Futsal

HÀ NỘI — Defending champions Thái Sơn Nam trounced Cao Bằng 4-0 in the third-round match of the National Futsal Championship being held in HCM City yesterday.

Though playing against the best national team, Cao Bằng players started the game confidently and managed to limit many of Thái Sơn Nam’s attempts.

However, Thái Sơn Nam proved much more powerful and their national team members did a good job near the end of the first 20-minute period. Nguyễn Đắc Huy took part in a counter-attack and quickly entered Cao Bằng’s space. His close-range header gave keeper Văn Tú no opportunity to stop the ball and it was 1-0 for the hosts.

The second period was easier for Thái Sơn Nam as Cao Bằng’s players got tired. They scored three more times, with Lê Quốc Nam earning a double and Nguyễn Minh Trí finishing from a narrow angle.

Thái Sơn Nam have seven points and are temporally on top of the ranking table.

“Despite our poor start, the more we played the better we performed,” said Thái Sơn Nam coach Nguyễn Bảo Quân.

“We managed the game step by step and dominated in the second period. We escaped Cao Bằng’s tactical trap, played well together and finally won,” Quân, the national team captain said.

Coach Hector Souto of Cao Bằng appreciated Thái Sơn Nam’s win and said his team had prepared really well but Thái Sơn Nam, with 90 per cent national players, were too strong to beat. He said he is proud of his young team’s efforts, especially in the first period and in the early minutes of the second.

Cao Bằng will next play Sanatech Khánh Hòa, who yesterday drew 2-2 to Hoàng Thư Đà Nẵng. Thái Sơn Nam will meet Thái Sơn Bắc.

In a later match yesterday, Sanna Khánh Hòa, the national first runner-up, defeated Sài Gòn FC 2-0.

Assistant coach Nguyễn Xuân Huy of Sanna Khánh Hòa said it was an important win for his team. It took the pressure off his players after their two losses and only one goal.

“This season, Sanna Khánh Hòa have a young squad who lack experience, so we need to pay attention to every single game,” he said. — VNS