Sports news on March 9: Tran Thi Thanh Thuy excelled in her match in Japan

Sports news on March 9: Vietnamese volleyball star scores over 500 points abroad; Manchester United wants to recruit a PSG player...

Tran Thi Thanh Thuy scores over 500 points in Japan's national league

According to statistics from the SV League website, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy has scored 513 points for Gunma Green Wings this season. This is an impressive milestone for Thanh Thuy with her Japanese club. She achieved these points across 33 matches, including 463 attack points, 32 block points, and 18 serve points.

On March 8, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy performed notably after switching to the opposite hitter position, contributing to Gunma Green Wings' 3-2 victory over Toray Arrows (25-10, 19-25, 23-25, 25-11, 15-8), raising the team's total wins this season to 20. Gunma dominated early with a 25-10 win in the first set, but Toray Arrows reversed the momentum by winning the next two sets to lead 2-1. In this difficult situation, Coach Sakamoto adjusted tactics, moving Thanh Thuy to opposite hitter to improve Gunma's attack. The home team won decisively in set 4 and controlled the deciding set to secure the overall victory. Thanh Thuy scored 16 points with a 45.5% efficiency.

Manchester United wants to recruit a player from PSG

Manchester United is planning to replace Marcus Rashford, as the striker is likely to join Barcelona on a permanent deal after his loan ends this summer. According to sources, the Old Trafford club has listed five targets for the left-wing position.

At the top of the list is Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, who played a key role in helping the team win the Champions League last season. Additionally, Manchester United is also interested in 19-year-old talent Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, who has scored 11 goals and provided 7 assists in 27 matches this season.

Other names include Jesus Rodriguez from Como, who has 7 assists in Serie A under Cesc Fabregas's guidance, and Martial Godo from Strasbourg with 12 goals and 5 assists. Furthermore, Iliman Ndiaye from Everton is also under consideration, valued around £40 million and experienced in the Premier League.

Jack Grealish sends a message about his recovery process

Jack Grealish sent a determined message to fans as he continues his recovery from a foot injury that ended his season. The English midfielder, currently playing for Everton on loan from Manchester City, underwent surgery after suffering a fracture due to overuse in the match against Aston Villa in January.

After four weeks of surgery, Grealish stated he is training hard to return "better and stronger than ever." On Instagram, the 30-year-old player shared images of his recovery process, including gym workouts, sauna sessions, and daily activities, receiving encouragement from colleagues like James Maddison, Nathan Ake, and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The injury was a major setback as Grealish was performing well with 2 goals and 6 assists in 20 Premier League matches for Everton. His future remains uncertain, as Everton could potentially buy him for around £50 million.

Mourinho says Porto assistant called him a "traitor"

The "O Clássico" match between Benfica and Porto ended with a 2-2 draw after a dramatic comeback by the home team. Porto took an early lead with Victor Froholdt scoring in the 10th minute and Oskar Pietuszewski making it 2-0 before halftime. However, Benfica rallied in the second half with goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Leandro Barreiro, with the equalizer in the 89th minute creating a climax.

After Benfica's 89th-minute equalizer, tensions erupted on the sidelines, leading to Coach Jose Mourinho being dismissed for a confrontation with Porto's bench. Mourinho later claimed a Porto assistant called him a "traitor" 50 times and asserted that his dismissal was unfair.

"The referee said he dismissed me because I kicked the ball towards Porto's bench. That is completely wrong. Many times when my team scores, I kick the ball into the stands for a lucky fan. I know my technique isn't great, but that ball went into the stands. I was unfairly dismissed. The fourth referee performed poorly throughout the match and continued to do so when I spoke to the main referee," Mourinho stated.

Mourinho commented on Porto assistant Gonzalez calling him a traitor: "He called me a traitor 50 times. I want him to explain what I betrayed? I came to Porto, I gave my soul to Porto, then to Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid... I traveled the world and dedicated 24 hours a day to my work. That is called professionalism. When he moved to Marseille, was he a traitor? What betrayal? He could insult me in another way that I might accept, but I think this is an attack on my professionalism, which I highly value."

Korean referee officiates Vietnam women's national team match

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the refereeing team for the match between the Vietnam women's national team and Japan, scheduled at 16:00 on March 10 at Rectangular Stadium in Perth (Australia), in the final round of Group A of the Asian championship.

The main referee is Kim Yu Jeong (South Korea), born in 1990, FIFA-certified since 2018. She has officiated major tournaments such as the 2023 Women's World Cup and the 2022 Women's U20 World Cup. This season, she also officiated the match between the Vietnam women's team and India on March 4 in the group stage.

The two assistant referees are Heba Saadieh (Palestine) and Hinthong Supawan (Thailand), while the fourth referee is Chaisanit Pansa (Thailand). VAR technology is managed by Kim Hee Gon (South Korea), with assistant VAR Aljaafari Bin Jahari (Singapore).

Naturalized player of Malaysia national team supported by local club

Kuching City Club stated they considered all risks before recruiting player Gabriel Palmero, including the possibility of suspension. Club president Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman confirmed that the leadership clearly discussed the situation with the player during negotiations, and Palmero understood the circumstances. He mentioned that the club advised Palmero to continue training during his suspension, as the 12-month ban is not excessively long, and affirmed the team is ready to welcome him back after the disciplinary period ends.

Previously, the organizer of the domestic Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced that four players in the Malaysian national league will be banned for 12 months following the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The four players are Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel (Johor Darul Ta'zim), and Gabriel Palmero (Kuching City). They are among seven players penalized by FIFA for falsifying naturalization documents and eligibility papers to play for the Malaysia national team.