2 days ago
Former English football star Michael Owen scores twice in Manchester United Legends win against Vietnam
HANOI (VNEXpress-Vetam News): Michael Owen, the 2001 Ballon d'Or winner, scored twice as Manchester United Reds (MU Legends) defeated Vietnam All Stars 4-2 in a friendly match in Da Nang on Friday night (June 27).
The match took place at 7pm at Hoa Xuan Stadium and was the highlight of the Vietnam-U.K. Football Festival, which ran from June 26 to 29.
The event featured football legends from Manchester United's golden generation, including Michael Owen, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Teddy Sheringham, Wes Brown, and Dwight Yorke.
In the 7th minute, Owen opened the scoring with a brilliant chip shot over Vietnam goalkeeper Nguyen Van Sy, after receiving a precise pass from a teammate.
Owen completed his double 20 minutes later, converting a penalty after being fouled in the box by Van Sy.
Giggs, wearing the captain's armband, celebrated with Owen after his second goal. The Welsh football legend is known for his long and successful career at Man Utd with 13 Premier League titles. Although Giggs, at 51, did not put on a show in this match, he was pivotal in coordinating the team's play.
Scholes, who also spent his entire career with United, showed his famous passing range and tactical vision, which made him one of the best English midfielders of his time.
Despite being 2-0 down, Vietnam fought back with determination. Striker Nguyen Van Quyet skillfully dribbled past Dwight Yorke but was unable to score.
Van Quyet was the most active player for Vietnam, creating several opportunities. He frequently found himself in front of the Man Utd goal but was stopped by the keeper or missed the target.
Early in the second half, former Vietnam striker Le Huynh Duc dribbled past several defenders and fired a clever shot into the near corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
Vietnam's spirit increased after the goal, with midfielder Nguyen Hai Long creating more chances. However, Long missed a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper.
MU legends responded with two more goals. The crowd erupted in excitement as the away team displayed their class.
Near the end of the match, 2008 AFF Cup champion Nguyen Viet Thang scored for Vietnam, bringing the score to 4-2, which is also the final result.
Last year, Vietnam All Stars played a friendly against Brazil, suffering a heavy 1-7 defeat.
Owen, who left the pitch early in the second half, returned to wear the captain's armband until the end of the match. He spent time interacting with the Vietnam players after the final whistle.
The MU legends also signed balls and jerseys for fans. There were nearly 10,000 spectators who attended the match at Hoa Xuan Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000. - VNExpress/Vietnam News
