HAGL says goodbye to one of the three best central defenders of the season; Lukaku shines to help Chelsea defeat Arsenal

HAGL says goodbye to one of the three best central defenders of the 2021 season

HAGL has just announced parting ways with Serbian central defender Damir Memovic after VFF approved the policy of stopping V.League 2021.

The official fanpage of HAGL Club has officially announced the decision to terminate the contract with Memovic. “Goodbye Damir Memovic. We really appreciate your contributions to HAGL. Wish Memovic much success in the upcoming journey”, HAGL news page wrote.

Serbian center back - Damir Memovic.

Before wearing HAGL shirt,Memovicused to play for SLNA. In the 2020 season, the Serbian midfielder played 19/20 matches, scoring 2 goals. In the 2021 season, Memovic also played 11/12 matches. Together with Huu Tuan and Kim Dong Su, Memovic formed a trio of cornerstones that solidified HAGL's defense. After many seasons, the team from the mountain town has such a good defense. They are one of the 2 teams that have conceded the fewest goals this season with only 9 goals.

Before Memovic, Mr. Duc's team also terminated the contract with Nguyen Trung Dai Duong. On July 30, HAGL "released the camp" to let the players rest after the V.League 2021 decided to postpone. Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang also returned to Thailand.

After parting ways with naturalized striker Dai Duong and midfielder Memovic, HAGL will likely continue to retain striker Brandao and midfielder Kim Dong Su. Currently, these two players have also returned home to rest, waiting for the day the team gathers again to prepare for the 2022 season.

Lukaku shines to help Chelsea beat Arsenal

Two goals by Romelu Lukaku and Reece James helped Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 in round 2 of the Premier League on the evening of August 22 (Hanoi time).

Chelsea's opening goal came from Reece James' pass to Lukaku who tapped the ball in close range in the 15th minute. In the 35th minute, James scored in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, helping Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Lukaku brings excitement to Chelsea fans. Photo: Getty.

Lukakushone in his first start since returning to Chelsea in the Premier League. In the second half, the Belgian striker was given more chances but missed, including a close-range header.

With this result, Chelsea shares the top spot in the Premier League 2021/22 standings with Liverpool with 6 points and a goal difference of +5. Meanwhile, Arsenal is second to last in the standings after 2 consecutive losses.

Juventus Vice President: 'Ronaldo sitting on the bench is normal'

Mr. Pavel Nedved said that the decision toCristiano Ronaldositting on the bench (against Udinese in round 1 of Serie A season 2021/22 - PV) is for the common good of the team.

"It's normal. This decision was made based on the consensus between the coaching staff and the players. We are at the beginning of the season. The interests of the club are paramount. Even Euro 2020 champion Giorgio Chiellini had to sit on the bench," Corriere dello Sport quoted Vice President Nedved as saying.

Regarding the question of whether Ronaldo will leave, Juventus Vice President affirmed: "100% Ronaldo will stay."

Ronaldo, Chiellini, Chiesa, Kulusevski sat on the bench in Juventus's opening match of the new season. Photo: Reuters.

After the match with Udinese on the evening of August 22 (Hanoi time), coach Maximiliano Allegri also spoke about his Portuguese student: "I talked to Ronaldo before the match and decided to leave him on the bench. However, I told Ronaldo to always be ready and he played well when he was on the field," said coach Allegri.

According to Sky Sports, Ronaldo proactively requested to be on the bench. This could be CR7's move to put pressure on Juventus' board of directors.

The striker born in 1985 wants to clarify his future soon. The "Old Lady" is faced with 2 options: renewing Ronaldo's contract or letting him leave before the 2021 summer transfer window closes.

Ronaldo does not want to be unemployed after the 2021/22 season ends. However, Juventus have not received any offers for the Portuguese international. CR7's salary of 31 million euros per year is a big obstacle for any club wanting to sign him.

In the last match, Ronaldo entered the field in the 60th minute. He had a header that scored against the opponent, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. In the end, Juventus was held to a 2-2 draw by Udinese, despite leading 2-0 in the first half.

Vietnam team to play U22 again before leaving Hanoi

Vietnam teamwill compete internally with U22 before going to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the opening match of the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup.

On the evening of August 22, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced the internal training and competition plans of the two teams in the last week of the August training session. After the August 22 break, the Vietnamese team will resume training on August 23 to 24.

On August 25, the Vietnamese team will be tested for Covid-19 using the RT-PCR method before playing an internal match with the U22 team in the afternoon of the same day. On the morning of August 26, the Vietnamese team will practice loosely and have a full rest in the afternoon. Early in the morning of August 27, Van Toan and his teammates will go to Noi Bai airport to go to Saudi Arabia.

Before leaving, head coach Park Hang-seo will finalize the list of 25-26 players. Cong Phuong will not be able to participate in the team's first match in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup due to family matters. VFF will also soon announce the specific injury situation of midfielder Tran Minh Vuong and the opportunity for him to return in the next matches.

Vietnam U22 will continue to train at the VFF Youth Football Training Center until August 29 before returning to their clubs or families. The team is expected to have one more training session before participating in the 2022 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.

Regarding the travel plan of the Vietnamese team, coach Park Hang-seo and his team will fly 2 legs to reach the capital Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) on August 27.

At 1am on August 27 (Vietnam time), Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will board flight EK395 from Noi Bai airport to Dubai (UAE). After that, the whole group will connect to flight EK2819 to the capital Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The team will arrive in Saudi Arabia at 7:10am (local time).

Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will have 5 days to practice and get used to the competition conditions in Saudi Arabia. The team will compete at 0:00 on September 3 (Vietnam time).