HCMC – North Korea won the 1,000th Thang Long-Hanoi Football Cup 2010 after a goalless draw with hosts Vietnam during the tournament’s final match at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Friday, picking up US$20,000 in cash and a trophy.
A draw was enough for North Korea to win the round-robin tournament. Kuwait’s U23s had also tied goalless with Australia in an earlier game the same day.
To win the cup, Vietnam had to beat North Korea who had six points from the two opening games, while the hosts only had three points from one win and one loss.
The home side had beaten Kuwait U23 3-0 in the opener but lost 0-2 to Australia in the second game, while North Korea beat Australia 1-0 in the first game and did the same with Kuwait in the second game.
Vietnam, who began with a changed lineup after their loss to Australia, showed great determination to win the game.
Defender Nguyen Huy Hoang made his debut at the game, replacing defender Le Phuoc Tu from the beginning, midfielders Nguyen Minh Chau and Nguyen Vu Phong also played in the first minutes. Nguyen Trong Hoang came in for Nguyen Quang Hai in the middle.
Vietnam laid on the pressure in the opening minutes and dominated possession in the first half but were up against the strong defensive line that North Korea set up and some good saves by the North Korean goalie.
The visitors, who had six players that had attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June, mounted pressure on the Vietnamese defenders in the last minutes of the first half and continuously dominated the attack in the second.
The Vietnamese players rallied to create some chances in the game’s closing minutes but the Korean side’s defense resiliently held out to keep a clean score sheet.
Korea won with seven points. Vietnam finished second with US$10,000 with four points from one win, one draw and one loss. The Australian side came third with three points and pocketed US$5,000 while the bottom-placed Kuwait got only one point.
The tournament was a test for Vietnam before the Southeast Asian championship - AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, co-hosted by Indonesia and Vietnam from December 1 to 29.
In related news, the Vietnamese Olympic football squad together with the Olympic teams from Iran, Malaysia and Singapore will complete at the International Football Tournament/ Eximbank 2010 Cup in HCMC this week.
The round-robin tournament will be held at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC from September 28 to October 2. It also celebrates the 1,000 anniversary of the capital city.
The Vietnamese Olympic football squad secured two wins over Cambodia in the friendly matches before taking part in the friendly tournament. The Vietnamese side beat Cambodian national squad 2-0 on September 18 and they also defeated the Cambodian squad 3-0 in three days later.
