THAILAND TO HOST THREE AFF COMPETITIONS IN 2019

HANOI (14 Dec 2018) – Thailand will host three of the six Asean Football Federation (AFF) events in the new year. The FA of Thailand will organise the AFF Girls’ Under-15 Championship, AFF Boys’ Under-15 and AFF Women’s Championship between May and August next year.

All three tournaments in Thailand will be played out at the IPE Stadium in Chonburi. The AFF Girls’ Under-15 will take place rom May 10-22 while the AFF Boys’ Under 15 will run from July 22 to Aug 9. Less than a week later on Aug 16, the AFF women’s competition will kick-off, it will conclude on Aug 27.

While Thailand have three events next year, Vietnam will be the venue for two AFF events – the AFF Boys’ Under-18 and AFF Futsal Championship. The AFF Under-22 Championship, which will be first event for 2019, will be staged in Cambodia.

The six competitions are important for the teams in the Southeast Asian region as they will provide the teams with a crucial platform to test their teams out ahead of some of the continental competitions.

AFF Deputy President Maj Gen Khiev Sameth, in his opening address at this morning’s AFF 17th Council Meeting here, congratulated the winning nations in this year’s competitions. He also thanked the FA of Indonesia for hosting all the AFF events this year. “I have to once again commend the Football Association of Indonesia for all their hardwork in delivering our competitions for 2018.”

Maj Gen Khiev Sameth also congratulated AFF Suzuki Cup finalists, Vietnam and Malaysia. “With respective leaps in development, it is no surprise that we are once again congratulating Malaysia and Vietnam who will be battling it out tomorrow to e crowned the champions of football in Southeast Asia.

“The AFF Suzuki Cup is a celebration of football in the region and I would like to thank all the participating Member Associations for their contribution in making the 2018 edition of the AFF Suzuki Cup the most successful ever,” Maj Gen Khiev Sameth added.

Later, Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) President, Le Khanh Hai welcomed the AFF Council members to Hanoi. “It is an honour for the Vietnam Football Federation to welcome leaders of the Asean football family gathering for the AFF 17th Council Meeting to discuss and approve important decisions for Asean football for the coming year.”

The AFF Council Meeting was held this morning ahead of the AFF Suzuki Cup final which will take place here tomorrow night.

http://www.aseanfootball.org/v3/thailand-to-host-three-aff-competitions-in-2019/

AFF Schedule for 2019

Nos	Competition	Venue	Competing Teams	Dates
1	AFF Under-22 Championship	Cambodia	11	Feb 18 to Mar 2
2	AFF Under-15 Girls’ Championships	Thailand	10	May 10 to 22
3	AFF Under-15 Boys’ Championships	Thailand	12	July 22 to Aug 9
4	AFF Under-18 Championships	Vietnam	12	Aug 4 to 18
5	AFF Women’s Championships	Thailand	9	Aug 16 to 27
6	AFF Futsal Championships	Vietnam	8	Oct 16 to 27

PFL - Davao Aguilas withdraw from league

Kaya FC wants AFC Cup home games in Iloilo

By

 Adrian Stewart Co

MANILA – Kaya Iloilo is moving heaven and earth to bring to Iloilo City its home matches in the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, which starts Feb. 5 next year.

They are working to have the AFC approve the Iloilo Sports Complex as venue for their home, said Paul Tolentino, general manager of the 2018 PFL Copa Paulino Alcantara champion team.

Kaya, mentored by Noel Marcaida, has been bracketed alongside tough teams in Southeast Asia – Home United of Singapore, Lao Toyota FC of Laos and an Indonesian squad.

“It’s an exciting group to be with. It’s definitely going to be a challenge but a challenge that the club and the players are excited for,” Tolentino said in an interview posted on Kaya’s website.

“The club is striving to bring matches home to Iloilo. Obviously there’s a lot of work to be done to get approval from the AFC to be able to play in front of the Iloilo home crowd, but we’re doing our best,” he added.

Kaya is one of the Philippine-based teams in the competition along with fellow Western Visayas team Ceres Negros, which was bracketed with Shan United, Becamex Bình Duong of Vietnam and an Indonesian team.

