National U19 Finals 2022: SLNA faces Hanoi

According to the draw results, the reigning U19 champion PVF Hung Yen will be in group A with U19 teams including HAGL, Viettel, and Long An.

In group B, the teams include Dong Thap,Lam River Nghe An, Binh Dinh and Hanoi. In Group C, the current runner-up U19 Nutifood will be in the same group with U19 teams including Thanh Hoa, B.Binh Duong, and Saigon FC. Notably, U19 Nutifood will be coached by Guillaume Graechen - who just helped U21 Nutifood win the National U21 Championship.

Draw results for the 2022 National U19 Finals. Image:Ba Tuan

According to the schedule in Group B, the opening match of U19 SLNA is against U19 Dong Thap at 2:30 p.m. on March 23. After that, coach Dinh Van Dung and his team will meet U19 Ha Noi 2 on March 26 and close the group stage against U19 Binh Dinh on March 29.

Previously, U19 SLNA won the right to participate in the Final Round as the winner of Group B. In the history of the tournament, SLNA is still the team with the most championships with 5 times in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006. During the past 17 years, the Nghe An team has missed the National U19 Championship.

Like the Nghe An team, U19 Hanoi also holds many National U19 championship titles with the number 5 in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019.

U19 SLNA will face U19 Hanoi in the 2022 National U19 Finals. Photo: Hai Hoang

This year, U19 SLNA continues to possess a squad of talented young players who are members of the U17 and U19 Vietnam national teams such as Ho Van Cuong, Phan Duy Hao and many other young players who won the 2020 National U17 Championship such as goalkeeper Chu Van Tan, Nguyen Canh Tiep, Hoang Canh, Tran Ngoc Dung, Nguyen Van Son, Le Van Quy, Tran Nam Hai, Dang Ba Ha, Nguyen Cong Huy, Nguyen Hai Dang, Dao Ngoc Tu, Nguyen Van Bay... . The SLNA coaching staff includes coaches such as Dinh Van Dung, Coach Le Manh Hung...

The Capital team will have all the best names such as Nguyen Anh Tu, Nguyen Gian Tan, Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Duc Anh, Duong Van Quyet, Nguyen Trung Thanh, Phan Lac Duong. This promises to be a big challenge for SLNA in the Final Round.

According to the expected schedule announced by VFF, the Final Round will have a total of 25 matches and will be played at a very high density: the group stage will be played 3 days/match, from the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals will be played 2 days/match.

The teams will play a total of 3 matches in the group to calculate points, rank, select the first and second teams in the group and the 2 third teams with the best records to enter the quarter-finals.