Vietnam’s U23 football team received a “rock-star” welcome in Hanoi yesterday, despite losing to Uzbekistan in the 2018 Asian Championship Final, according to AFP. The team had been described as the “underdog” in many newspapers, so its success in the semifinal made the players “overnight celebrities in the football-crazy nation.” “I wanted my children to learn from the wonderful strong will of those young footballers,” Tran Thuy An, who had been waiting for hours on a flyover for the team bus to pass by, told the French newswire. The team has been cheered on by fans across Southeast Asia, which according to Foxsports Asia, is “the real prize,” “a legacy” that will help erase ASEAN’s inferiority complex at international tournaments. Vietnam still has to catch up with the likes of Japan and South Korea, wrote John Durden on Foxsports Asia, but the gap is not as big as before. More importantly, it is the success that unites the country on so many levels, many observers said. “There have not been that many national flags in Hanoi in decades,” 77-year-old resident Ha Anh Tue told AFP. Huge crowds took to the streets to celebrate Vietnam’s win over Qatar, and even when the team lost in the final to Uzbekistan. Many companies allowed their employees to leave early to watch the games, and this shows “respect for the working class”, wrote Atsushi Tomiyama from Nikkei Asian Review. “The soccer games have brought the Vietnamese people together”. Various Korean outlets including Korea Times, Sportal Korea and Hani have also… [Read full story]
CPV- Vietnam's U23 football squad defeated Bulgaria 4-2 in their first match at the LG Cup-2005 at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on September 20th. After the break, Vietnamese Player of the Year in 2003 Pham Van Quyen shone with two goals. In the 49th minute, Van Quyen finished off Quoc Vuong's freekick to make it 2-0. Three minutes later, Van Quyen entertained Vietnamese spectators in Thong Nhat stadium with his second goal. Thanh Binh found Van Quyen's head in the penalty box with a neat cross from the right wing. However, Van Quyen's first attempt was…... [read more]
- Vietnam’s U23 football team trounced Brunei 80 on November 12, gaining entrance to the semi-finals of the ongoing 26th SEA Games in Indonesia. The team ended the first half with six goals, including a hat trick by striker Van Quyet, who bagged three goals in the first, 12th and 14th minutes. Thanh Luong, Van Thang and Van Binh also kicked the ball into their rival’s net in the match's 16th, 19th and 30th minutes. Despite missing a number of chances to score, the Vietnamese players entered the second half with an enormous lead. In the 59th minute, Hoang Thien…... [read more]
Vietnam's U23 football team arrives at Noi Bai International Airport. Pictured here are coach Park Hang-seo who comes out first and captain Luong Xuan Truong in blue shirt. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh Football fans lined the streets on Sunday morning to welcome home their young heroes. Despite a heart-breaking last-minute defeat to Uzbekistan in the final of the AFC U23 Championship on Saturday, the Vietnamese team has returned home to a jubilant reception. Hailed as national heroes, South Korean coach Park Hang-seo's team made history at the tournament with thrilling victories over regional powerhouses Australia, Iraq and Qatar. It was…... [read more]
Many companies and agencies in Vietnam have promised big rewards for the Vietnamese U23 football team after the team won a ticket to the final AFC U23 Championship. With a 4-3 penalty shootout win after extra time finished at 2-2, the Vietnamese U23 team triumphed over Qatar in AFC U23 Championship semifinal, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to make the final of the championship. Many entrepreneurs and companies have announced to offer the team big rewards following the triumph over Qatar Following the dramatic victory, many entrepreneurs and companies have announced to offer the team big rewards. Trinh Van…... [read more]
Thousands of supporters packed the streets in Hanoi on Sunday to watch the Vietnamese U23 football team's open-top parade in celebration of their success at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship. Head coach Park Hang-seo is welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on January 28 Vietnam became the runner-up at the AFC U23 Championship after losing 1-2 to Uzbekistan in the final in China on January 27. Although the Vietnamese team did not win the final match, many local football supporters said they were still very happy with the players' performance in the tournament. The U23 team…... [read more]
