Off the pitch: Two exceptional students of Coach Phong

Two exceptional students of Teacher Phong

After their nail-biting penalty shootout victory against Hung Nguyen Youth team, Quynh Luu Youth team coach Duong Vu Phong is still feeling nervous.On the sidelines of the pitchAfter the match, he smiled, but his eyes still showed the tension: "The previous match was a penalty shootout, and this one is also a penalty shootout. Every time it's really nerve-wracking. Sometimes I don't even dare watch my players take the penalty kicks!"

But what worries the coach of the Quynh Luu Youth team is not just the nerve-wracking penalty shootouts on the field.

To prepare for this year's tournament, many players in the Quynh Luu team had to travel 20-30km to the training ground. To make things easier for them, the team's three coaches arranged for their students to stay together in their homes. Each coach took in 2 to 5 players, caring for them, providing food, lodging, and daily life as if they were their own children or grandchildren.

Among the students living with Mr. Phong, there are two brothers, Ho Phan Tuan Phong (12 years old) and Ho Phan Tuan Phuc (10 years old), whom he loves especially.

Phong and Phuc's family is classified as near-poor. Their parents separated, and the two brothers currently live with their maternal grandmother. Despite their difficult circumstances, both Phong and Phuc showed a talent for football from a very young age. They diligently practiced and possessed good technique, but due to their small stature, they haven't had the opportunity to be selected for professional training.

Speaking of his two students, Coach Phong's voice softened: "The two brothers love each other very much, and they also love their grandmother very much. During the days they moved in with me to focus on training, they cried every night because they missed their grandmother. Knowing their circumstances, the coaching staff and the parents in the team unanimously agreed to waive all the fees for participating in the tournament. However, the family still asked to contribute a portion within their means."

"I just hope that one day Phong and Phuc's dream of becoming professional footballers will come true. They have already suffered so much, and I hope that football will open up better opportunities for them in the future," Coach Phong confided.

A victory on penalties will become a memorable moment of the season. But for Coach Phong, what's even more memorable is the journey of growth and development of his students, whom he's been supporting every day.

Companions

Participating in this year's Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup Youth Football Tournament, young player Nguyen Nhat Khanh (Dong Hieu Youth) has a special companion always by his side: his maternal grandfather, Nguyen Dung Thanh.

Not only did he accompany Nhat Khanh during the tournament, but his grandfather was also present at almost all of Nhat Khanh's memorable milestones, remembering every competition his grandson participated in and every achievement. "Khanh's parents are teachers, and their work is busy, so for many years, I've been the one to drive him, take care of him, and encourage him on every journey. Last year, I was the one who took Khanh to Da Nang to participate in the Central Vietnam Youth Informatics Competition. He won second place that time," Mr. Thanh proudly shared.

He loved and was close to his grandfather from kindergarten onwards, and every year this young player would travel from Dong Hieu to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) in his maternal grandparents' hometown of Do Luong. In an essay describing his mother, the boy surprised everyone with the concluding sentence: "Oh Mom, I love Grandpa so much."

Although he's from Do Luong, Mr. Thanh decided to cheer for both teams because he was supporting his grandson on the Dong Hieu team. However, when Dong Hieu and Do Luong met, with one being his team and the other his grandson's, he honestly admitted, "I have to prioritize my grandson."

Besides his maternal grandfather, this season Nhat Khanh is also fortunate to be competing alongside his two cousins, Nguyen Nhat Khang and Nguyen Nhat Sang. With these special companions, the Dong Hieu team will have even more strength, unity, and love.

"The Orchestra" on the sidelines

Participating in this year's Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup Youth Football Tournament, the Nghia Dan Youth and Children's team boasts an incredibly enthusiastic fan base. One example of this enthusiasm is a parent who gifted 12 horns to the 12 players on the team to liven up the atmosphere and cheer each other on.

However, that joy quickly turned into a nightmare for many spectators. While adults only blow horns when their team scores, the young players have a completely different perspective. They blow horns whenever they want: while cheering, while playing, while eating, while walking... "At first it was fine, but after a while, everyone was terrified of the horns. Wherever we went, we knew what was going on because the noise was so 'noisy.' It was a bit of a headache, but at this age, the noise is unavoidable," laughed Ms. Vi Thi Chuyen, a parent of a Nghia Dan team member.

After realizing that controlling the noise from 12 trumpets at once was impossible, the parents' association decided to confiscate the instruments and only return them to the "musicians" when it was their team's turn to compete.

In relation to hyperactivity,mischievousRegarding the young players, parents also reported that after 3-4 days of living and training together, the children's training and match uniforms were almost discolored. Some laundry facilities even refused to accept the team's clothes, forcing parents to wash them themselves and hang them up in the rest rooms. Despite the hardship, the parents felt happy. They knew that when their children grew up, these days of living together, cheering together, and pursuing their passion for football would be what they would remember most.