Song Lam Nghe An reacts to U13 tournament regulations, what does Vietnam Football Federation say?

ClubLam River Nghe Anrecently sent an official dispatch to the Vietnam Football Federation, commenting on some shortcomings in the regulations and organization of the Yamaha Cup 2025 National Youth Football Tournament. In particular, the issue emphasized is the unreasonable division of competition areas and the format for selecting teams for the final round, affecting the fairness and quality of the tournament.

According to the tournament regulations, the teams are divided into 3 regions: region 1 has 12 teams, region 2 has 14 teams and region 3 has 18 teams. However, this allocation is said to not be based on geographical factors, causing many teams in the North to have to move to region 2 (Dak Lak) to compete, leading to high costs and disadvantages for the youth teams. Song Lam Nghe An asked the question: Why does region 1 only have 12 teams and not accept more teams from the North, while they are concentrated in region 3 (the South)?

Another controversial issue is the way the second-placed teams are selected for the final round. Although the competition areas are not at the same time, the organizers use the results to compare the second-placed teams, thereby selecting the team with the best results. This method is reflected as lacking transparency, easily leading to the situation where the teams competing later can calculate the score to gain an advantage. Song Lam Nghe An believes that in international tournaments, the final matches are often held simultaneously to avoid negativity - something that the current National U13 tournament cannot do.

In the petition, Song Lam Nghe An did not request an immediate change in the regulations, but suggested that the Organizing Committee learn from experience and make adjustments in the coming seasons. This unit also proposed that the number of places in the final round should be allocated to each region from the beginning, instead of letting teams compare their achievements, especially when they do not compete at the same time.

In response to this document, the Vietnam Football Federation cited the grounds conditions, saying that the division of teams depends on the facilities of the host locality. However, Song Lam Nghe An argued that the number of teams (12 or 15) must be divided into 3 groups, using at least 2 playing fields, so that explanation is not convincing. In addition, the Vietnam Football Federation also affirmed that the method of selecting the second-placed team has been applied in many domestic and international tournaments. However, the difference is that major tournaments are all played simultaneously to ensure fairness, something that the National U13 tournament cannot meet.

Based on the above facts, many opinions believe that the response of the Vietnam Football Federation is formal, imposed, not really receptive and lacks satisfactory solutions. The suggestions from Song Lam Nghe An need to be considered more seriously.

The National U13 Football Tournament is an important playground for discovering and developing young talents. Inappropriate organization can affect the motivation and confidence of football training centers across the country. Listening and making timely adjustments will contribute to building a solid foundation for Vietnamese football in the future./.