2015 National U13 Championship Finals: SLNA defeats Binh Duong, advances to the final.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, U13 SLNA showed their composure to defeat U13 Binh Duong 5-4 in the penalty shootout, securing their place in the final.

Before the first semi-final of the 2015 Mobifone U13 National Championship, U13 SLNA was considered the underdog against U13 Binh Duong. However, coach Nguyen Van Thinh's players showed the mettle of the defending champions by playing proactively and pressing from the opening whistle. The young team from Nghe An even scored once, but unfortunately, the goal was disallowed due to offside.

SLNA U13 players

On the other side, U13 Binh Duong played quite defensively in their own half, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack. For most of the first half, they didn't create any noteworthy chances. However, luck was on the side of the young team from Binh Duong when, in the final minute of the first half, a seemingly harmless shot deflected off a U13 SLNA defender's leg and into the net. The score at halftime was 1-0 in favor of U13 Binh Duong.

Entering the second half, the U13 SLNA players' movements became disjointed due to psychological pressure. Meanwhile, U13 Binh Duong, with the advantage of leading, played more freely and continuously created dangerous opportunities in front of the U13 SLNA goal. However, the highly focused defense helped U13 SLNA hold firm.

When the spectators in the stadium thought of a victory for U13 Binh Duong, Ba Quyen (12) shone with a golden goal that helped U13 SLNA equalize. And that was also the last goal of the match.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, U13 SLNA and U13 Binh Duong went to a penalty shootout. And once again, the defending champions' composure helped the U13 SLNA players defeat the Binh Duong youth team 5-4. With this victory, U13 SLNA advanced to the final and will face their opponent in the second semi-final between U13 Hue and U13 Viettel.

Tam Bao (Songlamplus)