Off the pitch: The final match

Coach Mai Thai Uy (in white shirt) went to the field with Nhi Dong Tan Ky even though the flight schedule was set for tomorrow morning. Photo: Thanh Phuc

This year's season, although he was busy arranging work and family to go abroad to work, Mai Thai Uy still asked the leadership of the Tan Ky District Culture, Sports and Communication Center to let him "take command" and train the children for 2 weeks.

On the sidelines, before the opening whistle, Coach Mai Thai Uy sadly said: “This is the last match of my coaching career. You guys play with all your might, give it your all, try your best, whether you win or lose, you have played with all your might.” Perhaps, those heartfelt words from Coach Mai Thai Uy urged the young Tan Ky players to play explosively, pouring a “rain” of goals on the opponent.

"Eat and drink to make up for it!"

The match ended, the young players of Quy Hop Children's "made up for it". Photo: Thanh Phuc

When the referee blew the whistle to end the match, the Quy Hop Children's Supporters Club rushed to supply bread, lychees, plums, milk, and even packaged ginseng. The players came out, and before they could wipe their sweat, they were already eating bread and drinking milk in large gulps, causing their parents to remind them: "Take it slow, why are you acting like a hungry ghost?", "Eating and drinking to compensate for the lack of food before the match, not daring to eat when hungry, not daring to drink too much when thirsty for fear of getting a stomachache and not being able to run", a player answered innocently, chewing bread with his mouth full.

“Wipe it carefully, you look like you haven't slept.”

The weather was cool and the teachers of the Tan Ky Children's Team were afraid that the players would get sleepy, so they wiped their faces with ice water. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Before entering the match with Nghi Loc Children's Team, the coaches of Tan Ky Children's Team took the opportunity to soak towels in ice water, wring them dry, and wipe each player's face. A young player was wiped three times in a row and asked: "Teacher, where did we play? Where did we sweat? Why are you wiping me so carefully?", "I look like someone who has not slept, wipe me to wake up and play. It's raining so cool, I can't help but feel sleepy", the teacher replied.

And the face-wiping act to wake up was performed skillfully and carefully by the teachers until the referee's whistle sounded.