VietNam Culture: young players

Showing posts with label young players. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Vietnam wary of Malaysian coach’s praise

Malaysia's coach Krishnasamy Rajagobal

Vietnamese players have said they will not be lulled into complacency by the Malaysian coach’s claim Vietnam will easily beat his team in the first-leg of the Suzuki Cup semifinal in Kuala Lumpur today.

Krishnasamy Rajagobal had said earlier Vietnam will sail into the final.

“I am impressed with… his skills in controlling the match, making precise passes, and hitting dangerous free kicks,” he had said of the Vietnamese captain Minh Phuong.

Phuong shrugged off the compliment saying he is not a star and just wants to do his best for the team.

Midfielder Vu Phong is wary of the sweet talk.

“I have a feeling that Malaysia is selling us a dummy, especially with its coach paying us such compliments,” he said while thanking Rajagobal for his kind words.

He would never underestimate Malaysia, he said.

“If we show respect to the opposition, it is easy for us to achieve good results.”

“We will try our hardest to beat Malaysia,” he added when Vietnamese fans are heading for Malaysia in huge numbers to watch the match.

Another team member said: “It is not easy to conquer Malaysia’s young players. They are strong and have nothing to lose. Therefore, if we underestimate them, we will pay the price.”

Calisto is wary of a team that stole the gold medal from Vietnam at the Sea Games two years ago.

Rajagobal: We qualified from group A without some key players. Fortunately, they have fully recovered from injuries for the semifinals. We are determined to beat Vietnam 1-0 or 2-0 to take an advantage into the second-leg in My Dinh.

"We will do our best for a berth in the final," he added.

Calisto: “We will not play for a draw against Malaysia because it is very dangerous to play that way. They have young players who are clever at controlling the game, especially forwards Fadee and Talaha.

I don’t have many choices because of the absence of four key players with injury. If we want to get a good result, we should always be in full command.”

Monday, October 11, 2010

National U.21 football event gets underway

National U.21 football event gets underway The 2010 National U.21 Football Final Round will stay true to its “green-clean and beautiful, “policy, Thanh Nien Media Corporation Chairman Nguyen Cong Khe said at a press conference in Gia Lai Province on Wednesday,

Khe, chief of the October-7-to-17 event organizing committee, also said they would consistently work to improve the quality of the game.

“The U.21 tournament will always be a healthy playground where young talents are found for Vietnamese football.”

It is also a stepping stone for many young players to join the National U23 squad and the National team and help young players improve and make contributions to their clubs, as well, Khe said.

The past 13 national events and three international U.21 events (also sponsored by Thanh Nien) have found and introduced good players who have been key to the success of the national teams.

Some of these people include Cong Vinh, Hong Son, Tan Tai and Quang Hai who together helped earn Vietnam the Suzuki ASEAN Football Federation Cup in 2008.

The organizers of the 14th youth football tournament in Pleiku Town have decided to allow free entry to the matches.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Italy give nod to the past for N.Ireland test

Italy's Gianluca Zambrotta (R) is challenged by Netherlands' Khalid Boulahrouz during their Group C Euro 2008 soccer match at the Stade de Suisse stadium in Bern, June 9, 2008

Photo: Reuters

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli's bid to revolutionize his squad has been hit by a dearth of emerging young players and he may be forced to start veteran Gianluca Zambrotta in Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier in Northern Ireland.

The AC Milan fullback, a 33-year-old with 97 caps, played in their World Cup debacle in June and had been overlooked by new coach Prandelli until injuries let him back in for the trip to Belfast (1845 GMT) and Tuesday's home game with Serbia.

"Zambrotta is physically very fit, he can play on the right or the left," Prandelli, whose side top Group C with six points from six, told reporters. "At the moment there aren't any interesting young players so instead of calling up someone of 28 or 30 it makes more sense to pick someone with great experience.”

"I don't see any really young players who are good enough to be here right now.

“I hope in five or six months the Serie A championship will present me with some."

