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Uh-Oh, Weera in Trouble: Ex-Port Keeper Accused of Match-Fixing

 

The FAT (Thai Football Assocation) today launched a crackdown on match-fixing with several players and officials arrested and charged – including former Port keeper Weera Duckworth. The calamity keeper was released by Port and moved to Nakhon Ratchasima during the mid-season transfer window, and the charges are in connection with one of his games for his new club – which hopefully means Port are untainted by the scandal.

Following the bizarre goings-on at Honda earlier this season, when Weera was surprisingly picked ahead of Rattanai & Worawut and proceeded to have an absolute stinker, gifting Honda at least 2 goals in a 5-1 win, The Sandpit was concerned that the charges related to this game. Thankfully this does not appear the case, and Weera’s dodgy keeping – as shown in the GIF below – can, as previously thought, be put down to mere incompetence.  Update at 19:45 – the Honda game has now been added to the list of games that are of interest to investigators, and I suspect the clip below will be Exhibit A!

 

 

Weera was arrested alongside 4 Navy players (Sutthipong, Narong, Suwitthaya, Saksan), 2 referees (Poommarin, Theerachit), and 5 others including, we hear, a club official from Sisaket. If found guilty, the accused face heavy fines, lengthy bans and even jail terms.

Should he find himself in the prison showers we would advise Weera not to drop the soap, but we suspect that would be beyond him.

 

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Tom’s Transfer Talk: Port Drop Weera

Yes, we know, Weera is usually the one dropping things…

With Jadue’s signing making it 7 new arrivals already confirmed at PAT Stadium, it is of course inevitable that there will be a similar amount of departures before the transfer window closes. Wanchalerm (40) and Weera (1) are the first out of the door, having played a total of just 144 minutes of T1 football between them in 2017. Both managed just one league appearance – in the disastrous 5-1 write-off at Thai Honda – so it is no surprise to see them move on.

 

Confirmed Departures

 

Wanchalerm training at new club Prachuap FC

 

Wanchalerm (40) was on loan at Port from Chiang Rai, and initially looked like a pretty good signing, both in terms of his ability and where he would fit in to Port’s squad. The midfielder – described by Josimar as the most physical player at the club – impressed in a few pre-season friendly appearances with some disciplined play in front of the back four. It was a surprise, then, when Piyachat (88) and Adisorn (13) were both picked ahead of Wanchalerm. Adisorn went on to cement his place in the side, and Wanchalerm continued to be overlooked. His only ‘chance’ came as a substitute with Port 0-1 down against Honda, but Wanchalerm could do nothing to prevent Port conceding 4 more goals in a dire second half performance. Wanchalerm only made the matchday squad on one more occasion, so it is no surprise that he has moved on to Prachuap in T2, where he will likely get the opportunities he deserves.

 

 

Whilst Wanchalerm was doomed by his lack of opportunities, the opposite is true of Weera (1). If Weera had never played, then maybe no one would have realized just how bad he is, and he might have flown under the radar for another half season. Alas, he was bizarrely picked ahead of both Rattanai (17) and Worawut (36) against Honda, when he made two ridiculous blunders and looked more like a pub player who’d had a skin-full before kickoff than a professional footballer. Due to Rattanai’s injury later in the season, Weera went on to make the matchday squad 13 times, but thankfully never made it back on to the pitch. After the return of the younger, better Watchara (37) from his loan at BBCU, Weera has now been released, but has yet to find a new club. Don’t worry, Weera. Super Power seem to have a proclivity for washed up Port goalies who are as useful as a one legged man in an arse-kicking competition.

 

Confirmed Arrivals

Joining Yossawat, Jetjinn, Narakorn, Pummared, Pravinwat and Watchara (check the squad list for player profiles.) in the arrivals lounge, we can now officially confirm that attacking midfielder Matias Jadue has become Port’s eighth (yes, EIGHTH) foreign player, despite the fact that only five can be included in the T1 squad for the second leg of the season. For more on the latest newbie, check out the last edition of Tom’s Transfer Talk and his player profile.

 

 

The fact that Jadue plays in the same position as Sergio Suarez (5) likely means that the Spaniard is now deemed surplus to requirements. Nothing is set in stone until the squad is announced, but my best guess after the latest arrival is that we will be seeing Rochela (22), Josimar (30), Genki (18), Jadue and Asdrubal (27) make the squad, with Kalu (10), Suarez (5) and Maranhao (92) heading for the exit. Take my prediction with a pinch of salt, though, as I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve changed my mind over the last few weeks! As always, continue to watch this space…

 

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Tom’s Transfer Talk – 17 Jan 2017

 

It’s Transfer Talk round-up time! The start of the season is nearly upon us, meaning all of the transfer tomfoolery is nearly at an end. As always, there have been lots of coming and goings, so we’re going to do our best to summarize them for you here.

