U17 Song Lam Nghe An wins convincingly against U17 Khanh Hoa

The joy of the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players after opening the scoring against U17 Khanh Hoa. Photo: Chung Le.

In the 2023 National U17 Championship finals, U17 Song Lam Nghe An is in Group B along with U17 Khanh Hoa, U17 Dong Thap, and U17 Hue.

In the opening match, coach Phan Tiến Hoài's team faced U17 Khánh Hòa. The weather during the match was quite sunny, causing the artificial turf to heat up considerably, which significantly affected the performance of both teams.

In addition, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will be without midfielder Nguyen Trong Son due to accumulating three yellow cards. He will be replaced by midfielder Nguyen Van Linh.

With their current strength and form, U17 Song Lam Nghe An had little difficulty taking control of the match. Demonstrating superior class, U17 Song Lam Nghe An quickly took the lead in the first minute. From a corner kick, the ball was lofted towards the opponent's far post, reaching Quoc Hoa. The striker wearing number 11 made a precise one-touch pass to Trong Tuan, who easily tapped the ball into the empty net.

The U17 Song Lam Nghe An players demonstrated a fluid and highly effective style of play. Photo: Chung Le

After scoring, U17 Song Lam Nghe An completely dominated the match and pushed forward in attack. The agility in their off-ball movements created many gaps for them to penetrate the U17 Khanh Hoa defense.

In order to limit the diverse attacking capabilities of U17 Song Lam Nghe An, coach Nguyen Ty's team had to use a large number of players to defend deep. However, with their strength, U17 Song Lam Nghe An still frequently created numerous opportunities in front of Nguyen Van Thang's goal.

The most unfortunate moment for the Nghe An team came in the 14th minute of the match. From an attack down the left wing, Long Vu delivered an accurate cross to Phung Van Nam. Despite being in a clear position, the striker wearing number 10 headed the ball over the crossbar.

However, the fans in Nghe An didn't have to be too disappointed because less than two minutes later, Quoc Hoa doubled the lead for U17 Song Lam Nghe An. The goal came from a daring breakthrough in the midfield, with the striker wearing number 11 beating three players before finding the back of the net against Khanh Hoa.

Quoc Hoa's familiar celebration after scoring a brace against U17 Khanh Hoa. Photo: Chung Le.

Not stopping there, from a dynamic attacking move through the center, Trong Tuan neatly controlled the ball before making a well-timed pass to Long Vu. Unmarked, the U17 national team player easily found the back of the net past Van Thang.

Displaying a relaxed style of play that didn't require excessive effort, U17 Song Lam Nghe An still easily executed many highly effective passes, causing the opposing defense to frequently make mistakes. With more luck, U17 Song Lam Nghe An could have scored at least two more goals after the first 45 minutes. However, Quoc Hoa and Long Vu both failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

In the second half, although they no longer pushed the pace of attack, U17 Song Lam Nghe An, with their composed style of play, still delivered beautiful attacking plays, pleasing the spectators in attendance.

In the 54th minute, following a quick one-two pass in the midfield, the ball reached Quoc Trung. The midfielder wearing number 20 took a quick shot, but the ball went wide of the post, much to the disappointment of the many Nghe An fans present at the PVF stadium.

However, shortly afterwards, Quoc Hoa scored again, increasing the lead to 4-0 for U17 Song Lam Nghe An. A pass from midfield tore through the U17 Khanh Hoa defense, putting Quoc Hoa in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. The striker wearing number 11 made no mistake, scoring his second goal of the match.

Not stopping there, Trong Tuan further increased the score to 5-0 for U17 Song Lam Nghe An in the 61st minute of the match. The goal came from a run down the left wing, with the ball passed back to Trong Tuan by a teammate. The Song Lam Nghe An captain executed a skillful curling shot, sending the ball into the far corner of Van Thang's net, beating U17 Khanh Hoa.

In the 62nd minute, Long Vũ further increased the score to 6-0 for U17 Song Lam Nghe An. Thus, after more than two-thirds of the match, Trong Tuan, Long Vu, and Quoc Hoa all scored a brace.

Realizing that the 6-0 lead was secure, coach Phan Tiến Hoài decided to substitute Trọng Tuấn, Long Vũ, and Hoàng Minh Hợi to rest key players. This was a sensible decision by the U17 coach from Nghệ An, as the season still has a long and challenging road ahead.

In the final minutes, Phung Van Nam scored another goal to seal a 7-0 victory for U17 Song Lam Nghe An.

On March 12th, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will play their second match in Group B against U17 Dong Thap.