OPENING DEFEAT FOR SINGAPORE AND VIETNAM

Singapore fell to a 2-1 loss to DPR Korea while Vietnam conceded a 2-0 loss to the Korean Under-23 side in front of their home fans.

Both teams are using the tournament as part of their tune-up for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 which Vietnam and Indonesia are hosting next month.

DPR Korea started the first half brightly but it was the Lions who went ahead in the 41st minute when Aleksander Duric latched onto a cross from Shi Jiayi with a diving header.

But DPR Korea found the equaliser off midfielder Ri Myoung Jun in the 81st minute before a lapse of concentration in the dying seconds of the game allowed the Koreans to creep in the winner through Al Il Bom’s.

“I was happy that we managed to head into half time with the lead but in the end Korea DPR deserved their win. They dominated in the second half and physically had a better level of fitness than us,” said Singapore chief coach Radojko Avramovic.

“It was very good experience for some of the players, who are travelling here for the first time and now they have some international experience under their belt.”

In the meantime, Vietnam lost 2-0 to the Republic of Korea’s U-23 team with the visitors dominating proceedings from the beginning, creating several chances to score in the first half but failed to convert any of them into goals.

After the break, Vietnam’s chief coach Henrique Calisto made several changes on a trot but it did little to give them more pace as the Koreans pressed even harder.

Then then took the lead in the 62nd minute when substitue Jung Woo Young rifled in from a 30-metre free kick before Kim Min Je doubled the score in injury time after beating the entire Vietnam defence.

Vietnam will face Singapore next while the Korean Under-23 side will take on DPRK.