LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam beat U23 Kuwait 3-0 to be top of the Millennium Football Cup at the Ha Noi’s My Dinh National Stadium yesterday, Sept 20.

Viet Nam beat U23 Kuwait 3-0 to be top of the Millennium Football Cup at the Ha Noi’s My Dinh National Stadium yesterday, Sept 20.

Keeping control: Vietnamese defender Doan Viet Cuong (second, left) vies for the ball with Kuwait players during their first match at the Millenium Football Cup. Viet Nam won 3-0. (Photo: VNS)

Veteran Nguyen Viet Thang opened the score for the host by a penalty that easily beat Kuwait’s goalkeeper, Abdulaziz Marzouq, who jumped the wrong way in the 43rd minute.

The goal followed a dozen missed chances. Viet Nam, who are the Southeast Asian champions, needed only minutes to check their rivals before opening consecutive attacks.

Senior halfback Le Tan Tai nearly had the opening goal in the ninth minute as he received a ball from a Kuwait defender who miss-kicked.

Tai was a little startled by suddeness of the opportunity in the box and failed to capitalise.

Captain Nguyen Minh Phuong ran the ball through two defenders and shot towards the net but Marzouq blocked it.

Quang Hai made several assists for his teammates and had his own opportunity but his strike went wide, despite it being from only 16m.

Hai, who was the V-League’s best local striker with 13 goals, was replaced in the second half, which also saw many lost chances for Viet Nam.

The dominating Vietnamese players created more assaults and one of them became the second goal from captain Phuong in the 66th minute.

Phuong, finally found the net after a range of attempts, receiving a pass from substitute Nguyen Minh Chau and making a straight shot that went out of goalie Marzouq’s reach.

Coach Henrique Calisto’s choice of replacement proved his ability to read the game.

The Portuguese made another change near the end of the game. Nguyen Trong Hoang came on and immediately showed his talent with two attempts at goal, one successful in the 84th minute.

Defender Viet Cuong broke into the box and tested Marzouq who deflected the ball to Hoang. The close-range shot was an easy goal.

Kuwait created their opportunities but could not beat the Vietnamese defenders. Their team had to work hard to resist the host’s assaults. Their most threatening chance came in the 72nd minute as their striker broke the off-side trap, but keeper Duong Hong Son saved.

In an earlier game, North Korea defeated Australia 1-0, though they did not measure up to their reputation as No 1 candidate for the title.

They have six players who participated in the South Africa World Cup, but could only score one goal, in the 17th minute, from a free-kick by Pak Song Chol.

The team said later they had not been able to adjust in only three days to the hot, dry weather in Ha Noi.

Their next rival will be Kuwait while Viet Nam will face Australia tomorrow, Sept 22.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News