Nghe An Newspaper Cup: Vinh City youth team secures a place in the final against a long-standing rival.
Completely dominating the players from the mountainous region, the Vinh City Youth team secured a resounding victory to advance to the final, where they will face their long-time rivals, the Quynh Luu Youth team.
Starting lineup:
Vinh City:Phan Tran Gia Hung (goalkeeper), Phan Tan Phat, Nguyen Van Trong, Le Trung Phong, Pham Hoang Gia Bao, Pham Manh Cuong, Pham Ngoc Quan.
Thanh Chuong:Vo Tran Gia Bao, Nguyen Dinh Anh Quan, Nguyen Huu Phuc, Vo Nguyen Thai Bao, Ho Quoc Khanh, Nguyen Canh Thuyen, Le Ba Bao Long.
In the quarter-finals, both Vinh City Youth and Thanh Chuong Youth respectively defeated Hoang Mai Town Youth and Que Phong Youth after penalty shootouts.
Similar to the Quỳnh Lưu Youth team in the first semi-final, the Vinh City Youth team, with their superior physique and stamina, launched a relentless attack right after the opening whistle. In the first 10 minutes of the match, the ball mainly rolled in the Thanh Chương Youth team's half of the field.
After several missed opportunities, Vinh City's dominance was finally materialized in the 14th minute by number 12 Pham Manh Cuong, who quickly finished into the top corner amidst a scramble in front of goalkeeper Vo Tran Gia Bao of Thanh Chuong Youth team.
Building on their momentum, just two minutes later, the Vinh City youth team scored to make it 2-0 thanks to a quick volley from number 9 Pham Ngoc Quan inside the penalty area, beating the opposing goalkeeper.
In the second half, Vinh City Youth team continued to dominate completely with fast-paced attacks down both flanks and well-coordinated passing in the midfield. Furthermore, the city's players were also ready to unleash powerful long-range shots.
In the 29th minute, after intercepting a pass from a Thanh Chuong Youth player in the middle of the field, number 9 Pham Ngoc Quan dribbled the ball one more time before unleashing a powerful shot, beating goalkeeper Vo Tran Gia Bao and increasing the score to 3-0.
Despite a lack of clear-cut attacking opportunities, Thanh Chuong Youth managed to score a goal to narrow the gap in the 35th minute. During an attack by the Thanh Chuong team, the referee ruled that a Vinh City Youth player had handled the ball inside the penalty area. From the penalty spot, number 11 Vo Nguyen Thai Bao accurately converted the penalty, reducing the deficit to two goals.
But Vo Nguyen Thai Bao's goal was all that Thanh Chuong Youth could achieve in this match. In the minutes that followed, Vinh City Youth, despite replacing almost all of their key players, still managed to score a goal in the 45th minute through number 4 Dao Cong Gia Kiet.
In the end, the Vinh City Youth team won against the Thanh Chuong Youth team with a score of 4-1. In the final match, the city team will have the opportunity to settle the score with the Quynh Luu Youth team from last year's final.
