The Thien Nhan Youth Team and their dream at the Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup.

Those uncle little region difficult and sleep dream yard grass

At 5 PM, the football field in Thien Nhan commune is once again bustling with the laughter and chatter of children who love football. Amidst the late May sun, these young players are diligently practicing, preparing for their first-ever participation in the Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup Youth Football Tournament in 2026.

Thien Nhan is a newly established commune following the implementation of the two-tiered local government model. It is also one of the disadvantaged areas of the former Nam Dan district, frequently affected by floods and facing economic hardship.

Football in this area previously had almost no distinct movement. Compared to many other localities with rich football traditions in Nghe An, Thien Nhan was still a relatively unknown name.

But in recent years, things have been gradually changing. The afternoons on the football field have become more crowded. Children in the village love watching football, they love Song Lam Nghe An, and they gather on the field to practice.

Currently, the commune has one artificial turf field and two natural grass football fields that meet the requirements to serve the community sports movement.

Recognizing the growing passion for football among young children, the local authorities decided to establish a youth team from Thien Nhan commune to participate in this year's Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup.

Although they know their team is young and it will be difficult to compete for achievements, for the people here, participating in this prestigious tournament for children's football in Nghe An province is already a great source of pride.

Coach Tran Ngoc Anh, who directly leads the team, has only had just over two weeks to recruit players and train before the tournament begins.

To ensure no talent was overlooked, he had to visit each school, contact teachers, post recruitment information on social media, and personally assess the children's aptitudes.

"Our team is mainly made up of kids who play football for fun, without formal training, but they are very passionate and love playing football. That's what makes me want to try to build this team," shared coach Tran Ngoc Anh.

After several days of selection, the young coach has found more than 20 players to prepare for the tournament.

The team is largely made up of players born in 2015, but they have to compete in the U12 age group. Therefore, their lack of skill and experience is easily noticeable.

But in return, the young Thien Nhan players play football with innocence and a great passion.

Bringing the image of Thien Nhan to the Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup.

In the last days of May, the Thien Nhan commune stadium became more lively than usual. Not only the young players, but also many parents and local residents came to watch the team practice.

That encouragement is giving Coach Tran Ngoc Anh and his team a lot of motivation. "Our team is still weaker compared to many other teams. The players don't understand much about tactics and their skills are limited. But what's valuable is that they are very determined and love playing football," said Coach Tran Ngoc Anh.

According to the young coach, the team's biggest goal this year is not about achieving results, but about gaining experience, learning, and showcasing the image of a disadvantaged rural community at the tournament.

In the Thiên Nhẫn Youth team, Nguyễn Anh Quân is a name that the coaching staff has high expectations for. The midfielder, born in 2015, is capable of playing well with both feet and possesses a fairly technical playing style.

Despite being a year younger than many of his opponents, Anh Quân still showed outstanding qualities whenever he had the ball. “I am very happy to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup. I will try my best to bring the image of my hometown, Thien Nhan, to everyone,” shared Nguyen Anh Quân.

Not only Anh Quân, but many players on this team are also seeing this year's tournament as an opportunity to learn and gain experience.

Coach Tran Ngoc Anh stated that this team is being built with a long-term vision. The decision to field many players born in 2015 who are overage is to prepare the squad for future seasons. “We know this year will be very difficult. But the important thing is that the children get experience, get to compete, and nurture their passion for football. Hopefully, from this foundation, Thien Nhan will have a better generation of players in the next tournament,” he said.

The Thien Nhan commune youth team may not be strong enough to compete for medals in this year's Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television Cup. But for a rural area still facing many difficulties, the fact that these children dare to dream about football is something truly commendable.

And who knows, perhaps from these sunny afternoons on the small football field of Thien Nhan today, Nghe An football will have new names in the future.