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Lao League comes back

(KPL ) Football fans will be able to cheer for their favourite teams again in this year?s football league.

The Lao League is the highest division within the Lao Football Federation and this year?s tournament will be played at the Chao Anouvong Stadium from 20 February to 11 April after one year of absence due to the 25th SEA Games.

This year?s league draws 10 football clubs to compete, including Vientiane, Bank of the Lao PDR, the Lao-American College, Haisok, Moon the Night, Customs Department, Ezra, Army, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

The Lao Football League in 2008 saw the competition of 10 football clubs including Lao-American College, Vientiane, Army, Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Public Security, Bank of the Lao PDR, Ezra, Lao Journalists? Association, the National University of Laos and Moon the Night. The Army was the champion of Lao Football League in 2008.

The Lao Football Federation will organise the league and host the Asean Cup tournament at the end of next year.

VIENTIANE - Isa Halim lost his No 4 shirt - and his shorts - after the bronze medal play-off against SEA Games hosts Laos at the Chao Anouvong Stadium Thursday.

Standing on the track adjacent to the pitch clad only in his red tights, Isa drew a lot of attention from bystanders after the Singapore team were mobbed by locals who wanted a piece of the men who had downed Laos 3-1 to take the bronze.

And how sweet victory was for the youngest team in the competition, with an average age of just 19.8 years.

Few in Singapore had confidence in the Republic's under-23 football team here.

Indeed, the sentiment was that this young squad would not even make it out of the group stages of the competition.

But Terry Pathmanathan's charges sealed the bronze with goals from Khairul Nizam (23rd minute), Fazli Ayob (53rd) and Fadhil Noh (87th).

"I think this is a very big success and I'm very proud of the players," said Pathmanathan, just before he was doused with ice water and tossed into the air by his jubilant charges.

"Many people wrote them off but they've done well, extremely well as a matter of fact.

"There was no sign of nerves from these boys and this bronze medal will inspire them to greater heights in football, but the challenge is to keep them together," he added.

A majority of this SEA Games squad will play for the Young Lions in the S-League next year, but with school commitments and National Service on the horizon, it will be a challenge for the Football Association of Singapore to keep the team together for the next two SEA Games.

But, for team captain Isa, the SEA Games road has come to an end.

Still clad only in his tights, he said: "I feel proud leading these young boys. They showed that they have a bright future ahead of them, and this bronze medal is just a stepping stone for them."

Channelnewsasia.com

Malaysia were crowned SEA Games champions in the men?s football final last night after a lucky 1-0 victory over Vietnam to win the gold medal at the National Stadium.
The teams fought hard through both halves but the score remained 0-0 until Vo Hoang Quang of Vietnam accidentally rebounded a defensive shot to score an own goal and clinch the victory for Malaysia in the final minutes of standard time.

Vietnam came close to drawing level in injury time, but Malaysia held them off to take the coveted title in a gripping close to the tournament that saw Malaysian fans erupt in celebration, while the legions of Vietnamese supporters who travelled to Vientiane for the occasion had to settle for silver. ?We deserve to be the champions, even though in the first half the Vietnamese team played better,? said Malaysian Team Coach K.Raja Gobal.




He said the Malaysian side benefited from breaks in the fast paced game after the Vietnamese goal keeper was injured, and play had to be halted several times during the course of the match.
?All of my players did well, especially Kandasamy Gurusamy Govanda, our midfielder who is just 20 years old,? he said, adding that Malaysia were the better team in the second half.

President of the Vietnamese Football Federation Nquyen Troag Thy said his team had played well and hard, and praised the spirit of the Vietnamese players during the game. ?We were unlucky during this match, we attacked many times against Malaysia,? he said.

On the same day at Chao Anouvong stadium, Singapore beat Laos 3-1to win the bronze medal. Muhammad Khairul Nizam Bin scored Singapore?s first goal 22 minutes into the game, the remainder of the first half yielding no further score despite the attempts of both teams, the Lao side backed by their faithful, flag waving football army marching to the sound of dozens of drums.

