Don't underestimate The Cong.

At 8 PM today (October 15th), the men's final of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship will take place in Ninh Binh between the Border Guard team and The Cong Tan Cang team.

The Border Guard's star players will face The Cong Tan Cang in the final match - Photo: People's Army Newspaper

In recent years, Border Guard has been rising strongly and becoming the number one men's volleyball team in Vietnam. However, they cannot afford to be complacent against their opponent, The Cong Tan Cang.

Border Guard still has the upper hand.

Although they are all military teams, they possess different strengths. The Border Guard team's strength lies in its superior domestic players compared to the other teams. Among them, outside hitter Nguyen Ngoc Thuan is the brightest star with his explosive and versatile attacking abilities. He is supported by setter Dinh Van Duy, opposite hitter Pham Van Hiep, and two middle blockers Truong The Khai and Tran Duy Tuyen.

Many people often criticize Border Guard coach Tran Dinh Tien for favoring "family members" in the national team (he is also the coach of the Vietnamese men's volleyball team). But in reality, at this moment, these are the 5 best players in the country, and it's difficult to find worthy replacements. The Cong Tan Cang also has quality domestic players, with names called up to the national team such as setter Phan Cong Duc and libero Cao Duc Hoang.

But overall, the athletes of The Cong are not as strong as their opponents. Even Tu Thanh Thuan is 33 years old this year and no longer has the physical fitness and strength he once had.

Expectations for Rivan Nurmulki

Therefore, the true strength of The Cong Tan Cang lies in the position of Rivan Nurmulki - the Indonesian opposite hitter. For Southeast Asian volleyball fans, this name is not unfamiliar. While not world- class, Rivan is very good compared to the general standard in the region.

From club level to the national team, he has always been a formidable opponent. And his understanding of Southeast Asian volleyball helped him adapt very quickly to The Cong Tan Cang, even though he only joined the team at the beginning of the second phase.

His best match was the semi-final against Ho Chi Minh City Police - a championship contender with a star-studded lineup. But it was Rivan who ultimately brought down the opponent's quality blockers after an outstanding performance. While the other players from The Cong Tan Cang also played quite well, Rivan's superiority almost completely overshadowed them.

A historic match

This is the first time the final of the National Men's Volleyball Championship will be a showdown between two teams from the military. Therefore, the appeal is sure to be immense. Historically, The Cong Tan Cang is one of the most successful teams in the tournament, having won the championship 4 times and finished second 7 times. They are also the only team to have participated in all 22 seasons.

Meanwhile, Border Guard started participating in the National Championship in 2006, but only truly achieved success in recent years. Last year was their first time winning the championship. But in return, Border Guard has succeeded in building a quality and relatively young generation of athletes.

Therefore, this match is not only historic but also promises to be exciting and dramatic.

DUC KHUE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dung-xem-thuong-the-cong-20251015080223893.htm