VietNam Culture

Friday, October 29, 2010

Vietnam’s U19s and U21s clash in semifinals

Vietnam’s U19s and U21s clash in semifinals Vietnam’s Under-19 squad will battle their senior compatriots at Ho Chi Minh City’s Thong Nhat Stadium during the 2010 International U21 Football semifinals Friday.

The game between the Vietnamese “brothers” is expected to be an exciting one because they are both leading title contenders at the fourth edition of the Thanh Nien-sponsored event this year.

The Vietnamese U19s finished behind Malaysia in Group B after a 2-1 win over Singapore’s U21 s and a 0-1 defeat by Malaysia’s U21 s.

A 5-1 win over Myanmar’s U21 team and a 3-1 victory over Thailand’s U21 squad placed the Vietnamese U21s at the top of Group A.

The Vietnamese U21 squad has proved a strong team across the board. Defenders Trong Phu and Gia Tu have done an excellent job in the back field, while mid-fielders Nhat Nam and Huu Phat have impressed audiences a great deal. Strikers Tuan Anh and Trong Phi have become virtual heroes at home.

The Vietnamese U21 substitutes are nearly as popular as the favorites on the starting squad. They played exceptionally in their victory over Thailand, giving the coaching staff plenty of options.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese U19s make up a better-organized squad because they have been training together for more than two months.

The U21 players got together just four days before the opening match, following their performance at the 14th National U21 Football tournament finished on Sunday October 17.

In terms of hands-on experience, the Vietnamese U19s can’t be expected to perform as well as their older “brothers” because several of the U21s have played in Vietnam’s top-tier V-League and second-tier First Division.

Despite the differences in experience, the U19 squad should not be looked upon as inferior. They boast some excellent players like Quoc Phuong, Van Quyet, Minh Tuan, Hai Huy and Hoa Hung.

That is why it won’t be a surprise if the younger Vietnamese team can beat the older team to advance to the final match.

The semifinal clash between Thailand and Malaysia’s U21 teams is also expected to prove a real fight.

The Malaysian U21 s are considered the underdogs but their spirits are high after their defeat of the Vietnamese U19s that put them at the top of Group B.

The Thai U21 squad aims to advance to the final game, so the match promises to be an exciting one.

The Malaysian squad has some prominent players like striker Thamil Arasu, midfielder Nordin Mohd Azizan and central fullback Tajudin Syazwan.

Thailand has bright players like striker Pattana Sokjoho, midfielders Anuwat Nakkasem and Ponlachai Hongthong.

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Vietnam’s U19s and U21s clash in semifinals

Vietnam’s U19s and U21s clash in semifinals Vietnam’s Under-19 squad will battle their senior compatriots at Ho Chi Minh City’s Thong Nhat Stadium during the 2010 International U21 Football semifinals Friday.

The game between the Vietnamese “brothers” is expected to be an exciting one because they are both leading title contenders at the fourth edition of the Thanh Nien-sponsored event this year.

The Vietnamese U19s finished behind Malaysia in Group B after a 2-1 win over Singapore’s U21 s and a 0-1 defeat by Malaysia’s U21 s.

A 5-1 win over Myanmar’s U21 team and a 3-1 victory over Thailand’s U21 squad placed the Vietnamese U21s at the top of Group A.

The Vietnamese U21 squad has proved a strong team across the board. Defenders Trong Phu and Gia Tu have done an excellent job in the back field, while mid-fielders Nhat Nam and Huu Phat have impressed audiences a great deal. Strikers Tuan Anh and Trong Phi have become virtual heroes at home.

The Vietnamese U21 substitutes are nearly as popular as the favorites on the starting squad. They played exceptionally in their victory over Thailand, giving the coaching staff plenty of options.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese U19s make up a better-organized squad because they have been training together for more than two months.

The U21 players got together just four days before the opening match, following their performance at the 14th National U21 Football tournament finished on Sunday October 17.

In terms of hands-on experience, the Vietnamese U19s can’t be expected to perform as well as their older “brothers” because several of the U21s have played in Vietnam’s top-tier V-League and second-tier First Division.

