One way traffic

HAGL (Hoang Anh Gia Lai) line-up in the hot and humid afternoon sun

You'd be mistaken if you thought Cambodia versus Laos was the only BIDC Cup match played yesterday. In fact it was the second match at 6pm under floodlights - which aren't great by the way, especially with my eyesight. The first game kicked off at 3.30pm in incredibly hot and humid conditions and it was so one-sided that I don't recall the HAGL keeper touching the ball until late in the 2nd half. So as you might assume from that comment, HAGL coasted to a 3-0 win over Vissai Ninh Binh, with the latter offering almost nothing in an attacking capacity, relying at times, on the massive frame of goalkeeper Ding Hoang La (aka Ukraine born, Lytovka Mykola) to keep the scoreline down, which he did, singlehandedly. Matches like this are not much fun to watch, but I do think the conditions played a part as well as VNB's ineptitude, who lost Ha Hoang Dam 2 minutes before halftime, sent off for squaring up to an opponent. HAGL's twin Brazilian strikeforce gave VNB the runaround with Evaldo Goncaves netting twice and Toledo moaning about everything as usual. Phung Van Nhien also scored for HAGL, who led 2-0 at halftime. If VNB play like this against Cambodia on Thursday, I might ask Scott O'Donell for a game. It also made me think that Cambodia caught the V-Leaguers off balance in their first encounter last Sunday and my money is on the two sides meeting again in the final on Saturday.

Vissai Ninh Binh turned up but hardly offered any resistance

HAGL's Evaldo Goncaves with his $200 bonus for scoring the first goal

HAGL's Phung Van Nhien doesn't look too pleased that he scored

A lovely sunny day but boy was it hot and humid at the Olympic Stadium, which was devoid of spectators when I took this photo. Thousands turned up for the Cambodia v Laos match later.