Italy's group stage exit in South Africa as holders led to much soul-searching and prompted the soccer federation to appoint former great Roberto Baggio as technical director and put Arrigo Sacchi in charge of the youth system.

Hands tied

Their reforms will take time given that Serie A teams rarely promote players under 25 into their first team, meaning Prandelli has his hands tied for now.

Fit-again left back Domenico Criscito is back despite a poor World Cup while Prandelli has broken his own "28 or 30" rule by recalling 30-year-old Lazio midfielder Stefano Mauri and naming 28-year-old team mate Sergio Floccari for the first time.

Prandelli is also handicapped for the awkward trip to Windsor Park by the absence of injured Mario Balotelli, so he may have to shift to a diamond midfield and two upfront despite preferring three forwards.

Antonio Cassano, inspirational in the wins over Estonia and Faroe Islands, could play at the head of the diamond behind two strikers or as a wide forward with Simone Pepe or Giuseppe Rossi on the other flank.

With Juventus strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Fabio Quagliarella dropped and Alberto Gilardino injured, Giampaolo Pazzini looks poised to play as the main striker.

The goalkeeper's spot is wide open with captain Gianluigi Buffon injured but Bologna's Emiliano Viviano looks a favorite.

Northern Ireland, who surprisingly won in Slovenia, have Celtic's Niall McGinn and Pat McCourt back although the latter has a shoulder problem.

Third-choice goalkeeper Alan Blayney of Linfield is the only Irish league player called up with Manchester United defender Jonny Evans their best known figure.

Probable teams:

Northern Ireland: Maik Taylor; Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans, Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird; Steven Davis, Grant McCann, Corry Evans, Chris Brunt; David Healy, Kyle Lafferty

Italy: Emiliano Viviano; Mattia Cassani, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluca Zambrotta; Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio; Giuseppe Rossi, Giampaolo Pazzini, Antonio Cassano

Friday, October 1, 2010

Vietnam posts unconvincing win in U23 opener

Vietnam posts unconvincing win in U23 opener Vietnam’s U23 footballers beat Malaysia 2-1 in the opener of the Thang Long Cup on Tuesday.

However, the victory at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium also exposed some lapses.

Despite training together for less a month and some players joining the squad for the first time, the home team started the game full of confidence and in high spirits, drawing cheers from the 15,000 or so spectators.

The 4-5-1 formation resorted to by coach Phan Thanh Hung, who took Hanoi T&T to the V-League 2010 championship, worked effectively.

The most prominent player in the home team was skipper Bui Van Hieu who formed a good link between the midfielders Duc Thien, Ngoc Dieu, Van Thang and Thanh Trung.

The midfielders worked very well, making it possible for striker Anh Duc to score two goals midway through the first half.

But the two early goals caused the Vietnamese young players to lose concentration, exemplified by goalie Tan Truong’s goal kick directly to Talaha Idlan less than 20 meters. The latter did not spurn the gift.

Some complacent players almost cost the home team dear at some times in the second half.

Speaking to Thanh Nien after the game, coach Thanh Hung said, “We played exceptionally in the first half and took advantage with two early goals.

“However, my young players got too satisfied. They didn’t concentrate after the goals. Not only goalkeeper Tan Truong but also other positions wanted to “show off” their personal skills; and the whole team didn’t play very well in the second half.”

Malaysian coach Rajagobal said, “Vietnam played very well and we conceded two goals early in the game.

“Yet I am pleased with my players’ display in the second half. They will play better and better after each game.”

In the previous match, Iran drew 1-1 with Singapore. Iran’s coach Gholamhossin Peyrorang was upset with the referee because he felt the latter was not strict enough with the violent Singaporeans who made his players underperform.

The September 28-October 2 Thang Long Cup is being held in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate Thang Long – Hanoi’s 1,000^th anniversary.

The Thang Long-Hanoi Cup ended in Hanoi on Friday with Vietnam’s national football team coming in second behind the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.