With all eyes on the 2018 AFC U23 Championship final between Vietnam and Uzbekistan on Saturday, a rumor surfaced on Facebook claiming that the Golden Stars were eliminated from the clash, saying that two of their players failed a drug test. The rumor, spread via a newswire article, claimed that Qatar, which lost 3-4 to Vietnam in a penalty shootout following a tense 2-2 semifinal draw on Tuesday, would replace the Vietnamese in the final game. According to a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter who has accompanied Vietnam U23s in China since the beginning of the tournament, the ‘fake news’ story was written based on only one fact: two Vietnamese players were selected for a required random doping test following their semi match. However, Nguyen Phong Hong Duy and Do Duy Manh, both of whom emerged as stars in Vietnam’s victory over Qatar on Tuesday, tested negative for performance enhancing drugs. As per the competition’s regulations, each team is required to submit two or more of its players, depending on the playing schedule, to random doping tests after each game, regardless of whether they win or lose, a representative from the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) told Tuoi Tre via an email. The AFC official asserted that all teams are treated equal when it comes to drug testing. The players’ urine sample was first tested with a stick to check for immediate results before being sent to a lab for a more detailed examination. Manh and Duy both tested negative in… [Read full story]
Vietnam are heading to Qatar for the AFC U23 Championship finals after crushing Macau 7-0 in their last Group I match at the Shah Alam Stadium in Sepang, Malaysia, on March 31. Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong They finished second in the group with six points behind Japan, who defeated Malaysia 1-0 in the later game. Vietnam raced to a 6-0 lead in the first half, but were only able to add one more goal after the break. Strikers Nguyen Cong Phuong and Thanh Binh scored a hat-trick each after mid-fielder Ho Ngoc Thang's opener. Vietnam went into the game knowing…... [read more]
Vietnam saw off Qatar on penalties in the semifinals of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship in China on Tuesday, reaching the historic final game. Both sides drew 2-2 in 120 minutes before the Golden Stars beat Qatar 4-3 in the penalty shootout. Qatar took the lead with a controversial penalty in the 39th minute, before Nguyen Quang Hai leveled the game 24 minutes later, right footing a shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. Vietnam's Cong Phuong (right) fights for the ball in their semifinal match against Qatar at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship in…... [read more]
Vietnam saw off Qatar on penalties in the semifinals of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship in China on Tuesday, reaching the historic final game.Both sides drew 2-2 in 120 minutes before the Golden Stars beat Qatar 4-3 in the penalty shootout.Qatar took the lead with a controversial penalty in the 39th minute, before Nguyen Quang Hai leveled the game 24 minutes later, right footing a shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner.Vietnam and Qatar then pushed the game forward, with the Qataris taking the lead again when it was only three minutes left of official…... [read more]
Thanks to Toshiya Miura’s students who trained to manage the ball obstacles during passes with high speed before netting the target from a distance of 20m, Vietnam are heading to Qatar for the AFC U23 Championship finals after crushing Macau 7-0 on March 31st. Aired live at 4pm on the K+ and VTV6 channels, it was their last Group I match at the Shah Alam stadium in Sepang, Malaysia. They finished second in the group with six points behind Japan, who defeated Malaysia 1-0 in the later game. The Japanese coach could not pick his favourite striker Vo Huy Toan,…... [read more]
The team will play against either former champion the Republic of Korea or Uzbekistan, which will play later today. Earlier, in the official 90 minutes and nervous extra time, Vietnam drew 2-2 with the Asian powerhouse. The team will play against either former champion the Republic of Korea or Uzbekistan, which will play later today. Vietnam became the first Southeast Asian country to enter the final of the AFC U23 championship. The team qualified for the semifinals of the championship on January 20 thanks to a dramatic victory over Iraq. Earlier, Vietnam was the first Southeast Asian team to achieve…... [read more]
