Another door will open for the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players

U17 Viettel played fiercely, limiting the strength of U17 Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le

The cruelty of football

It must be affirmed that the semi-final match between U17Lam River Nghe Anand U17 Viettel is the most anticipated match in the final round of the National U17 Tournament 2023. Because these are two teams that have created a brand on the map of Vietnamese youth football. Throughout the history of the National U17 Tournament, Song Lam Nghe An holds the record with 8 championships. The last time they stood at the pinnacle of glory was in 2020, when they possessed famous stars such as Dinh Xuan Tien, Ho Van Cuong, Nguyen Van Bach, Trinh Hoang Canh...

As for Viettel, they have only won 1 National U17 Championship, but the strength of this team cannot be denied. In recent years, Viettel club has always produced outstanding talents for Vietnamese football. Notably, Nham Manh Dung, Phan Tuan Tai, Khuat Van Khang...

And through the matches at the 2023 National U17 Tournament, both teams have affirmed their terrible strength. Before reaching the semi-finals, U17 Viettel had won all the matches. U17 Song Lam Nghe An had even better results when they scored 16 goals and did not concede any.

If we were to weigh up the odds, the majority of the audience would probably agree that U17 Song Lam Nghe An deserved to be the upper team when the two faced each other. And in fact, in the semi-final, U17 Song Lam Nghe An showed their superior strength compared to their opponents. Possessing many highly diverse attacks, coach Phan Tien Hoai's students disrupted Viettel's defense and continuously caused trouble for Anh Quang's goal. However, U17 Song Lam Nghe An probably could not imagine that football could be so cruel.

U17 Song Lam Nghe An tried everything but could not find the net of U17 Viettel. Photo: Chung Le

U17 Song Lam Nghe An fell with only 1 goal from U17 Viettel in the 35th minute of the match. After conceding the goal, U17 Song Lam Nghe An tried everything, but somehow the ball kept avoiding Viettel's net. U17 Song Lam Nghe An even got a penalty in the last minute of the match, but still could not overcome the bad luck that was ruling them and they had to accept saying goodbye to the tournament with indescribable regret.

There is a fact that until now, insiders and audiences in Nghe An still cannot believe, why coach Phan Tien Hoai's team scored 16 goals, did not concede any goals until the semi-final match but was eliminated. Meanwhile, U17 Hong Linh Ha Tinh reached the final match, but received 5 goals.

However, football is like that, it is the cruelty that those who love it, live with it must accept. Football is not boring in the digital age like today, mostly comes from surprises like that. And the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players probably have understood that reality and now they need to know how to stand up stronger for the big goals that are waiting ahead.

However, when watching U17 Song Lam Nghe An compete in this year's tournament, the majority of spectators felt satisfied with their fiery and dedicated playing spirit. And above all, coach Phan Tien Hoai's students left a mark in the hearts of fans.

Know how to get up after failure

In the series of matches before meeting Viettel, the U17 Nghe An players all showed brilliant form, played brilliantly and had many moves that thrilled the audience. In particular, they always entered the field with great confidence and always made moves that were accurate and effective. However, in the semi-finals, it seemed that the Nghe An strikers were no longer themselves, lacking the necessary courage and coolness.

Midfielder Trong Son, who played very well in the quarterfinals, suddenly became unlucky in front of the opponent's goal. He had no less than 4 chances to score. In particular, this striker also missed a penalty in the last minute of the match. Trong Tuan, as usual, was the link between the whole team, but when faced with clear opportunities, he still shot wide.

After the match, tears fell down Trong Son's face. Photo: Chung Le

In defense, in previous matches, the U17 Song Lam Nghe An midfielder played very maturely and discouraged many opposing strikers. However, in a moment of distraction in the match, Viettel had to pay the price with a goal scored by Dang Thanh Binh.

After the match, the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players collapsed on the field. Tears fell on the faces of Trong Son and his teammates. They regretted the delicious opportunities created, but could not equalize the score. And the regret was even greater when the students of coach Phan Tien Hoai knew that, with their current ability, they should have done greater things.

However, this stumble is a great lesson for them to know what they are lacking in their career. Normally, young players will play very well when they are excited, but will lose themselves when facing experienced teams that know how to break their playing style. So the loss to Viettel is very regrettable for U17 Song Lam Nghe An, but it seems necessary for the football development of Nghe An players in the future.

This door closes, there will be other doors opening, in front of the 6 key players of U17 Song Lam Nghe An will continue to participate in the 2023 National U19 Tournament. They need to regain balance and play more confidently to prove that they have matured.

Trong Tuan sees this as a big lesson to help Nghe An strikers become more mature in the future. Photo: Chung Le

In conclusion, captain Trong Tuan - U17 Song Lam Nghe An shared: "We would like to apologize for not meeting the expectations of the fans. We will consider this a big lesson in our professional football journey. We will stand up stronger and play more effectively in the next tournaments."