Football

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai players practice while waiting for the return of the national football tournaments. The leagues are planned to restart in November. Photo of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC

HÀ NỘI — The 2021 national football season will resume in November, according to a proposal from the Việt Nam Professional Football Company (VPF).

After receiving votes from participating teams, VPF has finalised the reschedule date based on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The V.League 2 tournament will restart on November 20 and end on January 14, 2022. The V.League 1 will be from February 12 to March 12. The National Cup will be held on January 17 to March 13.

There is only one team relegated from V.League 1 to V.League 2, instead of 1.5 team as in original plan. It is the same with the V.League 2 and the third-tier league.

VPF's new plan needs an approval from the Việt Nam Football Federation.

In other football news, national team head coach Park Hang Seo has called 30 U22 players to prepare for Việt Nam's Asian U23 championship qualification campaign.

The South Korean coach who is back in Việt Nam after several weeks at home for family activities, will pick his team from three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 11 midfielders and six strikers.

The players will start practicing from August 10 in Hà Nội.

The tournament will be held from October 23-31. Việt Nam are in Group I with Myanmar, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. The team expect to secure a place in the finals which will be organised next June in Uzbekistan.

Park also call 31 players of the national team who will practise for the 2022 World Cup qualifier. They are three keepers, 14 defenders, nine midfielders and five forwards.

They will start their training camp on August 5 in Hà Nội. 

Việt Nam are in the same group with Japan, Australia, Oman, China and Saudi Arabia with first match is planned in September. VNS