KAZAN, Russia: Claudio Bravo was Chile's hero on Wednesday (Jun 28) as they beat Portugal 3-0 in a penalty shoot-out in the Confederations Cup semi-finals. Chile's Eduardo Vargas (right) fires a shot during the Confederations Cup semi-final football match against Portugal. (Photo source: AP/Pavel Golovkin) The Manchester City goalkeeper saved all three penalties from Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani, while Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Alexis Sanchez nailed their spot-kicks for the South Americans. "We are satisfied with the result and how we played, but we have still not won anything," warned the 34-year-old Bravo. Chile progress to Sunday's final in St Petersburg to face either Mexico or Germany, who meet Thursday in Sochi in the other semi-final. "I'm very proud of this team. … [Read more...]

Head coach Nguyen Huu Thang on June 27 selected 28 players for the national U23 team for the upcoming 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. 28 players were selected for the national U23 team for the upcoming 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers (Photo: Vietnam Football Federation) Thang picked four goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 10 midfielders and four strikers. Besides veterans such as Nguyen Cong Phuong, Nguyen Van Toan, Luong Xuan Truong and Vu Van Thanh, the coach has also called up young guns who played in the finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup such as goalie Bui Tien Dung, defenders Tran Dinh Trong, Ho Tan Tai, Huynh Tan Sinh and striker Ha Duc Chinh. The squad will convene on July 3 in Hanoi and train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre. The qualifiers will be held in HCM City on July 19-23. Vietnam is in Group I alongside the Republic of Korea, Macau and East Timor. After this tournament, the team … [Read more...]

Head coach Nguyen Huu Thang on June 27 selected 28 players for the national U23 team for the upcoming 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. 28 players were selected for the national U23 team for the upcoming 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers (Photo: Vietnam Football Federation) Thang picked four goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 10 midfielders and four strikers. Besides veterans such as Nguyen Cong Phuong, Nguyen Van Toan, Luong Xuan Truong and Vu Van Thanh, the coach has also called up young guns who played in the finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup such as goalie Bui Tien Dung, defenders Tran Dinh Trong, Ho Tan Tai, Huynh Tan Sinh and striker Ha Duc Chinh. The squad will convene on July 3 in Hanoi and train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre. The qualifiers will be held in HCM City on July 19-23. Vietnam is in Group I alongside the Republic of Korea, Macau and East Timor. After this tournament, the team … [Read more...]

SAINT PETERSBURG: FIFA's referees chief said on Monday (Jun 26) he wants less delays caused by the video assistant referee and to reduce disruptions from the system being tested for next year's World Cup. FIFA is using the Confederations Cup in Russia to test the video assistant referee (VAR) system for the first time at a major senior international tournament. (AFP/Franck FIFE) World football's governing body is using the Confederations Cup in Russia to test the video assistant referee (VAR) system for the first time at a major senior international tournament. Qualified referees review game-changing incidents - goals, penalty decisions, red card decisions and cases of mistaken identity - during matches, which gives the referee on the pitch the chance to correct decisions. FIFA has yet to decide whether the VAR … [Read more...]

NEW YORK: Facebook will broadcast Champions League matches for American internet users under a deal with Fox Sports, which will host the livestreams on its pages, the channel said on Tuesday (Jun 27). Facebook will broadcast Champions League matches on the internet, in a deal with Fox Sports, the television network announced. (AFP/LEON NEAL) The partnership will involve two group matches per day, four round of sixteen games and the four quarter-finals of the 2017-18 season, in the social media giant's latest foray into sportscasting. Facebook will act only as a host for the streams, with the images and content produced by Fox Sports. A Fox Sports spokesman confirmed that the content would only be available to Facebook users in the United States. Facebook has already signed partnership with the North … [Read more...]