Singapore?s Muhammed Fazli Bin Ayob scored the second goal of the match 6 minutes into the second half, spurring the Lao players into a barrage of attacks, none of which could break through the Singapore defence.

Muhammad Fadhil Bin Noh sealed the deal for Singapore with a third goal in the 86th minute, but Laos kept fighting and star striker Lamnao Singto succeeded in scoring Laos? only goal 2 minutes later. Injury time produced no further goals for Laos, and the players and fans had to settle for fourth place at the end of a campaign that gripped the nation and saw Laos reach further than ever before in a SEA Games football tournament.

Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh attended both the playoff between Laos and Singapore and the final at the National Stadium to watch the action and preside over the medal ceremonies.

Although Laos ' loss to Malaysia on Monday in the semifinals of the SEA Games tournament broke the hearts of local supporters, most are still eager to see the third-place playoff between Laos and Singapore today.

Spot checks by the Vientiane Times found that most supporters were on the hunt for tickets to see the fight for a bronze medal, slated for 3pm at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

Local businessman Mr Bounsavath said he didn't make it to the Laos-Malaysia game but was definitely going to watch the final appearance of Laos when they face Singapore for the second time in the tournament.

“We don't care about the result of the final to be played at the National Stadium, we just want to show our support for Laos and spur them on in their bronze medal attempt. Don't worry, Lao fans will be by their side whether they win or lose.”

That opinion was typical of the sentiments of local fans who desperately want the Lao squad to put on a good performance and do their best to get a medal from the tournament.

Lao Men's Football Team Manager Viphet Sihachackr echoed these feelings on Tuesday.

“Now we are playing in our fifth match of the tournament. We had hoped this would be the gold medal match, but we're playing for the bronze medal instead.”

“I'd like to thank all Lao fans for buying tickets and cheering us on so enthusiastically. I'm confident the crowd today will be every bit as supportive as at previous matches,” he said.

Mr Viphet said it would be good if entry to the match were free, but the SEA Games Organising Committee said the normal ticket price would stand and that rule had to be respected.

The Lao line-up will be similar to previous matches with the exception of defender Keovixian Keovilay who has picked up an injury.

“Our match with Singapore today won't be like last time when we were both looking at a place in the semi-final. This will be a more interesting game, like our match with Indonesia ,” Mr Viphet said.

That game really impressed him, he said, and he hoped today's match would be in the same league. Most of the players were at the same standard and played a similar game, which made for entertaining and competitive football.

In today's matches Laos will meet Singapore at the Chao Anouvong Stadium at 3pm and Malaysia will face Vietnam in the tournament final at the National Stadium at 5pm.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

Malaysia rallied to beat hosts Laos 3-1 in the second semi-final to book their place in the final against Vietnam which will be played at the same venue of the Main Stadium in Vientiane on Dec 17.

The final appearance is the first for the Malaysians in eight years since 2001 when they lost to Thailand in Kuala Lumpur.

And this evening with the expectant fans heavily backing the home team to make their debut in the final of the SEA Games, it was to be the Malaysians who pinned their opponents in their own half at the start of the game.

In the second minute, Abdul Manaf Mamat tested Laos keeper Souvanpheng Panthavong with a rifling shot from 20metre out while several minutes later, striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha’s attempt with placing shot was parried.

Laos put pressure in the midfield through the hard work of Lamnao Singto and Kampheng Sayyavuthi but they just could not get past the Malaysian backline marshalled by Zafuan Adha Abdul Razak.

In the 13th minute, a blanket of silence fell on the Laos fans when off a cross from Manaf Mamat on the right, Badrol Bakhtiar rose high for an overhead kick which went straight into goal.

