On the sidelines of the pitch: Behind her is her grandson's goalpost.

Behind her is her grandson's goalpost.

At this year's tournament, while most of the young players of the Que Phong Youth team were accompanied by their parents, Do Binh Duong (12 years old) - the young goalkeeper - had a more special "support system": his grandmother, Vy Thi Kim. From the introductory session and the draw to the opening match, she was always by Binh Duong's side, sometimes giving him a bottle of water, sometimes offering advice, and wiping away his sweat.

Ms. Kim shared: "My parents work far away, so I'm the only one taking care of the three Duong brothers. At home, all three of them love football. Every afternoon during training sessions, I drive them to and from practice. I'm happy that they have a passion for football. It's a healthy and good sport, so I fully support it."

From school-level and commune-level tournaments to this major provincial-level competition, Duong's journey is not only a playground for him, but also a companionship with his grandmother. The silent encouragement of his grandmother in the stands is the greatest source of motivation for this "young warrior" from the highlands of Que Phong to confidently move forward and nurture his potential.dream of the football fieldof mine.

The adorable "spy" squad

The official match wasn't scheduled to start until the afternoon, but from early morning, a section of the stands for the Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup was already "occupied" by players wearing Nghia Dan-colored jerseys. It turned out that, even before the match began, the young players from the red soil region of Phu Quy had arrived at the stadium early to "scout" their opponents.

Everyone's eyes were glued to every ball on the court, watching and discussing animatedly like true experts.

"Oh my god, the teams that played this morning were so good!"ButLe Duy Khanh (11 years old), goalkeeper of Nghia Dan team, shared.

This year, the biggest challenge for the Nghia Dan Youth and Children's team in their opening match is the Do Luong Youth and Children's team. When asked if they felt nervous about the intensity of the opposing team, a young player from Nghia Dan immediately dismissed the question, confidently declaring: "Even if the opposing team is strong, we have our own tactics. We've practiced a lot and are 100% confident in our skills. This morning's visit was mainly to learn from their experience and see how they coordinate, but this afternoon on the field, we'll give it our all!"

The innocence, confidence, and yet unwavering spirit of the young Nghia Dan players created an incredibly exciting atmosphere for the first day of competition. This "scouting" squad is now brimming with enthusiasm, just waiting for the opening whistle this afternoon to give the audience an explosive match.

He is both a coach and a "healer".

Newspaper Cup andNghe An's radio and television scene has never been an easy playing field, especially for "newcomers" like the Thien Nhan Youth team, who are venturing into the big leagues for the first time. Right in their debut match, the draw pitted the young players against a strong contender – the Thanh Vinh Youth team.

To prepare for this tournament, they spent months training meticulously and seriously. In the match, facing pressure from the opposing team, the young players still fought hard, bravely scoring two goals against their opponents.

The final whistle blew, with the score at 4-2 in favor of the opposing team. The young players sat slumped on the field, staring at the scoreboard with disappointment in their eyes. At this moment, the coaches and parents had to become impromptu "psychologists." Fathers and mothers rushed onto the field, some fanning themselves, others wiping sweat and showering the players with praise:""That was a great kick, son."

The coach gathered the whole team in a circle, encouraging and comforting them: "It's amazing that you've played fairly against such a strong team in your first major tournament. With your parents and your coach here, we'll fight again in the next match!"

Words of encouragement and a high-five from the entire team quickly dispelled the gloomy atmosphere. This defeat did not discourage the players; on the contrary, the support of their coach and family was the strongest foundation for the Thien Nhan "warriors" to shed pressure and prepare for explosive matches ahead.