Despite the differences in experience, the U19 squad should not be looked upon as inferior. They boast some excellent players like Quoc Phuong, Van Quyet, Minh Tuan, Hai Huy and Hoa Hung.

That is why it won’t be a surprise if the younger Vietnamese team can beat the older team to advance to the final match.

The semifinal clash between Thailand and Malaysia’s U21 teams is also expected to prove a real fight.

The Malaysian U21 s are considered the underdogs but their spirits are high after their defeat of the Vietnamese U19s that put them at the top of Group B.

The Thai U21 squad aims to advance to the final game, so the match promises to be an exciting one.

The Malaysian squad has some prominent players like striker Thamil Arasu, midfielder Nordin Mohd Azizan and central fullback Tajudin Syazwan.

Thailand has bright players like striker Pattana Sokjoho, midfielders Anuwat Nakkasem and Ponlachai Hongthong.

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Son Ha Cup starts next week

HCMC – The national football teams from Singapore, North Korea and hosts Vietnam together with the U23 team of South Korea will compete in the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Son Ha Cup early next month.

The four teams will compete in the round-robin tournament from November 2-6 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese team will be fielding their strongest squad in hopes of keeping the cup in Vietnam.

The tournament is considered the final test for both Vietnam and Singapore before the Southeast Asian championship/AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, which will be held in Vietnam and Indonesia from December 1 to 29.

The chief coach of the national football team Coach Henrique Calisto and his squad will be making their final preparations to defend the AFF-Suzuki Cup where Vietnam have been drawn in Group B with Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Henrique Calisto announced his squad of 24 players for Son Ha Cup two weeks ago. However, star striker Le Cong Vinh, who has returned from Portugal from a ligament operation, has lost his chance with the national squad because of injury.

According to the organizers, the two Korean teams are sending their strongest players. The South Korean team are the hot favourites though they are sending a 23-member squad.

The North Korean team are also said to be strong with six of their best players coming who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June.

The North Korean team will feature six key players including goalkeepers Ri Myong-guk and Ri Kang; defender Ji Jun Nam; midfielders Pak Chol-jin, Mun In Guk and Kim Kyong Il.

Vietnam’s national team will clash with South Korea’s U-23s in the opening game of the tournament on November 2 while Singapore will meet North Korea in their opener on the same day.

The VFF Cup, which used to be known as the Agribank Cup, has been held annually since 2004. Vietnam won the title in 2005 and 2009 and were runners-up in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

The Vietnam Football Federation also signed a three-year sponsorship contract with Son Ha Group. The winners of the Son Ha Cup will receive a trophy and US$20,000. The runner-up will be awarded US$10,000, while the third-place team will receive US$5,000. The sponsor will also award US$1,000 to the first scorer.

Tickets for the international football tournament will go on sale at outlets in Hanoi on Saturday, the organizing committee has announced. The tickets, priced between VND80,000-150,000 (US$4-US$7.5), will also be available at www.eleale.com.

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Swimmer dreams of Asian Games glory

Holding his breath: Top Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huu Viet hopes to win a medal at the Asian Games in China's Guangzhou Province in mid November. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Truong

Holding his breath: Top Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huu Viet hopes to win a medal at the Asian Games in China's Guangzhou Province in mid November. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Truong

HA NOI — Nguyen Huu Viet has been struggling to cut his 100m breaststroke time to one minute, but he must be faster if he wants a shot at winning a medal at the Asian Games from November 12-27.

Viet, who won three gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games, spent four years training before he was able to reduce his time from 1:03.08 to 1:01.60.

The Vietnamese star will be up against Japanese record holder, Kosuke Katajima, who broke the Olympic record in Beijing with a time of 58.91sec.

Viet, 22, has been training in Guangxi, China, and has set his sights on bringing home a medal from the Asian Games.

At the Philippines' SEA Games five years ago, Viet brought home a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke, an event the country hadn't seen a gold in for 32 years, but he failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in the 100m breaststroke when he finished 58 out of 63.