As the small Malaysian supporters began chanting, Laos came close with a free kick from Kaysone Soukhavong but his attempt was well received by Malaysian custodian Sharbinee Allawee.

Malaysia were a little slower going into the second half and as they laid back to protect their lead, a seemingly innocuous dipping shot from distance in the 72nd minute beat Sharbinee for the first time in the game - much to the jubilation of the home fans.

But in their eagerness to look for their second goal and the lead, Laos left gaps at the back and this allowed Malaysia to capitalise on in the 78th minute when Badrol picked a pass from S. Kunalan to blast home.

And six minutes later, Safiq Rahim made it beyond Laos’ reach with the third goal from inside the penalty box to put Malaysia through.

Malaysia’s appearance in the final will allow them the chance for a re-match against Vietnam, whom they lost to in the group stage with a 3-1 score line.

The venue and time for the semi-final matches of men's football have been changed. This follows the team managers' meeting with the four teams - Vietnam and Malaysia (from Group A) as well as Laos and Singapore (from Group B) - which was held this morning at the Laos Football Federation headquarters this morning.

"The change is deemed to be necessary to accomodate TV requirements and that of the fans," said Phouvanh Vongsouthi, the president of the LFF.

The Vietnam-Singapore match will be played at the Chao Anouvong Stadium, Vientiane Capital. with kick-off at 18:00 hrs while the Laos-Malaysia clash will be held at the Main Stadium of the National Sports Complex, kick-off at 19:00hrs.

After opening their SEA Games campaign on home soil with a 1-1 draw against Myanmar , the 2007 bronze medallists, the Lao women's squad is now looking to improve in their match against defending champions Thailand .

Facing Thailand this afternoon could be too early for Laos , but they are hoping the home advantage will spur them on to a good result.

Assistant Coach Viengsavanh Sengchanh said “The Thai side is another strong rival for us because they are the reigning gold medallists from the last SEA Games.”

“But we still have a 50:50 chance to do well in this match.”

“To know if we have a chance to get a medal we have to see the result of the first game today between Myanmar and Vietnam , then we have to see how we go.

“Our players are all fit and ready for the game today.”

The first match today will begin at 1:30pm between Myanmar and Vietnam , followed by Laos against Thailand at 3:45pm. Both matches will be played at the National University Stadium.

In the men's event, Timor Leste plays Thailand at 3pm and Cambodia takes on Malaysia , with both matches at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

Photo:Lamnao Singto reacts after scoring his second goal in Laos ' 2-0 win over Indonesia at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

A semifinal berth for the Lao men's football team now seems within reach after they beat strong rivals Indonesia 2-0 in the Group B qualifying round of the 25th SEA Games yesterday at the Chao Anouvong Stadium in Vientiane .

Lao superstar Lamnao Singto scored twice to power the team to victory and boost the Lao team's semifinal hopes.

The performances of Lamnao and his teammates in the second match of their SEA Games campaign delighted every Lao football fan and warmed the hearts of people all across the country.

Although the away team was stronger the hosts were not intimidated, and exceeded all expectations by emerging triumphant ahead of their next match against Singapore on Thursday.

If the semifinals dream is to become reality, Laos must draw with Singapore .

At the start of the match against Indonesia , Laos attacked the away team, while Indonesia counter-attacked in an attempt to get the first goal. In the 22nd minute Kaysone Soukhavong took a corner kick which drove the ball to the front of the Indonesian goal. This gave Phatthana Sivilay the chance to shoot but Indonesia 's goalkeeper Frenky Irawan pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Despite the furious attack mounted by both teams the first half ended 0-0.

In the second half Lamnao Singto was on the receiving end of a pass from Khampheng Sayavuthi which he deftly shot between Frenky's legs to put Laos in the lead 1-0 in the 66th minute.

Nine minutes later with Laos appearing to be in the driving seat Phatthana Sivilay powered a long ball into the penalty area. The Indonesian goalkeeper caught the ball but it slipped out of his hands and Lamnao pounded it into the net to make it 2-0 for Laos .