Many amateur marathon athletes in Vietnam have astonished others with their achievements which are thought to only be obtained by the professional. Opting for the sport for better heath, these marathoners have never stopped pushing their limits with their burning passion and relentless training. Pham Duy Cuong, one of over 6,000 members of the Long Distance Runners (LDR), a club for marathon lovers in northern Vietnam, found himself falling in love with the sport after trying it eight months ago. Being an owner of a private business, Cuong had always been loyal to football as a way to keep him active and fit. The man was aware of a running competition in Sa Pa, a mountainous tourist town in the northern region, through his friends on Facebook who participated in the event. “I really admired them and wished that I could attain such an achievement,” Cuong recounted, adding that he started practicing … [Read more...]

Real Madrid’s German midfielder Toni Kroos (left) vies with Celta Vigo’s Danish midfielder Daniel Wass during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) quarter-final first leg football match Real Madrid CF vs RC Celta de Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on January 18. Celta won 2-1. — AFP Photo Viet Nam News Football MADRID — Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he is responsible for the European champions’ back-to-back defeats as they look to return to winning ways when Malaga visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. Madrid hadn’t lost in 40 matches in all competitions stretching back nine months until conceding twice to lose 2-1 at Sevilla last weekend, and followed that up with a shock defeat by the same scoreline at home to Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday. Zidane played down his concern, but admitted "something is wrong for sure" after Madrid lost on home soil for the first … [Read more...]

Some Olympic athletes could be at risk while training and competing because of heart defects or dysfunction that they may not even know about, Italian researchers say. About 4 percent of the Italian athletes studied over a 10-year period with MRI and CT scans as well as electrocardiograms (ECG) had cardiovascular disorders – a higher proportion than researchers expected to find. “Even though it’s a small percentage with abnormalities, the implications can be huge,” said lead author Dr. Antonio Pelliccia, scientific director of the Institute of Sports Medicine of the Italian National Olympic Committee in Rome. “Athletes may be healthy, but they may not be safe from certain risks such as sudden death syndrome.” Pelliccia and colleagues looked at screening results for more than 2,300 athletes during the period between the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia. As part of the heart screening process, the Italian medical team … [Read more...]

The upcoming Lunar New Year has struck a sad note in the coaching career of several sports managers in the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong, as they have gone from coaches by day to kumquat sellers by night in order to afford a decent holiday celebration. The upcoming Lunar New Year has struck a sad note in the coaching career of several sports managers in the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong, as they have gone from coaches by day to kumquat sellers by night in order to afford a decent holiday celebration. The special Tet kumquat sellers include taekwondo and aerobic coaches and a football referee, all of whom work at the Hai Phong athlete training center. With the center only granting meager cash bonuses for Tet, the sports coaches have jointly contributed to their unexpected business in order to earn extra money before the upcoming holiday. The trio now sells kumquat pots and Tet gift baskets on the sidewalk near the city’s youth culture house. “Our cash … [Read more...]

A model presents a creation by Boris Bidjan Saberi during men’s Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris on January 19, 2017. — AFP Photo Viet Nam News PARIS — Some of the coolest names in street fashion went into the woods in their Paris menswear shows on Thursday, and their millennial customers are in for a big surprise. Throw off your gritty urban rat race uniforms, they pleaded, and embrace nature and your inner country bumpkin. Off-White designer Virgil Abloh -- Kanye West’s fashion guru no less -- urged his fans to "change our consciousness... and start seeing things" as he sent his models through a winter birch forest. Issey Miyake summoned up the "essence of the forest" with delicate bark patterns and leaves woven into its urban "trekking" outfits. And Andrea Crews called on lovers of its edgy, streetwise looks to "leave the chaos of the city behind and lose yourself off-piste" in its autumn-winter collection. Designer … [Read more...]

MADRID: Barcelona ended a decade-long drought without winning away to Real Sociedad on Thursday (Jan 19) as Neymar's first-half penalty handed the Spanish champions a 1-0 Copa del Rey quarter-final, first leg lead. Atletico Madrid also took a huge step towards the semi-finals as goals from Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Kevin Gameiro downed an under-strength Eibar 3-0 at the Vicente Calderon. Barca hadn't won in their last eight meetings at Anoeta with coach Luis Enrique describing their 1-1 draw back in November as "almost a miracle" given how his side had been outplayed. However, the Catalans continued signs of their return to form in a bright start that was rewarded when Neymar was clearly upended by Aritz Elustondo 20 minutes in. Just as in the last round, Lionel Messi handed over responsibility from the spot to the Brazilian and he sent Geronimo Rulli the wrong way. "It is always difficult to play at Anoeta and against Real Sociedad, but I think it was a complete … [Read more...]

