Intriguing competition

Yesterday, March 13th, the home team Nha Trang University and Ton Duc Thang University created unforgettable moments of excitement in the final round of the 4th Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament - 2026 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2026).

Báo Thanh niên•13/03/2026

An emotional match.

The home team, Nha Trang University, and the host team of the previous three seasons of the THACO Student Tournament, Ton Duc Thang University, created an emotional match. A large crowd of fans packed the Nha Trang University stadium, cheering on Coach Nguyen Anh Tu's team in this crucial match against Ton Duc Thang University. As some of the home team's players acknowledged, this was a huge motivation but also created considerable pressure to achieve their goal of winning to secure a place in the quarterfinals, or at least a draw to maintain their chances of competing for a spot among the two best third-placed teams. Meanwhile, Ton Duc Thang University aimed solely for victory to keep their hopes alive. The Nha Trang University players displayed skillful play, launching sharp attacks down both flanks. However, their finishing was somewhat hasty and lacked accuracy.

Cạnh tranh hấp dẫn- Ảnh 1. — An emotional match between the home team Nha Trang University *(center)* and Ton Duc Thang University.

Meanwhile, Ton Duc Thang University maintained a balance between attack and defense. After a series of close calls, Ton Duc Thang University unexpectedly took the lead in the 60th minute through Nguyen Quoc Thien. Receiving a long pass from a teammate, Thien headed the ball skillfully past goalkeeper Ho Hoang Thinh. If the score remained unchanged, the home team, Nha Trang University, would be officially eliminated from the group stage. However, just 3 minutes later, joy erupted among Nha Trang University fans when Truong Dang Tri Thuc scored against goalkeeper Tran Le Bao Anh, leveling the score at 1-1.

With no clear winner, Nha Trang University's team earned 3 points after 3 draws (goal difference 0) and finished 3rd in Group A, while Ton Duc Thang University's team finished 4th with 1 point and was eliminated. The host team, Nha Trang University, is awaiting the results of the final round of Group B (taking place today) and Group C (taking place tomorrow, March 15th) to see if they will be among the two best-performing 3rd-placed teams to advance to the quarterfinals.

Coach Dong Trieu's mark

In the previous match,FPT Polytechnic College and Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry drew 0-0. Having already secured their place in the quarterfinals, coach Tran Huu Dong Trieu decided to rest key players while giving opportunities to the remaining ones. This rotation of the squad also helped FPT Polytechnic College prepare for the long race and their ambition to advance deep into the 2026 THACO Student Tournament Finals. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, also guaranteed to advance, fielded their strongest lineup. Coach Tran Van Dung's players aimed to defeat their opponent and claim the top spot in Group A. However, FPT Polytechnic College's proactive defensive style helped them maintain a solid game plan.

In the second half, coach Dong Trieu brought on key players such as Tran Minh Thao, Phan Lac Khoi, Can Duy Manh, and Ngo Van Trang. This change helped the FPT Polytechnic College team play more dominantly, creating many opportunities, but unfortunately, they failed to convert them into goals. The Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry team also showed resilience by playing flexibly and adapting to their opponent's changes. The goalless draw against the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry team gives the FPT Polytechnic College team the same 5 points as their opponent, but they are ranked first in Group A due to a better goal difference.

Final standings in Group A:

1/ FPT Polytechnic College Team (5 points, goal difference 2); 2/ Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry Team (5 points, goal difference 1); 3/ Nha Trang University Team (3 points, goal difference 0); 4/ Ton Duc Thang University Team (1 point, goal difference -3).