Former HAGL star unexpectedly criticizes Nguyen Xuan Son; Thanh Hoa Club eliminated from Southeast Asian tournament
Nirut Surasiang, a former Thai player who played for HAGL, has criticized the Vietnamese national team's policy of naturalizing players; Dong A Thanh Hoa was eliminated from the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Club Championship... That is the outstanding sports news in the past 24 hours.
Former HAGL star unexpectedly criticizes Nguyen Xuan Son after AFF Cup
According to former football star Nirut Surasiang, Thailand should not follow Vietnam in naturalizing players. He believes that this method does not bring long-term effectiveness and Thailand should persevere in developing domestic players.
"Follow me,Vietnam National TeamThere's not much difference in adding a naturalised Brazilian player. He plays a very physical game, and I think the Thai players are simply too scared. I don't want us to go down this path."
Nirut stressed that Thai football needs to invest in training local players and overseas Thai talents instead of seeking short-term solutions through naturalization.
Losing to Indonesia, Thanh Hoa Club was eliminated from Southeast Asian tournament
A 0-2 defeat to PSM Makassar (Indonesia) on the evening of February 5 caused Dong A Thanh Hoa to be eliminated from the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Club Championship.
Coach Velizar Popov's team took the initiative in the match. Thanh Hoa FC controlled the ball well, although they did not attack much, they still created 2 dangerous opportunities. However, in a safe game, the Thanh team encountered difficulties due to individual mistakes.
At the end of the first half, goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang made a mistake when he tried to make a pass despite the opponent's prediction. The player who was called up to the U23 Vietnam team lost the ball right in front of the penalty area. Daisuke Sakai easily scored into an empty net to put PSM Makassar ahead.
In the second half, Thanh Hoa FC was forced to push up their formation to find a goal to turn the situation around. However, without quality personnel, the Vietnamese representative was stuck.
On the other hand, Thanh Hoa's defense showed many loopholes. PSM Makassar had many chances in the second half and scored 2 more goals. Nermin Haljeta scored a double to help the Indonesian team end the match with a 3-0 victory.
The heaviest defeat since the beginning of the season caused Thanh Hoa Club to be eliminated from the Southeast Asian arena. Meanwhile, PSM Makassar entered the semi-finals to meet Hanoi Police Club.
Striker born in 2004 plays the role of hero of Real Madrid
In the early morning of February 6, Gonzalo Garcia, the striker playing for Team B, shone with a goal that sealed a 3-2 victory for Real Madrid against Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
In the 90+3 minute, when the score was 2-2, Brahim Diaz skillfully handled the ball before hanging it up for Gonzalo Garcia to jump high and head the ball dangerously from close range, collapsing the home team Leganes' defense system.
The 20-year-old's moment of brilliance helped Real Madrid barely make it to the Copa Del Rey semi-finals. This victory is significant, especially in the context of the Spanish Royal team facing countless difficulties due to the "storm of injuries".
"Gonzalo Garcia has developed very well at Real Castilla and made an important contribution tonight. We are proud of him. In addition, Endrick scored and made a good impression, as did Arda," coach Ancelotti praised the young players.
Arsenal fall to Newcastle
Arsenal lost 0-2 to Newcastle in the second leg of the 2024/2025 League Cup semi-final, officially eliminating them.
With the heavy task above, Arsenal pushed their squad up high and put pressure on Newcastle right after the opening whistle. However, when the attack had not yet made any progress, a mistake in the defense caused the Gunners to concede a goal in the 19th minute, when Jacob Murphy tore the net.
In the 52nd minute, goalkeeper Raya and Arsenal's defenders continued to make mistakes, allowing Anthony Gordon to score, raising the score to 2-0. At this point, the score after 2 matches was 4-0, which also reduced the Gunners' fighting spirit in the remaining time.
In the end, Newcastle won the match and booked their place in the final. The Magpies' opponent in the final will be the winner of the second semi-final between Liverpool and Tottenham, which will take place in the early morning of February 7.
