The heavyweight candidates and the struggling start at the 2023 National U19 Finals

Group A: U19 Hanoi held to a draw

In group A, where U19 Tay Ninh, U19 Khanh Hoa, U19 Hanoi and U19 SHB Da Nang are present. Among the 04 teams, U19 Hanoi is highly appreciated but in the opening match, coach Duong Hong Son's students encountered fierce resistance from U19 SHB Da Nang, causing the capital representative to be held to a 1-1 draw, even though the capital representative was the one who scored the first goal.

In the history of the National U19 tournament in recent years, U19 Hanoi has always been a formidable opponent and is the team holding the record number of championships (6 times). The defending champions will have to be very careful because the home team Tay Ninh has home field advantage, while SHB Da Nang is also a team that played quite impressively in the qualifying round. Being held to a draw in the first match can be considered a misstep that makes U19 Hanoi have to be highly alert.

The National U19 Finals are witnessing the "big guys" having a difficult start. Photo: VFF

Group B: U19 Hoang Anh Gia Lai "falls off the horse"

Group B is home to two giants, U19 Hoang Anh Gia Lai and U19 Viettel. The remaining two teams, U19 An Giang and U19 Binh Phuoc, seem to be no match for them. However, only U19 Viettel proved their strength with a 4-2 victory over An Giang.

This season, U19 Viettel can be considered the brightest candidate for the championship because of a well-balanced squad, good physique and fitness. In particular, there is also the addition of the recent 2023 National U17 champions such as Cong Phuong.

Meanwhile, U19 Hoang Anh Gia Lai showed a contrasting image. Coach Chu Ngoc Canh's team suffered a shocking 2-3 defeat in the first match of the 2023 National U19 Finals against U19 Binh Phuoc. It is worth mentioning that in that defeat, U19 Hoang Anh Gia Lai showed their immaturity when they lost by 3 goals before narrowing the gap.

Group C: U19 Song Lam Nghe An has not yet entered the groove

Group C with the participation of U19 Becamex Binh Duong, U19 Dong Thap, U19 Dong A Thanh Hoa and U19 Song Lam Nghe An is a very unpredictable group and is predicted to be extremely fierce. All 4 teams have similar strength and level. Therefore, it is not surprising that U19 Song Lam Nghe An and U19 Dong A Thanh Hoa held each other to a 1-1 draw in the match on April 23.

After the first series of matches, the unknown teams are showing that they have the ability to create surprises. Typical among them is U19 Dong Thap with a 1-0 victory over U19 Becamex Binh Duong.

The change in Le Dinh Long Vu's playing style promises to increase the diversity in the attacking style of U19 Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le

With U19 Song Lam Nghe An, despite having a difficult first half against U19 Thanh Hoa, coach Nguyen Van Vinh's students still received great respect from their opponents. The absence of No. 1 goalkeeper Cao Van Binh is also one of the reasons why the U19 Song Lam Nghe An defense could not play as intended. The 1-1 draw against U19 Thanh Hoa is a clear mark of the U19 Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff in changing personnel and bringing about efficiency.

If in the last match, the U19 Song Lam Nghe An players could not show their true form and strength, then in the next match against U19 Becamex Binh Duong, fans can expect a more accelerated and improved performance from the young players from Nghe An.

According to the competition format, the 3 first-placed teams, 3 second-placed teams and 2 third-placed teams with the best results in the three groups will compete in the Quarterfinals. Teams such as U19 Hanoi, U19 SHB Da Nang in Group A, U19 Viettel and U19 Hoang Anh Gia Lai in Group B and U19 Song Lam Nghe An, U19 Thanh Hoa are the teams with the brightest prospects. However, most of these teams did not get 3 full points in the first round and need to make a lot of effort in the next 2 group stage matches.