With about 8,000 people screaming their support for Laos , the crowd was surely instrumental in willing the home team to victory.

A supporter told Vientiane Times after the match he was truly delighted with the result, especially as this was the first time he had attended a SEA Games match.

“I like Kaysone because he controls the ball well and passes it to his teammates. For sure I'll be cheering for Laos when they face Singapore on Thursday,” he said.

After the match the streets around the stadium were packed with people celebrating the victory. Some could be seen dancing along the road, others were singing lustily and people in restaurants gathered in excited throngs.

In 2007 Indonesia ousted Laos 4-0 at the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines .

Lao team head coach Alfred Riedl said that for the first time he had been training the team they played very well. But he didn't want to appear too enthusiastic because he knew the next match against Singapore would be tough, especially with a semifinal berth at stake.

On December 10, Laos will face Singapore and Indonesia will meet Myanmar at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

The collective voice of more than 20,000 spectators on Saturday at the National Stadium shouting “Lao sou sou!” (go, Laos, go!) carried Lao footballers to a well deserved draw in their match against Myanmar .

Supporters formed a sea of red, white and blue as they energetically waved Lao flags, beat on drums and hooted on horns.

The stadium was packed with groups of families and friends all cheering for their team as Lao footballers turned out for their tournament debut against former SEA Games silver medallists Myanmar .

Before the match began, the tide of goodwill and the surge of enthusiasm quickened the pulse of the national team as they stood for the national anthem and gazed around at the packed stands singing in unison.

After the match Lao Men's Football Team Manager Viphet Sihachackr made his delight clear and offered his thanks to Lao supporters for cheering the team on and boosting the spirits of his men at this vital game.

“The cheering spurred on our players to do their best against a tough opponent. In the end we only managed a 1-1 draw but we have to remember that Myanmar were the runners-up at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007,” he said.

The team was also pleased at the evident enjoyment of the spectators.

After the match both coaches told press they would be playing five matches in the tournament but of course only one team from the group would secure a berth in the final.

Lao coach Alfred Riedl said he learnt a lot from the match and would use this as homework for the Lao squad. In general he was happy with the way the team played and glad that fans enjoyed the game so much.

“I will change from offensive to defensive because today's match showed up some mistakes in this area. I believe we can put on an even better display against Indonesia next week,” he said.

Myanmar coach Drago Mamic complained that the referee had not strictly followed competition rules and he was not happy with several of the decisions made during the game. But he congratulated the Lao footballers on their good play.

From the outset of the match Laos tried desperately to score and in the 5th minute got a free kick from the penalty area. But Kaysone Soukhavong's shot sailed over the crossbar. Laos had another opportunity in the 15th minute when Kaysone was faulted by a Myanmar defender and Lamnao Singto shot a free kick which curved towards the net but was saved by the Myanmar goalkeeper.

As hungry as Laos was to score, they couldn't find the back of the net. Meanwhile, Myanmar was counter-attacking and tried equally hard to get through the Lao defence without success.

In the 32nd minute Myanmar striker Tun Tun Win took control of the ball and wove his way through the Lao defenders. He powered the ball towards the goal but it soared over the crossbar.

In the 40th minute Myanmar defender Khin Maung Lwin fouled Lamnao. Kaysone took the free kick for Laos but the Myanmar goalkeeper deftly pushed the ball away from the net. The away team pummelled the goal mouth until Kyaw Thiha put his team on the scoreboard at 1-0.

In the second half, Laos tried their best to score but the Myanmar players put up a tough defence and the home side was unable to get the ball through.

Finally in the 69th minute Laos saw their name in lights when Kaysone passed the ball to Khampheng Sayavutthi and equalised. The 1-1 score remained the same until the final whistle.

In 2005 Laos beat Myanmar 3-2 at the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines , but Myanmar improved their play and took the silver medal at the next SEA Games.