MADRID: After surrendering a record 40-game unbeaten run, Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in four days on Wednesday (Jan 18) as Celta Vigo took a 2-1 first leg lead from their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu. All three goals came in a six-minute spell midway through the second-half as strikes from former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas and Jonny either side of Marcelo's reply for Madrid handed Celta a famous win. Real can still salvage their quest for a first ever treble of Cup, La Liga and Champions League, but now need to score at least twice when the visit Balaidos for the second leg on Jan 25. "I am not worried," insisted Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. "It is not a good moment for us, two defeats (in a row), but we can overcome this. We still have the return leg to go. "Losing 2-1 the result is not in our favour, but we know we can go there and change that." Celta Vigo boss Eduardo Berizzo said the Galicians' first win at the Bernabeu in a decade didn't … [Read more...]

After their consecutive defeats to SHB Da Nang and Hai Phong, the Gia Lai team hoped for positive results on an away match at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium; however, the reigning champions proved too strong for manager Nguyen Quoc Tuan’s side to handle. Striker Samson produced a vigorous return from lung-related disease treatment, giving the hosts an early lead with a powerful strike by converting a head assist by teammate Gonzalo into the opener after nine minutes of play. The Nigeria-born footballer, who gained Vietnamese citizenship in 2013, made it 2-0 for Hanoi FC three minutes after the break. Receiving a through ball from Thanh Luong, Samson dragged the ball past three Gia Lai players before beating the guests’ goalkeeper with a low ball for a second. Hanoi’s players showed no sign of relaxing despite their two-goal advantage, pouring constant pressure on the Gia Lai side and forcing the guests to work hard for blocks. The third goal came to Hanoi FC with … [Read more...]

PLYMOUTH: Stand-in captain Lucas Leiva scored his first goal in seven years to earn Liverpool a 1-0 victory at fourth-tier underdogs Plymouth Argyle in Wednesday's (Jan 18) FA Cup third-round replay. The Brazilian, playing at centre-back, met countryman Philippe Coutinho's 18th-minute corner with a firm near-post header to sink Plymouth, who had drawn 0-0 at Anfield 10 days previously. A second-string Liverpool team could even afford for Divock Origi to squander a late penalty, the Belgium striker seeing his effort saved by home goalkeeper Luke McCormick. "The longer you don't score, the more exciting it can get and you saw that when they started getting really direct," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport. "We are not used to it and they hadn't played too often together - the back-line. OK, they had a few chances, but so did we, especially in the last 20 minutes where we controlled the game. "Maybe it wasn't the most exciting game, but for us it's very important as it's … [Read more...]

'It is the commercial power of Manchester United that takes them to the top of the league.' Manchester United's relative failure on the pitch has not been reflected off it as for the first time in over a decade they top Deloitte's Football Money League for revenue in the 2015/16 season. United, who were last on top in the 2003/04 campaign, earned record revenue of 689 million euros (£515.3mln, $736mln) and dislodged Champions League holders Real Madrid who have ruled the roost for the past 11 years. United's topping of the revenue table -- in a season where they failed to sparkle under Louis van Gaal in the league or the Champions League leading to him being sacked -- is largely down to one thing according to Tim Bridge, Senior Consultant at Deloitte. "It is the commercial power of Manchester United that takes them to the top of the league," he told AFP. More galling perhaps for Real is that despite passing the 600m euros barrier for the first time they also found … [Read more...]

