VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam beat Singapore 9-1 in their first Group A match of the Southeast Asian Women's Football Championship in Laos on Sunday.

Striker Nguyen Thi Hoa contributed four goals to the Vietnamese team coached by China's Chen Yun Fat. Huynh Nhu also helped herself to a hat-trick.

The team will meet the hosts Laos today and Indonesia on Thursday.

Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines are competing in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on Sunday.

The tournament will conclude on October 25.  

* Injury keeps Hao out of VFF Cup

U23 midfielder Thanh Hao will miss the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) -Eximbank Cup because of an ankle injury.

Hao suffered the injury during a friendly on Saturday between the U23s and former V-League champions Ha Noi T&T, which they won 4-0.

Following tests, team doctor Tran Anh Tuan said the injury was not very serious but he needed to rest at least one week before training again. The VFF-Eximbank Cup will kick off tomorrow in Ha Noi.

Head coach Falko Goetz also has headaches with midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang who has a groin strain and striker Van Thang who also has an ankle injury.

However doctors said they would be fit in time for the tournament which will also feature Malaysia, Myanmar and Uzbekistan.  

* Brazilian club win Becamex Cup

Matsubara of Brazil won the BTV International Football Championships for the Becamex IDC Cup after beating hosts Binh Duong 2-0 in the final on Saturday.

Midfielder and captain Ernesto Perreira scored both goals from free kicks to help the Brazilian club win their second title in seven attempts after also winning in 2007.

Matsubara also won a cash prize of US$20,000.

Binh Duong, a three-time winner, received $10,000.

In a match for third place, Sai Gon Xuan Thanh beat SC Villa of Uganda 1-0 to win $5,000. 

* Japan win Asian U-19 football champs

Japan won the Asian Women's Under-19 Football Championships by thumping hosts Viet Nam 6-0 in the final on Sunday.

In the finals played in HCM City, the Japanese players won four matches in a row after being held in the opening game by China, to accumulate 13 points and finish first in the six-team tournament.

The defeat by Japan forced North Korea to settle for the runner-up spot with 12 points while China finished third with eight points.

South Korea and Australia were fourth and fifth.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News