Also on Saturday, Singapore 's Muhammad Safuwan Bin scored first for Singapore in the 6th minute of their match with Indonesia , followed by Mohammad Shaiful Bin Esah Nain who made it 2-0 in the 23rd. But Stevie Bonsapia and Rendy pulled two back for Indonesia , levelling the score at 2-2.

Today, Laos will take on Indonesia and Singapore will face Myanmar in matches at the Chao Anouvong Stadium starting at 3pm.

December 6:

Vietnam vs. Malaysia (3-1)

Cambodia vs. Timor Leste (4-1)




By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Laos will be the dark horse in the women’s championship when their SEA Games event kick-off tomorrow at the National University Stadium. The women’s football matches will begin with Malaysia taking onn Thailand while Laos will play Myanmar. Phouvanh Vongsouthi, the president of the Laos Football Federation (LFF) expressed his confidence that the team will be able to at least put up some resistance against the likes of defending champions Thailand, silver medallists Vietnam, fast-improving Myanmar and Malaysia.

As opposed to the men’s game which is restricted to players under the age of 23-years-old, the women’s game is open to the full senior side. “There are only five teams taking part, so the tournament will be competitive,” said Phouvanh.

“We are confident based on their progress thus far, so I think that we will have an outside chance of making making the medals.”

With only five teams taking part, they will be competing on a roun-robin basis to decide the gold medal winners. In the meantime, Vietnam will be anxious to reclaim the gold they loss in Korat two years ago.

What made the loss more painful was the fact that Vietnam had been winning the women’s football gold medal since 2001 and only surrendered it to the Thais at their own turf.

But head coach Chen Yun Fat feels confident that they can be back at the top of the podium considering their recent win of the International Women’s Football Tournament TKV 2009 when they beat Thailand 2-0.

“There is only one aim and that is to win back the gold medal we lost two years ago,” added Yun Fat, whose team also went to Japan for training in preparation for their SEA Games onslaught.

laosoc

Both men's and women's football teams will play their first matches against Myanmar , which has proved in past SEA Games competitions to be a formidable opponent.

The matches will take place on December 3 and 5 at the National University of Laos stadium and the National Stadium.

Lao Men's Football Team Manager Viphet Sihachakr said yesterday he thought his team would play five matches in the tournament because the players were well prepared both in terms of training and fitness.

“ Myanmar is a strong SEA Games team. They were runners-up at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007 but that's in the past. Today I believe our athletes can do better than before due to our experience from the many test matches we played,” he said.

Lao footballers lost many tournaments in the run-up to the 25th SEA Games. But coaches and team assistants have worked hard to improve the players' skills and the team manager has confirmed the team's performance is already 30 percent better since their last match.

“One thing we have to remember is that playing at home we have an advantage because our supporters will be cheering us on, just as they did at the 4-Nations Football Tournament. I was delighted to see so many Lao fans in the stadium all shouting for us. This is just great for our players,” Mr Viphet said.

He asked football fans to continue to cheer on the players, saying their support would make them stronger and better able to fight for their country.

Lao hopes are also riding with the women's football team.

Lao Women's Football Team Manager Ms Valy Vessaphong said she had asked Myanmar to send a team for a friendly game in Laos before the SEA Games but they declined, saying they were too busy.

“This will be a big match because we've never met them since we lost to them 0-6 at the 24th SEA Games. But now things are different. Our players have improved and are ready for their first match,” Ms Valy said.

She said Myanmar might not be aware of how much the Lao team had improved and Laos also didn't know, but the match would be the true testing ground.

After today's match against Myanmar , the women's team will play Thailand on December 8, Malaysia on December 11 and Vietnam on December 13. December 16 will be the final day of the tournament.

