other Asian clubs 41% 26%
South American clubs 3% 21%
European clubs 15% 11%
African clubs 6% 0%
With Pang, Port have signed significantly more players from South America. Wagner Carioca, Renan Oliveira, Rodrigo Maranhao and Rolando Blackburn all signed for Port under Pang's stewardship, whereas only the legendary Leandro Oliveira had signed directly from South America before. Even that signing comes with a massive asterisk, as Dusit Chalermsan, Port coach at the time, already had first hand knowledge of Leandro from his and Leandro's earlier spells in Vietnam. He was a known quantity from his time spent in South East Asia, even though he stopped off in Brazil on his way from Vietnam to Thailand, and Dusit signed him with a view of building his team around the Brazilian maestro.
Rodrigo Maranhao, one of the stars of the 2016 promotion campaign
So, what conclusions can we draw from this? Does it mean Port have enacted some sort of scouting system under Pang to identify players in the Brazilian second and third tier who could be successful in Thailand? Stop sniggering at the back!
No, it's a trend mirrored by the league as a whole. The number of foreign players in the league has fluctuated over the years due to quota changes, but ultimately the number of foreigners clubs can sign from any country has been cut markedly.
In 2014, teams could have six foreigners of any nationality in their squad, plus one additional player from an AFC country (6+1). In 2015, this was reduced to four from any nationality, plus one from an AFC country (4+1). In 2018 the number of foreign players from any country was cut further to three, plus a player from an AFC country and a player from an ASEAN country (3+1+1). In 2019, the current quota, teams can again have three players of any nationality, one from an AFC country and now three from ASEAN countries (3+1+3).
While the number of quality foreign imports has been decreasing, the amount of money available to be spent on them has increased, due to the growth of the league. This has led to the significant rise in the number of arrivals from South American clubs we see above, in place of those in financially weaker areas like Asian and African leagues. Port are simply following a trend which I'm pretty sure exists among most clubs, and the league as a whole.
The nationalities of the players Port have signed – our second set of numbers – really helps us complete the picture.
Footballers who end up plying their trade in Thailand are for the most part a nomadic bunch. A majority of African and South American players who have signed for Port have done so from outside the continent of their birth, so to better understand some of the fundamental changes in Port's recruitment trends, let's look at nationalities, arranged again by continent.
Foreign Players of Asian nationalities
Foreign Players of South/Central American nationalities
Foreign Players of European nationalities
Foreign Players of Australasian nationalities
Foreign Players of African nationalities
Again, let's look at the same numbers in a different table.
Foreign players from… Before Pang With Pang
Asia 35% 21%
South/Central America 18% 42%
Europe 21% 32%
Australasia 3% 5%
Africa 24% 0%
The same trend plays out in these numbers, with a very clear uptick in the signing of South American players. This time it is also accompanied by an 11% increase in the signing of European players, which is another similarly more attractive demographic of players to clubs with more spending power.
With a marked increase in South American and European signings, we must also see decreases in other areas, and this is most stark in the signing of African players. Whilst it's obvious to anyone who remembers watching football 5-10 years ago in Thailand that the number of African players has decreased significantly, Port not having signed a single African player in the Pang era is still surprising.
This season the biggest spenders in the league brought in Modibo Maiga, whilst mid-table Trat went for African players in all 3 of their foreign player slots. One of them, Lonsana Doumbouya, is the top scorer in the league, and overall there are still 9 African players plying their trade in T1, although surprisingly they are spread across just 4 teams. It seems unlikely to be an anomaly that Port have not signed a single African, but the reasons why this is the case are unclear with the data I have at my disposal.
Lonsana Doumbouya, Adefolarin Durosinmi and Bireme Diouf, all of Trat FC
Signings of Asian players have similarly seen a decline. Under the 6+1 quota system from 2014 and earlier, Port used to regularly have two or three South Koreans on the books, but with the quota change to 4+1 in 2015, most T1 teams scaled back and only had 1 Asian foreigner in their squad, with Port being no exception.
Since then the rules evolved again though, with one and then three new spots opening up to players from ASEAN countries. Under the 3+1+1 quota in 2018, Port used their ASEAN spot to sign Terens Puhiri of Indonesia, but Terens then returned to his former club and Port didn't bring in another ASEAN player, Martin Steuble, until the mid-season break of 2019. At this point the quota had already changed to 3+1+3, with Port failing to take advantage of any of those ASEAN spots for the first half of the season. This has to be seen as a big oversight from Port, and next season we should really see a significant increase in ASEAN players joining the club, making full use of the 3 available quota spots. ASEAN leagues may be of a lower standard than T1, but the signing of Steuble has shown us that there are players capable of making an important contribution, even in a side pushing for the T1 title.
In drawing conclusions from Port's transfer business, we have to be able to recognize who has been successful and who hasn't. In our list of arrivals from Thai clubs in the Pang era, we see names like David Rochela, Sergio Suarez, Josimar, Dragan Boskovic and Go Seul-Ki. Names like Kayne Vincent, Thiago Cunha and Bajram Nebihi remind us that not all domestic deals have turned out as hoped, but for the most part the Thai market has yielded far more successful signings than the foreign market. There are examples of successful signings from abroad, such as Rodrigo Maranhao, Martin Steuble and Kim Sung-Hwan, but these are far outweighed by relative failures like Andrija Kaludjerovic, Serginho, Renan Oliveira, Matias Jadue and Asdrubal Padron.
Asdrubal Padron, who injury prevented from making a single appearance for Port
It looks very much as though we are doing 58% of our shopping in the less fruitful foreign market, and only 42% from the more predictable domestic market. This is a trend that must be addressed if we want to increase the consistency of our foreign acquisitions.
Another area I find surprising is the dramatic reduction in players from Africa, not just at Port but the league as a whole. John Baggio and Lonsana Doumbouya have been the poster boys in the last couple of seasons for how successful African players can still be in T1, but all four clubs who have African players on the books at the moment will be very happy with their contributions. Brazilians may have brought the league lots of flair and more than a few great players, but the standard of football in many African countries is still significantly superior to the standard in Thailand. There are still lots of players who could be brought in at relatively low cost for potentially great rewards.
John Baggio of Sukhothai
Both Baggio and Doumbouya are African players in the domestic market who, whilst they won't come cheap, ought to be within Port's price range in the coming off-season. We would do well to look hard at the possibility of signing both.
In the Asian market, Port should also be looking to increase the number of acquisitions of ASEAN players who can fill the remaining two quota spots which will be available, assuming that Steuble stays with Port next season. The signings of Michael Falkesgaard and Dang Van Lam, by Bangkok United and Muangthong respectively, have shown there are quality half-European goalkeepers available in this market. Also, the success of young Vietnamese players in international football should also be prompting T1 clubs to look in to the possibility of bringing some promising Vietnamese youngsters to Thailand. I don't have enough knowledge of half-European half-ASEAN goalies or Vietnamese youngsters to suggest any names in particular, but a little scouting could really go a long way in finding top quality foreign players who could have a massive impact at Port.
Will the club will take heed of any of this, or run their own similar analysis in order to evaluate the success or otherwise of their transfer business? No, probably not. Will I now be able to say "I told you so" to no-one in particular next time we bring in a predictable flop from the Honduran third tier? Yes, yes I will.
9 October 2019 /0 Comments/by Tom Earls
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/News-20170111-2-650x250.jpeg?fit=650%2C250250650Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-10-09 10:25:542019-10-09 11:31:55Port's Foreign Signings - A Statistical Analysis
Chainought: Port FC 4-0 Chainat Hornbill
Port soared to a second consecutive home win and clean sheet as they ripped apart the Chainat defense for a comprehensive 4-0 win.
The Hornbills flew into Bangkok nested firmly in the relegation zone but it was Port who looked to have crooked wings in the first 20 minutes of play. Chainat, fondly known across Thailand as the cheating bastards, showed initiative straight out the gate.
Wednesday evening at the PAT always makes for a good night but from the outset it felt more like a friendly match. Long lines at the ticket box delayed the arrival of most supporters and those who managed to see kickoff were sitting down. Port were untidy and sluggish, giving the ball away at nearly every pass. Yet the class of our high priced attack nearly paid off in the fifth minute. Bodin's (10) unrivaled speed got loose down the left flank and slid a square ball to Suarez, (5) whose blast from 12 yards smashed against the crossbar to no avail. A promising chance gone missing and the crowd would have to wait another thirty minutes for a similar opportunity.
