The opening ceremony ignites aspirations.

" EVERY MATCH IS A FINAL"

The Ho Chi Minh City regional qualifiers are scheduled to take place continuously with 3 matches per day at the Ton Duc Thang University football field, from December 28, 2024 to January 15, 2025. At the technical meeting yesterday morning, December 27, representatives from all teams agreed that each match would be as intense as a final, as only the top 7 teams from each of the 7 groups, along with the best-performing second-place team, will advance to the play-off round to select the 4 best teams to participate in the final round. The opening ceremony of Group E of the Ho Chi Minh City regional qualifiers will take place at 3:30 PM today, December 28, followed by the highly anticipated match between the defending champions, Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports (UPES), and the historically successful Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport. Head coach of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team, Ho Van Lung, said that in the third edition of the tournament, the team trained longer, and the players were full of determination and confidence to enter the match against very strong opponents. "Group A includes strong teams such as UPES, Saigon Polytechnic College, and the University of Finance - Marketing. We are determined to get points in the match on the afternoon of December 28th, and further, to secure a ticket to the final round of the THACO Cup 2025. Therefore, every match in this qualifying round is a final, and we cannot afford to be complacent," Mr. Lung emphasized.

Cheering enthusiastically

Photo: Nhat Thinh

The People's Police University is training in preparation for the new season.

This encounter is particularly interesting because the head coaches of the two teams are close friends who have known each other for nearly 30 years. They are so close that Coach Pham Thai Vinh of UPES jokingly recounted: "On my wedding day, Mr. Ho Van Lung was my best man. And on Mr. Lung's wedding day, I was his best man." But that close friendship will have to be set aside as the two coaches stand on opposite sides of the battlefield, representing the teams of two prestigious schools.

Quietly but regularly, the People's Police University team has been playing 11-a-side practice matches against a variety of opponents over the past period. For their second participation in the tournament, the Party Committee and the school's Board of Directors have invested heavily in uniforms and training facilities.

After a year, the players' physical fitness, skill level, and experience have improved significantly under the guidance of Nguyen The Anh - a former Vietnamese national team player and former goalkeeping coach. Last season, in their first participation in the tournament, the Police Academy made a strong impression with their beautiful cheering style, with hundreds of fans in police uniforms filling the stands. However, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Minh Tien, an officer from the Training and Advanced Development Management Department of the Police Academy, affirmed that this year's cheering squad will be even more spectacular, impressive, and professional. "The team's goal this year is to reach the finals. We hope that the Police Academy team this year will not only make a breakthrough and impress in the stands but also on the field, where the players compete," Lieutenant Colonel Tien emphasized.

It has to be beautiful, and the victory has to be beautiful too.

Coach Nguyen Vo Hoang Phu of Van Lang University said his team has no other goal than to reach the finals, just like in the first and second editions. Coach Phu added that this year, over 50% of the team are new players, but they have had ample time to practice together. "Out of 28 teams in the Ho Chi Minh City area, only 4 will advance to the finals. Our Group C includes strong teams with a lot of experience in 11-a-side football, such as RMIT, Gia Dinh University, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, so our task will be more challenging. We will try our best," Coach Phu said.

Fierce competition

Victory

Photo: Nhat Thinh

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , Mr. Tran Ngoc Nho, a V-League referee participating in the refereeing at the TNSV THACO Cup 2025, said that the team of referees, assistant referees, and referee supervisors are ready in terms of expertise and physical fitness for the tournament. In addition, the team of veteran referee supervisors and experienced former referees regularly exchange professional knowledge with young referees, ensuring the team is ready to perform their duties at the tournament with the highest efficiency. He also added that the Ho Chi Minh City regional qualifying round brings together a strong contingent of referees with 5 FIFA referees (2 FIFA referees: Le Thi Ly - recently assigned to officiate at the 2024 U.17 Women's World Cup - and Tran Thi Thanh), and 3 FIFA assistant referees (Ha Phuong, Hang Nga, and Kim Tuyen). Two of the male referees are currently officiating in the V-League, and one is officiating in the First Division. Their extensive experience, proven and affirmed by FIFA, will form the core framework to help run the Ho Chi Minh City regional qualifiers most effectively.

"The message I want to send to all the teams in the qualifying round of the TNSV THACO Cup 2025 is also the message of the tournament: Play fair, win fair, cheer fair. In competitive sports, collisions are unavoidable, but I hope that the players and coaching staff of the teams will exercise restraint and keep a cool head for the sake of their own individual image, the image of the team as a whole, and the image of the university or college where they are studying or working," referee Tran Ngoc Nho shared.

Regarding the match supervision by the VFF, Mr. Le Ba Hoai emphasized: "We urge all teams to compete fiercely and with dedication, but to respect the rules and decisions of the organizing committee and the referees. This is a student tournament, so each team needs to maintain the spirit of dedication to school football, resolutely eliminating violent acts and uncivilized behavior in football activities. Everyone must especially respect the audience and professional ethics. In particular, officials and coaches of the clubs need to demonstrate their roles, style, and competence, adhering to the regulations and rules of the tournament from registration to participation in matches, and absolutely refraining from inappropriate words or actions or intentions of incitement."

This year, among the 23 players officially registered to participate in the TNSV THACO Cup 2025 organized by UPES, there are two new students from the university who previously played for the U.19 and U.21 teams of Ho Chi Minh City: Tran Van Minh and Vuong Tan Phat. These two are predicted to be surprise contenders in the TNSV THACO Cup 2025 qualifying rounds.

Coach Pham Thai Vinh said that his team is taking advantage of the new rule, with strikers who have played in the U.19 and U.21 tournaments showcasing their abilities alongside the rest of the team in the opening match.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , 18-year-old UPES player Tran Van Minh said he has been playing football since he was a child. When he was in 6th grade, the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation (HFF) held a talent selection program in cooperation with Lyon FC (France), and Minh was selected. Minh trained with the team from 6th grade until the end of 12th grade, balancing his studies with football training, and participating in many matches for the U.19 and U.21 Ho Chi Minh City teams.

"This year, as a new UPES student, I'm fortunate to be wearing the UPES jersey and participating in the TNSV THACO Cup 2025. Wearing the UPES jersey, a team that has won and finished third in the tournament, puts pressure on many players, but we will overcome it with determination to lead the team to the finals," Minh shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khai-hoi-bung-khat-vong-185241227222310846.htm