Vietnam's opponents face difficulties before World Cup qualifiers; Arsenal lose to red-light team

UAE in trouble

On June 20 (Hanoi time), the UAE Football Federation announced the cancellation of the remaining national championship. After 19 rounds of the canceled tournament, there was no champion or relegation.

Previously, the football field in the UAE was temporarily suspended since mid-March due to the epidemic. After the latest meeting of the UAE Football Federation, the leaders agreed to cancel the tournament due to the risk of the Covid-19 epidemic.
NST updated the developments in the UAE and called this an advantage for the Malaysian team. On October 8, Malaysia will face the UAE in Dubai. The UAE players may not be able to play at the highest level for 7 months, before facing Malaysia.

UAE team against Vietnam at My Dinh. Photo: Minh Chien.

"The cancellation of the tournament in the UAE is an advantage for coach Tan Chang Hoe and his team ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The UAE Football Federation has approved an unprecedented plan due to the Covid-19 pandemic," NST informed Malaysian fans.

Arsenal lost miserably

Everything changed for Arsenal in just seven minutes. Nicolas Pepe put Arsenal ahead by cutting in down the right flank and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner in the 68th minute. However, a loose defence saw the Gunners concede a goal from a corner kick.

Dani Ceballos was easily picked off on the right flank, before eight visitors in the six-yard box failed to stop two Brighton players combining. Rob Holding's attempt to clear the ball on the line was denied by Lewis Dunk, who pounced on the rebound to level the score at 1-1.

Before conceding, the visitors played with composure, calmly developing the ball from home and only had three tackles in 75 minutes. But after that, as Brighton's spirit rose thanks to the equalizer, the "Gunners" continuously had to defend against counter-attacks and had up to five tackles in just the last 15 minutes.

Neal Maupay celebrates scoring the winning goal for Brighton 2-1. Photo: Reuters.

It seemed like the match would end in a draw, but a breakthrough came in the final seconds. Conolly passed the ball accurately to Maupay who sneaked down and flicked the ball past goalkeeper Martinez to score Brighton's second goal.

Leaving the Amex empty-handed, Arsenal missed the chance to move above Tottenham - who had just drawn with Man Utd, and also stagnated in ninth place. Arteta's team is currently struggling to qualify for the Europa League, as they are four points behind sixth-placed Sheffield United and have to face Leicester, Tottenham and Liverpool in the remaining eight rounds.

Haaland scored twice

Haaland could have scored more than a hat-trick in this match, if he had made better use of his chances in the first 29 minutes. He could not beat Peter Gulacsi in two one-on-one situations with the Leipzig goalkeeper. In the 14th minute, the Norwegian striker seemed to have defeated Gulacsi, but his shot was accidentally blocked by teammate Thorgan Hazard.

In the 30th minute, Dortmund's efforts to besiege the goal were rewarded. Julian Brandt dribbled down the right and passed the ball inside to Giovanni Reyna. The 17-year-old midfielder made a one-touch pass to Haaland, who shot diagonally past Gulacsi. After the goal, the visitors continued to dominate the field. It was not until the end of the first half that Leipzig forced goalkeeper Roman Burki to save, with Timo Werner finishing.

Haaland has scored 13 goals in the Bundesliga. Photo: imago

Dortmund maintained their attack in the second half. In the 46th minute, Haaland crossed for young defender Mateu Morey, but the Spaniard shot wide of the post in an open position. Five minutes later, Haaland himself shot dangerously, forcing Gulacsi to show off his talent and push the ball against the crossbar. Burki also had only one more time to work in the second half, with a lob from Angelino.