U21 Vietnam face Australians in final

Viet Nam will face Sydney U21 FC in the final of the international U21 football championship, which is taking place in the central coastal province of Ninh Thuan today.

The young Vietnamese side trounced Malaysia 5-1 in their last match, with Viet Phong, Quach Tan, Van Thanh, Van Thuan and Khac Ngoc each getting on the scoresheet.

The victory pushed Viet Nam to the top of a five-team tournament with nine points after three wins and one loss. Sydney U21 FC are in second place with seven points following two wins, one draw and one loss.

Malaysia, who rank third with five points, will take on Myanmar in the third-place match. Myanmar are in fourth place with four points.

The annual tournament, organised by Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper, plays in a round-robin format with the two top teams reaching the final.

Vietnam attends 2013 World Xiangqi Championships

Three Vietnamese xiangqi (Chinese chess) players – Uong Duong Bac, Ton That Nhat Tan and Nguyen Hoang Yen – are competing at the 2013 World Xiangqi Championships.

The tournament, which began today in Huizhou city in China’s Guangdong province, features top teams China, Hong Kong (China), Singapore and Vietnam, along with six other teams competing in the Men's Individual, Women's Individual and Men's Team events.

The three Vietnamese players have considerable experience at international competitions, and they enter the tournament as strong medal hopefuls.

At the 2011 World Xiangqi Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Hoang Yen took silver in the Women’s Individual event. The Vietnam team also won silver in the Men's Team event and bronze in the Men's Individual competition.

The Vietnam team has set a goal of defending the two silver medals earned at the 2011 championships, and Hoang Yen is expected to change silver for gold in the Women's Individual content, said Vietnam coach Hoang Dinh Hong.

The tournament, which is held biennially, runs until October 27.

Vietnam qualify for futsal semi-finals

Vietnam came from behind to defeat Brunei 4-2 in the third round match of the ASEAN Football Federation's Futsal Championship's Group on October 22.

Brunei took the lead with two goals in the first half before captain Nguyen Bao Quan narrowed the result with a straight shot.

The Vietnamese then added three other goals in the second half to grab their third win at the tournament.

With nine points, Vietnam have ensured a berth in the semi-final round, regardless of the result of the last group round match on October 23 against Thailand, the current leaders.

Vietnam's semi-final's opponent will be identified after the last Group A round matches which will be held on October 23.

Int’l BTV Cup 2013 due to start on Oct 25

Eight domestic and international football teams have registered to compete for the BTV Cup, hosted by the southern province of Binh Duong’s Go Dau Stadium over October 25–November 3.

Teams will play a two-group round robin tournament to decide the top four advancing to the semifinals.

Group A includes the hosts Becamex Binh Duong, Dong Tam Long An, a student team from the Republic of Korea, and REAC Sportskola from Hungary.

Group B is made up of Vietnam’s U23 National Squad, Brazil’s Bangu Atletico Clube, Dong Nai, and Indonesia’s Semen Padang FC.

U23 Vietnam coach Hoang Van Phuc considers the tournament excellent preparation for the national squad ahead of the SEA Games in Myanmar later this year.

The BTV Cup, recognized by the Asia Football Confederation, takes place every year.

Its prize pool totals almost VND1 billion. The winning team will receive VND450 million, second will take home VND250 million, and third VND100 million.

VN close in on last-four berth

Viet Nam have almost secured a berth in the semi-finals after demolishing the Philippines 10-1 in their Group B second match at the Southeast Asian Futsal Championships yesterday.

Captain Nguyen Bao Quan scored four goals, Van Vu, Quynh Toan and Tuan Vu each grabbed a double while Pasilan scored the only reply for the Filipinos.

The victory keeps Viet Nam second with six points, behind leaders Thailand on goal difference.

Last-years runners-up will now take on Brunei, the weakest team in the group, with a win guaranteeing them a place in the last four.

U23 Vietnam to meet Thailand at Mekong football tourney

The Vietnamese squad is scheduled to meet Thailand at the 2013 Mekong Region U23 International Football Tournament (BIDC Cup), according to a draw held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on October 21.

This year’s event will involve six teams - Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand in Group A, and Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia in Group B.

The tourney will help regional footballers hone their professional skills and gain more experience in preparation of the 27th Southeast Asian Games due to take place in Myanmar later this year.

The best team will receive US$20,000, and the runner-up US$10,000 in cash.

The BIDC Cup, which is sponsored by the Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia (BIDC) - a subsidiary of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), will be held in Phnom Penh from November 2-10.

An added bonus will be given to the Vietnamese and Cambodian squads if they are qualified for the final round.