The national women’s football squad left for Busan, the Republic of Korea, on August 27 beginning a two-week training course in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship.  

Chief coach Chen Yun Fat selected the best 20 girls for the national line-up who will then play at the AFF Cup in Myanmar’s Madalay capital from September 7-23.

Vietnam will play in the same group with U19 Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Jordan.

After the 2013 AFF Cup, they aim to defend their Southeast Asian championship title at the 27th SEA Games to be held in Myanmar later this year.

Their biggest challenge is finishing fifth at the Asian Women’s Football Championship scheduled for HCM City in 2014. If they meet that goal, they will earn a ticket to the 2014 World Cup in Canada – a long awaited dream.

Meanwhile, the national men’s squad will fly to Hungary in September for two-week training to prepare for the 27th SEA Games. They aim to qualify for the final match.

AFC Futsal Club: Thai Son Nam 2-2 Shenzhen Nanling

Vietnam’s Thai Son Nam team was held to a 2-2 draw by China’s Shenzhen Nanling team in the first group A match of the 2013 AFC Futsal Club Championships at Oceans Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on August 27.

The scoring was opened by Masoud Daneshvar hammering the ball home in the 17th minute.

The Vietnamese team tried hard for an equalizer but all efforts were in vain.

In the second half, goalkeeper Tran Buu Phuoc made a fatal mistake of holding the ball for more than four seconds and the rivals took full advantage of an indirect free kick near his post to double the scoring.

In the 33rd minute, Thai Son Nam decided to pursuit power play strategy and three minute later Rodriguez Cruz received the ball from Bao Quan’s accurate pass and easily beat Chinese goalie Liang Yaong.

Shenzhen Nanling then put up strong defence to preserve its 2-1 lead but in the 39th minute Bao Quan fired a powerful long-range shot into the Chinese net.

In the last seconds of the second half, both Cruz and Van Vu could not defeat Yaong in their one-on-one encounters.

The 2-2 draw has put Thai Son Nam in a more difficult position to face host Nagoya Oceans.

In group B, Uzbekistan’s Ardus Tashkent also held Thailand’s Chonburi Bluewave GH Bank to a 2-2 draw, while Iran’s Pasand beat Qatar’s Al Sadd 3-2.

U16 Vietnam beaten by its Australian rival

Vietnam lost 0-3 to Australia in its third match of the U16 Southeast Asia (SEA) Football Championships on August 26.

The scoring was opened only after 18 minute of the first half and two more goals added after the 62nd minute of the second half.

U16 Vietnam still has a chance to enter the next round because in the final match, they will play Brunei, which is the weakest team in group A.

The match is scheduled for August 28.

ISTAF Super Series ready to launch

The first circuit of the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) Super Series will kick off tomorrow and run to Sunday, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India.

The event will attract more than 200 athletes from 14 countries, who will compete titles in the men's and women's competition.

The competition will host 12 men's and eight women's teams. Viet Nam, a two-time runner-up, will compete in the women's category.

ISTAF officials will draw team match-ups one day ahead of the tournament. Teams will then compete next three circuits in Thailand and Malaysia.