Matches will take place at the National University of Laos and the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

The men's football team begins its campaign tomorrow against Myanmar and will face Indonesia on December 7 and Singapore on December 10 at the National Stadium and Chao Anouvong Stadium.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

The hugely anticipated football match between Thailand and Vietnam will feature on the first day of the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane tomorrow. Kick-starting the event will be a match between Malaysia and Timor Leste, before the competition’s heavyweights take to the field. Vietnamese footballers were the first arrivals of the thousands athletes participating in the games, touching down before the football teams from Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Vietnamese Coach Henrique Calisto said Saturday’s match with Thailand will be the biggest for his team, given the strength of their opponents.

“Just win, just lose or just draw, we still don’t know, but we will do our best in the match,” said the Portuguese coach. “The last time we met them recently ended in a draw, so we don’t know what will happen on Wednesday.” While the Vietnamese team is hopeful of matching up to Thailand, the Thai team believe they can show their supremacy in the first match. Thai Coach Stephen Darby said on Sunday his team was preparing perfectly and was confident of winning the match.

“We believe our players can get a result on Wednesday, and we’d like to be playing again on the final day of the SEA Games.”

The men’s football teams are divided into two groups. Group A comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Timor Leste and Cambodia, while Group B consists of Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Indonesia.

Hosts Laos will be counting on the 12th man or rather home support to carry the team through when they open their campaign in Group B of the SEA Games this Sunday against Myanmar. Team manager Viphet Sihachak said that base on the attendance during the pre-SEA Games in early October, he is confident that Laos can pick up their first three points of the competition.

“We are very sure that the fans will come and support the team just like they did during the pre-SEA Games. And furthermore, football is the main event of the SEA Games and everyone want to do well,” said Viphet after the team managers’ meeting this morning.

“We showed during the pre-SEA Games that we can build a competent team and while we may be up against the silver medallist, I still believe that we can win the full points.

“I know that the other countries have offered high rewards in winning the gold medal, we will do the same at the appropriate time.”

To show their determination to put their best at the biennial championship, the Laos Under-23 side has been training for the more than a year under the sponsorship of Vietnamese club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL).

And while their results at the BIDC Cup in Phnom Penh where they finished fourth behind Cambodia, HAGL and Vissai Ninh Binh was unflattering, Viphet said that things must be put in perspective.

“At the pre-SEA Games, it was a full competitive match while the BIDC Cup is more of a series of friendlies,” added Viphet.

“Furthermore, the team will welcome the return of midfielder Kampheng (Sayyavutthi), who has been out with a knee injury for quite some time.

“So we are confident of the team.”

Lao U-23 Football Team Manager Viphet Sihachackr said yesterday that the team's experience in previous matches will mean they perform at their best in December.

“The test matches might have made people unhappy with our performance, because they think our team is hopeless and has lost to many other teams on previous occasions, but in fact the fans don't understand that we just used those games as practice for the real event in December,” he said.

Mr Viphet said his team didn't need to win those matches, rather they needed to get much more experience, so that after each match coach and team assistant could analyse the game and suggest how the footballers could improve their performance.

Since the tournament in Cambodia in early November, many Lao football fans have complained about the team not playing well enough.

Their complaints were heightened at the most recent match at Chao Anouvong on Tuesday when the Lao team lost 3-1 to Hoang Anh Gia Lia of Vietnam .

“Hoang Anh Gia Lia is an official sponsor of the 25th SEA Games, so they just wanted to send their football team to practice with our team.

“We learnt many things from them because they had many good players,” Mr Viphet said.

Mr Viphet said the team has been playing very well recently and is ready for their first SEA Games match on December 5 against Myanmar , the runner up at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand .

On December 7 the Lao team will face Indonesia and on December 10 they will take on Singapore in the quarterfinal of the SEA Games.

Mr Viphet said Myanmar is a strong contender but the Lao footballers would try their best to win.

“We will be the winner of the match.

“We know Myanmar is strong but because we are the host country we want to stay in the competition as long as possible,” he said.