Energized and fresh from the clean upcountry air, Chainat took control of possession and looked the better team going forward. A few careless tackles from both sides produced early yellows and an anxious feeling wafted across the stadium. In the 20th minute center back Todsapol (6) came out the wrong end of a good tackle with a sore lower back. Minutes later he was replaced by new boy Piyachanok (2), on loan from BG for his first action in Port colors. His initial touch brought jeers and laughter as he went through our own midfielder Go (8) to get to the ball.
Port continued to look ordinary after 30 minutes with the only real bright spot being the work ethic of right back Nitipong (34). He was all over the pitch and carried the load of the back four in the first half. Chainat's large Brazilian striker Ricardo Santos (11) was fouled 40 yards from goal (he's their only player I'll mention by name because the others were insignificant from this point on). Not a big deal but he took issue with the foul, pushing the ref out of the way to scream in Nitipong's face. Our brave little number 34 shrieked back with a vengeance and this seemed to ignite the crowd.
Having woken the sleeping giant, Chainat were now on the back foot. Midfielders Siwakorn (16) and Go played the ball into wide positions to spread the defense thin with Kevin (97) and Bodin running rings around their midfield. In the 42nd minute Suarez had two chances, only to shoot straight at the keeper on both attempts. Two minutes of added time and most had gone for a toilet break or to replenish a beer. Both teams hinted on a retreat to the locker room but Nitipong had other ideas. He played the ball forward and it skipped off a few heads before eventually getting to Bodin on the wing, a beautiful cross later and Go thumped a header to the back of the net to open the scoring. Halftime and relief was in the air.
Chainat came out of the locker room tattered and tired as they had put it all on the line before half time. Port were passing at will and moving the ball to all corners of the field, but seemed to find all scoring chances coming from that aforementioned left wing position. Eight minutes into the half a moment of magic from Josimar (30) doubled the lead. Bodin tapped a quick square ball to Josimar who sent Bodin into the box with a back heal. Bodin again sent the ball square to Suarez. He chipped the ball into the six yard box to catch the end of Josimar's run behind Bodin. Josimar volleyed with his left foot from an incredibly acute angle to beat the keeper for a wonderful goal.
Chances were now arriving every few minutes with Josimar nearly doubling his total on a few chances that seemed much easier than Port's second goal. The boys were cruising at altitude when a poor pass from Suarez nearly saw Chainat cut the lead in half. Sumanya (11) and Blackburn (99) came on and made an immediate impact. A little give and go between the two sent Blackburn into the box but he over ran the ball, Sumaya followed him in and cleaned up the mess sliding a left foot strike past the keeper for goal number 3.
The PAT was rocking deep into injury time and all eyes were again on Bodin down the wing. His pass rolled across the top of the box, Blackburn dummied it and Suarez smashed a left foot laser to the top corner. Great result for a great hour of football. Port are in form and set out on an epic trip to Buriram in two weeks time. Two games to go, two points off the top, a cup final next month and a storybook season for the faithful of Klong Toey. What more could you ask for?
The Sandpit's Man of the Match
In his previous stint with Port, Josimar was always known to score in spurts. When one goal came, it was often followed by a month or more of confident, free-scoring play. Luckily for Port, Josimar seems to have hit a spurt with just a few more games remaining in the season. If Josimar can keep his form and his confidence up for three more games and bang in a few more finishes like the magnificent angled sledgehammer he clobbered in yesterday, Port are surely odds on to get our hands on some silverware!
3 October 2019 /0 Comments/by Mike Strunk
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/port-chainat-e1570101287573.jpg?fit=2048%2C102410242048Mike Strunkhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngMike Strunk2019-10-03 18:19:572019-10-03 18:19:57Chainought: Port FC 4-0 Chainat Hornbill
Great Wall of Chainat: Port FC vs. Chainat Hornbill Preview
Against all the odds, Port have leaped back into the thick of the title race, sitting two points off the top with just three games remaining in the season. As a result, this game is going to be one of incredible stakes for both teams. While the Klongtoei side need a win in pursuit of their first league title, Chainat will also need three points to remain in T1 for a third consecutive season.
Port's opponents have a transfer budget that would see them struggle to get out of T2, let alone survive in T1, and is roughly equal to the amount Port spent on signing Sumanya Purisai (11) from Bangkok United. However, the Hornbills have bridged the gap in quality with tactical discipline and a scouting team capable of unearthing gems from lower divisions. They have proven to be unlikely giant killers this season, taking three points off Buriram, Muangthong and Bangkok United at home with a varied press designed to stop teams from getting into their passing flow. With their desperate hunt for points, they are unlikely to roll over and will aim to get at Port's heels with the same aggression.
Dennis Amato
The catalyst behind the club's success has been their coach, Dennis Amato. Formerly a youth coach at Bayern Munich, he was contacted by Chainat during his time as a scout running a training camp in Thailand. In his first season at the club, Amato turned a side barely hanging on to their promotion hopes into T2 champions, and did well to stay in the division despite the league's downsizing which saw five teams get relegated last season.
His aim to play a pressing game to get in his opponents' faces is an admirable pursuit considering the quality of his players, but has struggled against his fellow relegation battlers who tend to default to bus-parking when the going gets tough.
You can read a previous interview I conducted with him after this fixture last season for more information about his style and background.
Ricardo Santos (11) – Brazil – Striker – Age 32
Unlike the other ageing Brazilian forwards in this league, Ricardo Santos offers an incredible amount to his team off the ball with pressing and selfless movement. Capable of finding the net as target man up front, Santos also runs the channels like someone half his size would, and is confident taking players on. I personally believe he is among the most underappreciated players in the league, and should be given far more credit for his off-ball sacrifice that has been crucial for his side this season.
Jaturapat Sattham (18) – Thailand – Left Back – Age 20
Port fans should definitely keep their eye on Jaturapat Sattham. A complete unknown before the start of the season, the 20-year-old put in a string of incredible performances, including a man-of-the-match shift in a 2-1 home victory against Buriram. In the injury-induced absence of Port's Kevin Deeromram (97), Jaturapat has also established himself in the Thai U23 National team. The youngster has proven to be an invaluable asset to Chainat, and is already replicating those performances for the young War Elephants. Seeing Kevin and the man vying for his spot as Thailand's most promising young left-back on the same pitch will be interesting.
Chatmongkol Thongkiri (22) – Thailand – Central Midfielder – Age 22
Another recently capped U23 international, Chatmongkol Thongkiri is the Hornbill's engine room in the middle of midfield. While not as consistent as the aforementioned Jaturapat, he is a key player in the middle that Port will need to close down if they want to stop counter-attacks from being launched. He recently earned a call-up alongside Jaturapat for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games.
Port's Team
The Klongtoei lions have been on fine form of late, following up an FA Cup semi-final win over Bangkok United with six points from six against Korat and Chiangmai.
However, this game will likely be a tougher task due to the absence of defensive stalwart Elias Dolah (4), who is out with a suspension. This likely means that Tanaboon (71) will partner Todsapol (6) in the back line.
In midfield, Go Seul-Ki (8) is likely to start alongside Siwakorn (16) and behind Sergio Suarez (5). In an incredibly unpopular opinion, I think this setup is problematic for a few reasons. Go is by far the most complete midfielder in the squad, and among the best in the league, but has been pigeon-holed in a defensive role due to the personal ambition of Siwakorn and his desire to involve himself in attacking play.
I've been a vocal critic of captain fantastic but he's proven me wrong a few times this season. Ideally though, I'd have someone defensive behind Go, such as Fox Hunt academy graduate Anon Samakorn (20) – or Tanaboon, if Dolah was fit. This would allow Go to push into more dangerous areas and carry the ball beyond Chainat's first line of pressure with a safety net behind him, and also allow Kevin Deeromram (97) to get up the left flank and expose Chainat's weaker right side. But in reality there isn't even a 1% chance of that happening. No point changing a winning formula, after all.
Here's my predicted lineup for the match:
Port are on solid form and played with confidence last time out. Should be a routine three points if the pressure of the title-race doesn't overwhelm them. I expect the home side to collect all three points in a tight match.
The match will be shown live on True Music at 18:00 on Wednesday 2 October, 2019. For those who can't make it to PAT Stadium, The Sportsman on Sukhumvit 13 will show the match on a big screen with sound. Don't forget to wear your Port shirt for a 10% discount on drinks.
1 October 2019 /1 Comment/by Gian Chansrichawla
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chainat-preview-1-e1569907004393.jpg?fit=957%2C420420957Gian Chansrichawlahttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngGian Chansrichawla2019-10-01 12:18:072019-10-01 12:18:07Great Wall of Chainat: Port FC vs. Chainat Hornbill Preview
Double Dreaming: Chiang Mai 0-2 Port FC
