The friendly match between Thailand and Russia, scheduled to take place at My Dinh Stadium on the evening of September 7, has been canceled due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi.
According to the original plan, Thailand was set to face Russia at 8:00 PM today. However, after discussions between the organizers and representatives of both teams, the decision was made to cancel the match.
The Russian team, though reluctant to cancel, accepted the decision due to the unavoidable weather conditions. The General Secretary of the Russian Football Union (RFU) stated that the team will depart for home tonight as originally planned, though the departure might be delayed due to Nội Bài International Airport being closed until 9:00 PM or later, depending on weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the Thailand national team will remain in Hanoi to prepare for their match against Vietnam on September 10.
Yesterday’s thunderstorms had already caused the two teams to move their training sessions to a smaller practice field at Mỹ Đình Stadium. Valery Karpin, the head coach of Russia, humorously mentioned the possibility of being stranded in Vietnam due to the storm.
The Russian team arrived in Vietnam on September 4, playing and winning against the host team 3-0 the following day. As per FIFA regulations for international friendlies, there must be a minimum of 48 hours between matches.
Typhoon Yagi is reportedly the strongest storm to hit the South China Sea in nearly 30 years. The typhoon entered the Gulf of Tonkin last night and is expected to make landfall today, impacting provinces from Quảng Ninh to Nam Định with winds of 111 to 133 km/h. Authorities have advised residents to avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary.
Earlier, Typhoon Yagi made landfall in the Philippines on September 1, causing significant flooding and landslides. Authorities reported that 16 people have died, 17 people are missing, and the damage to infrastructure is estimated at $4 million.
In Hainan Island, China, more than 400,000 people were evacuated, and authorities raised the warning to the highest level on September 5. Residents were advised to stay indoors, and all businesses, markets, public transportation, tourist attractions, and schools were ordered to close.
The cancellation of the Thailand-Russia match has disappointed fans, but the safety of the teams and the public remains the top priority under such extreme weather conditions.
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