Mr Viphet said he trusted the ability of his players after they had gained experience locally and abroad.

“We have spoken with other coaches about our athletes, who said they are improving even though they haven't had much time to practice. The Austrian coach said if the Lao team had more time, they would be really good,” he said.

The men's football teams will be divided into two groups. Laos will be in Group B along with Myanmar , Singapore and Indonesia , while in Group A Thailand will play against Vietnam , Malaysia , Timor Leste and Cambodia .

The women's teams will play in only one group, which comprises Malaysia , Thailand , Myanmar , Vietnam and Laos .

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

Laos U23 team had their warm up match with HAGL club from Vietnam in preparation for the 25th SEA Games in Chao Anou football stadium, Vientiane.

In the first match which kicked off on Sunday 22nd November, Laos team trounced Vietnam 4:0. However, the match on 24th November, Vietnam hit back and won Laos with the score 3:1.

This will be the final warm up match for Laos U23 team.

In 25th SEA Games, Laos will first meet Myanmar on December 5th.

The opening match in Group B football of the 25th SEA Games in Laos will be played on 5 December considering that they are only four teams in the group as against five teams in Group A.

The first match in Group B at the National Stadium will be Singapore taking on Indonesia while hosts Laos will play Myanmar, who were the silver medallist two years ago in Thailand.


GROUPINGS

Group A: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Cambodia

Group B: Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia


FIXTURES

2 Dec (Main Stadium): Malaysia vs Timor Leste (1500hrs)/ Thailand vs Vietnam (1745hrs)

4 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Thailand vs Cambodia 1500hrs)/ Vietnam vs Timor Leste (1745hrs)

5 Dec (Main Stadium): Singapore vs Indonesia (1500hrs)/ Laos vs Myanmar (1745hrs)

6 Dec (Main Stadium): Vietnam vs Malaysia (1500hrs)/ Timor Leste vs Cambodia (1745hrs)

7 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Myanmar vs Singapore (1500hrs)/ Indonesia vs Laos (1745hrs)

8 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Timor Leste vs Thailand (1500hrs)/ Cambodia vs Malaysia (1745hrs)

9 Dec: Opening Ceremony

10 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Myanmar vs Indonesia (1500hrs)/ Laos vs Singapore (1745hrs)

11 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Cambodia vs Vietnam (1500hrs)/ Malaysia vs Thailand (1500hrs)

14 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Semi-finals

17 Dec: Third/ Fourth Placing (1500hrs at Chao Anu Vong Stadium)/ FINAL (1700hrs at Main Stadium)

(KPL) The football team of the armed force of Champassak province of Laos has won the 2009 Number One Cup after defeating Vietnam ?s Binh Phuoc military team 2-1 on Nov. 5.

According to VNA, the Number One Cup is an international football tournament, for the armed forces in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. This year's event was held on Oct. 27-Nov. 5 with the participation of seven teams from Laos's Champassak and Savannakhet provinces, Cambodia's Kompong Thom and Stungtreng province, and Vietnam's Binh Phuoc province.The police team from Binh Phuoc province and Laos's Savannakhet team shared the third prize.

Player Phanthavong of Champassak who scored 10 goals during the tournament was presented the Best Scorer title and Hoang Dinh Ngoc of Binh Phuoc military team got the ?Best Goal Keeper.

On this occasion, the tournament's organising board presented six tonnes of rice to flood victims in Kompong Thom and Stungtreng provinces.

The Lao men's football U-23 squad will play the home team in Phnom Penh , Cambodia , today at this year's Cambodian International Football Tournament BIDC Cup, which runs from November 8-14.

The opponents will be the same team Lao players will compete against at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next month.

The Lao team's assistant manager Prasatxay Philaphandeth said yesterday the team would use the match to study Cambodia 's style closely. “We just want to compare our playing style with their style, as this will be very valuable for our team.”