Port travelled up to Chiang Mai's adopted home ground in Chiang Rai after Port's incredible penalty shootout win over long time bogey team Bangkok United in the FA cup semi-final on Wednesday. This game was never going to live up to that dramatic spectacle, but a win was needed to try and keep Port within touching distance of the top of the table. Most Port fans were expecting a win against arguably the poorest side in the league in bottom of the table Chiang Mai, also known as Chiang Rai reserves. However, we all knew that Port could experience a 'Chiang over' and needed to avoid ruining our title hopes by failing to win here. This one will not go down as a classic, but at the end of the day we got the much-needed win. Now, I don't want to get your hopes up too much and I'll whisper it quietly but, Port are still in with a chance of doing the FA cup/league double this season.
Avoiding some of the busier bars in Bangkok due to the rugby, I joined a few of the Port faithful and settled down with a Leo to watch the evening's entertainment. Port started with a pretty strong line up, the only two changes from midweek being Josimar (30) and Blackburn (99) starting for an injured Suarez and an ineligible Rochela. A surprise inclusion was Kevin (97), who after being injured for so long and playing in the midweek fixture I assumed would be given a rest. The biggest shock came from Chiang Mai who decided to drop their three foreign forwards: Caique (7), Eliandro (9) and Azadzoy (10). This one seemed like it should be a walkover.
However, the first half left a lot to be desired. The main talking points were how it seemed like Blackburn was born offside and how strange it looked to see Chiang Rai's stadium so empty. Port had more of the possession and were arguably the better side, but it was overall a pretty drab first half. The aforementioned Blackburn did have the ball in the back of the net early on in the first half. A great cross in behind the defenders from Pakorn (7) found a free Blackburn to head it past the Chiang Mai keeper Narit (1). Our celebrations were short lived however, as it was correctly ruled offside.
A few minutes later Kevin put a lovely ball into the box that was cushioned down into Blackburn's path by Josimar, only for it to be smashed into the side of the net and once again ruled offside. I'll let Blackburn off for his offsides due to his cheeky penalty on Wednesday. Chiang Mai were limited to long range shots that never really threatened Worawut (36). 0-0 at the break and not many chances created. We couldn't help wondering if Port were going to throw away a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top.
The second half started much the same as the first and after 58 minutes Port made their first change, bringing on Steuble (15) for a very quiet Pakorn (7), meaning that Kevin was pushed forward. This move surprised me as it seemed like a defensive change, but I was soon made to eat my own words as Port's football seemed to greatly improve. The first chance of the half came after Josimar had a decent effort from distance well saved by Narit. Eventually the deadlock was broken after a good bit of football. After a few passes that started at the back with Tanaboon (71), Go (8) fed the ball into Blackburn in the middle of the box and after a nice little turn, he laid it off to Josimar. At this point you'd expect me to say he slotted it home, but instead he smashed it against a Chiang Mai defender's hand and it deflected into the net. It doesn't matter how they go in. 1-0 to Port.
By this point the whole team seemed lifted and it didn't take long for Port to get another. A few minutes after the first goal, Bodin (10) played a ball into the box that really should have been dealt with by the Chiang Mai defence. It wasn't and the ball fell kindly to Kevin on the edge of the box who was able to slot it into the bottom right corner. Great finish. 2-0 to Port.
Chiang Mai's best effort came in the dying moments of the game as Worawut made a fine save to deny Chiang Mai's Chotipat (21), but in general this was a poor performance from the hosts (if you can really call them hosts). Based on this display they'll do well to stay up.
Overall, this wasn't a vintage performance from Port, far from it, but at this stage of the campaign a win is a win, it doesn't matter how we get them. Port have a game in hand and a win on Friday against Korat will see us just two points behind the league leaders. As I'm sure you're very well aware, we also have the small matter of the FA cup final on the 2nd November. I had to put a bit a sensationalism in the headline, but if you ask me if I really think we'll do the double, the answer is a definite 'no'. But is it possible? We can dream.
The Sandpit's Man of the Match: Kevin Deeromram
It's easy to pick a goalscorer for man of the match, but I genuinely feel he was the best player on the pitch for us today. Kevin didn't have much to worry about defensively but looked great going forward particularly in the second half. He put in some decent crosses and it was an excellent finish for his goal. Great to see him playing well after so long on the side lines. Long may it continue!
23 September 2019 /0 Comments/by James Dobson
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kevin-celebrating-e1569216179541.jpg?fit=960%2C523523960James Dobsonhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngJames Dobson2019-09-23 15:04:572019-09-23 15:47:49Double Dreaming: Chiang Mai 0-2 Port FC
FA Cup Chiang-Over? Chiang Mai FC vs. Port FC Preview
Port's scarcely believable penalty shootout victory over Bangkok United may have put Port fans' heads in the clouds, but both fans and players are going to have to have to come back down to earth and adjust to a very different reality for Sunday's away clash against Chiang Mai.
Wednesday's victory, against a team most fancied to overcome Port, was a victory against the odds, not to mention against a team who we hadn't beaten in… well, forever pretty much. It was also in front of thousands of vocal Port fans cheering their team come rain or… well, just rain really. The Lanna Tigers are bottom of the table, playing in a stadium which may as well be empty, and there is unlikely to be much of a traveling contingent in the stands. We've all seen Port defy the odds against superior opposition before crashing and burning against teams we should be beating comfortably. Overconfidence seems to be as much part of our DNA as Leo and shit strikers.
Having said that, Chiang Mai are well and truly there for the taking. Let's see why.
Chiang Mai FC
Top of my list has to be Brazilian striker Eliandro (9). This monster of a forward is practically bursting out of Chiang Mai's very attractive shirts, and doesn't mind throwing his weight around. After an electric start to the season though, Eliandro has slowed down considerably, and isn't playing with the same free-scoring confidence we saw from him when he burst on to the T1 scene. I could say the same about Mustafa Azadzoy (10), the Afghan forward who usually plays as a no.10 has similarly slowed down after an excellent start. Rounding out the front three is one of the nine (yes, 9) loanees from sister club Chiang Rai: Caique (7). Signed by Chiang Rai, presumably just so he could be loaned to Chiang Mai, Caique has netted 3 times in 8 games since his arrival. I haven't seen enough of him to give much of a judgment, but just looking at the numbers it's a respectable return for a struggling team.
When I saw that Chiang Mai had signed Nattawut Sombatyotha (11) from Ratchaburi in mid-season I thought he'd do an excellent job for them. He's probably not playing as far forward as he'd like, but he's still nailed down a first team place and scored twice since his arrival. He's also rid himself of that horrible blonde mop and looks normal again, which helps. Nattawut is best deployed as an attacking midfielder, but with Chiang Mai basically already having three up top he's had to fulfil a role with more defensive responsibility.
Speaking of defensive responsibility, most of that falls on Brazilian centre half Evson Patricio (30). He's one of those defenders who it's quite hard to judge based on the fact that he's playing with a load of dross at the back. The most recent of that dross is actually former Port squad player Worawut Namvech (34), who has started the last few games at centre back, but may not be fit having been withdrawn before the half hour mark last time out. Well, I say he may not be fit, just look at him…
In goal, Nont (20) has fallen out of favour after failing to perform consistently, so the more experienced Narit (1) has stepped in.
The last 6 games look like this for Chiang Mai. They've taken two massive wins from 4 home games, but having failed to get on the score sheet in the last 2 games, they are still big favourites for the drop. The real worry is their failure to score, which has not really been a problem for them all season until now. They've got plenty of attacking talent, but have been conceding goals for fun all season, as they have done in each of their last 6.
Prachuap 2-0 Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai 0-1 Suphanburi
Chiang Mai 5-1 Korat
Chiang Mai 1-3 Trat
Chiang Mai 2-1 Chonburi
Chainat 2-2 Chiang Mai
Port need to approach this game with as much professionalism as they can muster. Changes should be made from the side who triumphed in the cup, both to make sure the XI who take the field are fit and raring to go, and to make sure players are fresh to face tougher opposition in Port's tricky run-in.
Suarez (5) is likely to be an enforced change, with the Spaniard sporting an extremely swollen ankle after an extremely dirty tackle from Peerapat on Wednesday. Josimar (30) and Rolando (99) are both available to lead the line, with Josi raring to go after being cup-tied, and Rolando still grinning like a Cheshire cat after making a mug of Falkesgaard in the penalty shootout. What. A. Finish.
One of Go (8) or Siwakorn (16) should probably be due a rest, but Choke may be nervous removing either of the two, who are among the most consistent players in the team.
Likewise at the back, sitting out Dolah (4) seems unthinkable, and Choke doesn't seem to be able to bring himself not to start Tanaboon (17). I'm sure we could get away with giving Nitipong (34), who put in an astonishingly hard-working performance, a well-deserved breather. Steuble (15) could cover at right back, with Kevin (97) or Panpanpong (19) stepping in on the left hand side.
In goal, Worawut (36) got a nasty cut on his back making an incredible save from Jaycee John, but we're not sure if he'll have recovered in time for this one. Rattanai (17) put in an assured performance in his absence, keeping out his second and third penalties of the season in the shoot-out, and as we don't tire of saying, Port have three no1's at our disposal anyway. Worawut can take as much time to recover as he likes with both Rattanai and Watchara ready and able to step in.
