Football

"In the last three games of the second round, we have worked together and advanced to the final round of World Cup qualifiers. This has always been our goal and I'm so delighted about it. I want to thank all the players for believing in me, for giving their best effort with the highest spirit and the assistants who have devoted themselves selflessly day and night to support the team, as well as other members that have tried their best to complete the job," he wrote. "Let’s always give our best and be proud that you are a part of the team that have written a new chapter in the history of Vietnamese football." He asked the players to enjoy the time with their families during this short break, before going back to their World Cup campaign. They will have much to do in the road ahead, Park said, promising he will try his best to complete his job. "We will have to prepare for the final round of World Cup qualifiers in September, to face the top teams in Asia. We need to be more … [Read more...] about Coach Park writes encouraging letter to players

Pham Hai Chung We lost our cool and dented our image. After the match ended June 15 3-2 in favor of the hosts, the social media account named Ali Sabah Adday Al-qaysi received tons of threats and abuses. Ali Sabah was the referee of the match for which Vietnamese fans had high expectations. It was the national team’s last game of the second qualifying round. In the previous seven games, Vietnam had won five and drawn two. Despite the 2-3 loss against the UAE in that game, Vietnam advanced to the final round of the 2022 World Cup for the first time ever in the nation’s football history. But making history was not enough to mollify the fans who were very angry with Ali Sabah for what they saw as refereeing biases against Vietnam. Whether he was fair or not is not the question here, though. It is how they fans reacted to it that is under scrutiny. After the game, I counted more than 1,700 public comments on the personal Facebook page of the Iraqi referee by Vietnamese … [Read more...] about Looks like we Vietnamese are sore, bad losers

After passing the second round of World Cup qualifiers for the first time in history, the national team will have nearly three months to prepare before the third round begins in September. However, during that time gap, the players will continue to partake in domestic and international club tournaments. Many key players of the national team representing Viettel FC and Hanoi FC will go overseas to play the group stage of AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, set to complete by mid-July. When the players return to Vietnam, they will continue the second phase of V. League from late July to late August. Then, without any rest, they will gather with the national team to prepare for the third World Cup qualifying round that will start on Sept. 2. But that’s not all. After six games of World Cup qualifiers, the players will begin their journey to defend their AFF Cup title, which is set to take place from Dec. 5 to 31. Therefore, by calculation, national team players might have to play around … [Read more...] about National team players to face draining 2021 run

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai's Triệu Việt Hưng (left) and Nguyễn Thanh Khôi (centre) vie for ball against Hải Phòng's Nguyễn Thành Đồng during their friendly match on June 16. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai won 3-0 as both teams prepare for the return of the V.League 1 in July. Photo Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC Football HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Professional Football (VPF) Company has proposed a plan for the resumption of club football to end the season on schedule. The V.League 1 was suspended on May 7 just hours before the final round matches of the first half of the season after several Sông Lam Nghệ An players were found to have had contact with a man who was on the same flight with a COVID-19 patient. The players were quarantined for tests which returned negative. "The VPF has sent a document to the Việt Nam Football Federation in which we have suggested a new schedule for the V.League 1. The national premier league's second period will be held in selected venues," VPF General Secretary Nguyễn … [Read more...] about V.League 1 eyes July return to play

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) holds talks via videoconference with the RoK's NA Speaker Park Byeong-seug on June 23 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue had talks via videoconference with Speaker of the NA of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Byeong-seug on June 23, in which he affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to work with the RoK to lift bilateral ties to a new height. Hue stressed that Vietnam treasures and wants to develop its cooperation and friendship with the RoK, which is one of the leading and long-term partners of the Southeast Asian country. Vietnam highly values and believes that the RoK’s New Southern Policy will create great opportunities for the two countries to strengthen their strategic cooperative partnership, he said. Regarding the Korean Speaker’s proposal to elevate the bilateral relationship, which will turn 30 in 2022, to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Hue affirmed that Vietnam is ready to work … [Read more...] about Vietnam ready to join RoK in lifting relations to new height: NA Chairman