He added that on Sunday, Cambodia won over Hoang Anh Gia Lai of Vietnam 3-2, after the Vietnamese team led 2-0 in the first half.

“We haven't seen them play for a long time so the Sunday match could prove that they got better after they got an experienced football coach,” Mr Prasatxay explained.

He said the Cambodian team at tonight's match would use more long balls, which is different to the Lao team's style of play which favours short balls, so the match would determine which is the better method.

The first day of the tournament saw Laos draw 1-1 with Vissai Ninh Binh of Vietnam and Cambodia come out on top over Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

Mr Prasatxay said the Lao team was very good, but could only draw with the Vietnamese team.

He said the Vietnamese team had many international players. They committed so many fouls in the penalty area they got four yellow cards, but Laos didn't get any.

“There are no certainties in this game, but we have to make sure we win so we can be a good host of the SEA Games,” Mr Prasaxay said.

On November 10, Vissai Ninh Binh will play Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Cambodia will play Laos , while on November 12 Laos will play Hoang Anh Gia and Cambodia will play Vissai Ninh Binh.

The finals will take place on November 14.

The Cambodian website http://roubroum.blogspot.com/ reported that the tournament will be broadcast live on Cambodian TV5 starting at 3.30 pm.

The tournament champion will win US$20,000, the runner-up US$10,000 and third place will take US$5,000.

The footballer voted best player will get US$1,000, and the top scorer and best goalkeeper will each get US$1,000.


By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes
Photo: http://www.andybrouwer.co.uk

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea defeated Laos 6-0 in a qualifying match of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under-19 championship held in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

Sunday's victory put South Korea at second place in Group E, which also includes Thailand, Vietnam, Macau and Bangladesh, according to the AFC.

Korea beat Bangladesh 5-0 and Macau 5-1, but suffered a surprising 0-1 defeat by Vietnam on Friday.

Korea will face Thailand on Wendesday in its last qualifying match for the AFC championship.

Laos took third place in the International Women’s Football Tournament after beating Coal and Minerals 2-1 in Quang Ninh province’s Cua Ong stadium yesterday, October 22. As the host, Coal and Minerals needed only a draw to fulfil their goal of being in the top three.

Laos were totally transformed as a team when they chose to go on the attack. Their tactic almost paid off in the eighth minute of the match when Sophavanh Phayvanh fired a shot over goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Hao but it hit the right upright.

A clear chance missed inspired the visitors, who will host the Southeast Asian Games later this year.

After that near miss, they wasted no time launching another attack.

Laos were given a free kick on the right wing after Vietnamese defenders brought down a Lao striker. The free kick unsettled Viet Nam’s Dang Thi Ly, who in trying to head the ball away scored an own goal in the 10th minute.

It was Ly’s second own goal of the tournament. She scored an own goal in the opening match of the tournament on October 16 against Thailand.

It was also Laos’ first goal of the tournament.

Head coach Doan Minh Hai rotated Bui Thi Phuong, Vu Thi Lanh, Le Thi Hien and Le Thi Hoai Thu to test Lao goal keeper Chulapan but she was more than up to the task until the host team scored five minutes after the break.

Phuong received a perfect pass from Vu Thi Hien before making a solo run from midfield to the penalty area and levelling the score.

The host team began to take control of the game and Phuong, Tuyet and Thua created a number of chances, but they all went unconverted.

In the 75th minute, Phuong came face-to-face with Chulapal but the Vietnamese’s shot was too light and was easily saved.

Chulapal then made a great throw to start a counter-attack by Phayvanh who fired a shot into the right corner.

Laos took three points from the game and pocketed VND20 million (US$1,450) for coming third. Coal, who finished in second place last year, ended the tournament with three losses.

The final match of the tournament today is between the national teams of Viet Nam and Thailand. The winner of the game will take the trophy and a cash prize of VND40 million ($2,900). The runners-up will get VND30 million.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News