China national team calls up 52 players before match against Vietnam; Man City 'crush' Swindon

Coach Kiatisuk encouraged Tuan Anh, Van Lam promised to return soon

Coach Park Hang-seo did not call Tuan Anh up to the Vietnam national team, surprising many people.

The list of Vietnam team has just been announced.Coach Park Hang-seoannounced, midfielder Tuan Anh surprisingly not on the list.

Coach Kiatisuk of HAGL encouraged his student: "It's okay that Tuan Anh wasn't called. I talked to him 3 days ago. Tuan Anh should go home and rest with his family. Recently, Tuan Anh has played a lot for the Vietnamese national team."

Tuan Anh was not called up to the Vietnam national team.

"Tuan Anh's ability has been proven. After returning to practice with the young players, I hope that Tuan Anh will maintain the best mental state and harmony with his new teammates," Coach Kiatisuk added.

Besides Tuan Anh, some other players such as Duy Manh, Duc Chinh, Trong Hoang, and Dang Van Lam are also not on the list of Vietnamese national team players this time.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam expressed his regret and said he is trying his best to return to goal soon.Vietnam team.

"It's really a pity that I can't play with the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2020. Injuries are an inevitable part of football. Therefore, I have to face them and try my best to return as soon as possible.

Recently, with the support of doctors and physical therapists, I am gradually recovering and will try to soon return to compete with the club and the national team," Dang Van Lam wrote on his personal fanpage.

China national team called up 52 players before the match against Vietnam

New coach Li Xiaopeng has called up an unprecedented squad in Chinese football history.

On the afternoon of January 7, the Chinese Football Association announced the list of national team call-ups, with a total of 52 players and 15 coaching staff members.

The list still includes naturalized strikers such as Alan, Elkeson, Luo Guofu and Fernando, who have been in Brazil for more than a month, since the 2022 World Cup qualifying round ended in November.

Wu Lei is still the top hope of the Chinese team. Photo: IC

"With 52 players and 15 assistant coaches, this is definitely an unprecedentedly large team in Chinese football history," Sina commented.

The Chinese team will gather in Shanghai on January 11 to prepare for the next two matches against Japan (January 27) and Vietnam (February 1). According to the plan, the Chinese team will play two friendly matches with domestic clubs, before moving to Japan on January 23.

Man City "crush" Swindon

This morning (January 8), Man City had a trip to Swindon in the third round of the FA Cup. Against a weak opponent playing in the lower division, despite fielding a team consisting of several reserve players, Man City still easily overwhelmed their opponent.

In the 14th minute, Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for Man City after Cole Palmer's assist. In the 28th minute, Gabriel Jesus assisted Kevin De Bruyne to double the gap for the Manchester giants.

Man City easily beat Swindon in the third round of the FA Cup. Photo: Reuters

In the second half, Man City continued to pressure Swindon. Under great pressure from Man City, Swindon had to pick the ball out of the net for the third time in the 59th minute, the scorer for the Etihad home team was Ilkay Gündogan.

After falling 3-0 down, Swindon fought hard to find an equalizer. The home team's efforts were rewarded with a goal in the 78th minute to reduce the score to 1-3 thanks to Harry McKirdy.

However, that was all Swindon could muster in the match. Not only that, the home team also conceded a fourth goal to Cole Palmer at the end of the match, thereby accepting a 1-4 defeat against Man City.

Surpassing MU, Newcastle successfully recruited Trippier

Finally, after much speculation, Newcastle have completed the first transfer deal of the Saudi Arabian billionaires' reign, successfully recruiting defender Kieran Trippier from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.

Trippier is now a Newcastle man.

Tripper, 31, becomes Newcastle's first signing since they were taken over by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in October 2021. The England defender reunites with manager Eddie Howe, who signed the 1990-born right-back for Burnley from Manchester City in 2012.

Trippier's contract with Newcastle is for 2.5 years and the North East club did not disclose the transfer fee. However, according to Sky Sports, the deal is worth 12 million pounds.

Before agreeing to join Newcastle, Trippier was also a top target for Man United.