In the Guangzhou Asian Games, the 22-year-old is scheduled to compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

"We'll provide the best conditions to propel him into the top three at the Asian Games. However, Viet will need to try his best against some of Asia's top stars to even challenge for a bronze medal," said Viet Nam Aquatic Sport Association's general secretary Dinh Viet Hung.

"Viet has been coached by Nguyen Anh Tuan over the last year and he will fly to Guangzhou as the swimming event takes place on November 13-18," Hung added.

"It'll be really tough for Viet to cut down his best time to a minute. Although rapidly progressing in the seven years spent training abroad, his quickest finish was only one second faster than his current 1:01.60 to qualify for the final," explained swimming coach, Nguyen Manh Tuan, a former competitor in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

"I just hope Viet will turn on the magic to win a glorious victory for the country at the Asian Games. He is still a bright hope for Viet Nam in Asia's biggest sporting event.

"He has just needs an additional one second to take a place on the medal podium, but it'll be a really tough job for him," Tuan said.

The Hai Phong-born swimmer will compete in the pool events with Vo Thai Nguyen, teenager Hoang Quy Phuoc in the men's division and women's athletes Pham Thi Hue and Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen. — VNS

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U19 hosts takes dirty win over Singapore’s U21s

U19 hosts takes dirty win over Singapore’s U21s Vietnam’s under-19 team came from behind to beat Singapore’s under-21 squad 2-1 at the fourth International U21 Football Tournament at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium on Monday.

Questions remain about the legitimacy of the win.

The young Vietnamese players’ performance left a pretty bad impression on the hometown fans in general and on the Singaporean visitors in particular.

The game began with an unimaginable blunder.

The Son, an unmarked defender, passed the ball back to goalkeeper Anh Duc who was standing a bit far from the goal. The ball sailed past Duc and into the back of the net.

Though Son was replaced immediately after the incident but the sudden goal placed the team in a dire mood.

At times, it looked like the Vietnamese didn’t know how to get the ball into the Singaporean penalty zone.

With a bit of luck, however, the Vietnamese boys claimed an equalizer five minutes from the final whistle. Quoc Phuong fired a shot that bested Singapore’s goalkeeper.

The point surprised the Singaporean players, causing them to lose concentration and allowing the Vietnamese players to take a second goal in the final minutes after a mix-up in Singapore’s penalty area.

The confused coup allowed the Vietnamese fans to heave a sigh.

Yet it was a sigh without relief. The gameplay turned just plain ugly, at times. Several deliberate fouls by the home players caused the fans to be more worried than happy about the final 2-1 victory.

“Today, I am pleased with my players’ fast performance,” said Vietnam’s team coach Trieu Quang Ha. “Yet my players were not psychologically well, especially after conceding the first goal because of an own goal.They are still very young, and that was why they couldn’t keep calm and that led to their fouls. This is what they need to improve in the future.”

Singapore’s U21 team coach Pathmanathan S/O Thambiayah struck a rather disappointed note.

“It was a hard game for my players,” he told reporters after the match. “I don’t want to comment on the referees’ work in this game. The result was not as good as we expected but that is football. One problem is that several of my players suffered serious injuries.

“My players did their best today, though. I want to congratulate the Vietnamese U19 team on the win.”

In other action, the Vietnamese team’s coaching staff, manager and players held a post-game meeting to discuss their performance.

Following the meeting, Team Manager Truong Hai Tung publicly apologized to the spectators and TV viewers for the young team’s failure to exhibit proper restraint. He admitted that his players had made deliberate fouls after the disheartening first goal.

The team’s managerial staff and the players promised to improve the situation in the coming games. Tung also apologized to the visiting Singaporean U21 team for the incidents in the game.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

U19 hosts takes dirty win over Singapore’s U21s

U19 hosts takes dirty win over Singapore’s U21s Vietnam’s under-19 team came from behind to beat Singapore’s under-21 squad 2-1 at the fourth International U21 Football Tournament at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium on Monday.

Questions remain about the legitimacy of the win.

The young Vietnamese players’ performance left a pretty bad impression on the hometown fans in general and on the Singaporean visitors in particular.

The game began with an unimaginable blunder.

The Son, an unmarked defender, passed the ball back to goalkeeper Anh Duc who was standing a bit far from the goal. The ball sailed past Duc and into the back of the net.