The match will be shown live on True4U and True Sports HD at 18:00 on Sunday 22 September, 2019. For those who can't make it to Chiang Mai, The Sportsman on Sukhumvit 13 will show the match on a big screen with sound. We're expecting a big crowd (in the pub, not the stadium) so get there early to bag the best seats. Don't forget to wear your Port shirt for a 10% discount on drinks.
20 September 2019 /1 Comment/by Tom Earls
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/chiang-mai-preview.jpg?fit=3365%2C124612463365Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-09-20 12:59:302019-09-20 14:04:11FA Cup Chiang-Over? Chiang Mai FC vs. Port FC Preview
The Portcast
The Portcast Episode 11: Zone F Meets Peter Sheppard
The Portcast is back!
It's been more than a year since our last podcast, but so excited are we with what transpired last season, and with next still season feeling an age away, here we are bringing back our long-form conversations with fans about the fan experience.
What better way to fill the hole left by the off-season than listening to two helpless obsessives talking about what makes the football experience great, whether in the suburbs of Stockholm or the slums of Bangkok?
Our first guest on our return to the airwaves is Peter Sheppard. As well as contributing to The Sandpit, Peter also writes a blog in both Swedish and English about football in Asia. You can find the excellent Far East Football here.
In this podcast, recorded in the traditionally tipsy fashion, we cover a wide range of topics, in search as always of what makes us football fans tick, and why Port is the special club we all know it to be.
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/8824/the-portcast-episode-11-zone-f-meets-peter-sheppard.mp3
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 71:48 | Recorded on 16 November 2019
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2019-11-29 13:13:562019-12-01 20:17:36The Portcast Episode 11: Zone F Meets Peter Sheppard
The Portcast Episode 10: The Sandpit Meets Sven (Part 1)
Yes, it's been a long time coming, but good things come to wait! Our interview with Sven, the creator of legendary Thai football website www.thai-fussball.com is finally here, so be prepared for some back-in-the-day stories from the Kangaroos of Prague to the Blue Marlins of Sriracha.
Part one features a lot of stadium talk, and a couple of time-honoured debates about Thai football standards vs. European football standards and the social vs. sporting aspect of watching live football.
Then there's me giving an entirely justifiable torrent of abuse to former Port flop Sompong Soleb for those who just like a good old rant, although the fearless Sven soon turns the tables on us and gives the Sandpit a well-deserved chewing out!
We also discuss Daniel Polomski and Tobias Enkel's project Football Fans Asia which you can find on their website or their Youtube channel. Their video about a certain Khlongtoei football club is in the making, so make sure to follow their progress.
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/5502/the-portcast-episode-10-the-sandpit-meets-sven-part-1.mp3
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 69:59 | Recorded on 6 March 2018
15 June 2018 /1 Comment/by Tom Earls
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2018-06-15 13:44:202018-06-15 15:55:27The Portcast Episode 10: The Sandpit Meets Sven (Part 1)
Spit in the Sandpit Podcast
Spit in the Sandpit Episode 1: Season Review 2017
As the curtain falls on another season of Port football we now contemplate what and who will it take to improve our beloved Port FC Lions. Port supporter John Spittal spent some time in the Sandpit before last weekends final home match asking fellow Port Importz about the 2017 season and their thoughts on next season… it's Spit in the Sandpit season review.
Note…Peter Hockley is lovingly referred to as Peter Hockers. I hope he doesn't mind.
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/3632/spit-sandpit-episode-1-season-review-2017.mp3
13 November 2017 /0 Comments/by John Spittal
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Spit-in-the-Sandpit.png?fit=803%2C393393803John Spittalhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngJohn Spittal2017-11-13 18:59:182017-11-13 19:06:54Spit in the Sandpit Episode 1: Season Review 2017
The Portcast Episode 4: Zone F Meets Tim Russell
The Portcast is back with a brand new feature – Zone F – in which we chat to a different Port fan in each episode and get their thoughts on all things Tarua!
In this first episode, The Portcast's own Michael Parkinson, Tom Earls, interviews Sandpit founder Tim Russell and finds out about his unlucky orange underpants, his dream of being able to eat meat pies at the PAT, and his man-crush on Genki Nagasato.
If you're a Port fan & would like to take part in Zone F, drop us a message. And in the meantime, enjoy our latest podcast!
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/3135/portcast-episode-4-zone-f-meets-tim-russell.mp3
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 33m | Recorded on 16 August 2017
21 August 2017 /0 Comments/by Tim Russell
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-08-21 10:41:162017-08-28 09:47:16The Portcast Episode 4: Zone F Meets Tim Russell
The Portcast Episode 3 pt2: The Imaginary Draw at Suphanburi
In pt2 of Episode 3 of the Portcast, Dom fights off a randy cab driver, Tim, despite being sober, is convinced that Port got a draw at Suphanburi, and Tom comes over all Nostradamus (rather than 'comes all over Nostradamus', which would certainly have made for more interesting listening). Look out for Episode 4 coming up during the 5-week break!
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2990/portcast-episode-3-pt2-imaginary-draw-suphanburi.mp3
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 35:44 | Recorded on 28 July 2017
4 August 2017 /0 Comments/by Tim Russell
https://i0.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-08-04 09:50:102017-08-04 09:54:36The Portcast Episode 3 pt2: The Imaginary Draw at Suphanburi
The Portcast Episode 3 pt1: The Coming of Zico
The Portcast is back baby! In Episode 3 pt1 we welcome Port's new big-name coach, discuss the toe-curlingly embarrassing shambles that was the June transfer window, and have a good laugh at our old friend Thiago Cunha. If you've noticed a higher level of discussion and professionalism about The Portcast this time, it's only because one of us was stone cold sober for medical reasons. This will not happen again so make the most of it.
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2988/portcast-episode-3-pt1-coming-zico.mp3
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-08-04 09:45:452017-08-04 09:45:45The Portcast Episode 3 pt1: The Coming of Zico
The Portcast Episode 2 pt3: Think About the Future
In yesterday's Portcast post we enjoyed Tom's stats quiz, in which Tim secured a triumphant victory over Dom. Today we look forward to the second half of the season and predict how Port will fare, as well as speculating as to what the June transfer window may have in store. Enjoy, and keep an eye out for Episode 3 coming soon!
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2522/portcast-episode-2-pt3-thinkaboutthefuture.mp3
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 30:59 | Recorded on 2 June 2017
8 June 2017 /0 Comments/by Tim Russell
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-06-08 11:00:222017-06-06 11:24:03The Portcast Episode 2 pt3: Think About the Future
The Portcast Episode 2 pt2: Statto's Quiz
In yesterday's Portcast post we looked back on the first half of the season. Today we dive into the nerdy world of football stats as Tom 'Statto' Earls quizzes Dom & Tim on some Port FC facts & figures. Will Dom's Sangsom-addled brain get to grips with the numbers, or will Tim's brand loyalty to Port shirt sponsors Leo guide him to victory? Listen to find out, and play along…
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2520/portcast-episode-2-pt2-statsquiz.mp3
https://i1.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-06-07 11:00:072017-06-06 11:14:05The Portcast Episode 2 pt2: Statto's Quiz
The Portcast Episode 2 pt1: Halftime
The Portcast is back, with not one, not two, but three new 'casts this week. We recorded Episode 2 on Friday night and what with the excitement of Muangthong v Chiang Rai on the TV, and copious amounts of Leo and Sangsom, we got a little carried away and ended up talking for over an hour. So we've split Episode 2 into 3 parts.
In part 1, we take a look back at the first half of the season and discuss the best (and worst) moments, including our favourite matches, goals, away fans and more. Look out for parts 2 & 3 coming later this week.
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2518/portcast-episode-2-pt1-halftime.mp3
https://i0.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tim Russellhttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTim Russell2017-06-06 15:00:532017-06-06 11:06:24The Portcast Episode 2 pt1: Halftime
The Portcast Ep1 (Pilot) – The Season So Far with Special Guest Josimar Rodrigues
Welcome to the pilot episode of The Portcast, our hopefully regular Sandpit podcast on all things Port. We plan to feature regular discussions, match previews/reviews, interviews and more, though I suspect most episodes will involve Tom, Dom & Tim sitting around talking bollocks.
In this first episode, we discuss Port's 8 matches so far with our special guest, Brazilian striker Josimar Rodrigues. Please make allowances for the sound quality, and for the fact that Josimar and Dom are not as audible as they might be (which of course makes a change in the latter's case) – we're new to this podcasting lark and learning as we go along.
If you have any ideas for, or want to take part in, future podcasts, please let us know. In the meantime, happy listening!
http://www.portfcsandpit.com/podcast-player/2042/portcast-ep1-pilot-season-far-special-guest-josimar-rodrigues.wav
Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 21:05 | Recorded on 17 April 2017
18 April 2017 /0 Comments/by Tom Earls
https://i2.wp.com/www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/THE-PORTCAST.png?fit=718%2C331331718Tom Earlshttp://www.portfcsandpit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sandpit-logo-nov-2018-Copy.pngTom Earls2017-04-18 14:31:542017-04-18 14:31:54The Portcast Ep1 (Pilot) - The Season So Far with Special Guest Josimar Rodrigues


