U17 tournament draw: SLNA in the same group as SHB Da Nang
On the morning of June 27th, Bóng đá Newspaper held a draw and introduced the sponsor for the National Under-17 Football Tournament - Thai Son Nam Cup 2013.
In the 10th year of the tournament, the luck of the draw placed U17 Song Lam Nghe An in Group B alongside SHB Da Nang, two teams that have dominated the competition for almost a decade. Song Lam Nghe An has won a total of 7 championships from 2004 to the present. The only team to break their dominance is U17 SHB Da Nang with 2 titles in 2010 and 2011.
The head of the tournament organizing committee, editor-in-chief of Bóng đá newspaper Nguyen Van Phu (right), and Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai, director of Thai Son Nam company. (Photo: Minh Chien/Vietnam +)
Besides Song Lam Nghe An and SHB Da Nang, Group B also includes U17 Viettel and U17 Long An. The competition in Group B promises to be fierce because Long An was the runner-up last season, while U17 Viettel is maintaining impressive form. They are the team with the highest number of points in the qualifying round (13 points/5 matches).
In Group A, the standout contender is U17 Hoang Anh Gia Lai. The team from the mountainous region boasts several members of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Arsenal JMG Academy who have competed in domestic youth tournaments recently. They, along with the host team PVF Ho Chi Minh City, are the two strongest contenders for a place in the semi-finals.
The U17 National Championship Finals will officially kick off from the afternoon of July 3rd to July 12th. The first match will be a clash between host team PVF and Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Matches will take place at Thong Nhat and Phu Nhuan stadiums in Ho Chi Minh City.
This is the 10th consecutive year that the National U17 Championship has been organized by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in collaboration with Bóng đá Newspaper. For Thai Son Nam Limited Company, this is also the 3rd consecutive year that the company has been the main sponsor of the tournament.
This year's qualifying round features 23 teams, divided into 4 groups, and will take place from June 6th to June 23rd. The pre-tournament technical meeting is scheduled to be held at 9:00 AM on July 2nd at Thong Nhat Stadium.
According to (Vietnam+) - DT
