Draw sets up open title race in Thanh Nien U21 football champs
Tuesday"s draw for the final round of the National U21 Football Championship produced exciting combinations for the eight qualifiers in Da Nang
The draw placed hosts Da Nang, last year”s runners-up Mikado Nam Dinh, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, and Ca Mau in group A.
Defending champions Binh Dinh are to face Huda Hue, Thanh Long, and Tien Giang in group B.
The teams will play a single round robin with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-final of the tournament being sponsored by Thanh Nien newspaper.
The host team and defending champions got automatic berths for the finals while the other six played through the preliminary round, which saw a record 48 sides from all over the country fighting for six places.
“All eight teams to play in the finals are the best and they are all determined to win,” Hue”s manager Doan Phung said after the drawing on Tuesday. “Group A is favouring Da Nang and last year”s second place Nam Dinh, while group B”s chance to advance is open to all four teams.”
Coaches of the eight teams, who all attended the draw, said their teams aim to reach the final match.
“We were drawn in group A with host Da Nang who have the advantage to cruise to the semi-final, but the remaining three teams will all do their best to book places in the semis,” Nam Dinh head coach Tran Doan Dung said.
“This will be a very tough competition for all of us but we are not afraid of anyone. We are determined to overcome our rivals on our way to the highest podium,” Phung said.
Tien Giang coach Do Van Minh noted his team”s thorough practices, and said he hoped to give their rivals a run for their money.
Champion head coach Nguyen Ngoc Thien says he isn”t taking his title for granted.
“We are playing under the pressure of defending champions and our rivals will play strongly against us, so we should not be reckless,” he said.
The 11-day event, which kicks off today at Chi Lang Stadium, will for the first time see a team from Thailand play a friendly with the winners on October 11 in the city.
Nguyen Cong Khe, the editor-in-chief of Thanh Nien newspaper, who is sponsoring the tournament, said: “Playing with Thai rivals will give our young players the international experience they now lack. We are submitting to the Viet Nam Football Federation our plan for approval to make the tournament open for regional teams.”
The winners will grab VND150 million (US$9.400) while the runners-up take VND80 million. The two teams that lose in the semis will each pocket VND30 million.
Host Da Nang will take on Ca Mau in the opener today while Gia Lai play Nam Dinh in the late match.
VNS