text:
The Royal Ballet Celebrates Frederick Ashton and the Heritage of his Works for the Company
12/06/2017 08/06/2017 by Jim Pritchard
United Kingdom Mendelssohn, César Franck, Liszt: Soloists and artists of the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House Orchestra / Emmanuel Plasson (conductor). Live cinema relay directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon and introduced by Darcey Bussell and Ore Oduba. Broadcast to Cineworld Basildon, Essex. 7.6.2017. (JPr)
Zenaida Yanowsky (Marguerite) and Roberto Bolle (Armand) © ROH/Tristram Kenton
Choreography – Frederick Ashton
Music – Felix Mendelssohn (musical arrangement – John Lanchbery)
London Oratory Junior Choir
Designer – David Walker
Lighting designer -John B. Read
Dancers included – Steven McRae (Oberon), Akane Takada (Titania), Valentino Zucchetti (Puck) and Bennet Gartside (Bottom)
Symphonic Variations
Music – César Franck
Piano -Paul Stobart
Designer – Sophie Fedorovitch
Dancers – Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Yuhui Choe, James Hay, Yasmine Naghdi and Tristan Dyer
Marguerite and Armand
Music – Franz Liszt (orchestration – Dudley Simpson)
Piano – Robert Clark
Designer – Cecil Beaton
Dancers included – Zenaida Yanowsky (Marguerite) and Roberto Bolle (Armand)
There was so much goodwill on stage for this celebration of the choreography of Sir Frederick Ashton because this was the last performance of Zenaida Yanowsky as permanent principal dancer with The Royal Ballet. The word permanent is important as the director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O'Hare, was keen to stress how he hoped he could to do some future projects with Yanowsky, who he praised for her 'unique artistry' as she was surrounded in floral tributes from a number of colleagues and friends. After 23 years this wonderful stalwart of the company has reached what seems to be its unofficial retiring age for ballerinas. It was interesting to note that Roberto Bolle – guesting as her young lover in Marguerite and Armand – is also in his early 40s and a few months older than Yanowsky.
For me this was far from the best ballet evening I have seen at Covent Garden -either in person or at the cinema – but I suspect those new to these works, either in the cinema or watching on the BP Big Screens, will have enjoyed it much more than I did. There was much fine dancing to admire, but overall it was clear that it was near the end of a long season and there is the thorny issue of the paucity of truly exceptional dancers in the current company. In the right role such as The Queen of Hearts (click here) Yanowsky was a remarkable performer but Marguerite and Armand was created in 1963 for Fonteyn and Nureyev who I saw dance this for a final time in 1977. Set to Liszt's B minor piano sonata – and in Cecil Beaton's designs – there is a montage of scenes and it is based on Dumas the younger's La Dame aux Camélias (think La traviata).
This is already a partly autobiographical story of a doomed courtesan and her love, whilst Ashton used it to also explore the partnership of Fonteyn and Nureyev. For Fonteyn the trials and tribulations her character goes through – because of the conflicts of love and duty – were particular significant. Yanowsky was a passionate Marguerite who is somewhat melancholic throughout as she accepts her fate and elicits our sympathy at her demise. There was not the fragility from her that Fonteyn showed and certainly the rather self-absorbed Roberto Bolle did not prowl the stage like Nureyev. I never felt any chemistry between him and Yanowsky that must be there if Marguerite and Armand is to truly allay the ghosts of the past.
One of the highlights of the backstage chat or the films – apart from Darcey Bussell asking Kevin O'Hara how it was performing for Fred Astaire instead of Frederick Ashton! – was watching 98-years-young Henry Danton talking about creating a role in the first performance of Symphonic Variations in 1946. He recalled rehearsing at the National Gallery when most of the paintings were still in storage and how hard the floor was. Their health was a concern because of the lack of food during the war years and the dancers were constantly checked and found to work harder than any manual labourer. It was the first work Ashton created for the reopening of Covent Garden and is an abstract piece – celebrating the beauty of pure movement – for three men and three women all clad in white dancing on an uncluttered stage to César Franck's Symphonic Variations. Its placid calm belies some technical terrors and – though all three pairs acquitted themselves well – eyes were drawn to the authority and limpid grace of two of the few real stars The Royal Ballet currently has, Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov. At least these two dancers are the equal of those of the past they are trying to emulate in this short ballet.
The longest work The Dream had opened this celebration: Ashton has reduced my favourite Shakespeare play to a little over 50 minutes. It has all the classic Ashton tropes of nimble feet and supple use of torso and not just arms and legs. Using Mendelssohn's familiar music, he presents a microcosm of the play's original magic, romance and broad comedy. The aphrodisiacal flower's daftness was wonderfully played by the quartet of Itziar Mendizabal (Helena), Tomas Mock (Demetrius), Claire Clavert (Hermia) and Matthew Ball (Lysander) as the confused lovers. Bennet Gartside, dancing en pointe, was a suitably enchanted and unaware Bottom. I had trouble with Puck being – however marginally – taller than Oberon and certainly Valentino Zucchetti looks as if he has 'outgrown' Puck, however spirited his dancing or how winningly he smiled through all his character's mischief. (I saw Wayne Sleep dance this role and his performance is the benchmark for me.) Steven McRae's phenomenal fey athleticism, as expected, makes short work of Oberon's mercurial solos, but he remains a dancer who I feel would be more suited to Puck than the King of the Fairies. Both McRae and his Titania, Akane Takada, lack the facial expression to bring their characters to life regardless of how well they recreate Ashton's steps. Takane also lacked a certain ethereal quality and sensuousness and once again there was a lack of chemistry between her and Oberon which undermined Ashton's romantic reconciliation duet.
The London Oratory Junior Choir made a gossamer-like contribution to The Dream and – as heard through the cinema loudspeakers – the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House played the Mendelssohn, Franck and Liszt spiritedly under the watchful and supportive baton of Emmanuel Plasson. Paul Stobart and Robert Clark were the valiant soloists for, respectively, the music of Franck and Liszt.
Jim Pritchard
To view the full list of forthcoming broadcasts and to find a cinema near you visit http://www.roh.org.uk/cinemas.
Categories Ballet and Dance Reviews, Opera & Ballet Tags Jim Pritchard, London
Quite Outstanding Performances of Beethoven and Franck
Spontaneity and Style from the Razumovsky Ensemble
2 thoughts on "The Royal Ballet Celebrates Frederick Ashton and the Heritage of his Works for the Company"
M.Tomlin
I think that it is a mistake to assume that because you have seen a cast in a streamed performance who you do not think are suited to the roles in which they appear that this is evidence of a lack of talented dancers in the company.The current director seems more interested in giving his dancers, particularly his principal ones, a wide range of repertory to perform, even if this means casting against type, than he is in constructing ideal casts. Sometimes casting against type works and the audience is presented with what can only be described as a revelatory performance on other occasions it results in what feels like a serious reduction in a ballet's effectiveness.
It would be a mistake to think that the Oberon and Titania on show in this streamed performance are necessarily the best that the company could offer in those roles. The director seems more concerned that the audiences watching the company on tour and in streamed performances should see principal dancers of whom they have heard than he is with their suitability for the roles in which they appear. The Oberon in this performance is a phenomenal technician but the role is not simply about technique it is about establishing Oberon as a potent otherworldly creature which I don't think McRae managed to achieve. His height limits the number of dancers who are suitable as partners for him which meant that once his advertised partner was injured the number of available dancers short enough to be his partner was limited and I think that emotional rapport inevitably became a secondary consideration in the selection process.
I find your comments about Puck being too tall fascinating because the role was not created on Wayne Sleep but on a taller dancer. The reason that Sleep appeared in the role so often was because his short stature limited the range of roles in which he could successfully appear. Most companies which perform Ashton's Dream cast a dancer taller than Sleep in the role because such short dancers are rarely recruited today because of the casting problems which they present. The role is not about being shorter than Oberon it is about being a satyr like lord of transformation and anarchy.
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply at such length and with interesting reflections on this performance and 'casting' in general. Though I think it is shortchanging the audience if a company presents casts on some nights substantially 'weaker' than on other nights, but of course all talented dancers must be given the opportunity to 'make a name for themselves'.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace. Among other tasks, deacons assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.
Learn more about vocations in the Diocese of Greensburg by visiting www.gbgvocations.org.


