After defeating the South Korean representative, U14 Song Lam Nghe An secured a place in the semi-finals of the Gia Lai U14 Festival.
Playing with great composure, U14 Song Lam Nghe An secured a 2-0 victory against U14 Eumseong (representing South Korea) to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 Gia Lai U14 International Football Festival.
On the afternoon of May 13th, at Pleiku Arena, U14 Song Lam Nghe An played their quarter-final match of the 2026 Gia Lai U14 International Football Festival against U14 Eumseong, representing South Korea. This was considered one of the most evenly matched quarter-final pairings, as both teams had shown impressive form in the group stage.
Previously, U14 Song Lam Nghe An finished the group stage with 7 points after 2 wins and 1 draw. Although they had the same number of points as U14 Malaysia, the team from Nghe An finished second in Group B due to an inferior goal difference.
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On the opposite side, U14 Eumseong also showed they were a very difficult opponent. The South Korean team possessed a physically demanding and well-organized style of play.
Despite the rather harsh weather conditions in Pleiku, the U14 Song Lam Nghe An team entered the match with confidence. The white-shirted team proactively controlled the ball, deployed their familiar short-passing style of play, and continuously put pressure on the opponent's half of the field.
From the very first minutes, coach Nguyen Van Vinh's players created many dangerous situations. Dinh La Thang, with his speed and ability to break through defenses, constantly caused difficulties for the opposing defense. Meanwhile, the U14 SLNA midfield showed good connection and flexible transitions.
After several minutes of pressing, the team from Nghe An finally broke the deadlock. In the 24th minute, from a central attack, the ball was passed to Dinh Tuan on the wing before he delivered a perfect cross for Vo Duc Anh to finish from close range, opening the scoring for U14 Song Lam Nghe An.
The goal boosted the morale of the Nghe An team. The duo of Dinh Tuan and Duc Anh continued to create many fast-paced and unpredictable combinations, keeping the U14 Eumseong defense busy.
Meanwhile, the U14 Song Lam Nghe An defense remained solid. The young players from Nghe An played with focus, provided good cover, and did not allow the South Korean representatives much space to approach the goal.
In the second half, U14 Eumseong launched a strong offensive in search of an equalizer. The South Korean team controlled the ball better and created continuous pressure on the U14 Song Lam Nghe An goal.
In the 45th minute, from a corner kick, the ball was cleverly lofted into the penalty area, but the Eumseong U14 players were unable to make the necessary touch to convert it into a goal.
Despite facing considerable pressure in the second half, U14 Song Lam Nghe An still demonstrated resilience and disciplined defensive organization. Not only did they withstand the pressure, but the team from Nghe An also launched a decisive counter-attack.
In the 58th minute, from a quick counter-attack, Cao Huy Hoang delivered an accurate through pass to Duc Tuan, who was running down the wing. In an attempt to intercept, the U14 Eumseong defender committed a foul inside the penalty area, and the referee immediately awarded U14 Song Lam Nghe An a penalty.
From the penalty spot, Vo Duc Anh calmly beat the opposing goalkeeper to increase the score to 2-0 for the Nghe An team.
In the final minutes of the match, U14 Song Lam Nghe An created several more notable opportunities, but Vo Duc Anh and Duc Tuan were unable to capitalize on them.
Nevertheless, the 2-0 victory was enough for coach Nguyen Van Vinh's team to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Gia Lai U14 International Football Festival 2026.
A bigger challenge lies ahead in the semi-finals, but with what they've shown so far, U14 Song Lam Nghe An has every right to hope for a memorable journey in Gia Lai this year.