Crystal Palace’s striker Christian Benteke (2nd R) jumps to head their first goal during the English FA Cup third round replay football match between Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers at Selhurst Park in south London on January 17. — AFP Photo Viet Nam News LONDON — Christian Benteke spared Sam Allardyce’s blushes as the Crystal Palace striker came off the bench to inspire a 2-1 win over Bolton, while Lincoln and Sutton pulled off shock victories in Tuesday’s FA Cup third round replays. Palace manager Allardyce had gone five matches without a win since replacing the sacked Alan Pardew just before Christmas. He was in danger of an embarrassing Cup exit when the struggling Premier League team fell behind to James Henry’s 48th minute goal at Selhurst Park. But Allardyce sent on Benteke and the switch paid immediate dividends as the former Liverpool striker headed Palace’s 68th minute equaliser. Benteke completed Palace’s revival … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh won the Cup of Victory as the best male athlete of 2016 in a Gala awarding ceremony held yesterday in Ha Noi. Marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh speaks to audiences after receiving his Cup of Victory yesterday in Ha Noi. — Photo webthethao.vn The race for the so-called ‘Viet Nam Sport Oscar’ is believed to be the biggest national prize for athletes who have competed and brought home success. Vinh made history at the Rio Olympic Games as the first Vietnamese athlete to ever win a gold medal. The 42-year-old armyman triumphed in the men’s 10m air pistol event last August before taking a silver in the 50m pistol a few days later. “It is a meaningful night for Viet Nam sport and I myself earning this prestigious award. The trophy is a recognition of the people who are a part of our achievement in sport. Thank you for that,” Vinh said. “The journey in the future is still tough. But I think that athletes … [Read more...]

Hanoi (VNA) - Marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh won the Cup of Victory as the best male athlete of 2016 in a Gala awarding ceremony held in Hanoi on January 17. The race for the so-called ‘Vietnam Sport Oscar’ is believed to be the biggest national prize for athletes who have competed and brought home success. Vinh made history at the Rio Olympic Games as the first Vietnamese athlete to ever win a gold medal. The 42-year-old armyman triumphed in the men’s 10m air pistol event last August before taking a silver in the 50m pistol a few days later. “It is a meaningful night for Vietnam sport and I myself earning this prestigious award. The trophy is a recognition of the people who are a part of our achievement in sport. Thank you for that,” Vinh said. “The journey in the future is still tough. But I think that athletes with their determination and passion and people’s support will grab higher results,” Vinh added. Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, who is … [Read more...]

BEIJING: China's clampdown on big-spending football clubs has scuppered a bid by Tianjin to buy Diego Costa and a host of other Europe-based stars, its chairman said. Tianjin had Chelsea striker Costa, Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao at Monaco and Raul Jimenez at Benfica in their sights until the authorities imposed limits on foreign players and wages, Shu Yuhui told Tianjin Sports TV. Shu was quoted as saying by Sina Sports that Tianjin may now have to get rid of its current foreign star Luis Fabiano. "There were talks about Costa. It is true we looked at him, Cavani as well," Shu was quoted as saying by Sina Sports. Shu said the club had bid for both players. He added that there had been "intense" talks, including with super agent Jorge Mendes, who went to Tianjin. "A few days ago, Mendes came to my hometown to meet me," Shu said. "Just yesterday, (the club) was prepared to sign two players, the contracts were ready, the price and wages had been discussed, it … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - The nation's top-tier football championship, V. League 1, returns today with particular interest in the match between football clubs hailing from the same city: HCM City meet Sài Gòn FC. The third round match will take place at Thống Nhất Stadium. It promises to be an exciting event for fans and footballers alike. With two wins in two rounds, Sài Gòn FC temporarily take the lead alongside Thanh Hóa with six points in the rankings, while with one loss and one draw, HCM City rank 12th with only one point. "After every match, I have a habit of immediately forgetting the win or loss to think about the next match. I won't reveal how my team are preparing for the derby match because football must be proven at the ground and shown through tactics," said coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng of Sài Gòn. "I believe that everybody will wait for the coming match which will be very interesting and attractive. And of course, I hope my team will win," Thắng added. Meanwhile coach Alain … [Read more...]