Xuan Truong says goodbye to Hoang Anh Gia Lai; Qatar team fires coach after failure at World Cup 2022

Arsenal leave Man City far behind in the championship race

Early morning of January 1 (Hanoi time), Arsenal beat Brighton 4-2 in round 18 of the Premier League to create a 7-point gap with Man City.

Man City's draw against Everton (Man City was held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at Etihad Stadium on the night of December 31, Hanoi time) was like a dose of mental doping that helped Arsenal enter the match with excitement even though they had to play away at Brighton.

The Gunners pushed up the pressure and it only took 2 minutes to get the result. After a successful challenge from Thomas Partey, the ball was passed to Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian could not score but Bukayo Saka was there at the right time to finish close to the goal, opening the score.

Saka scored in the 66th second of the match.

Not only did Arsenal defend solidly, they also showed the spirit of a title contender through their ability to take advantage of opportunities. With only a small gap in the 39th minute, Martin Odegaard fired a one-touch shot, defeating many players blocking Brighton's goal.

Right at the beginning of the second half, Arsenal accelerated again and only needed 2 minutes to score a goal. In the 47th minute, Partey continued to open the attack for the "Gunners". Martinelli shot hard from a tight angle that Robert Sanchez could not catch. Eddie Nketiah rushed in at the right time to score the rebound, raising the score to 3-0.

In the 60th minute, coach Arteta took off Ben White and Zinchenko. These two changes caused Arsenal's defense to falter. Just 5 minutes after entering the field, Takehiro Tomiyasu made a positioning error and allowed his compatriot Kaoru Mitoma to comfortably defeat Ramsdale in the 65th minute.

Brighton's hopes of taking a point were dashed by Arsenal's sharp counter-attack in the 71st minute. Odegaard made his mark with a classy pass to Martinelli, who didn't pass but finished from a tight angle to make it 4-1 for the London club.

A late effort only helped the "Seagulls" score another goal in the 77th minute after a breakthrough and neat finish by the 2004-born player, Evan Ferguson. In the 89th minute, Mitoma scored again against Arsenal. However, the goal was disallowed due to an offside error. The match at the Amex Stadium ended with a score of 4-2 in favor of the "Gunners".

Since the defeat against MU, Arsenal have had a 10-match unbeaten streak, including 9 wins, aiming for their ambition to win the first Premier League title after 18 years of waiting.

Xuan Truong tearfully said goodbye to Hoang Anh Gia Lai

Hoang Anh Gia Lai confirmed that Luong Xuan Truong will leave the team after 15 years of association. In a video posted on Hoang Anh Gia Lai's Facebook page, the midfielder born in 1995 choked up as he thanked Mr. Duc and the team members.

"This is the time for me to say goodbye to the club, the place where I have been attached for a very long time. 15 years since the day I entered the academy until I became an adult like now, going through many ups and downs, many changes, this place gives me many memories. For me, Hoang Anh Gia Lai is my second hometown, a place I can consider home, a place I return to whenever I am tired. Whenever I need more motivation, more love", Xuan Truong shared.

Xuan Truong says goodbye to HAGL.

This player calls Mr. Duc by the intimate name "Uncle Ba", emphasizing that the Chairman of the mountain town football team has created opportunities for young players to practice, study and compete a lot during the period from then until now.

"It can be said that to help me grow up like today, Uncle Ba's effort is the greatest," Xuan Truong said.

The 27-year-old midfielder said he still follows and cheers for Hoang Anh Gia Lai even when he moves to a new team. Joining another club is also an opportunity for Xuan Truong to regain his form after a period of decline.

"This is an extremely difficult decision, but I have many reasons for this decision. I will no longer play for Hoang Anh Gia Lai, but I will always look towards the club, always accompany and cheer for the club to achieve achievements, titles and set goals," Xuan Truong shared.

"When playing for another team, I also try my best to return to my original form. I believe that my form on the field and my success will be the biggest thanks to Uncle Ba and everyone at Hoang Anh Gia Lai."

According to VTC News sources, this midfielder is considering an offer to sign a contract with Hai Phong Club.

Malaysia's head coach 'disappears' after losing to Vietnam

The New Strait Times reported that coach Kim Pan-gon did not appear in the afternoon practice session of the Malaysian team on December 30. However, the newspaper did not hide the reason for the Korean coach's absence. Accordingly, Mr. Kim Pan-gon took a flight to Singapore to watch the match between the Singapore team andVietnam teamin the 4th round of Group B AFF Cup 2022.

Coach Kim Pan-gon was absent from Malaysia's training session.

Author Farah Azharie analyzed: "It seems that the Korean coach is on a mission to spy on the situation in Singapore. Mr. Kim Pan-gon went to watch the match between the Singapore team and the Vietnam team. He needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Singapore team because Malaysia will meet them in the final match of the group stage."

The match between Malaysia and Singapore takes place at 7:30 p.m. on January 3, 2023.

Qatar fires coach Felix Sanchez after failure at World Cup 2022

After being eliminated early from the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has officially fired coach Felix Sanchez by mutual agreement. Qatar became the worst host team in World Cup history when they lost all 3 group stage matches, scored only 1 goal and conceded 7 goals. After this bitter defeat, Qatar decided to fire Felix Sanchez, ending the 5.5 year reign of the Spanish coach.

Coach Felix Sanchez's contract with Qatar was due to expire today. The two sides had planned to extend it if Qatar impressed at the 2022 World Cup, but this did not happen.

Before being appointed as Qatar national team coach, Felix Sanchez had been involved in football in this country since 2006. He was a coach at Barcelona's La Masia academy and was invited by Qatar to develop the Aspire Academy.

Felix Sanchez officially leaves Qatar.

After seven years at the Aspire Academy, Felix Sanchez has coached Qatar U19, U20 and U23 since 2013. He helped Qatar U19 win the Asian Championship in 2014 before helping Qatar U23 finish third at the 2018 Asian U23 Championship, where they lost to Vietnam U23 in the semi-finals. In addition, Felix Sanchez helped Qatar win the Asian Cup for the first time in history in 2019.

Coach Felix Sanchez said: “The past five and a half years with the Qatar national team have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can only thank the Qatar Football Association, President Sheikh Hamad and the country’s leaders for their trust and support during this time. Together, we have achieved many successes.”

“Qatar, its people and football will always be in my heart. Now is a good time for other coaches to step up and take on responsibilities, and for me to explore new challenges for myself.”./.