T&T set for Da Nang showdown

Comeback: Top striker Le Cong Vinh (right) of Ha Noi T&T will be back in action after a prolonged injury. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI — The national football league resumes play today after a three-week Tet holiday break with a match between defending champions Ha Noi T&T and SHB Da Nang in the capital city.

The match is considered entrepreneur Do Quang Hien's own personal derby, as the businessman owns both teams.

The winner of the game will receive a huge bonus from Hien, who has urged both teams to compete in the spirit of fair play.

This is only the third season that Ha Noi T&T have been completing in the V-League- Eximbank Cup, but they have always won against Da Nang when playing at home.

In addition, Ha Noi T&T are in high spirits following victories in the first two matches of the season. They currently top the table, while Da Nang stand sixth following a victory and a loss.

Ha Noi T&T's fire power received a substantial boost today with the news that top national team striker Le Cong Vinh will be in the line up for the match, his first match after an injury eight months ago.

Vinh said he was very keen to get back into action.

"I have totally recovered and feel very strong," he said. "I hope I can play with the same skill as before my injury."

Vinh's return is a major boost for the team, which is seeking to extend its lead in the league.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung revealed that he added Vinh to the list of substitutes for today's game, and the striker will be allowed to play if he is needed.

"It is possible that Vinh will come off the bench," said Hung. "I will give him a chance to compete but it is not good for him if he is forced to play too much."

Apart from Vinh, T&T are also welcoming back former national player Thach Bao Khanh, who was rested for a month due to an ankle injury. Khanh, who joins the club from Thanh Hoa, is a tough midfielder and will make Hung's line-up more solid.

Former champs Da Nang also boast a strong line up. In preparation for the season, coach Le Huynh Duc has brought home several top players, including former national team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong.

Phuong will be a key player during the match, along with Argentinean Gaston Merlo who was the top goal scorer during the last two seasons and has scored twice already this season.

Duc and his players travelled to Ha Noi on Wednesday to familiarise themselves with the capital city's cold.

In the other matches tomorrow, Ha Noi ACB will play Hoang Anh Gia Lai at Hang Day; Vicem Hai Phong will face Dong Thap at Hai Phong's Lach Tray Stadium; hosts Ninh Binh will meet former champions Dong Tam Long An in Ninh Binh Province; Lam Son Thanh Hoa will clash with Navibank Sai Gon at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City; two-time winner Becamex Binh Duong host dark horses Khatoco Khanh Hoa at Go Dau, and in Vinh, Song Lam Nghe An welcome Hoa Phat Ha Noi. — VNS

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Van Persie scores treble as Arsenal down Wigan

Arsenal's Robin van Persie celebrates scoring his second goal during their English Premier League.

Photo: AFP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hailed Robin van Persie's hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Wigan, but warned the Dutchman that he cannot risk burnout as the Gunners target a four-trophy sweep.

Van Persie, who also missed a penalty on Saturday, is now back to his best after missing three months at the start of the season with an ankle problem but Wenger insists the striker cannot expect to play every game.

"He's back in form," said Wenger. "He was already fit and sharp last week.

"It's important to have him back but we have plenty of offensive players so let's hope we can keep him fit until the end of the season and it's up to us to use him in the right proportion of games we play.

"We rotate, we have no choice. I think we have nine matches in January. That's the most we have ever played. So we need to rotate from game to game. But we have fantastic players on the bench.

"He handles it alright. He is intelligent but of course he wants to play."

Arsenal's win put them two points behind leaders Manchester United, but they have played a game more.

Wenger believes the performance over Wigan justified his decision not to act hastily in the January transfer market.

With Thomas Vermaelen a long-term absentee with an Achilles problem and Sebastien Squillaci out with a hamstring injury, Wenger has admitted he would like to bring in a new centre back.

But he insists he will not pay over the odds and is adamant he will only move if the right player is available.

Wenger has been linked with swoops for Bolton's Gary Cahill and Everton's Phil Jagielka, but after seeing his side keep a fourth successive clean sheet in the league, he is determined there will be no change in approach.

"We look more and more stable defensively," he said. "We were questioned on that front. Maybe the fact I am asked every press conference when I am buying a defender keeps them on their toes. And I will tell them you asked me again.

"If the right opportunity turns up we will take it. We are not desperate. Vermaelen will play a big part to the end of the season and Squillaci could come back next Sunday.

"It's not two weeks to make your mind up, it's two weeks to find the right players. It's not just that you want to buy, it's that you find exactly what you need.

"So trust us and if the opportunity is there we will take it and if it's not we will play with the players we have and we will not use it as an excuse if we don't win trophies."

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez acknowledged his side had no chance in Saturday's after captain Gary Caldwell was sent off in the 70th minute for a foul on Cesc Fabregas that led to a penalty.

Van Persie missed the spot-kick but Martinez believes Fabregas helped influence referee Kevin Friend's decision.

"I think Cesc was very, very clever to get Gary sent off. Gary doesn't try to make a challenge and the contact is minimal," Martinez said.

"He comes from a different culture. If you take a decision from the ref it's because you're clever and you are getting a decision for the team.

"In England to do that it's cheating. In South America, Spain, even Italy, to try to get a decision from the referee is just being clever and to gain advantage and everyone is allowed to do it. It's down to your culture really.

"That action in Spain gets a well done by everyone. In England you'll get people who are not too happy with it because there's a completely different approach to the game."

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Will Querrey have the answers at HCMC tourney?

Sam Querrey of U.S. returns the ball to Santiago Giraldo of Colombia during their Davis Cup tennis match in Bogota September 17, 2010

Photo: Reuters

Tuoi Tre spoke to Sam Querrey, a young American tennis player who is in Ho Chi Minh City for the Heineken Stars tournament starting October 1.

