Most draws in world chess championship

Despite having been beaten by Vietnam this year and being ranked 20 places lower in the FIFA World Rankings, Thailand appear confident of defeating Vietnam if they are drawn in the same group. The Thai media have even said being in the same group with Vietnam is lucky and they hoped it would happen. Thai newspaper SMM Sport wrote: "After taking a look at the seeding pots, Thailand can only count on luck in the draw for the second round. Thailand hope to be drawn with China (first pot) and Vietnam (second pot) because they are easy to beat." Thailand is often considered the regional powerhouse, even after Vietnam won the AFF Cup last December. But Vietnam affirmed their position after the national team beat Thai 1-0 at the friendly tournament King's Cup earlier this month. Last March, Vietnam's U23 team beat Thailand's 4-0 to earn a ticket to the 2020 AFC U23 Championship. Yet SMM Sport is all confident: "The chances of advancing for Thailand will be much higher if they are in the same … [Read more...] about 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Vietnam evoke mixed feelings in opponents

Dutch defender Nathan Ake (centre) celebrates after scoring a goal against Italy during an international friendly football match. (MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP) Simone Zaza had put Italy ahead after 67 minutes in Juventus' Allianz Stadium but the hosts were hit two minutes later when defender Domenico Criscito was sent off for a tackle on Ryan Babel. Bournemouth centre-back Ake got the equaliser past the hosts two minutes from time, and almost added a second in injury time. Both sides are rebuilding after failing to reach the World Cup finals in Russia. New Italy coach Roberto Mancini's first three games in charge have resulted in a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia, 3-1 defeat by France, and 1-1 draw against the Dutch. "It was a friendly, I don't know if that was really a red card," said Mancini. "Nevertheless it was an enormously naive error. Playing down to 10 men for 20 minutes was tough, as we were already feeling tired." Mancini said he was optimistic with what he had seen in his first two … [Read more...] about Ake strike hands Dutch 1-1 draw against 10-man Italy

In the tough second qualification round, Vietnam are in the second seeding pot and will be grouped with one of the top-seeded teams in the first pot -- Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, the UAE, and China – when the draw is made. But data from InStat, a sports performance analysis company, shows Vietnam can potentially win against three out of the eight. They have a 65 percent chance to win against China, 60 percent against Saudi Arabia and 50 percent against the UAE. The winning chances are computed based on stats like the number of goals, conversion rate, on-target shots, number of passes, defense win, and aerial duels and successful tackle rates. The InStat Index of Vietnam and the top eight teams in Asia in 2019. InStat uses mathematical formulas and a team of over 300 analysts to provides data about thousands of players at more than 800 clubs and national teams around the world. The analysis system costs the Vietnam Football Federation $20,000. It provides … [Read more...] about World Cup qualifiers: Software says Vietnam can beat three out of eight top teams

She was also the first Vietnamese in the top 10 of the Jr. NBA selection camp in the Asia Pacific region, which helped her qualify for the worldwide program that will take place from August 6 to 11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, the U.S. To make the cut, she had to go to the Asia Pacific regional selection camp in mid-June in Jakarta, Indonesia, which featured 34 boys and 34 girls from 10 countries - Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. The camp focused on developing technical and tactical skills and five-on-five competitions. Ten boys and girls each were chosen to represent the Jr. NBA Global Championship. Of the 10 Vietnamese who went to the camp, Linh was the only one chosen after finishing sixth. The Jr. NBA came to Vietnam for the sixth year to train over 600 participants at the Hanoi Academy on June 1 and 2. Former NBA player Vladimir Radmanovic helped coach and identify five boys … [Read more...] about Vietnamese basketball player to represent Asia in world youth tournament

The group matches are being nicknamed a "mini AFF Cup" as it gathers the top four Southeast Asian teams. Before the draw, UAE were in the first seeding pot as one of the eight top teams in Asia. Vietnam were placed in the second pot while Thailand in the third pot, Malaysia fourth and Indonesia fifth. Despite being ranked higher than the other three Southeast Asian teams, it will not be easy for Vietnam to beat them. Arch rival Thailand is considered a regional powerhouse despite Vietnam winning the AFF Cup last December and going to beat the hosts at the King's Cup last month.  Malaysia is another tough opponent who will be keen on exacting revenge for the loss in the AFF Cup 2018 final. Indonesia is considered the weakest team in the group, but Vietnam has always had trouble beating them. But if Vietnam plays well against the three Southeast Asian teams, they can dream of getting first spot in the group, as the only stronger team is UAE, against whom Vietnam has obtained good … [Read more...] about Vietnam to clash familiar opponents in World Cup 2022 qualification round