HA NOI (VNS)  — Viet Nam lost to a Japanese student team, 1-3, in a friendly match in Osaka City yesterday.

The hosts scored a double in the first half and added the third goal after the break. Midfielder Nguyen Vu Phong narrowed the result near the end of the game. Last June, the same student team defeated the Vietnamese U19 squad, 5-1.

Viet Nam's second friendly match will be against Vissel Kobe, a Junior League 1 team, on Saturday, and the last will be against Kyoto Sanga, a Junior League 2 team, on October 15.

Viet Nam will return home on October 16, finishing their three-week training course at the J-Green Sakai centre. The course is part of the team's preparation for the November ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, where Viet Nam are a co-host. — VNS