Many people think you are America’s next big talent. What is your reaction?

I still have many things to do. I am satisfied with my career development and what I have achieved up to now. I hope to challenge myself at the Heineken Stars 2010 and other tournaments in the next few months.

You hold the record of serving 10 continuous aces in a match. What is the secret behind your big serve?

My secret is to practice hard. I think what I’ve achieved up to now is the result of my hard work. But I will work harder to improve.

This has been your most successful year. You won four ATP titles. What are your goals for next year?

What is important to me is to constantly improve and try harder in every match. If I play well, the results will follow and my ranking will improve. Of course, like other tennis pros, I attach importance to the Grand Slam tournaments. The competitive atmosphere and confronting many world-class opponents makes you want to win. I aim to play well in Grand Slam tournaments. One of them is the US Open which is very exciting for me since it is played at home. Moreover, it is the tournament I can play best in because the courts there are fast.

Who do you think is the best player in the world? And who do you want to compete with?

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are of course two best players. It is great to play tennis at a time when I have a chance to compete with Federer and Nadal, probably the two best players of all time. Every time I play against someone in the world’s top 10 or 20, it is an extremely important match. As I said, the level of professional tournaments is very high and every match is a challenge.

Do you have anything to say to your Vietnamese fans?

I hope my Vietnamese fans will come and support me at the Heineken Stars 2010. This is the first time I’ve played tennis in Vietnam and it will be amazing if I can win this tournament.

 

Vietnam enjoys lucky draw in 2010 AFF Cup

Vietnam got a lucky break as the draw was announced for the 2010 ASEAN Football Association (AFF) Cup in Hanoi on Wednesday.

The defending champions will play in Group B against Singapore, Myanmar and won’t clash with big rivals like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in the early stages of the contest.

Powerhouse Thailand will play Malaysia, Group A hosts Indonesia and the first-place team from the qualifying round.

The qualifying round will kick off in Vientiane in late October. The Laotian hosts will face off against Cambodia, East Timor and the Philippines for two places in the final round – which begins in early December.

Asked if he felt relieved about Vietnam’s placement in Group B, Calisto said “Which group would you choose if you could? Of course, Group B is easier!

“But as I said before, we will kill ourselves if we don’t respect rivals. There were two strong contenders for the title in 2008; and now there are five.”

Calisto, who helped Vietnam win the AFF trophy in 2008, said Singapore has made constant progress and Myanmar has improved a lot, too.

The Portuguese coach said that Vietnam will have to do their best in every single match to defend the championship of the biennial regional football event.

He believed that Vietnam won the title two years ago by surprising all of its rivals – but, this year,

Vietnam’s opponents have studied their techniques and will come to the matches very familiar with the team’s playing style.

The best two teams from groups A and B will play two-leg matches, away and home, in the semifinals.

The losers in the semi-finals will both take third place titles while the winners will play a two-leg final for the championship.

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Beckham hoping to return to MLS action next week

Photo: Reuters

David Beckham hopes to make his return to action in LA Galaxy's match against Columbus Crew on September 11, the midfielder said on Thursday.

Beckham has been sidelined since March when he suffered an Achilles tendon injury, while playing on loan for AC Milan, that cost him a place in the England squad at the World Cup in South Africa.

"The doctors' original date was October 1 but I want to be ready before then," he told the team's website (www.lagalaxy.com). "I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will play in part of the game here against Columbus.”

“I'll be on the bench, and hopefully I'll get on the field for 15-20 minutes, that's what I'm looking at."

Beckham took part in his first full training session with the club on August 11 and said he has had ups and downs.

"At the moment, you have good days and you have bad days,” he said. “You wake up with a lot more pain in your body when you're in preseason.”

“I have to do it because I need to get as close to match fitness as possible," he said. "It's a bit difficult when you don't play in games.”

“That's where you get the real fitness from, but I'm doing what I can in the gym and what I can on the field, just trying to get strength back in my leg.

"Working out was something I've done for the last 25 years, and to not being able to do it was tough for me."

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder said he was still tentative in some areas of movement.

"When you do go through a trauma like this, an injury like this, there's always going to be that thing in the back of your mind saying, 'The last time I did that motion was when it actually snapped'. Cutting and turning and pushing off is still difficult for me, but that's going to come in time," he said.

The 35-year-old Beckham said he had never considered retirement and added that he had been grumpy at home.

"It's probably better asking my wife that more than me. Being around the house, not being able to train, not being able to play, I think it's been worse for her than me. It's been a long road," he said.

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Teams named for play-off showdown

HCM CITY — After much speculation, teams for the football play-off match were announced on Tuesday by the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF).

VFF's statement on its website said that Navibank Sai Gon and Quang Ninh Coal would play on September 5 at Chi Lang stadium in Da Nang to determine the last slot in the V-League 2011.

According to an agreement signed by all 27 V-League and First Division clubs at the beginning of the 2010 season, if the number of clubs operating as businesses in the First Division is less than 10, only the champion will be promoted to the top-flight competition, and the runners-up will have to play the play-off.

First Division runner-up Quang Ninh, instead of being promoted directly to the V-League, will play against V-League's next-to-last Navibank Sai Gon, who struck it lucky to compete in the play-off match thanks to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s requirements.

Since the season 2011, AFC, Asia's football governing body, requires all teams in the V-League to operate as businesses. VFF set a deadline for all teams to complete their procedures until 5pm on August 31.

As of that day, VFF said that only two V-League clubs, Cao Su Dong Thap and Lam Son Thanh Hoa, had completed procedures to be businesses. As a result, V-League now has 13 clubs as businesses while the First Division has eight clubs. — VNS

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