Rizal Memorial Stadium (Source: rappler.com)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’sU22 team are set to come up against a number of disadvantages after it wasrevealed they will play their fixtures on artificial turf pitches during the upcomingSEA Games 30 in the Philippines.
This will be the first time in the 60-year history of the event that thefootball tournament won't be played on grass.
The three stadiums selected to hold the men’s football matches,including the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the University ofMakati Stadium and the Binan Football Stadium, all use artificialturf.
Except for the Philippines and Cambodia, all other teams are currentlypracticing and competing on grass. They will have four months to switch to anartificial surface as the football kicks off.
Vietnam’s head coach Park Hang-seo immediately asked the VietnamFootball Federation (VFF) to switch their plans to allow more timetraining on artificial turf.
VFF General Secretary Le Hoai Anh said both thenational football governing body and the head coach were surprised but wouldsoon adjust the training schedule.
“It is shock news that forces us to overthrowour plans. We will send a representative to the Philippines to check thefields. It is not familiar to us but it must reach standards for competitions.We and other teams have to accept this decision,” said Anh.
He added that players would arrive in thePhilippines days earlier than originally planned to train on turf.
The hosts also rejected a proposal to allowteams having 23 players to compete at the SEA Games.
The organisers confirmed that each squad wouldhave total 20 players in which two can be over-22.
A total of 11 teams, divided into two groups, will compete in the men’sfootball during SEA Games 30. The qualifying rounds will begin on November 25and conclude on December 5. Meanwhile, thesemifinals are scheduled to take place on December 7 with the goldand bronze medal matches slated for December 10.
In the women’s football, eightteams will also be divided into two groups. The qualifying rounds will takeplace between November 28 and December 4. The semifinals are due to take placeon December 6 while the gold and bronze medal matches will be held onDecember 9.
Vietnamese headcoach Mai Duc Chung will also seek solutions in order to help the female playersget acquainted with the artificial turf pitches as matches will be held atthe Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the University of Makati Stadium andthe Binan Football Stadium.
Vietnamese women are the defending champions of SEA Games.-VNA
VNA
