SLNA U17 team becomes former champion.

(Baonghean.vn) -On the afternoon of July 8th, the final matches of Group B of the 2013 National U17 Championship took place. A major surprise occurred when the defending champions, U17 SLNA, were eliminated in the group stage after a disappointing draw against U17 Viettel.

Before the match, SLNA, after a 5-5 draw against Dong Tam and a 0-2 loss to Da Nang, still had a glimmer of hope of advancing if they secured a resounding victory against Viettel at Thong Nhat Stadium, while simultaneously hoping that Long An – who currently have 4 points after one win and one draw – would lose to Da Nang in their match at the same time at Phu Nhuan Stadium.

SLNA U17 entered the final match with no chance of survival, as the champion no longer held their fate in their own hands. Understanding this, the young SLNA players showed clear determination to secure a resounding victory to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

In the 6th minute, U17 Viettel unexpectedly opened the scoring after a well-coordinated play and a precise finish by Cong Son. After conceding the goal, the task for coach Ngo Quang Truong's team became even more difficult, and it wasn't until the 32nd minute that the Nghe An team rekindled their hopes with an equalizer from Van Duc.

In the second half, U17 SLNA played better and gained the upper hand against U17 Viettel. This was evident when Duc Thong scored to put SLNA ahead 2-1. However, towards the end of the match, the impatience and lack of concentration from the SLNA players were evident, allowing Duy Thuong of Viettel to score the equalizer in the 85th minute after a central attack, securing a 2-2 draw.

With a disappointing draw and only one point, U17 SLNA officially became the former champion of the tournament and at the same time sadly watched U17 DTLA advance to the semi-finals, the team that drew 1-1 against U17 SHB Da Nang to finish the group stage in second place.

Hung Nguyen