Confirmed participants include U23 teams from Australia, Uzbekistan, and Iran for the Spring Cup, or VTV-T&T Cup (named after sponsors) as the national team prepares for tough international assignments towards the end of 2006 and beyond.

After playing the upcoming event, U23 Vietnam will go abroad for training in preparation for major battles at the Asian Games 2006 in November in Doha, Qatar, the Asean Football Championship in January 2007 in Singapore and Thailand, and the Asian Cup 2007 in July.

Battle royal

Vietnam Football Federation general secretary Tran Quoc Tuan confirmed Tuesday the three foreign U23 teams at Spring Cup will be strong competition and great prep for Vietnam’s upcoming international forays.

U23 Australia is considered one of the favorites in the tournament, officially joining the Asian Football Confederation in early 2006 from the Union of European Football Associations previously.

U23 Australia won its way to a spot in the quarterfinals in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Uzbekistan set up their U23 national team comprised of footballers from two champion clubs in their domestic leagues – Mash’al, the Uzbek league’s current champion, and Pakhtakor, the Uzbek national cup’s current champion.

The Uzbek team lists 16 players from 19 – 21 years with average height of 1.77 meters.

Ahrol Riskullaev, Aleksandr Kletskov, Sadriddin Abdullaev, Azizbek Hayradov are four best players in the Uzbek team led by coach Ravshan Khaydarov who took Uzbekistan to the Asian Cup 2004 quarterfinals.

Iran’s U23 team also made careful preparations for the Spring Cup in Vietnam with a view to the later Asian Games. It had a successful training trip in Tunisia and gained two of two wins over Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel that suits up for the country’s premier league.

The Vietnam national football program is looking at the Spring Cup as an excellent chance to fine tune its lineup against stronger Asian sides.

The team that triumphs at the Spring Cup will be awarded US$40,000, with the two runners-up to receive $20,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Reported by D.K. – Translated by Minh Phat