2017 National U19 Championship Finals: SLNA U19 faces a tough challenge from the start.

(Baonghean.vn) - The 2017 National U19 Championship Finals were held from March 21st to March 31st, 2017 at Quy Nhon Stadium, Binh Dinh. SLNA U19 was placed in Group B, considered the "group of death" of the tournament, with several strong teams.Hanoi U19, PVF U19, Khanh Hoa U19.

The reason why U19 SLNA is said to be facing a tough challenge is because they are in Group B with the defending champions U19 Hanoi, U19 PVF, and U19 S. Khanh Hoa. Meanwhile, the host team U19 Binh Dinh is in a relatively easy Group A with Thua Thien Hue, Viettel, and Long An.

Accordingly, the teams will compete in a single round-robin format to select the top two teams from each group to advance to the semi-finals. The champion will receive a trophy, a flag, a gold medal, and 80 million VND in prize money. The runner-up will receive a flag, a silver medal, and 50 million VND. The third-place team will receive a flag, a bronze medal, and 30 million VND. In addition, the U19 National Championship Finals also have other supplementary awards such as the Fair Play award, Best Player, Top Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, and Best Referee...

Two high mountains

Upon arriving in Quy Nhon, Coach Nguyen Huu Dang's U19 PVF team boasted many outstanding young players who had achieved success with the Vietnam U16 team in 2016, such as Khac Khiem, Huu Thang, Huu Khiem, and Huynh Sang. In the 2017 U19 National Championship qualifiers, PVF was the undisputed champion, winning all 10 matches and earning 3 points, scoring 48 goals and conceding only 4.

This team is strong in all three lines, with outstanding individuals who can create opportunities and change the course of a match. Experts believe that Coach Nguyen Huu Dang's players are the strongest contenders for the championship this time. Unless there are too many surprises, they are likely to take first place in Group A.

A ball contest between U19 SLNA and U19 Hanoi T&T. (Photo: Archival image)

In fact, U19 SLNA has already faced the defending champions U19 Hanoi in the group stage, winning one match and losing one, but that doesn't mean they should be underestimated. They are coming to this year's U19 National Championship with the goal of successfully defending their title. U19 Hanoi's recent performance has been quite consistent, with three championships in 2011, 2014, and 2016. They have always been considered a "suitable" opponent for U19 PVF, both in the past and in this year's tournament.

U19 Khanh Hoa is also a fairly familiar team in this competition. In fact, last year's performance at home, reaching the semi-finals of the U19 National Championship, was accompanied by considerable controversy (U19 Hanoi T&T only fielded a reserve team), but they are still considered a traditional training ground for young football players. The match between U19 Khanh Hoa and U19 SLNA will be considered a crucial game for both teams, as the losing team will almost certainly have no chance of advancing.

Learning from experience?

In Group A of the qualifiers, viewers witnessed a fierce competition between three renowned football academies in Northern Vietnam: Hanoi FC, Viettel FC, and SLNA. These three teams created a three-way race in Group A, all finishing the first half of the season with 12 points each, having won 4 matches and lost 1. In the second half, coach Nguyen Dinh Dung's decision to rest several key players and field reserve players in the final two matches demonstrates his tactical prowess.

Clearly, when finishing first or second in their group is not an option, this is the perfect time for young players to test their mettle. In fact, among the eight coaches leading teams in this final tournament, Coach Dinh Dung of SLNA is the most experienced in youth development. He has won almost every medal at the national youth championships across all age groups.

SLNA still holds the national record for the most U19 championships with 5 titles. However, since 2006, the Nghe An youth team has not won the title due to fierce competition from other training academies such as Hanoi, Viettel, and PVF. (Photo: Archival image)

Although SLNA U19 qualified for the U19 Finals through the back door, as the best third-placed team in their group, those familiar with football know they shouldn't be underestimated. Especially since SLNA is also at a disadvantage in terms of age, with a player born in 2001 in their squad.

A host of young players such as Thai Bao Trung, Duong Van Cuong, Tran Tien Anh, and especially captain Dang Van Lam, promise to be explosive. The five U15 players – Tran Quoc Thanh, Pham Duc Manh, Tran Manh Quynh, Nguyen Xuan Binh, and Ngo Van Luong – brought to Quy Nhon demonstrate that the SLNA coaching staff is planning for the long term.

According to the tournament organizers' statistics, U19 SLNA is the youngest team, indicating that the team from Nghe An province doesn't place too much emphasis on results, especially given the difficult group. However, with a relatively favorable schedule, facing teams ranging from weak to strong: U19 Khanh Hoa, U19 Hanoi, and finally U19 PVF, if conditions are favorable and opportunities arise, there's no reason for them to miss out.

Catcosan Vinh