Power cuts drive football fans crazy
Increasingly frequent power cuts in the capital city as temperatures rise have been causing consternation among people watching World Cup football matches on TV.
Eighty-year-old Nguyen Van Cuc from Tu Liem District said power cuts during the hot summer were annoying, let alone during World Cup games.
"I had to move three times to different places just to see the one match," said Cuc.
"After the second power cut, I decided to take a taxi to my daughter's house on Tran Hung Dao Street but by the time I arrived there was only ten minutes left before the final whistle."
Many other football fans have also had to put up with power cuts.
"We've haven't seen a complete match since the World Cup began on June 11 due to the power cuts," said Tran Anh Tuan from Hai Ba Trung District.
"We went crazy when the power went off for 20 minutes during the second half of the Spain versus Switzerland match."
World Cup fan Cuc said that with the action on the pitch heating up, audiences were hoping for an end to the power cuts.
National futsal tournament kicks off
Twelve teams from across the country will participate in the 2010 National Futsal (indoor football) Championship that kicks of next month.
The Viet Nam Football Federation said on its website that teams from An Giang, Binh Thuan, Dac Lac, Da Nang and Khanh Hoa provinces as well as Ha Noi and HCM City will compete for the title at the Phu Tho Gymnasium, HCM City, from July 20 to August 1.
The teams will be divided into two groups of six and play in the round-robin format with two top teams progressing into semi-finals.
The winners will receive VND25 million, the runners-up VND15 million and the third-placed, VND10 million.
The organisers will also award individual prizes for the best player, top scorer and best goalkeeper.
Ha Noi T&T train in Da Nang
V-League team Ha Noi T&T has travelled to Da Nang to take advantage of the one-month break in the national football championship season for the World Cup.
Coach Phan Thanh Hung said he was only allowing his players to watch the first two World Cup games each night, but not the late night game.
"The World Cup, which is organised every four years, is an opportunity for our players to watch the best global stars. I encourage my players to watch as many games as they can, but they must be asleep before midnight," Hung said.
V-League teams Ninh Binh, Hai Phong Cement and Hoa Phat Ha Noi have also travelled to Da Nang to maintain their fitness by holding training sessions on the beach. They also plan to take time to relax on the seaside after playing hard during V-League play.
V-League will resume on June 30. — VNS