But the Negros squad still has a chance to break into the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage when it participates in the preliminary stages in February.

Should the club successfully qualify to the group stage of Asia’s elite tournament, Davao Aguilas will take over its spot in the 2019 AFC Cup./PN

https://www.panaynews.net/kaya-fc-wants-afc-cup-home-games-in-iloilo/

Cagayan de Oro City - 14 th Rosevale Football Cup

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2471881052826671&set=pcb.1585073214927369&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Bohol - Christmas League

Attention All club/team coaches or representatives. Pls come to the coaches meeting at Abby's restaurant CpG avenue in front of st. Jude hospital. Pls bring credentials and necessary documents of your team. This will be also the deadline of the early bird registration. Pls come on time. FYI

https://www.facebook.com/237860106239783/photos/a.1013943465298106/2767723419920093/?type=3&theater

REPORT: Vietnam 2 Philippines 1 (Vietnam win 4-2 on aggregate)

Hanoi: Vietnam will play Malaysia in the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup final after late goals from Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Cong Phuong helped secure a 2-1 victory over the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final on Thursday to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

After a first half of few chances at My Dinh Stadium and a second period that was following a similar pattern, Quang Hai finally opened the scoring in the 83rd minute, before substitute Cong Phuong ended the Philippines’ hopes four minutes later. 

James Younghusband scored a consolation goal for the Philippines in the final minute but it was Vietnam who progressed to their third final and a date with the 2010 winners Malaysia next week.

The visitors began the match knowing they needed to score at least twice to have any chance of reaching the final and they gave as good as they got in the opening 15 minutes.

Vietnam finally got the crowd off their seats in the 28th minute when Doan Van Hau broke down the left, cut back and curled in a neat ball with the outside of his left foot that Quang Hai met with an acrobatic effort that was directed straight at goalkeeper Patrick Deyto.

Quang Hai was seeing more of the ball and his strike from distance soon after hit teammate Nguyen Anh Duc, before Phan Van Duc blasted his follow-up effort high and wide.

A lovely low delivery from Van Hau was then just inches away from being finished by Quang Hai, before a superb sliding clearance from Carli de Murga denied Anh Duc an easy tap-in at the back post as Vietnam took full control of the game.

The Philippines came back into the match in the last five minutes of the half, though, and Iain Ramsay fired an effort just over from fully 30 yards as the sides went in goalless.

Sven-Goran Eriksson would likely have heard plenty about the ‘Miracle of Hanoi’ in the build-up to the game, and the Swede’s half-time job was to inspire the same kind of performance that produced the famous 2-0 victory in 2010.

But the Philippines struggled to create goalscoring opportunities and as the hour came and went, the likelilhood of any kind of repeat seemed improbable.

James Younghusband replaced de Murga midway through the half as the Philippines sought extra creativity going forward, but it was Vietnam who finally broke the deadlock with seven minutes remaining.

Van Duc cut into the penalty area from the left, skipped past Amani Aguinaldo and slid the ball to Quang Hai to tap home from inside the six yard box.

And the hosts wrapped the game up just two minutes later when Cong Phuong burst into the box with intent before getting a lucky break off Adam Reed and riffling past Deyto.

The Philippines pulled one back in the last minute when James Younghusband stabbed into the net from a few yards out following Ramsay’s corner from the right but it was too little too late as Vietnam returned to their first final since winning the competition in 2008.

Pak Hang-seo’s side will travel to Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil Stadium for the first leg on December 11 before the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup champions will be crowned at My Dinh Stadium after the return meeting on December 15.

De Murga: Team spirit can take us to final

Hanoi: Undaunted by Vietnam’s 2-1 win in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal, Philippines defender Carli De Murga believes the Azkals’ team spirit will be key for the visitors as they try to replicate the “Miracle in Hanoi” eight years ago in a bigger stage in the competition. 

Failing to capitalize on their home advantage last Sunday at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, the Azkals are left with an uphill climb to overturn the hosts’ advantage in front of an expected crowd of 40,000 at My Dinh Stadium. 