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text:
Клан Браун() — один из кланов равнинной части Шотландии.

История

Происхождение клана
Историк Блэк утверждает, что Брауны кельтского происхождения могли быть названы в честь их происхождения от местных судей, которые были известны как «brehons». По другой версии клан произошёл от Вальтера Ле Бруна, который в 1073 году приехал из Франции в Шотландию на помощь королю Шотландии Малкольму.
Первое упоминание о клане Браун в Ист-Лотиане задокументировано в начале двенадцатого века.
Сэр Дэвид Ле Брун был свидетелем закладки фундамента аббатства Холируд в 1128 году. Он отдал земли аббатству в обмен на молитвы за здоровье его сына.

Глава клана Браун пользовался значительной королевской поддержкой, что могло быть связано с их предполагаемым выходом из королевского дома Франции. На гербе и оружии вождя нанесены три золотые лилии королей Франции.

Во время гражданской войны сэр Джон Браун из Форделла командовал армией роялистов в битве при Инверкитинге в 1651 году . Его сын Патрик Браун из Колстоуна получил статус баронета Новой Шотландии в 1686 году.

Легенда клана
Джордж Браун в 1543 году женился на Джин Хей, второй дочери лорда Эстер, родоначальника маркизов Твиддэйл. Приданое Джин состояло из «груши Колстоун», которая была наделена чудесными способностями волшебником 13-го века и некромантом Уго де Гиффордом из Эстер. Согласно легенде эта груша приносила обеспечение и стабильное процветание семьи, которой она принадлежала. Груша была свежей, как и в тот день, когда её собрали до тех пор, пока в 17-м веке беременная женщина не откусила кусочек, после этого груша окаменела.

Клановые замки
 Замок Карслуит
 Дом Брантсфилд
 Дом Колстоун

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт Клана Браун из Колстоуна
 Официальный сайт сообщества клана Браун
 Сайт дома Колстоун
 Страница клана Браун

