Football Tribe SEA Editor
Port FC showed off their attacking firepower in a second successive 4-1 victory, while Buriram hit four themselves to open their account for the season in what was another exciting Thai League weekend.
Friday night saw an attack-minded Rayong side torn apart once again; this time by Nakhon Ratchasima, as the visiting Swatcats showed their teeth through attacking stalwarts Leandro Assumpcao and Dennis Murillo to get the job done cooly and professionally.
Port opened up their doors once again on Saturday, this time playing host to Masatada Ishii’s Samut Prakan City. Once again, the Sea Fang showed excellent organization but sorely lacked the ‘x-factor’ to turn the game in their favor, arguably the missing quality which has led many fans and pundits to doubt their credentials for finishing in the top five.
The side’s rather bland 4-4-2 fell flat once again as Pedro Junior and Chayawat Srinawong failed to ignite any spark upfront – a far cry from the hosts’ free-flowing attack. It took just 28 minutes for the hosts to demonstrate their difference in offensive prowess, with Pakorn Prempak’s strike hitting the post and tumbling out of the danger area before being pinged back in by Elias Dolah and finished by Go Suel-Ki.
Samut Prakan threatened an equalizer when Suphanan Bureerat’s effort rattled the crossbar in the 37th minute, and eventually leveled the scoring shortly before halftime when Chayawat bundled the ball over the line from Pedro Junior’s layoff.
The setback didn’t last long as the Klongtoei lions re-established the lead three minutes into the second half, as Pakorn’s free-kick missed everyone and snuck in at the far post. The side then scored a third when they were awarded a penalty for handball, which Heberty neatly tucked away for his third goal in just two games. Adisak Kraisorn came off the bench to add a fourth for the second consecutive game, and round out what has been an incredible start to the season from the reigning FA Cup champions.
