Both the defending champion and the runner-up were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals of the 4th Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament - THACO Cup 2026 (TNSV THACO Cup 2026) concluded yesterday, March 18th, at Nha Trang University Stadium with some exciting surprises, thus determining the four outstanding teams that have qualified for the semi-finals.

Báo Thanh niên•18/03/2026

The team from the University of Water Resources dethroned their opponent.

Defending champions Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism were unfortunate to have their captain, Le Van Thuc, return home just before the crucial match against the University of Water Resources. Coach Nguyen Cong Thanh admitted that the absence of this key player meant Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism lacked an optimal replacement. Coach Vu Van Trung of the University of Water Resources also acknowledged that their opponent's strength was diminished without their "maestro" Le Van Thuc. As a result, the University of Water Resources effectively neutralized the defending champions' remaining ace, Ngan Nhu Dung, and achieved the desired game plan.

ĐKVĐ lẫn á quân dừng chân ở tứ kết- Ảnh 1. — An impressive celebration by Coach Vu Van Trung and his team (Water Resources University).

In the 7th minute, striker Tran Duc Hoan shone with a powerful header that beat goalkeeper Luong The Ngoc, opening the scoring for the Water Resources University team. The Water Resources University team's aggressive attacking style continued to be effective with Hoang Van Lam doubling the lead in the 31st minute. After gaining a significant advantage, Coach Vu Van Trung's players proactively switched to a defensive approach to protect their lead. As a result, the Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism team had a better attacking game, creating many opportunities but failing to capitalize on them. Their push forward in search of a goal left the Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism team vulnerable, conceding two more goals in the final minutes and ultimately losing 0-4, thus ending their journey in the quarterfinals. Therefore, after four seasons of the TNSV THACO Cup, no team has managed to defend their title, and a new champion awaits.

Speaking after the match, Coach Vu Van Trung said: "Since our loss to Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism in last year's qualifying round, we've been burning with a desire for revenge. The whole team prepared very carefully in every aspect, and I'm very happy that the players performed so well to achieve our goal." Meanwhile, Coach Nguyen Cong Thanh shared: "Congratulations to the Water Resources University team for playing better and winning. That's football; we will come back stronger."

The runner-up team was eliminated after a penalty shootout.

The final quarter-final match between Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education was a closely contested affair. The defending runner-up, Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education, adopted a tight defensive style, focusing on controlling the game. Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, a semi-finalist in the previous TNSV THACO Cup, also employed a cohesive team play and aggressive pressing. Therefore, the match was balanced, with few unexpected moments.

The Da Nang University of Physical Education and Sports team completely dominated the game in the 60th minute, when captain Thach Tuan Tuong of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry left the field due to injury. It was the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Le Pham The Anh, including two excellent saves, that helped the Ho Chi Minh City team's defense remain solid against their opponent.

With the match ending in a 0-0 draw after regulation time, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and the Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education team had to decide the winner through a penalty shootout. In the tense shootout, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry team, thanks to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Le Pham The Anh, defeated the Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education team with a score of 4-1 to advance to the semi-finals.

Two exciting semi-final matches.

The quarter-finals of the TNSV THACO Cup 2026 have concluded, determining the following two semi-final pairings: Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology vs. Thuy Loi University (semi-final 1, 1:30 PM on March 20th), and Dong Nai University of Technology vs. Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (semi-final 2, 3:45 PM on March 20th).

Prior to the semi-finals, two teams remained undefeated: the Water Resources University team and the Dong Nai University of Technology team. The Dong Nai team earned fair-play points for not receiving any yellow or red cards.