SLNA wins its 5th National U21 Championship title.

A 1-0 victory in the final against Hanoi T&T U21 secured the Nghe An team's fifth championship title, a title they currently hold the record for most wins in the tournament.

Hanoi T&T U21 (in white shirts) had previously defeated SLNA U21 in the group stage but were unable to repeat the feat in the final. Photo: bongdaplus

Before the match, Hanoi T&T U21 was considered slightly superior to their opponent because in the group stage, coach Pham Minh Duc's team had defeated SLNA U21 2-0. However, the pressure of the final match caused the capital city team to play quite cautiously throughout the first half.

In the second half, as U21 Hanoi T&T proactively increased the tempo of the game, a heavy downpour hit the Can Tho stadium, affecting their ball-possession and passing game and preventing them from creating many dangerous opportunities towards the opponent's goal. On the opposite side, while U21 SLNA's playing style may not have been convincing, the team from Nghe An province possessed players capable of creating breakthroughs in a closely contested match.

In the 61st minute, after a burst of speed down the left wing, U21 SLNA striker Ho Phuc Tinh beat the U21 Hanoi T&T defender and easily put the ball into the net in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. This was the young player from Nghe An's fifth goal in the tournament and earned him the top scorer title.

But that wasn't all; Ho Phuc Tinh also received the title of Best Player of the tournament. After his impressive performances, the young player from Nghe An was a revelation at the 2014 National U21 Championship Finals.

Striker Ho Phuc Tinh (left) played very impressively at the 2014 National U21 Championship Finals. Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper

With nothing left to lose, Hanoi T&T U21 pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but the efforts of coach Pham Minh Duc's team were unsuccessful against the tight and experienced defense of SLNA U21. This was a rather disappointing outcome for the defending champions, who had won all four matches leading up to the final and scored 12 goals.

This defeat meant the team from the capital city lost their title, while SLNA continued to set a new record with their fifth national U21 championship.

SLNA wins the championship for the fifth time. Photo: Anh Tài

AWARDS:

Champion:SLNA – Cup, Gold Medal, and 250 million VND
Second:HN.T&T – Silver medal and 120 million VND
Tied for third place:Dong Thap and SHB Da Nang won bronze medals and 60 million VND each.
Style Award:Dong Thap – a trophy, a flag, and 40 million VND.
Best player:Ho Phuc Tinh (SLNA)
Top scorer:Ho Phuc Tinh (SLNA, 5 goals)
Best goalkeeper:Nguyen Van Cong (HN.T&T)

According to news.zing.vn