The 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament: Yen Thanh determined to go to the final match

Work out hard

From early morning, at the artificial football field of Phan Dang Luu High School, the young players ofYen Thanh districtThe team has gathered in full. Waking up early and being on time to practice has become a habit for the players, regardless of whether they come from localities dozens of kilometers away from town such as Minh Thanh, Vinh Thanh, Dong Thanh... All because of the love for the round ball and above all, everyone wants to have the most thorough preparation for the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament.

Yen Thanh youth players practice hard despite the hot weather. Photo: QA

The harsh summer sun of Nghe An makes the bodies of the young players of Yen Thanh drenched in sweat, however, bright smiles are always evident on their faces because they understand that being selected to play for their hometown team, competing in the number 1 football tournament for teenagers and children in the province is a very proud thing.

On the training ground, Mr. Vu Duc Quyet - coach of Yen Thanh Youth Team, while constantly calling out and directing his students to seriously perform the exercises, from warming up to passing the ball, shooting, corner kicks, free kicks, marking..., he also gently and kindly taught tactical exercises and how to handle each specific ball situation so that the students could understand and apply it to each real match.

The spirit of dedication and passion always appears in the training sessions. Photo: QA

According to records, although this year's Yen Thanh Youth and Children's Team players do not have outstanding physiques compared to previous years, they have skillful techniques, scientific and intelligent football thinking, and all perform well in the instructions given by the coach.

Despite practicing under the hot sun and being drenched in sweat, the young players of Yen Thanh district are always determined to complete their exercises. Photo: Quang An

Coach Nguyen Duc Nhan, coach of Yen Thanh Children's Team, shared: Yen Thanh is a locality with a strong passion for football and many talented children. Therefore, the selection process also takes a lot of time because we have to observe and monitor the children's matches regularly to be able to evaluate. The criteria for joining the team, in addition to football skills, are also dedication, diligence, serious training, and compliance with team discipline.

This year's players have good technique and smart football skills. Photo: QA

During the training days to prepare for the tournament, in addition to the coaching staff, the parents are also a strong spiritual support for the children. Every time there is a training schedule, the parents of Yen Thanh district wake up early, take their children to the field in Yen Thanh town and stay to watch their children compete. The cheers and shouts on the sidelines have added to the children's will and spirit. During each break, the teachers and students of the football team are energized by the parents with bottles of cool water and fruit, cooling down in the hot weather.

Eye-catching flying saves appeared continuously during the training session. Photo: QA

Ms. Tran Thi Van, Van Thanh commune shared: “When we learned that our child was selected to compete in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament, our family was very happy because this is a prestigious playground, with a brand name for decades, and has also trained and nurtured many generations of famous players for the Song Lam Nghe An Club and the country. Therefore, no matter how busy we are, we always arrange time to accompany our child from the time of training to the time of entering the tournament. We only hope that our child will compete with all his might for the flag and colors, bringing glory to Yen Thanh district…”

Parent Tran Thi Van always accompanies her son Nguyen Tuan Anh during practice sessions. Photo: QA

Determined to bring medals back to the "rice homeland"

Yen Thanh is a team with a rich tradition in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup. During the 25 years the tournament has been held, Yen Thanh has never been absent, even though there were years when conditions did not allow it, and only 1 team could participate. With beautiful, dedicated attacking play, Yen Thanh's young players always make their opponents wary every time they enter the tournament.

Yen Thanh Children's team won the championship twice in a row in 2011 and 2012. 2018 was a year of great success for Yen Thanh football when the team won the "Double Championship" of both the Children's and Youth teams at the Nghe An Newspaper Cup. This is a remarkable achievement and not easy to achieve in this competitive tournament.

Yen Thanh Children's Team is ready to enter the season with the highest determination. Photo: QA

Mr. Nguyen Viet Cong - Deputy Director of the Center for Culture, Sports and Communication of Yen Thanh district said: The Youth - Children's Football Tournament of Nghe An Newspaper Cup is a playground that has created a brand for decades, so if we win this tournament, it will be a great honor for our district. We always instruct teachers and students of the Youth and Children's teams to try their best to bring home medals at this tournament. Although this year there are no outstanding individuals like the generation of Phan Van Duc, Pham Xuan Manh... however, the children all have a high spirit of determination and hard work. In football, sometimes the spirit of competition is more important than skills, so we hope that the children will confidently shine on the big playground.

Yen Thanh Youth Team is carefully selected. Photo: QA

Player Ho Dinh Luong Vu, Yen Thanh Youth Team shared: This is the first time I have participated in a big tournament so I am very excited for the opening day. Although we know that the opponents will be very strong, we are all determined to go to the final match to bring the title to Yen Thanh district. Everyone wants to be successful, continue their passion for football, and be known by many people like Mr. Duc and Mr. Manh before...".

Teacher Vu Duc Quyet instructs tactics for his students. Photo: QA

It is known that since the children officially started their summer vacation, the Yen Thanh Youth and Children's teams have increased their training frequency. From June 1, the teachers and students of the Yen Thanh football team will practice "closed" together, the children will not return home but eat, sleep, and live right at the team to be ready to compete with the most careful preparation.

Coach Vu Duc Quyet, coach of Yen Thanh Youth Team shared: In addition to daily training, we also call up players from the previous generation to compete with this year's generation so that they can compete and gain more experience. This year, both teachers and students are determined to bring home the title for Yen Thanh, also a thank you to teacher Nguyen Viet Cong, the great teacher of Yen Thanh football who has guided many generations of players from the district to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup for the past 25 years when he will retire in August, ending 40 years of dedication to Yen Thanh sports./.