Примечания

Кланы Шотландии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Miranda Lambert's Playlist: Top 5 Songs That Inspire the Country Music Star
Country music star offers up her Nightline playlist.
By SARAH HODD and LAUREN EFFRON
Miranda Lambert's Playlist: Top 5 Songs
Country star talks about the songs that have inspired her music over the years.
Nov. 8, 2011— -- If there is one thing for sure about country music star Miranda Lambert, it's that she is fearless.
The Grammy award-winning singer, who only launched her career a few years ago, has won numerous major country music awards and had several hit singles top the country charts, including "Kerosene," "Gunpowder and Lead," "White Liar" and most recently, "Heart Like Mine." Known for her honest lyrics about family, small town living and love gone sour, Lambert's feelings in her songs range from wild to vulnerable.
On Nov. 9, Lambert will be heading to this year's Country Music Awards, where she is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.
In an interview with "Nightline" the country music singer talked about the top five songs on her playlist that have inspired her music and career over the years.
1. "Desperados Waiting for a Train," Guy Clark
Born Miranda Leigh Lambert in Longview, Texas, on Nov. 10, 1983, the singer grew up in the small town of Lindale, where her parents worked as private investigators. Her father, Rick Lambert, was a songwriter and guitarist, who introduced his daughter to country music greats such as Merle Haggard and Guy Clark.
"My first musical memory is probably of my dad playing guitar in my house," Lambert said. "Favorite song of all time, the one he would sing a lot to me as a little girl. That meant a lot to me. He was a singer songwriter so it just seems like I've always been hearing him downstairs or sitting around with him at a fire at a party or something with him playing guitar since I was born."
2. "Standing Outside the Fire," Garth Brooks
At age 10, Lambert saw her first country music concert -- a Garth Brooks show -- and immediately fell in love with the art of performing. That same year, she entered into her first country music talent show.
"I went and saw a Garth Brooks concert when I was 10, it was the first concert I ever saw, and something sparked inside me that night," Lambert said. "Just being a little girl, we were close to the back, I had braces and I just remember smiling the whole time, just in awe of this concert, and I kind of thought, something sparked in my mind at that moment. Whenever he sang that song the whole edge of the stage caught on fire and maybe that's why I still have a fascination with fire to this day."
3. "Bad Moon Rising," Creedence Clearwater Revival
Lambert started her own band called Texas Pride at age 17 and, with the help and financial support of her family, made her first recording -- an independent self-titled album -- in 2001. In 2003, Lambert placed third in the nationally-televised talent show, "Nashville Star," and signed her first major-label record deal with Epic Nashville.
"I was recording with [John Fogerty] last week in the studio," Lambert said. "Obviously I'm a huge CCR fan and have been doing a Fogerty song since I started a band in every set I've ever done so getting to work with him just totally revamped my creativity."
She continued, "I'm just totally inspired by someone who for so long had such a huge influence on the music business and on music in general and getting the opportunity to be in the studio and hang out with him was a really cool moment."
4. "Coal Miner's Daughter," Loretta Lynn
After moving to Nashville to pursue her career in country music, Lambert released her single, "Me and Charlie Talking," in 2004, which made modest waves on the country charts and got her noticed. That was followed by the release of her 2005 album, "Kerosene," which was certified platinum in 2007.
Since then, Lambert has performed with other contemporary country music megastars, including George Strait, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. Lambert got to spend some time with one of her country music idols, the legendary Loretta Lynn, to do a recording and music video with her and Sheryl Crow for one of Lynn's hits, "Coal Miner's Daughter," in 2010.
"It was just so crazy to be sitting in [Lynn's] kitchen and talking about family and road stories," Lambert said. "You're sitting there and talking like, to a friend, and then you all of a sudden go, 'oh my gosh, that's Loretta Lynn,' so definitely it was kind of a life-changing moment for me because I just realized how blessed I was and how I thought I was looking at the big picture of my career and hanging out with Loretta just made me widen my spectrum even more. You know I definitely want to be, not doing this for 20 years, but doing it for 50."
5. "The Way I Am," Merle Haggard
In 2005, Lambert met fellow country star Blake Shelton, who shared her love for deer hunting. The two started dating and were married earlier this year. They now live in Oklahoma.
The past year has been explosive for Lambert, who took home all top prizes at the 2010 Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, after receiving a record nine nominations. She also won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song, "The House That Built Me," and had three number one singles.
Many of Lambert's songs are written out of real life experiences, something the singer has admired in other country music legends.
"He's just a living legend," Lambert said of Merle Haggard. "Just in general as an artist and as a writer, he's real honest, he's always talked openly about his troubles and being in prison and he really lived the songs he wrote, and I loved the honesty in his music. I think that's where I get my love of just honest country music, is from Merle Haggard."


text:
Race Report: MXGP of Latvia
droberts May 3, 2016 0 0
Gajser surges to another victory!
Report: Jonathan McCready
Pics: Youthstream/ Honda/KTM
Herlings…still undefeated in 2016.
Showing some scintillating speed, courage and determination to take a memorable GP win in Latvia, Tim Gajser is now the man of the moment in MXGP
After holding off a charging Nagl to win race one (and block passing Cairoli to take the lead) the Gariboldi Honda rider threw himself on the deck early in race two and it looked like his chance of the GP win was over. But no-one told Gajser and the teenager fought like the champion he is to win the GP overall by passing Max Nagl for fourth on the last lap to deny Cairoli his first GP win if the year!
It was Gajser's third GP win in a row and he is not just one point behind Febvre in the championship. But mentally this was a big win for Tim, he dug deep and won against the odds after a big crash, right now Tim Gajser is dealing with everything being thrown at him in his rookie season and is coming out on top.
Gajser said: "I really can't believe that we won today! The crash was pretty bad and I'm pretty sore from it, but as soon as I got back on the bike I had no idea what position I was in – I just wanted to attack again. I had some really good lines and was pushing really hard – going wide open especially in the wave section where I think I made nearly all my passes. I had no idea where I was in the GP overall, but I just saw 'Nagl' written on my pit board. I didn't know what it meant but I just gave everything to pass him, and that was the pass that won the Grand Prix so I'm really pleased that I made it, and that with the team we work so well. I'm just so happy because I really had to fight and work for that one, so it means I'm enjoying it even more. It's definitely my best MXGP win, for sure!"
Antonio Cairoli came within a lap of winning the overall but it still isn't the Cairoli of old. The Italian holeshot race one but got passed by both Gajser and Nagl ending in third, on a track like Latvia that is not normal service for the eight-time world champion.
In race two Cairoli holeshot again but had Gajser and Nagl on his rear wheel only for Gajser to crash and take Nagl with him. That gave Cairoli a five second lead over Febvre but the Frenchman caught, passed and left Cairoli leaving the Italian to wonder what might have been even though he still took second overall.
Cairoli just isn't as aggressive on the 450 and it looks like he can't ride with the same fearlessness as he did on the 350, Cairoli meanwhile believes he is still lacking race fitness and doesn't have the strength to run at the top pace for 30 minutes.
Cairoli explained: "I'm still missing the feeling that I've been looking for. I know that the beginning of the season I wasn't ready but now its getting better and better. I'm happy about the season so far except perhaps the race in Mexico where we messed up a bit and I lost a lot of points, otherwise we would be very close in the championship. But I am always in the top five and I'm looking forward to the next GP. This one was close to the win."
Romain Febvre wasn't on his best form all weekend, but the Frenchman fought hard to win the final moto and only lost two points to rival Gajser keeping his red plate by a solitary point. Febvre is showing the kind of tenacity it takes to defend a title even on his bad days, but he won't want Gajser to get anymore confidence!
Gajser has been a great addition to the MX1 class this season. He has more overall wins than any other rider.
"In the first moto I made a small mistake, went down and lost a couple of positions," explained Febvre. "It's disappointing but we made some changes to the engine in between, and in the second moto I felt like the real Romain Febvre. I was turning fast in the corners and playing with the bumps."
Jeremy Van Horebeek made big changes to his Yamaha to help him with the starts and it worked with the Belgian hovering in the top five all day for fourth overall, but he is still missing that final piece of the puzzle to challenge for the win.
Max Nagl very nearly caught Gajser to win race one but got collected in Gajser's crash in race two that put paid to his hopes for the win. Nagl is riding really well but will feel he should have had a podium in Latvia. Expect Max to be strong this weekend in Germany in front of his home crowd.
Evgeny Bobryshev deserves the tough guy of the weekend award! The big Russian qualified fastest but went down hard on the start straight in the qualifier and was too sore to ride in warm-up the next morning but somehow the HRC Honda man ignored the pain and charged to sixth overall despite bad starts from having last gate pick but yet again Bobby showed he is one of the toughest riders in the sport.
In MX2 it was all Jeffrey Herlings again, the KTM dominating both moto so easily he probably could have raced the 450s and won that too!
Behind him Max Anstie managed to shake off the bad luck to finish second overall in what was his best performance of the season. Max has got the Husky working to his liking and should be a regular feature on the podium from here on out.
Jeremy Seewer took yet another podium on the Suzuki, his work with Everts is paying dividends and he secured his second place in the championship. Seewer has been the highlight of Everts' first year in charge of Suzuki with his MXGP riders still struggling to post results their speed should attain.
Dylan Ferrandis made a welcome return to racing and finished an impressive fifth overall despite bad starts and only a couple of days back on the bike. Ferrandis came from a first turn crash all the way back to sixth in moto two, he has the speed and is the only one not intimated by Herlings, if anyone can beat the Dutchman it will probably be the Frenchman!
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 43 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 41 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 38 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 27 p.; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Ben Townley (NZL, SUZ), 22 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Milko Potisek (FRA, YAM), 20 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 260 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 259 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 213 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 203 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 200 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 197 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 143 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 142 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 121 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 116 p.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 44 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 33 p.; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 22 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 300 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 230 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 193 p.; 4. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 165 p.; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 163 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 154 p.; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 133 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 132 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 126 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 110 p.
droberts
Latvia GP Photo Report
Scott Motosports: DV on New Jersey SX


