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(Sports)Roundup: Vietnam hails victory of football team against China's Taipei

Xinhua, March 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Vietnamese media on Friday spared no praise on the Vietnamese football team after it defeated China's Taipei 4-1 at the second leg of the Asian qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.

During the match in Hanoi on Thursday, Vietnamese players Cong Vinh and Van Toan scored two goals each, while Taipei's score was made by Wu Chun-Ching.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang of Vietnam made a perfect start as it was the first international match after taking over the post of the national team's coach, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

Congratulating on Thang for the victory, Hoang Anh Tuan, coach of Vietnam's U19 football team, was quoted by local Thanh Nien (Young People) online newspaper as saying "The team managed to defeat Taipei as they desired. I feel that the team has a diversified style of playing with a combination of fast offensive and coordination to control the ball."

The U19 coach said opportunities were made by technical coordination activities among players, adding that he was satisfied with the win.

Echoing Tuan, a Vietnamese football fan called Tran Van Quyen in capital Hanoi, told VNA that "It's ages since I last saw such 'spectacular' match. In all 90 minutes of the game, Vietnamese team showed a different playing manner compared to they used to in the past."

Quyen expressed his hope that the victory would be a springboard for Vietnamese team to move firmly. "I believe that if maintaining the current performance, Vietnamese team will win the championship in the Southeast Asia (SEA) Games to be held in 2017," Quyen said.

Speaking at a press conference after the match, coach of Taipei Chen Kuei-jen told reporters "The Vietnamese team played with a more suitable tactics and better spirit than during the match at the first leg."

Local VNExpress online newspaper quoted the visiting coach as saying that obviously, Vietnamese team has made remarkable developments after the coach was changed.

Local Vietnamese netizens were also delighted with the team's performance on Thursday. Hundreds of positive comments were made on popular online newspapers on Friday, praising the national team.

A reader called "Hoa" wrote on local 24h.com.vn online newspaper on Friday that "Congratulations to Vietnamese team. You have a nice playing technique. Your match was well worth watching."

Sharing the same view with Hoa,"Le Trung Kien," another reader commented on VNExpress online newspaper on Friday that "I have seen a team with unique identity that is going to right direction. Reaching the day of success is just a matter of time."

With the victory, the team is now just one point staying behind the second-placed Iraq in the group.

Later on March 29, Vietnam will play against Iraq at PAS stadium in Iran. The match will not be played in Iraq due to safety reasons.

Earlier in the first leg, Vietnam tied Iraq 1-1 in Hanoi in 2015.

In the World Cup's Asian qualifying, Vietnam stays with Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Iraq in Group F.

Each team will play each other on a home-and-away round robin basis to find the best team with highest points to move to the next stage of qualification. Endit