Nguyen Thuy Linh enters Vietnam Open final for second consecutive time; Ronaldo scores for fourth consecutive match for Al Nassr

Vietnam Futsal Team ready for two international friendly matches

This afternoon (September 17), the Vietnam futsal team will have its first international friendly match against the Hungarian futsal team, in preparation for the 2024 Asian Futsal Qualifiers.

Up to now, the Hungarian futsal team has participated in the Futsal World Championship once in 1989 and finished in 5th place; three European Championships (2005, 2010, 2016). The Hungarian Futsal team is currently ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings. Sharing about the two upcoming friendly matches, captain Pham Duc Hoa said: "I feel very excited to face two very strong opponents from Europe, Hungary and Russia. This is a very good opportunity for Vietnamese Futsal to improve and learn more from the above opponents."

Two days later, the Vietnamese futsal team will have a second friendly match against the Russian futsal team on September 19. "This is the third time we have faced them. The previous two times we were defeated, but with the most recent defeat at the 2021 World Cup, the futsal team has improved in terms of score and playing style. I hope that in this third confrontation we will perform even better and get good results," Duc Hoa shared.

Thuy Linh entered the final of Vietnam Open 2023 for the second consecutive time

Defeating Suizu Manami (Japan) with a score of 21-12, 16-21 and 21-7, Vietnam's number one female tennis player entered the final of the Vietnam Open International Badminton Tournament on the afternoon of September 16.

As the number one seed of the tournament and ranked 27th in the world, Thuy Linh is rated higher than Suizu Manami, who is ranked 80th in the world. Right from the start of the match, the home player showed her superiority by leading by five points.

With a diverse playing style, constant movement and strong smashes from behind, Thuy Linh made it difficult for her opponent to defend. She therefore quickly won the first set with a score of 21-12.

With the support of the home crowd, it was thought that Thuy Linh would continue to win and end the match early. But the scenario did not go as expected in the second set. The number one Vietnamese tennis player continuously let her opponent lead, so she had to chase but could not turn the situation around and lost this set with a score of 16-21.

After being reminded by the coach, Thuy Linh entered the third set as a completely transformed person. She used all her strength and ability to neutralize the Japanese player's shots, while also demonstrating her ability to save and drop shots. The girl from Phu Tho let her opponent tie at 3-3 but then scored a series of 13 points to lead 16-3.

Despite his efforts, the Japanese player could only score four more points before being defeated by Thuy Linh 21-7.

In the final, Thuy Linh will meet another Japanese player, Akari Kuihara, ranked 156th in the world tomorrow afternoon, September 17.

Man City beat West Ham to stay on top of Premier League table

After Liverpool beat Wolverhampton in the early game to temporarily take the top spot, Man City quickly reclaimed the number one spot. The defending champions conceded first but still won away at West Ham.

In the first half, Man City had over 65% possession and had 17 shots. West Ham only had 3 shots. However, it was the home team who took the lead in the first half thanks to James Ward-Prowse's close-range finish.

After the break, Man City continued to dominate and create many chances. The West Ham defense has its limits and they could not keep a clean sheet when they were constantly pressed by their opponents with 8 shots on target (out of 12 total attempts) in the second half of the match.



Jeremy Doku equalized for Man City in the first attack after kick-off. The visitors persisted in attacking and they took the lead in the 76th minute, after Julian Alvarez set up Bernardo Silva to score.

This was a situation where Erling Haaland was very polite when he did not compete for the goal with his teammate. The Norwegian striker did not have to wait long to celebrate the goal because Silva himself assisted him to score the winning goal to seal the 3-1 victory in the 86th minute.

Winning 3-1 against West Ham, Man City defended their top spot in the Premier League after round 5. Coach Pep Guardiola's team is the only team with 5 consecutive wins.

Man Utd lost miserably to Brighton

Man Utd entered the match in round 5 of the Premier League with many concerns about their strength and form. The Red Devils started the match well, constantly pressuring their opponents. Marcus Rashford was given the chance but this player could not score. The striker wearing the number 10 shirt was also Man Utd's player with the most shots.

In the 20th minute, from Simon Adingra's pass, Danny Welbeck seized the opportunity to shoot into the home team's net. Losing first, Man Utd was more or less affected psychologically. This team could not maintain enough pressure on the opponent's field. In the second half of the first half, Rashford had at least 3 dangerous chances to score, but his best handling only hit the crossbar.

In the second half, the situation did not change much for Man Utd. While the attack had not yet made a difference, the home team's defense was vulnerable. In the 53rd minute, Brighton organized an attack on the left wing. Man Utd exposed many gaps in the area in front of the penalty area. After Tariq Lamptey's pass, Pascal Gross easily eliminated Lisandro Martinez before finishing to double the gap for the away team.

Man Utd continued to disappoint on the offensive front. On the contrary, Brighton showed outstanding efficiency. In the 70th minute, Lamptey once again assisted with a pass from the left wing for Joao Pedro to finish from outside the box, raising the score to 3-0.

Man Utd's hope was rekindled in the 73rd minute. Hannibal Mejbri's beautiful long-range shot reduced the score to 1-3. But this midfielder's goal could not help Man Utd change the situation. Coach Erik ten Hag's students did not create any more chances. They had to thank goalkeeper Andre Onana for his saves at the end of the match to avoid conceding a fourth goal.

Ronaldo scores for the fourth consecutive match for Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner for Al Nassr in a 3-1 win over Al Raed in round 6 of the Saudi Pro League.

This was Ronaldo's fourth consecutive club game in which he has scored. He now has seven goals in five appearances, taking him to the top of the Saudi Pro League scoring charts. For Al Nassr, the result sees them move up to fifth with 12 points from six games. They have had a shaky start to the season with two defeats, but Ronaldo and his team-mates may have found a winning formula.

The 3-1 win, with the mark of the attacking stars, was considered a success for Al Nassr. They will rest until September 19 before visiting Iran club Persepolis FC in the AFC Champions League group stage.