Cong Phuong cannot join the team yet, Vietnam national team adds players; Italy creates longest unbeaten streak in history

Cong Phuong cannot join the team yet, Vietnam national team adds players

Cong Phuong has not been able to join the team due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. The Vietnam national team has called up additional defender Van Kien for the upcoming match against Australia.

Coach Park Hang-seo has considered a plan to call up striker Nguyen Cong Phuong to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the matches in October or November in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia.

However, due to restrictions on travel between localities in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, Cong Phuong can only join the national team after the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) completes the necessary procedures with the competent authorities.

Cong Phuong has not been able to join the Vietnam national team. Photo: Vy Vu

After going to Hanoi,Cong Phuongwill practice with U22 Vietnam to regain fitness and playing rhythm like the newly called-up players such as Van Kien, Trong Dai, Xuan Nam and Dinh Kha.

Whether or not he can participate in the next matches of the Vietnam national team in October or November will depend on Cong Phuong's performance during training with U22 Vietnam.

Among the players called up, defender Van Kien just left U22 Vietnam to join the Vietnam national team on the evening of September 5. The player from Hanoi FC was called up when coach Park Hang-seo was having a headache with the defense.

In the upcoming match against Australia, the Vietnam national team will be without central defender Do Duy Manh due to suspension. Meanwhile, Dinh Trong, Ngoc Hai, Thanh Chung, and Tien Dung are doubtful to play due to injuries.

Although he was called up to the Vietnam national team just 2 days before the match, because Van Kien was on the preliminary registration list of the Vietnam national team in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia, adding this player did not encounter any procedural problems according to AFC regulations.

3 Argentine players were expelled right in the match against Brazil

In the early morning of September 6 (Hanoi time), the big match between host Brazil and Argentina in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers was canceled due to a rare incident.

Before the match, Brazilian media reported that 4 Argentinian players, Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso, would be deported. These are 4 players playing in the Premier League. According to Brazilian regulations, those who have been in England in the past 14 days must quarantine for 14 days upon entering the country. However, the Argentinian players lied to be in Brazil and play in this match.

"Unbelievable developments in the match between Brazil and Argentina," wrote Goal. This is a rare incident on the pitch.

Except for Buendia, the remaining 3 players were all starting. But after 5 minutes, the match was suddenly interrupted by a group of people who rushed onto the field. According to Goal, these were the local medical staff, where the match was held. They entered the field to take the 3 Argentinian players off the field, then expelled all of them, along with Buendia (on the bench) from Brazil.

ANVISA, Brazil's National Epidemiological Surveillance Agency, ordered local health authorities to enter the stadium, remove the three Argentine players and expel them from the country. ANVISA called this a serious risk to Brazil's efforts to combat the Covid-19 epidemic. Antonio Barra Torres, head of ANVISA, said: "We went to the hotel, but they (the four Argentine players - PV) came to the stadium. The rest is what you see."

The match was interrupted for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of it returning. CONMEBOL later confirmed the match was postponed.

Italy creates longest unbeaten streak in football history

Coach Roberto Mancini and his team made history after a 0-0 draw against Switzerland in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Europe in the early morning of September 6 (Hanoi time).

The highlight match of Group C of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Europe ended in a draw. This result was enough to help Italy continue to firmly hold the top spot with 11 points, 4 points more than Switzerland. Not stopping there, the Azzurri also made history as the team with the longest unbeaten streak. In total, the Italian team has not lost in the last 36 matches, breaking the record of 35 matches previously held by Brazil (1993-1996) and Spain (2007-2009). Italy's most recent defeat came in September 2018, when they suffered a 0-1 defeat against Portugal in the Nations League group stage.

Vietnam national football team beware of Australia's red card baiting trick

In 2 of the last 3 matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Australia's opponents have received straight red cards. That will be something thatVietnam National Teamneed to be very careful

The opponents who received a direct red card when facing Australia included Nepal and Jordan. These were matches that took place in the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers last June. In the case of Nepal, player Rohit Chand received a direct red card for pushing an opponent. That was the moment when Australia was organizing an attack that could have turned into a goal.

In the remaining match, Jordan also received a red card when playing against Australia. That was in the 87th minute of the match. Jordan and Australia players had a collision near the touchline. At that time, midfielder Musa Al-Taamari hit the Australian player. The referee immediately showed the red card for the ugly action of the Jordan player.

The red card was drawn by the referee in the match between Jordan and Australia.

Although the red card situations are different. But one thing in common in the two matches is that Jordan and Nepal were both helpless and deadlocked before the strength of Australia. This team has a frightening flexibility in the way they deploy attacks. They can use long passes from the wings to exploit the high ball. They can also make long passes from the middle to let their teammates escape.

The superiority in both physicality, technique and level makes it easy for Australia to defeat opponents at a lower level. Obviously, compared to Saudi Arabia, Vietnam will have a much harder time when facing Australia. Looking at the inability of Jordan and Nepal leading to direct red cards, the Vietnam team needs to be very careful. In the previous match against Saudi Arabia, Vietnam committed 13 fouls. Among them, Duy Manh received a red card in the 54th minute of the match.

There are still 9 matches left in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. The Vietnam national team needs to be very careful about the card issue, if they do not want to lose more strength. At 7:00 p.m. on September 7, the Vietnam national team will host Australia at My Dinh Stadium.

Thanh Hien