Cong Phuong not registered for 2 consecutive matches; Man Utd meets Real Betis in the 1/8 round of Europa League

Cong Phuong was not registered for 2 consecutive matches.

On the afternoon of February 24, Yokohama FC visited Shonan Stadium. Cong Phuong was not on the match registration list, which included 11 starting players and 7 reserve players.

It is not surprising that Cong Phuong is still absent from the registration list in round 2 of J1 League. Shonan is in good form, having just won 5-1 in round 1 against Sagan Tosu and leading the rankings.

Before the match, Coach Yamoda also shared about the selection of personnel at Yokohama FC: "It is very difficult to choose the playing list for the opening match of J1 League 2023. The number of players has doubled compared to last season. The starting lineup and the reserve lineup in the match against Nagoya are all quality, even the players who were not registered have trained very well. No matter what the choice is, the important goal is still victory."

Cong Phuong (middle) practices with teammates at Yokohama FC on February 12. Photo:YK

In this season's J1 League, three Southeast Asian players are present: Cong Phuong, Chanathip Songkrasin and Supachok Sarachat (all from Thailand). In round 1, Chanathip was not registered by Kawasaki Frontale while Supachok was on the registration list of Consadole Sapporo but did not play.

Man Utd meet Real Betis in Europa League round of 16

After eliminating Barca, Man Utd will next play Spanish club Real Betis in the Europa League. Erik ten Hag's side have played eight games in Europe this season, half of which were against La Liga opponents.

The two teams have never met in UEFA competitions, but played a friendly in December 2022, with Betis winning 1-0. They are currently fifth in La Liga, having also beaten Roma in the group stage this season.

Arsenal will also face a tough opponent in Sporting, despite the Portuguese club's poor form. The two teams have met four times, with Arsenal winning two, drawing two, scoring four goals and conceding none. Sporting are currently fourth in the Portuguese league, 17 points behind leaders Benfica.

Man Utd (red shirt) lost 0-1 to Real Betis in a friendly match in Spain in December 2022. Photo:MUFC

The two Italian representatives, Juventus and Roma, will play Freiburg and Real Sociedad respectively. Both of these matches have never happened before in UEFA, but these teams are in the Top 4 in Europe's top leagues, not counting Juventus' 15-point deduction.

The remaining fixtures are also fairly even, with Union Berlin and Union Saint-Gilloise meeting in their first-ever competition. Sevilla and Fenerbahce have an equal head-to-head record, with each team having won one game and scored five goals. The same goes for Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros, with each team having won one game and scored two goals. Shakhtar have the advantage over Feyenoord, with two wins from two games, scoring six goals and conceding none.

In a poll on the UEFA website ahead of the draw, 39% of readers believed Man Utd would win the title. Arsenal came in second with 19%, followed by Juventus with 14% and Rome with 6%. Only 1% of readers believed Sevilla - the most successful team in the tournament - would win the title.

Theerathon Bunmathan refused Hanoi Police Club

According to Ballthai (Thailand), the salary offered by CAHN to Bunmathan was 2 million baht/month (about 1.4 billion VND/month). However, the captain of the Thai team refused because he wanted to stay and contribute to Buriram United.

Theerathon Bunmathan is aiming to help Buriram United defend the Thai League title and reassert himself in the AFC Champions League this season. Photo:Bao Ngoc.

Bunmathan's class and reputation have attracted the attention of many teams in Southeast Asia. However, Bunmathan still has a contract with Buriram. According to research, CAHN has not officially made an offer to Bunmathan but through some brokers in the region.

The newly promoted team, despite recruiting a series of talented national players such as Doan Van Hau, Ho Tan Tai and Phan Van Duc, still struggled. After 4 rounds, the team lost 2, drew 1 and won only 1 match. CAHN is currently in dire need of a top-class central midfielder to strengthen the midfield.

Bunmathan can also play as a central midfielder in addition to the left-back position. According to coach Alexandre Polking, head coach of the Thai national team, this is the position Bunmathan has played since his professional career in Thailand. Bringing Bunmathan back to the central midfielder role is a breakthrough in tactics that helps coach Polking defend the AFF Cup championship.