All matches start at 6pm on Saturday
It’s finally here! The final weekend of the 2011 TPL season. It was way, back on February 12th last year when it got underway. Fifty weeks later and everything’s now decided except for the last relegation place, with one of three teams: Siam Navy, TOT or Samut Songkhram set to fill that place (Sriracha fell through the trapdoor midweek when they drew 1-1 at Muangthong; Khon Kaen are already down).
And you can catch the crucial action as two of the affected teams are playing in Bangkok this weekend. Samut Songkhram are at Army United (True Sport 5) and TOT will travel to the Thephasadin Stadium to take on BEC Tero Sasana (NBT 11). The trio of teetering TPL teams is made up by Siam Navy who are away at Sriracha (Siam Keela TV). In a nutshell, if Songkhram and TOT win then Navy are down no matter what. If Navy lose they are also sunk. Things start to get more complicated if Navy do manage to pick up points and TOT and/or Songkhram drop points. From a Bangkok point-of-view, we’d like TOT to stay up. But from a football fan’s point-of-view we’d like to see Songkhram stay up as relegation could spell the end of the club as main sponsor SCG will abandon the Crazy Mackerels after the end of the season.
In the weekend’s other two games, champions Buriram PEA will collect the TPL trophy after their match away at Chiang Rai United (True Sport 2), and Muangthong United will bring their very disappointing season to a close in Pattaya (Football Siam TV). The Twin Qilins could finish an astonishing 27 points behind champions PEA.
Foreign Legion at Army
The TPL recently confirmed that there would be a reduction in the number of foreign players allowed on the pitch. From 2012 onwards, though seven foreigners will still be allowed in the squad, only five will be allowed in the matchday squad, and just four on the pitch. And, even then, one of those four must be from another Asian country. If not, then just three will be permitted: the ‘3+1’ rule. 
But that didn’t stop Army United from signing five foreign players this week. Kert Kütt, an Estonian goalkeeper; Björn Lindemann, German; Daniel Blanco, Argentine-German and Eduardo Recio, Argentine, will be joined by Danny Invincibile. His name may be familiar to you. He played for Swindon and Kilmarnock for over ten years, and came to Army via Cyprus. Crucially, he is Australian. This means that he can be Army’s Asian ‘+1’ on the pitch as Australia is part of the AFC. Army also have a few Brazilians on the books. At least one will be on the move now, but they will surely want to hold onto star striker Leandro. Either way, it’s a signal of intent as Army will be paying top wages to have two or three foreigners on the bench in 2012.