Though Son was replaced immediately after the incident but the sudden goal placed the team in a dire mood.

At times, it looked like the Vietnamese didn’t know how to get the ball into the Singaporean penalty zone.

With a bit of luck, however, the Vietnamese boys claimed an equalizer five minutes from the final whistle. Quoc Phuong fired a shot that bested Singapore’s goalkeeper.

The point surprised the Singaporean players, causing them to lose concentration and allowing the Vietnamese players to take a second goal in the final minutes after a mix-up in Singapore’s penalty area.

The confused coup allowed the Vietnamese fans to heave a sigh.

Yet it was a sigh without relief. The gameplay turned just plain ugly, at times. Several deliberate fouls by the home players caused the fans to be more worried than happy about the final 2-1 victory.

“Today, I am pleased with my players’ fast performance,” said Vietnam’s team coach Trieu Quang Ha. “Yet my players were not psychologically well, especially after conceding the first goal because of an own goal.They are still very young, and that was why they couldn’t keep calm and that led to their fouls. This is what they need to improve in the future.”

Singapore’s U21 team coach Pathmanathan S/O Thambiayah struck a rather disappointed note.

“It was a hard game for my players,” he told reporters after the match. “I don’t want to comment on the referees’ work in this game. The result was not as good as we expected but that is football. One problem is that several of my players suffered serious injuries.

“My players did their best today, though. I want to congratulate the Vietnamese U19 team on the win.”

In other action, the Vietnamese team’s coaching staff, manager and players held a post-game meeting to discuss their performance.

Following the meeting, Team Manager Truong Hai Tung publicly apologized to the spectators and TV viewers for the young team’s failure to exhibit proper restraint. He admitted that his players had made deliberate fouls after the disheartening first goal.

The team’s managerial staff and the players promised to improve the situation in the coming games. Tung also apologized to the visiting Singaporean U21 team for the incidents in the game.

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Vietnam U21 beat Thailand 3-1 at Thanh Nien Cup

Vietnam U21 players celebrate their goal during their Thanh Nien Newspaper Cup football match against Thailand U21 in HCMC on Wednesday - Photo: Ba Chau

HCMC –Vietnam U21 beat archrivals Thailand 3-1 in their last group stage match in the fourth International U-21 Football Tournament 2010, or Thanh Nien Newspaper Cup, on Wednesday.

Before the game, both Vietnam and Thailand were drawn at three points as they had both thrashed their opponents in their openers, with the Thai’s 4-0 win over Myanmar on Monday and Vietnam’s thrashing of Myanmar 5-1 on Saturday.

Because of the goal difference, a draw would have been enough for the hosts to stay on top, while the Thais needed a victory to be group A leaders.

Vietnam, who began with nine changes from coach Dinh Van Dung after their win over Myanmar, showed great determination.

Heavy rain dampened the player’s attacks early in the first half leaving the Vietnamese crowd waiting till the 35th minute to celebrate, when Xuan Hieu took a kick in the penalty box beating Thai goalie, Yen Arom.

After the break, Vietnam kept possession and Duy Lam doubled for his team with a free kick from outside the penalty area just minutes in.

Duc Nhan scored for the Vietnamese side in the 65th minute before Pattana Sokjoho finalized the score at 3-1 in the 68th minute.

With the victory, Vietnam U21 finished their group competition as group A leaders with six points from two wins, while runners-up Thailand stayed at three points from one win and one loss. Bottom-placed Singapore, who exited from the tournament, gained no points from two losses.

In the earlier match on Wednesday, Vietnam U19 started the game with substitutes, but dominated against Malaysia U21. The visitors secured a late victory, to finish top of Group B, when striker Ravindran scored the only goal in the 86th minute. Despite the loss the Vietnam U19 will still go through to the semis.

Malaysia had four points from one win and one draw, while Vietnam U19 were runners-up with three points.

On Friday’s semifinal games, Vietnam U21 will meet Vietnam U19 at 3:30 p.m. and Thailand will play Malaysia at 6:00 p.m. The final and third place games will be on Sunday.

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