Courtesy: Viet Nam News


Silver-winning squad prepares for next season

HA NOI — The indoor football team will be busy next year with a full schedule that will see them compete in three international tournaments beginning in February.
The 15-member silver medal winner in the Southeast Asian Games, which wrapped up in Indonesia last month, is scheduled to participate in several practice sessions in preparation for the events.

The session will take place from December 15-February 27 at HCM City's Thai Son Nam Sports Centre. Intense practice during this time will help the team get ready for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Championship's ASEAN zone qualifier which will be held from February 21-26 in Thailand at the Krungthep-Thonburi Indoor Stadium.

In Bangkok they will compete in group B with Australia, Malaysia and Cambodia. Group A includes Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

The winner of each group will play the runner-up of the other. The two finalists and the winner of the third-place playoff will advance to the finals which will be held in the UAE in May.

The eight-team tournament was previously scheduled to take place in early December but was postponed due to logistical difficulties caused by the heavy flooding in Bangkok.

"Many challenges are awaiting us but we are still in a good mood and excited with our SEA Games silver," said captain Nguyen Bao Quan.

Coach Sergio Gargelli, whose contract has been extended until 2014, said he was confident and optimistic with his team.

"Our players are enjoying good conditions, such as meals and accommodations. [But] the poor light and uneven field [of the training centre] have a strong impact on my players. But we have the chance to go further in the continental and world competitions," he said. "We will definitely conquer this target."

Their second important tournament is the Southeast Asian Football Federation's Futsal Cup which is set for April 15-23. The team will gather together about one month ahead of the tournament for training.

In the event they earn a winning ticket to play in the UAE, they will hold an intensive practice from April 30-May 26. The championship will kick off on May 16.

The final tournament of the year is the second Ha Noi Futsal Open from October 10-16. In the first event earlier this year, Viet Nam finished third behind Qatar and Uzbekistan.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com