CONG VINH DELIVERS FIRST AFF SUZUKI CUP CROWN TO VIETNAM

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HANOI (28 Dec 2008) – It could not have been a more dramatic finish at the My Dinh Stadium tonight.

With time up, including the three added minutes, Vietnam's number one player, Le Cong Vinh, sent the entire nation into a frenzy when he headed in the winner to deliver the prestigious AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 to his country for the very first time in the history of this competition.
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Vietnam, making only their second final appearance, were awarded a freekick in the added time when Suree Sukha brought down Cong Vinh on the left edge of the box.

Skipper Phan Tan Vai Em let loose the freekick which Cong Vinh cooly glanced in to provide Vietnam with a fairy-tale like finish.

"I'm feeling overjoyed at the moment. And we will have a private celebration with the players and with those who are close to us," said Henrique Calisto, the head coach for Vietnam at the post-match press conference.

"But the difference with this team is that they believe in themselves and they fought all the way until the end."

Tonight's victory ended the despair Vietnam suffered exactly 10 years ago when they were beaten by Singapore in the 1998 then Tiger Cup final.

But today, in front of over 40,000 fans, the hosts, led by Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto, gave Vietnam their first ever major football title.

The tears of joy streamed down the faces of the fans, players and officials.

Even some journalists wept openly as they celebrated Vietnam's finest hour.

The fans stayed back until the very end and their cheers reached a crescendo when AFF President Tengku Tan Sri Dato Seri Ahmad Rithaudeen along with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung.

In what was the best ever final of this series, Vietnam and Thailand battled right from the start. Their players threw everything they had as they pushed forward in search of goals.

Vietnam especially did not waste any time and went out in full flight for the early goal.

It took them just 10 minutes to take their first crack at goal. Doan Viet Cuong let loose a sizzler which whizzed over the crossbar.

Thailand replied with their first look in the 14th minute but Suchao Nutnum's header fell short.

Vietnam continued to pile on the pressure but as it turned out, it was Thailand that broke the deadlock.

From a cross, Teerasil Dangda leapt up high and did well to beat goalkeeper Duong Hong Son to the ball, levelling the two-leg aggregate score at 2-2.

The fans got behind their team and cheered them on and Vietnam responded by contiuing to attack in droves. Le Tan Tai and Cong Vinh had their chances but were just off the mark.

Both Thailand and Vietnam had their chances but nothing came out of them.

With time running out, Thailand brought in super-sub Ronnachai Rangsiyo for Teeratep Winothai, who almost doubled the score in the 59th minute.

As the clocked ticked away, it looked almost certain that the game was headed into the dreaded extratime.

Then, Cong Vinh, Vietnam's most expensive player, proved his worth with a sensational winner.

"It was a difficult game all the way until the last minute. It was a cruel blow but hopefully, we will learn from it," added Peter Reid, the head coach for Thailand.

"Certainly, we've had better days although the rest this week will be good for the players."


ROLL OF HONOUR

CHAMPIONS: Vietnam

RUNNERS-UP: Thailand

FAIRPLAY AWARD: Thailand

TOP GOAL SCORER: Teerasil Dangda (Thailand)

SUZUKI MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Duong Hong Son (Vietnam)

SUCCESS OF DPR WOMEN'S FOOTBALL SHROUDED IN MYSTERY

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The talent is there for all to see but the forces behind DPR Korea's success in women's football is hidden from view.

The phenomenon of DPR Korea's women footballers is a strange paradox.

In dominating Asia and the world at various age groups, DPR Korea have paraded three generations of unconcealed talent.

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Yet, they remain an enigma, very much like their "Great Leader" Kim Jong-il, to whom DPR Korean players and officials often attribute their success.

How they have achieved their success is a mystery because few outsiders have had a chance to go into the insular Communist country to observe the grooming and training programmes of the DPR Korea Football Federation.

However, an aspect that not even the secretive DPR Koreans can hide is that the country has produced some of the most talented female players on earth, at all levels of development.

The senior team started the trophy chase in June when they won the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Vietnam.

The country's success, however, was not restricted to Asia with the juniors winning the FIFA Under 17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand in November.

Earlier this month, the DPR Korean under 20 women reached the final of the FIFA Under 20 Women's World Cup in Chile, narrowly failing to repeat their triumph of two years ago after losing 2-1 to the United States.

If you ask a DPR Korean the reasons for their success, almost always it is down to the inspired leadership of Kim Jong-il, who apparently keeps close tabs on the country's football teams.

Jang Su-myong, who represented the DPR Korea Football Federation at November's AFC Women's Awards night, was flowing in his praise for the country's leader.

"We have to thank our Great Leader Kim Jong-il, who gave us on-the-spot guidance that helped us do well in tournaments this year," said the Federation treasurer after collecting the trophy for AFC Women's National Team of the Year.

"Imagine a leader who takes the time to advise the football team. He shows he cares about us."

His compatriot Kim Kwang-min, who took the AFC Women's Coach of the Year Award after winning the Asian title in Vietnam, was equally fervent in his tribute to the reclusive leader.

He said: "The reason we did well was the inspiration of our Great Leader Kim Jong-il. And there is a lot of expectation for us to do well so the players want to play their best and also inspire the next generation of players."

While the desire to please Kim clearly provides the motivation for DPR Koreans, their success on the field must primarily be credited to a detailed and systematic training programme.

Though the programme itself remains hidden, the results have been on display for the entire world to see.