Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng goalkeeper Vireak Dara made history last night, by scoring the fastest goal ever recorded in the Cambodian Premier League (CPL) during a 6–1 victory over ISI Dangkor Senchey. In the evening’s other CPL encounter, Phnom Penh Crown also earned three points, in a hard-fought win over NagaWorld.
During the November 19 match at AIA KMH Park, Dara struck the ball into ISI’s net just nine seconds after kickoff. As the match began, midfielder Yudai Ogawa passed the ball backward to Dara, who launched a long shot from distance, beating ISI goalkeeper Ly Kakada with a perfectly struck goal.
Dara’s goal is now recognised as the fastest goal ever scored in the CPL, stunning fans — especially because it was scored by a goalkeeper rather than an attacker.
It also also earned Dara the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award as Svay Rieng dominated the home side with a 6–1 victory, keeping them top of the table with 24 points.
Following his remarkable goal, Dara took to social media to comment on the historic goal.
“My first career goal and my first MVP award of the new season. Thank you so much to all the fans who support us,” he wrote.
Head coach Matthew McConkey insisted that the long-range goal was not accidental, but rather a planned play.
“Dara’s first goal was something we designed and practiced. Cristian also wanted to take the shot, so I worked on a few scenarios for this type of play. We’re happy it succeeded,” he explained.
Despite the big scoreline, McConkey admitted he almost couldn’t believe his team defeated ISI 6–1, especially after ISI equalised 1–1 through forward Onda Sonosuke in the 32nd minute.
However, Svay Rieng’s quality shone through in the final 27 minutes, during which they scored five more goals. Striker Roque Cristian scored twice (85’ and 90+7’). The other goals came from Peprah Kwame (70’), Nhean Sosidan (70’) and Patrick Robson (90+2’).
“A 6–1 result almost feels unfair to ISI because they really challenged us, especially in the first half. But our players were clinical in creating chances and finishing them,” noted McConkey.
Meanwhile, Phnom Penh Crown also secured three points on Wednesday night, but with difficulty, beating NagaWorld 1–0 thanks to a goal by young forward Yem Devit in the 36th minute. The win puts Crown at 21 points, level with second-place Angkor Tiger.
