U17 Song Lam Nghe An won big against U17 Thanh Hoa, officially entered the final round 2 matches early

Situation in Group B, National U17 Qualifiers 2023, U17Lam River Nghe Anis currently ranked first with 15 absolute points. Hanoi is ranked second in the table with the same number of points as Song Lam Nghe An but has played 1 more match. Thanh Hoa has played 6 matches and has 12 points. Therefore, the confrontation between the two North Central derby teams is of great significance, deciding the possibility of U17 Thanh Hoa to continue. On the other hand, if coach Phan Tien Hoai's team wins, they will soon be present in the final round, without having to care about the results of the last 2 matches.

Trong Son's explosive performance helped U17 Song Lam Nghe An win a ticket to the final round. Photo: Hai Hoang

Coming into this match, U17 Song Lam Nghe An faced a bit of a disadvantage when U16 Vietnam player - Le Dinh Long Vu could not play due to receiving a penalty card in the previous 2 rounds. Besides, Nguyen Trong Tuan was also not in the starting lineup, he was not fully fit so coach Phan Tien Hoai did not risk using him from the start.

Given the importance of the match, when the opening whistle blew, Song Lam Nghe An did not push their attacking formation as high as in previous matches. However, coach Phan Tien Hoai's team still created the first dangerous opportunity in the 8th minute. From the attack on the left wing, Gia Bao crossed the ball towards the opponent's second post, but Phung Van Nam could not defeat goalkeeper Do Quyen Anh.

Immediately after that, U17 Thanh Hoa responded by facing the goalkeeper of Song Lam Nghe An. However, the Thanh Hoa striker's handling could not defeat Gia Huy.

With the advantage of points on the rankings, Song Lam Nghe An did not push the speed of the match too high. The Nghe defenders slowly circulated the ball on the home field and waited for the opponent to make a mistake to launch the decisive pass. This way of playing helped U17 Song Lam Nghe An create many opportunities in front of Quyen Anh's goal. The notable situation came in the 25th minute, from Minh Hoi's low cross, the ball found Van Linh's feet. The striker wearing the number 18 shirt, fired a powerful shot, but it went high above the opponent's goal.

After a series of opportunities were created, U17 Song Lam Nghe An got what they needed in the 35th minute of the match. Starting from a transition, Trong Son made a bold breakthrough, causing the opposing defender to lose direction. The player wearing the number 19 shirt fired a low, tricky shot into the net of Quyen Anh, opening the score for U17 Song Lam Nghe An.

Not stopping there, 4 minutes later, U17 Song Lam Nghe An continued to double the gap. Trong Son made a solo run in the middle, completely eliminating the opponent's defense before coldly kicking the ball past goalkeeper Quyen Anh. However, the goal was not counted for the player wearing the number 19 shirt, because the ball had previously touched the foot of a Thanh Hoa defender.

With a 2-goal gap and a solid game set up on the home field, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will find it easier to carry out their intentions in the next 45 minutes of the match.

Entering the second half, after creating a big advantage, coach Phan Tien Hoai's team still proactively attacked and they continued to create a 3-goal gap against U17 Thanh Hoa. The goal came from a set-piece kick in front of the 16m50 area, Quoc Trung made a technical shot that went over the opponent's wall, leaving goalkeeper Quyen Anh no chance to block.

After scoring the goal, coach Phan Tien Hoai instructed his players to slow down the pace of the match. However, U17 Thanh Hoa still could not put much pressure on Gia Huy's goal. The notable situation that U17 Thanh Hoa created in the second half came in the 87th minute. In a chaotic situation in the U17 Song Lam Nghe An penalty area, the referee awarded Thanh Hoa a penalty, but in the penalty shootout, the Thanh Hoa striker shot over the bar.

In the final minutes of the match, U17 Song Lam Nghe An scored another goal to seal the 4-0 victory. The scorer for U17 Nghe An was Gia Bao, after a precise cross from his teammate.

With the victory over U17 Thanh Hoa, U17 Song Lam Nghe An has officially passed the qualifying round and officially entered the 2023 National U17 Finals before 2 matches./.