University footballers ready for friendlies

The team”s Viet Nam tour are scheduled to run from May 28 to June 11, and the team will debut their Viet Nam tour with the first match against Hong Bang Community-based College, who won the National Student Football Championship last year, at Thong Nhat Stadium next Sunday.

As scheduled, the St. John”s team will play against V-League side Hoa Phat Ha Noi at Hang Day Stadium on June 7 before playing Mitsustar Hai Phong Haier, who won the National Super Cup in January, at Hai Phong”s Lach Tray Stadium on June 9.

This is the first time ever an American university”s football team will play with professional Vietnamese footballers. The aim of these matches is to promote further co-operation, friendship and cultural exchange between St. John”s University and the National Sports and Physical Training Committee.

Founded in 1870, the football development programme at St. John”s officially started in 1923, and they won three titles in the Metropolitan Conference Championships.

The team has been ranked in the top 20 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for nine years in a row.

Last year, the football team played 11 matches with six wins, two draws and three losses.

Among 19 members of the team, there are 15 American players, four from Sweden, New Zealand, Serbians and Romania, all of which have played for national youth teams in the past.

VNS