This new Vancouver city council is going to run out of topics to discuss if this torrid pace continues.
Two weeks ago, Mayor Kennedy Stewart and councillors introduced no less than 10 motions of notice in their first full week of public meetings.
Topics included the opioid crisis, social housing, a renters' office, a city-wide plan, the budget and protecting tenants from "renovictions" and aggressive buy-outs. More than 100 people registered to speak to council that week, the majority on the renovictions motion, which was put over until Dec. 4 for a vote.
This week, there's another 10 motions before council.
Topics include the mayor's call for conflict-of-interest rules related to elected officials and staff, the creation of a lobbyist registry and a review of the mayor's office budget.
There are motions requesting support for the B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition's plan to reduce poverty, the need for more child care, a bylaw change related to ride-hailing and a few motions involving taxes.
As of Monday, a total of 43 people were registered to speak to these motions.
Bligh's motion requests the mayor write a letter to Premier John Horgan, Green leader Andrew Weaver and Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson to withdraw the proposed tax that targets residents whose homes are assessed at $3 million or more.
She suggests the province use other tax-generating options such as "the progressive income tax system" to fund the B.C. budget. As readers may recall, the so-called school tax—which is supposed to be effective next year—sparked several protests earlier this year.
Frankly, I'm surprised only 22 speakers signed up.
Next week, on Dec. 11, council will hear from city staff on the $1.5 billion operating budget. Council will also consider $371 million for new capital projects.
City staff has proposed a 4.9 per cent property tax increase. It was 4.24 per cent last year, and 3.9 per cent the previous year.
In other words, police officers and firefighters are getting salary and benefit increases. In fact, this year, public safety wage increases climbed 2.5 per cent, a rate higher than inflation.
As I wrote in a previous piece, the arbitrated settlement between the Vancouver Police Union and the Vancouver Police Board will expire at the end of this year, "adding uncertainty and additional cost pressures for future years," according to budget documents.
But the new council's pace is not unprecedented.
The same week Gregor Robertson and his Vision team of candidates were sworn in to office back in December 2008, they opened homeless shelters and dumped then-city manager Judy Rogers, who was replaced by Penny Ballem, who has since been replaced by Sadhu Johnston.
Those actions were followed by a succession of motions introduced on topics related to building affordable rental housing, creating a mental health plan, amending the Residential Tenancy Act to help renters and creating a bike lane on the Burrard Bridge.
Interestingly, then-councillor Tim Stevenson introduced a motion way back on Dec. 16, 2008 calling for the city to use its own Standards of Maintenance bylaw to repair buildings and charge costs to the owner.
My research shows the city has done minor repairs on buildings and billed owners, but never a complete renovation.
For years, the bylaw has been referred to by housing activists when dilapidated single-room-occupancy hotels such as the Balmoral and Regent in the Downtown Eastside are discussed. One of those housing activists, Jean Swanson, is now a city councillor.
I predict another motion, but likely not this week.
The Balmoral and Regent, meanwhile, remain closed while the city and the hotels' owners battle over the city's desire to expropriate the properties, which have been notorious for disrepair and crime for decades.
Tomorrow's council meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.


A payment data component of Europe's revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) promises business opportunities and technical challenges, according to experts on a recent Webinar from the London office of global payments law firm Bryan Cave and London-based Polymath Consulting.
The presentation, "How will PSD2 Provisions–Especially the XS2A– Impact Banks, Fintech & Emerging Payments in the UK and EU?", focused on the directive's Access to Accounts provisions (XS2A). Those provisions enable the creation of a whole new genre of what people can do with (payment data), said Judith Rinearson, partner at Bryan Cave and a Top 10 Payments Lawyer. XS2A will allow, for instance, customers to give permission to payment providers to use data kept for those customers' accounts with other financial institutions. As well, the program is designed to encourage the aggregation of payment data by third parties, which could lead to more efficient loan applications or new payment services based on customer behavior, among other tasks, according to experts on the Webinar.
XS2A likely will spark the launch of new payment and fintech firms to handle the new data demands from consumers and to create new products, according to the presenters; that anticipation comes amid a report from Accenture that says UK banks could lose 43 percent of revenue from retail payments by 2020 in the wake of PSD2, thanks in large part to the competition it will create. Those products stemming from PSD2 and XS2A might facilitate payments from consumers who don't want to use credit cards to shop online, for example, and otherwise encourage payments innovation outside the scope of the largest financial institutions. And it will mean that companies will have to build and maintain application programming interfaces, or APIs, which are a set of digital instructions that guide how software applications interact.
Still unclear are detailed technical requirements to implement XS2A and how it will be regulated specifically. A full view of how XS2A will work will not come until after the PSD2 goes into effect on Jan. 13, 2018, after which authorities will release more of those technical details.


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My love for Percy Jackson and the Olympians has never been a secret.
It was one of the first book series my brother and I both enjoyed. Jacob has never been a particularly avid reader (with a few exceptions), but he got me to read the first book and I spent the night cackling over Percy's narration.
Annabeth Chase is, to this day, all that I aspire to be. I live for intelligent female characters who tell the boys exactly what to do, and, for some reason, Annabeth always stuck with me more than Hermione ever did. Maybe it's the fact that we're both blonde.
Most of my lasting friendships began over a shared love of PJO, and it was these friendships that helped me get through my first few days of college.
So when I had the chance to see Rick Riordan in person, you better believe I jumped on it, especially when I saw that a few of his Hammer of Thor tour stops were going to be over my fall break.
Uncle Rick in the flesh! I was too afraid to buy tickets in the very first row, so I bought them for the second row after refreshing the tickets page at the exact minute that were available.
After over nine hours in the car (although blessedly broken up) from Indianapolis to St. Paul, we arrived, and I fidgeted with anxious excitement as I saw staff unpacking all of the signed books that we were to receive after the event.
And there, right by the tables with all of the books, was the standup sign for the event with Hammer of Thor cover art, a little picture of Mr. Riordan, and the event information. Being the obsessed honors-thesis-writing person that I am, I have Rick Riordan on tweet notifications, I'd seen him retweeting people taking pictures in front of that sign over the past few days, and had my dad take a picture of Jacob and me in front of it too, thinking it would be a cute little picture to post on Instagram/Facebook. Then I thought, Hey, why not post this on Twitter, too? That's an act of literary citizenship, right?, decided that that was a great idea despite the fact that my CHB shirt is so obviously homemade, and tagged him in the tweet without a second thought.
Just a few minutes later was when my world exploded. After posting it, I went to show Jacob something on my phone (I can't even remember what), and then that little Twitter notification popped up and, with shaking hands, I checked to see if it was the kind of notification I thought it was. I about screamed, "RICK RIORDAN RETWEETED MY PICTURE!" to my dad and Jacob as I practically curled into a fetal position while standing, trying not to cry. My phone was blowing up with notifications, and I realized that this was actually happening, I was actually one of the people that Rick Riordan retweeted.
I spent the rest of the time before they opened the doors nervously laughing to myself as my phone kept buzzing, telling me that someone had liked my tweet. I saw a few of my friends from Ball State liking it (y'all are the real MVPs), but for the most part, it was people I didn't know, and it was incredibly surreal.
The rest of the event was such a delight, as Mr. Riordan talked about what he had been working on and what we could look forward to, told jokes, and otherwise lived up to his reputation as Uncle Rick – there were so many more kids than I would have expected, but as someone who's going to spend her life as an English teacher, I was thrilled to see so many young people enthusiastic about reading. I didn't get the chance to ask my question during the Q&A (about what his research process is like and how his background as a teacher influences how he adapts these ancient figures; I was simultaneously simply curious and trying to do thesis research, what can I say), and neither did Jacob (about how he goes about writing the diverse characters that are now at the forefront of his books, more so than they ever were in PJO, e.g., a deaf elf, the most badass Muslim valkyrie you've ever seen, and others, both in Magnus Chase and in Heroes of Olympus), but I got great sound bites recorded on my phone of Mr. Riordan talking about how he was a reluctant reader until he was in eighth grade when his teacher changed his life, about a deleted scene from The Last Olympian, and about the homeless kids he had in his classroom that inspired Magnus.
Mr. Riordan, if you read this, thank you for your books. They've changed my life and countless others', and if you're within driving distance for your next book tour, I'll be there.