The two visiting teams' cheering was a 'two-pronged' display.

On the afternoon of January 8th, the Southwest qualifying round of the 3rd Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament – ​​2025 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2025) officially kicked off at Can Tho Stadium. The opening match of the qualifying round took place at 1:30 PM, a clash between Cuu Long University and Dong Thap University.

The opening ceremony of the Southwest regional qualifiers for the TNSV THACO Cup 2025 football tournament took place on the afternoon of January 8th at Can Tho Stadium.

Cuu Long University and Dong Thap University were both "guest teams". Another similarity was that both received great support from their respective universities and were highly determined to succeed in this year's tournament. As expected, the match was not only evenly matched on the field but also featured an exciting back-and-forth battle in the stands.

The match between Dong Thap University (blue shirts) and Cuu Long University (yellow shirts) ended in a 0-0 draw.

The supporters of Dong Thap University showed that distances of hundreds of kilometers are no problem when you're determined to cheer on your favorite team. The students from the land of lotus flowers made a great impression by bringing drums, horns, banners, and slogans to liven up the atmosphere. The supporters clearly showed their enthusiasm and were always full of energy. Every attacking move by the home team received applause and cheers to boost the players' morale.

Supporters from Dong Thap University brought many "accessories" to show their support for the home team.

Luong Phu Quy (19 years old), a supporter of Dong Thap University, said that this is the first time Dong Thap University has participated in the Youth and Student Football Tournament, so it has received a lot of attention from supporters. Therefore, when the school shared the information, a large number of people registered to go and cheer. However, due to limited transportation, the school only organized 4 buses to take about 150 students to cheer for the team.

Quy is a loyal fan of the Dong Thap University team. He has followed the team in many tournaments, experiencing various atmospheres. However, the Youth and Student Football Tournament gave him a very special feeling. Before arriving at Can Tho Stadium, Quy didn't think a student tournament would be organized so professionally, so grandly, and receive so much attention from fans.

Fans traveled hundreds of kilometers to Can Tho Stadium.

Notably, the teams were fairly evenly matched in terms of skill, so the cheering atmosphere wasn't one-sided; the emotions fluctuated, creating a very suspenseful atmosphere. "To meet the needs of our fans, for the next match, the cheering squad will prioritize those who haven't had the chance to attend. It's true that traveling far is tiring, but the experience at Can Tho Stadium was truly worthwhile. Hopefully, the Dong Thap University team will go far in this year's tournament so that everyone will have more opportunities to cheer them on," Quy shared.

On the other side of the stands, Cuu Long University was in no way out of the pack of supporters. They didn't have as many cheering accessories as Dong Thap University, so they used the applause and cheers to "compete" with their opponents. Bui Le Hung, from the Cuu Long University coaching staff, said that the school had arranged two buses to transport over 100 supporters to Can Tho Stadium, many of whom were international students from Laos and Cambodia. Many had attended last year and registered again this year because they were very impressed with the tournament.

Cuu Long University also didn't lag behind, hiring two buses to transport over 100 supporters to cheer on the players.

According to Mr. Hung, the school not only provided transportation for fans to watch the match but also supported each student with 50,000 VND. The main purpose of this money was to cover the cost of drinks, helping students replenish their energy to cheer more enthusiastically. "This year, Cuu Long University is in a difficult group, so the students really wanted to support the players. Although many students had computer and English classes in the evening on the way back to school, everyone who participated cheered as enthusiastically as possible so that the players wouldn't feel left out," Mr. Hung shared.

Schedule for the Southwest Region Qualifiers

The qualifying round of the 3rd Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament - 2025, sponsored by THACO, will feature 66 teams divided into 6 groups based on geographical regions, from December 28, 2024 to January 18, 2025. Specifically, the Northern region will compete from December 30, 2024 to January 10, 2025 at the Water Resources University stadium; the Central Coastal region (January 6-12, 2025 at the Military Region 5 stadium in Da Nang); the South Central and Central Highlands region (January 10-18, 2025 at the Nha Trang University stadium); and the Southeast region (January 4-12, 2025 at the Bau Thanh Stadium, Ba Ria - Vung Tau). The Southwestern region (January 8-17, 2025 at Can Tho Stadium) and the Ho Chi Minh City region (December 28, 2024 - January 15, 2025 at Ton Duc Thang University Stadium) will select 11 teams to compete in the final round of the tournament, along with the host team Ton Duc Thang University, from March 1-16, 2025.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khai-mac-vong-loai-tay-nam-bo-man-co-vu-doi-cong-cua-2-doi-khach-185250108201625399.htm