On the sidelines of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup: The first female referee

Overcoming illness to reach the finals.

After the first semi-final match on the youth field, the Quynh Luu players secured their place in the final after a penalty shootout. This result was achieved thanks to the efforts of the team and their supporters.Quynh LuuThey tried very hard.

Accompanying his son from the very beginning of the season, parent Dau Huy Phuc shared: “Throughout the qualifying rounds, the disadvantages of the accommodation environment caused the children to fall ill en masse. This not only affected the health and physical condition of the entire team but also caused parents anxiety and stress. Some players even had to leave midway through the tournament. Because I had brought my child to participate in the tournament in previous years, I understand that this situation has never happened before.”

Sensing that the situation was not good, the coaching staff moved the team to better, more spacious, and cleaner accommodation, which greatly improved the team's health and morale. "I believe that change was the deciding factor in today's match. Now we want to play a few more games. After the games, we want our parents to take us on a really satisfying trip before we come home," the parents happily said.

The first female referee in the history of the tournament.

In the two semi-final matches this afternoon at the youth stadium, for the first time in the history of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament, a female referee officiated the matches. That referee was Nguyen Thi Thi (born in 2001).

In such hot and sunny weather that even men would hesitate to seek shade, this petite female referee ran bareheaded on the field for an hour. That alone earned her the admiration of many.

Driven by her childhood passion for sports, Nguyen Thi Thi chose to become a referee immediately after graduating from high school. To date, Thi is the only female national referee in Nghe An province.

Sharing her feelings about the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Football Tournament, female referee Anh Son said: “Although it was a tournament for teenagers and children, the organizers worked very professionally. The matches had many exciting and thrilling moments, and the teams made great efforts and dedicated themselves to providing the audience with beautiful games.”

Mom is always there.

In his matches, player number 12 of the Youth teamVinh city- Pham Manh Cuong usually goes with his older sister. Cuong's father is a long-distance truck driver, and his mother is a factory worker at the VSIP Industrial Park who often works shifts, so even though she really wanted to, she couldn't come to support her son.

Not only during matches, but Cường's parents also had very little time at home with their son. Although they couldn't be there to supervise him, their love was strong enough for the children to feel it and encourage each other to study. "Usually, Mom works all night, and Dad is only home for two hours in the evening. Even though the family faces many difficulties and Mom and Dad can't be present at important events, we are confident that Mom and Dad are always there to support, respect, and encourage us. We feel lucky to be their children," shared Phạm Thuỳ Trang, Cường's older sister. Taking the place of Mom and Dad, Trang has cared for and supported her younger brother, working to help her parents cover his tuition fees.

Having met Pham Manh Cuong's mother during the quarter-final match, she shared: "Last night I worked the night shift from 8 PM to 6 AM. I intended to get some sleep to regain my strength, but thinking about my son's match made me unable to sleep, so I came here to encourage him. I'm tired but happy. This is also the first time I've come to cheer him on."

The mother, with her petite stature and humble, gentle manner of speaking, raised very well-behaved and understanding children.