De Murga knows that a finals appearance for the Azkals in the tournament will not only be historic but also trigger another wave of support for the team much like when the 2010 squad stunned Vietnam, 2-0, in the group stage. 

“It (this match) means a lot because we’ve never been to the final and we really want to be there,” said the Ceres-Negros player. 

"We know that, in the first game, we didn’t play our best and they were better that's why they won. But we’re full of confidence to make a great game and get a good result for us to play in the final for the very first time."

The Azkals’ defense looked sloppy and a stepped slower dealing with Vietnam’s strikers, particularly Nguyen Anh Duc and Phan Van Duc, who scored in each half to give the Golden Stars the advantage. 

But De Murga said they’ve worked doubly hard to address those concerns heading into the second leg, where they are hard-pressed to keep a clean sheet. 

"Sometimes, you don’t play your best game but we’re working on the field, we’re working with the coaches and my teammates,” said De Murga. "Everyone is focused. We know what we did wrong and we know how to do it tomorrow." 

While Vietnam had the luxury of taking a chartered flight back to Hanoi, the Philippines took 17 hours to reach the Vietnamese capital. But De Murga was quick to shrug off the Azkals’ travel woes, saying everyone is eager to play the match. 

"Now you can see everyone is eager to play this game,” said De Murga. “We want to win this game and play in the finals for the first time. One of the best scenarios is to do it here. We did it one time and why not the second time.”

Asked what's the Azkals’ advantage against Vietnam, De Murga was quick to reply: "The quality of our team spirit. We have a great team spirit and we’re going to show it tomorrow." 

https://www.affsuzukicup.com/2018/news/philippines/1331-de-murga-team-spirit-can-take-us-to-final

ASC2018: VIETNAM TAKE ADVANTAGE TO HANOI

BACOLOD CITY (2 Dec 2018) – Vietnam took a huge step for a place in the finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup this year when they beat the Philippines 2-1 in the first leg semifinals that was played at the Panaad Park and Stadium tonight.

The winners ten years ago scored a goal in each half as the Philippines replied in between for the final scoreline as both teams will now look forward to the return tie in four days.

“We played against a very good team. And against such an organised team, we cannot afford to concede so easily. They just got behind our backline too easily,” said Philippines head coach Sven Goran Eriksson.

“I thought that we were still in the game up until their second goal. And by then, it was already very difficult to come back.”

In the game between two physical teams, the fight was always going to be close as Philippines were all eager to find the goals while Vietnam were not as defensive as many thought they would be.

Instead it was Vietnam who matched the Philippines ball for ball as Qatar referee Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al-Jassim allowed the handful of exchanges.

With Martin Steuble coming in for the absent Daisuke Sato, the usual sting was lacking down the right although the lack of defensive urgency put the Philippines under the pressure at times.

And just 12th minutes in, Vietnam punished this lackadaisical defending with Honor Man of the Match Phan Va Duc providing the cross with the lanky Nguyen Anh Duc heading in a glancing header past an out of position Michael Falkesgaard.

The game was restricted to mostly at the centre of the park up until the last seconds of the first half.

As it turned out, striker Phil Younghusband might not have scored tonight but he turned provider with a cross that was well met by the waiting Patrick Reichelt to put both teams on level terms.

Incidentally, it was the first time that Vietnam had conceded a goal in the competition so far.

But just three minutes into the second half, the Philippines found themselves behind yet again when Van Duc beat the offside trap as hre latched on to a clever chip from Nguyen Trong Hoang.

The change for James Younghusband gave the Philippines some options but it failed to inspire the team for the second goal of the game while for Vietnam they kept to the pace alongside the introduction of the wily Nguten Cong Phuong.

Reichelt came close at the tail end of the game while substitute striker Ha Duc Chinh just lacked that extra finish to put the game beyond contention.

“It is disappointing to concede a goal but there is no such thing as a perfect game,” added Vietnam head coach Park Heng-seo afterwards.

“We were very well prepared for this game and we anticipated the Philippines attack pattern.”

http://www.aseanfootball.org/v3/asc2018-vietnam-take-advantage-to-hanoi/