VN archers train in S Korea

Vietnamese archers have left for South Korea for training sessions under coach Lee Hang-yong in Incheon.

The training, which will last until August 31, is part of preparations for the upcoming Asian Games to be held in the South Korean city from September 19 to October 4.

Thais win U14 girls Asia Cup

Two early goals in the first half were enough for Thailand to beat a fighting Philippines two-nil to finish first at the Asian Confederation Cup U-14 Girls' Regional Championships that wrapped up yesterday at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City.

Ratchaphan Kitirat took advantage of a lapse of concentration in the Filipina defence to emerge into the box, rounding on onrushing keeper Yasmin Elauria before firing a low shot into the empty net after 12 minutes.

Thailand's spectacular second goal came rather unexpectedly eight minutes later when Dassama Laochaem volleyed a loose ball from 25m out to the high corner of the goal and beyond the reaches of Elauria.

The Filipinas gave them a hard time in the second half, but never came close to reducing the gap until the 51th minute when they got a goal through a set-piece.

Arantxa Mari Alvez Trebol headed home at the back post Velez's right-wing corner to keep the Philippines' hopes of a comeback alive. This produced a dramatic end to the match in which both teams swarmed forwards for their necessary goal.

The loss forced Philippines to settle for second place, but it was still a successful tournament for them as they beat Myanmar for the first time and the home team Viet Nam on their way to the final.

In the last minute of the match, Trebol missed a gold chance to equalise the match when she had only keeper Wararat Nanongtum to beat. With an open goal, she sent the ball licking the upperside of the crossbar.

In the previous third-placed play-off, Viet Nam beat Myanmar 3-1 thanks to goals from Tran Thi Hai Linh in the early part of the first period, Pham Dieu Linh and Pham Thi Lan Anh in the second period, to occupy the third position.

Myanmar's consolation goal was an excellent goal scored by winger Htet Htet Cho from a very narrow angle in the right flank.

National U23 fencing event to kick off

The National U23 Fencing Tournament is scheduled to kick off tomorrow in Ha Noi-based Quan Ngua Sport Palace.

The event will attract around 100 athletes from six teams, including Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Binh Phuoc, Hai Duong and Bac Ninh.

Asian U23 champion Nguyen Phuoc Den and top athletes Vu Thanh An,

Nguyen Xuan Loi and Bui Thu Ha will also take part in the tourney, which will last until this Sunday.

The tournament is a warm-up session for the upcoming Asian event early next month.

Can Tho topped the National Junior Karatedo Championships at the Thua Thien-Hue Sports Centre on Sunday, with eight gold medals, four silver and six bronze.

Second and third place belonged to the People's Police and Thanh Hoa.

Nearly 500 martial artists from 42 cities and provinces competed for 54 sets of medals in three age groups: 13-15, 16-17 and 18-22.

Teen airgun to kick off

The National Teenage Airgun Tournament will kick off in the central coastal city of Da Nang tomorrow.

The event is expected to attract 110 shooters from 10 teams competing in the under 16 and under 18 age groups.

The opening day will see athletes compete in the men's U18's standard air rifle and the men's U18 and U16 10m air pistol event.

Binh Duong, T&T set for showdown

In-form Becamex Binh Duong and dominant Ha Noi T&T face off in a mouth-watering tie today in the 18th round of the Eximbank V-League.

Defending champions Ha Noi, who have won their last five games, lead the table with 35 points while Binh Duong are second with 32 points. But the former have a game on hand – eight to Binh Duong's seven — and a win for them could well settle the title race.

The two teams have not hidden their title ambitions since the very start of the season, and a title for either will see history being created as the first club to win three titles in the 14-year-old V-League.

Binh Duong, who have scored four wins in their last five matches, will hope for a win to keep them in the hunt.

They have some factors going for them — they have their whole squad available to play and it will be at home at the Go Dau Stadium; the visitors on the other hand will not have the services of their main striker Hoang Vu Samson, who is still serving a four-match ban.

In their first leg in Ha Noi in the opening match of the season, the home team crushed Binh Duong 4-1. But today's match will be a totally different story since Binh Duong have changed a lot, especially since the return of veteran coach Le Thuy Hai.

The match will also be a contest between the two most effective attacks. T&T's Samson, Gonzalo Marronkle, and Nguyen Van Quyet make up the V-League's most lethal striking trio, together racking up 37 goals while Binh Duong's Nguyen Anh Duc, Abbas Cheik Dieng, and Huynh Kesley Alves have accumulated 24 between them.

There will be two other matches today, with ninth-placed Hoang Anh Gia Lai hosting eight-ranked Dong Nai, who have lost all five recent games, and stuttering Hai Phong taking on Thanh Hoa, who are on third with 29 points and still in contention for the title.

Song Lam Nghe An cements fifth position

A breathtaking strike by forward Le Cong Vinh in the third minute of extra time helped Song Lam Nghe An defeat Than Quang Ninh 2-1 yesterday in a 18th round V-League match.

Playing in Vinh City, the fifth-placed Song Lam Nghe An and 6th-placed Than Quang Ninh (both with 20 points), failed to put on the expected fight right through the first and most of the second.

In the first half, the teams mostly fought for the ball in the midfield and launched soft attacks on the opposite goal. The only risk that Than Quang Ninh took was a shot by midfielder Vu Minh Tuan that hit the post in the last minutes.

In the second half, Song Lam Nghe An seemed to step up efforts to score, but Than Quang Ninh were the ones to draw first blood in the 73rd minute, courtesy forward Emmanuel Sunday.

Song Lam Nghe An players launched a series of attacks in response, but failed to convert numerous chances. In the very last minutes of normal time, defender Vo Ngoc Duc scored the equalizer, giving the home team's fans some relief.

Cong Vinh then made amends for a rather ordinary performance by helping Song Lam Nghe An reverse the result, increasing his V-League 2014 tally to six goals.

With this result, Song Lam Nghe An gained an additional three points and cemented their fifth position, while Than Quang Ninh's final position is still uncertain.

In previous matches of the same round on Saturday, Dong Tam Long An and Hung Vuong An Giang both suffered away losses.

At the Chi Lang Stadium, Hung Vuong An Giang lost 0-2 to SHB Da Nang, and Dong Tam Long An was defeated 0-1 by QNK Quang Nam at the Tam Ky Stadium.

SHB Da Nang (26 points) is now close to the third position now occupied by Thanh Hoa (29 points), while QNK Quang Nam jumps to 7th position with 19 points. Dong Tam Long An (13 points) is still lingering in the lower rungs.