Out

 

Thiago Cunha (10)
Last year’s big-name signing was expected to make a splash in D1, but ended up being a huge flop. His antics got less and less bearable as the season went on, although he did scoop The Sandpit’s Goal of the Season award!

Rodrigo Maranhao (29)
Maranhao looked like a worldbeater at the start of 2016, but his performances tailed off in the second half of the season. Nevertheless, most Port fans would have preferred to keep hold of the likeable Brazilian. Only time will tell whether letting him go was the right decision or not.

Renan Oliveira (25)
Oliveira was the forgotten man at Port last year. He played a couple of games, didn’t look great, then got dropped from the squad altogether. It’s no surprise he has not been retained for 2017.

Wagner Carioca (35)
Wagner followed the opposite trajectory to Maranhao, really coming in to his own in the second half of last season. Another player who many fans would have been happy to keep hold of, although his replacement in centre midfield does look bloody good.

Artit Daosawang (19)
On loan from Muang Thong last season, Artit played a few games in centre midfield. He will return to Muang thong as planned in 2017.

Sathaporn Daengsi (15)
Sathaporn arrived on loan from Buriram for the second half of 2016, becoming first choice left back and performing consistently if unspectacularly. He will return to Buriram in 2017.

Narong Wisetsri (39)
Narong was third choice goalkeeper last season, never managing to challenge his two younger competitors for a place in the first XI.

Naronrit Samonpan (4)
Naronrit was a bit-part player for the last few seasons, supplying cover in defence and occasionally midfield in the case of injuries and suspensions. He is considered surplus to requirements after the arrival of Dolah.

Artit Promkun (24)
We don’t recall the other Artit getting any game-time at all last season, so far was he down the left back pecking order. It’s no surprise that he has moved on.

Watchara Buathong (1)
Watchara returns to BBCU on loan for a second consecutive season. He’s a good ‘keeper with lots of potential, but can’t find his was past Worawut or Rattanai.

 

The New Signings

In

 

Sergio Suarez (4)
Suarez has impressed in pre-season since joining from Songkhla. His touch and passing have looked top-notch, and he seems to have slotted effortlessly in to the team. We expect big things from him in 2017.

Asdrubal Padron (24)
Asdrubal brings a big reputation with him to Port, having played in La Liga for Las Palmas. It’s too early to tell how well he will adapt to his new surroundings and a different style of football, but we have high hopes nevertheless!

Andrija Kaluderovic (10)
Kaluderovic scores goals for fun, and he does it all over the world. If he can reproduce anything like the 20 in 19 strike-rate he managed in Lithuania last season, he will be a star. It will be interesting to see whether Asdrubal or Kaluderovic are preferred up front, or whether they are played as a pair with either Suarez or Rochela dropping to the bench. Only time will tell.

Elias Dolah (40)
Dolah has lived up to the hype in his brief pre-season appearances. The Thai-Swede who signed from Songkhla has been winning almost everything in the air, and tackling powerfully. He could end up being the signing of the season for Port in 2017.

Patrick Bentley (30)
We know very little about 20 year old Bentley. We know that he’s Thai-Australian, and we don’t think he’s played professionally before. To be filed under ‘one for the future’.

Siwapong Jarernsin (35)
Journeyman Siwapong joins from Sisaket to add strength in depth to the midfield. He can take a lovely free-kick, as he did against Navy in pre-season.

Wanchalerm Yingyong (26)
Wanchalerm has joined on loan from Chiang Rai, giving Jadet another midfielder to choose from.

Tatchanon Nakarawong (27)
Tatchanon at just 20 seems to be a good signing in the long term. Whilst he joins the ever-lengthening queue for midfield game-time, he has time on his side, and has been playing regularly in pre-season.

Panpanpong Pinkong (19)
Panpanpong joins from Bangkok Utd, where he provided cover at full back. He seems to be being considered for a starting role this season at Port, but we’re backing Piyachart to be preferred come the start of the season.

Weera (1)
Weera was first signed by Port in 2015. He has since left and now come back. We think. We’ve definitely seen him training and playing in friendlies, although nothing has been announced by the club.

Unfinished Business

 

Whilst it has been strongly rumoured that Genki (18) was not going to be kept in 2017, his departure has not been announced, and no replacement has been signed. Genki continues to train with the club, and was given a start in the most recent friendly against Sukhothai. We still think it’s likely that another AFC foreign player will be brought in to replace him on the left wing, but time is running out with the season fast-approaching.

 

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