HAGL go through

The HAGL team that eased past Laos U23 and into tomorrow's final

The earlier match yesterday afternoon saw HAGL sweep aside a tired looking Laos U23 team with some ease and in the process go top of the BIDC league table with a better goal difference over Cambodia. The two sides now meet in Saturday's 6pm final. HAGL have now won their last two games with considerable ease and look a much different proposition than when Cambodia beat them 3-2 in the first game. Saturday's clash is sure to be an interesting one. I think HAGL underestimated the Cambodian's ability to fight back after they took a 2-nil lead last Sunday, and I don't expect them to fall into that trap again. In Evaldo Goncaves, they have one of the tournament's best players and its top scorer and he scored again against Laos. Skipper Doan Van Sakada opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime from a free-kick, Goncaves netted five minutes into the 2nd period and Ho Van Thuan got the third. Laos were never really in the hunt.
HAGL are definitely aiming high in the next V-League season and want to win the title. It all starts again at the end of January. The squad they have brought to Cambodia for the BIDC is missing a few of its stars, including their coach. They have 2 players each in the Vietnam and Thailand national teams, 4 players in the Vietnam U23s, 1 player training in the USA, and two of their stars didn't register for this tournament but have been out kicking balls on the pitch throughout the warm-ups. They are spending a lot of money to ensure they get success next season. Vissai Ninh Binh, who beat Cambodia 1-0 last night, are also not afraid to get the chequebook out for new players, and have 4 players not here as they are with the Vietnam national team preparing for an Asian Cup qualifying game. For a newly-promoted team to have 4 players in the national squad says something about their ambitions too. Vissai will play-off against Laos for the 3rd place match (and $5,000) at 3.30pm on Saturday. The Final, with a $20,000 reward for the winners, will be at 6pm between Cambodia and HAGL. Tell your friends.

The Laos team looked tired and uninspiring against HAGL

The HAGL capt Doan Van Sakada scored the opening goal, and won himself $200

HAGL's third goal was scored by baby-faced assassin Ho Van Thuan

Laos' best player by a country mile has been left winger Soukhavong Kaysone

To complete the set, this is Nguyen Thanh Son who scored the Vissai goal against Cambodia and won $200

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.