Will U17 SLNA reach the final match of the 2023 National U17 Tournament?

Song Lam Nghe An U17 players had an impressive performance at the 2023 National U17 Qualifiers. Photo: Hai Hoang

Impressive performance

Preparing for the 2023 National U17 Tournament, the U17 coaching staffLam River Nghe Anhas planned specifically from training curriculum to team personnel.

Regarding personnel, in addition to the core players born in 2006, coach Phan Tien Hoai decided to add 6 more players from the U16 Song Lam Nghe An team. These are all excellent players and have just won the 2022 National U15 Championship.

From consolidating the personnel, the U17 Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff also built a systematic training program. The purpose is to help the players quickly integrate and compete together. In addition, the coaching staff also gave specific plans to promote the strengths and limit the weaknesses of each player.

The U17 Song Lam Nghe An attack showed a variety of attacks. Photo: Hai Hoang

Along with that, coach Phan Tien Hoai also let his students approach many different formations so that they won't be confused when entering the match.

The head coach of U17 Song Lam Nghe An shared: “Before entering the tournament, we carefully prepared the training plans for the athletes. So that the players would not be surprised when the coaching staff proposed different tactics in each match. In order to achieve high efficiency, we flexibly applied the tactics for each specific opponent. When facing a strong team, we will apply a different plan than when facing a mid-level opponent. And no matter which plan is applied, the players must be proficient, avoiding confusion, thereby making systematic errors.”

U17 Song Lam Nghe An had a convincing performance in the qualifying round. Photo: Sy Hieu

With careful preparation, U17 Song Lam Nghe An entered the 2023 National U17 Championship Qualifiers with full confidence. Coach Phan Tien Hoai's team had an overwhelming 4-1 victory over U17 Hung Yen on the opening day. Then continued to win 2 consecutive matches against U17 Thanh Hoa and U17 Phu Tho with scores of 1-0 and 7-0 respectively. Going into the final match of the first leg of Group B, National U17 Qualifiers, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will have to face the traditional team U17 Hanoi. This is a very strong opponent, possessing many quality strikers and led by experienced coach - Pham Minh Duc.

However, U17 Song Lam Nghe An played convincingly, with smooth ball rotations and flexible positions on the field, creating diverse attacks. With overwhelming dominance in the game, U17 Song Lam Nghe An won 2-0 against U17 Hanoi to end the first leg with a perfect record and firmly at the top of the table.

In the second round of the return match, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will face U17 Thanh Hoa. This is the team that will compete directly for the ticket to continue in group B. However, with superior class, coach Phan Tien Hoai's team had no difficulty crushing their opponent with a score of 4-0.

After winning 6 consecutive matches, U17 Song Lam Nghe An has quickly won a ticket to the 2023 National U17 finals, 2 matches early.

Looking back at the performance of U17 Song Lam Nghe An in the qualifying matches, it can be seen that this team brings a quite diverse and smooth playing style in the ball rotation and has many different approaches to the opponent's goal. U17 Song Lam Nghe An has shown the poise of an ambitious team. In particular, the Nghe players always take the field with a strong will to fight and a very high spirit of dedication, creating attraction for the audience to watch.

Head coach of U17 Song Lam Nghe An - Mr. Phan Tien Hoai. Photo: Sy Hieu

Coach Phan Tien Hoai commented: “Through the qualifying matches, I was impressed with the spirit and solidarity of the U17 Song Lam Nghe An team. The coaching staff provided effective support to help the players achieve the best results. In addition, U17 Song Lam Nghe An was very lucky and the players all made efforts to complete the goals that the team had set out before.”

The coach of U17 Song Lam Nghe An added: “In this tournament, the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players have made a lot of progress. My students have completed the tactical plans set out by the coaching staff. We have built a collective playing style and do not overemphasize any specific individual. Many students have shown their abilities very well and left matches that satisfied the coaching staff.”

Solve one battle at a time

Thus, 12 teams have been identified to participate in the 2023 National U17 final round, including: PVF, Viettel; Song Lam Nghe An, Hanoi; Hue, SHB Da Nang, Hong Linh Ha Tinh; Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa; Binh Phuoc; Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap.

In the qualifying round, PVF, Viettel, Hoang Anh Gia Lai... are the teams that have affirmed their brands with convincing performances. The most notable of which is PVF, the reigning National U17 champion, who left a strong impression when winning 7 matches and only drawing 1 match. Besides, Viettel also showed the consistency in the lines and a highly professional playing style. In the qualifying round, this team only lost 1 match to U17 PVF. Looking at their strength, PVF and Viettel can be considered strong candidates for the 2023 National U17 Championship. In addition, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hanoi, Dong Thap, Hue... can also create surprises.

Le Dinh Long Vu scored a goal in the match against U17 Hanoi. Photo: Sy Hieu

Coach Phan Tien Hoai commented on the opponents: “PVF and Viettel are two major football training centers in Vietnam. This season, through the qualifying matches, these two teams have shown their strength. The level of Viettel and PVF players is very good, the team is well organized. This is one of the formidable teams in the 2023 National U17 finals.”

Looking back at the overall qualifying round, it can be seen that the 12 teams that made it to the finals all have their own strengths. The teams participating in the U17 National Championship this year are all well-prepared and highly professional. Their professional quality has also improved compared to previous seasons.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia - Deputy General Director of Song Lam Nghe An Club. Photo: Sy Hieu

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia - Deputy General Director of Song Lam Nghe An Club said: "Through the matches in the group stage, I see that the current teams are invested quite systematically, thereby the professional quality is clearly improved. This is a good thing, opening up a bright future for the country's football".

Having said that, to go far in this year's tournament is not an easy thing for U17 Song Lam Nghe An. The team needs to temporarily forget the victories in the qualifying round, regain balance and improve the remaining limitations in order to hope to go to the final match.

“After the qualifying round, we did not return home, but the whole team decided to stay to practice. The coaching staff will prepare the players in the best way, both in terms of technique and tactics, and in terms of competitive spirit, so that they will be more confident when they reach the final round. We will have to solve each match one by one. Against each different opponent, we will have different tactics to achieve the best results. We aim to reach the final match at the 2023 National U17 Championship” – Coach Phan Tien Hoai shared.