Vietnam Workers' and Civil Servants' Football Tournament 2025: Waiting for surprises from two 'survival ticket' teams

Among the 16 teams participating in the national finals, Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union 2 and Dong Nai Trade Union 3 are two special names because they both received "survival tickets" as the second-placed teams with good results in the Southern qualifying round.

Home field is a big advantage for the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union 2 team (left) - Photo: QUANG DINH

As the sole representative of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Union 2 is facing great opportunities as well as great pressure. The team with the core of carpenters from Thanh Thang Thang Long Company (formerly Binh Duong province) sees this as a huge source of motivation.

When the home team doesn't want to play for fun

Mr. Phan Ly Tinh, captain of Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union 2, did not hide his confidence: "Playing at home, with the support of fans and relatives will be a huge mental advantage."

From here, instead of a modest goal, Ho Chi Minh City Union 2 aims straight for the highest position. "As the sole representative of Ho Chi Minh City, the whole team sets the highest goal of winning the championship and keeping the cup in the city," Mr. Tinh affirmed.

To realize their ambition, the team has prepared very carefully. As a traditional company team, the players have played together for many years so they have a very good understanding. After the qualifying round, the team still maintains a regular training schedule of 2 sessions/week.

In particular, learning from previous tournaments, the coaching staff decided to have the entire team gather at a hotel near the competition field one day before the tournament. "We will rest a day earlier to focus and prepare mentally for the finals, instead of traveling on the day of the competition," Mr. Tinh shared.

The team's strength also comes from the solidarity and strong support from the leadership. "During practice, the players will not need to work overtime but will still be paid overtime. In addition, the company will still pay for competition days," said Mr. Hoang Van Dung, team leader.

Dong Nai 3 Trade Union is ready to surprise

In contrast to the confidence and big goals of Ho Chi Minh City Union 2, Dong Nai Union 3 has a quiet preparation and a realistic mindset. As the team that won the "reserve ticket", Coach Van Ngoc Hung and his students clearly understand the challenges that await them in a tough group with the participation of Sawaco, Quang Ngai Union and Bac Ninh Union 1.

"Going to the finals, every team is very strong, especially the Northern representatives. Our group is very difficult. For now, we will focus on solving each match one by one. The team's goal is to try to play as well as possible, gain every point and hopefully pass the group stage," Coach Ngoc Hung shared.

However, Dong Nai 3's preparation showed a great determination. Right after the qualifying round, the team added 4-5 new personnel to increase the depth of the squad. The whole team also had friendly matches to assemble the squad and test tactics.

Coach Van Ngoc Hung said: "Because Dong Nai is quite close, we plan to move to Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of October 30 so that the players have time to rest and prepare for the opening match."

The core of the team mainly comes from Thien Long Company. Although they do not have any outstanding stars, their strength lies in their team spirit and disciplined playing style.

"Our spirit is still to play our best and dedicate ourselves to the team. Football is a playground for exchange and learning. Even if the opponent is strong, we will still enter the field with the highest determination and play a beautiful match," Mr. Hung affirmed.

Dong Nai 3 Trade Union and Ho Chi Minh City 2 Trade Union promise to be interesting unknowns, ready to create surprises at this year's finals.

The Vietnam Workers and Civil Servants Football Tournament is jointly organized by Tuoi Tre Newspaper, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, and Vietnam Football Federation for the third consecutive year. Entering the 2025 season, the tournament has affirmed its position as an annual, prestigious playground for workers, civil servants, and laborers across the country; contributing to promoting the movement of physical exercise and sports, improving the cultural and spiritual life of workers, civil servants, and laborers in particular and the whole society in general.

This year's tournament is honored to receive the support of Truong Hai Group Joint Stock Company (THACO), Dong Luc Sports Group, HTP Pharmaceutical Investment Joint Stock Company, Hoa Sen Group Joint Stock Company, Sunshine Group, Saigon Water Corporation (SAWACO), Fashion Connection Joint Stock Company (Faslink), 108 Central Military Hospital, 175 Military Hospital and a number of enterprises.

The final round of the Vietnam Workers' and Civil Servants' Football Tournament 2025 took place from October 31 to November 2 in Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of 16 teams that had successfully passed the qualifying round.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giai-bong-da-cong-nhan-vien-chuc-viet-nam-2025-cho-bat-ngo-tu-hai-doi-ve-vot-20251028231701018.htm