Will My Dinh Stadium lose its dominant position?

The Vietnamese team is undefeated at Viet Tri Stadium.

Phu Tho province supports upgrading Viet Tri stadium.

Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Dac Thuy, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province, said: "The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is proposing to seek approval for investment in upgrading Viet Tri Stadium, with a planned increase in capacity from 20,000 to 30,000 seats."

Essentially, the leadership of Phu Tho province supports this idea. In the near future, we will plan to prepare the budget, take steps to balance resources, and complete investment procedures… in accordance with regulations.

We will have to conduct a survey and assessment of the current situation to calculate a plan for renovating and upgrading the old structure, building a roof, allocating space, etc., in a way that is scientific , safe, and reasonable."

The pitch was fantastic when the Vietnamese team defeated Thailand in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final...

The Vietnamese national team won the AFF Cup 2024 in a spectacular fashion, with the most impressive journey in their history of participating in Southeast Asian championships. In particular, the Viet Tri stadium truly became a "cauldron" that fueled the strength of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.

To recap, the Vietnamese national team has won all their matches against every opponent in the AFF Cup 2024, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand, with an impressive aggregate score of 11-2. This marks the first time the Vietnamese national team has won all their home matches in the history of the AFF Cup.

Clearly, despite its capacity of only around 20,000 seats, Viet Tri Stadium in the ancestral land of King Hung remains a strong support base, with thousands of fans from Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Hanoi , and other provinces willing to stay up all night to get tickets to support the Vietnamese national team.

Will they be a formidable opponent for My Dinh Stadium?

A panoramic view of Viet Tri Stadium, with a capacity of 20,000 spectators.

Mr. Nguyen Dac Thuy shared: "Up until now, Viet Tri Stadium has been very fortunate for Vietnamese national teams. According to media statistics, only the Vietnamese women's national team lost to Australia 1-2 in the 2020 Olympic qualifiers in the Asian region (Huynh Nhu made history as the first Vietnamese player to score against this very strong opponent - PV)."

Furthermore, all matches played at Viet Tri Stadium by national teams at all levels, from youth to the senior Vietnam national team, have been undefeated, mostly with wins and a few draws. The Vietnam national team, in particular, has a perfect winning record at Viet Tri Stadium. As mentioned, the leaders of Phu Tho province generally support the plan to upgrade Viet Tri Stadium.

Currently, Viet Tri Stadium still has space for upgrades, especially for stands AB, while stand CD has less space. If the procedures proceed smoothly, construction could begin in late 2025 or early 2026."

Fans with their unique colors and emotions in the stands of Viet Tri Stadium.

Viet Tri Stadium is gaining popularity among fans nationwide after hosting matches of the Vietnam U.22 team in the group stage and semi-finals of the men's football tournament at the 2021 SEA Games (which took place in 2022 due to Covid-19) and most recently, the success of the 2024 AFF Cup.

If the project to upgrade the stadium's capacity to 30,000 seats is approved and successfully built, Viet Tri Stadium will be a formidable competitor to My Dinh Stadium.

Most recently, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has finalized the plan for the opening match of the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, when the Vietnamese national team hosts the Laotian national team. The match will not be played at My Dinh Stadium but at Binh Duong Stadium in the South.

Considering that the Vietnamese national team frequently plays at Lach Tray Stadium (Hai Phong City), Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh City), and Hang Day Stadium (Ho Chi Minh City), it can be said that My Dinh Stadium, with its high cost, subpar quality, and numerous incidents, no longer holds its dominant position.

If the Viet Tri stadium is successfully renovated and upgraded to a capacity of up to 30,000 seats, it will be a formidable opponent for My Dinh stadium when the Vietnamese national team plays at home in friendly and official matches in the coming years.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/san-viet-tri-muon-nang-suc-chua-thanh-30000-cho-ngoi-my-dinh-mat-the-doc-ton-185250118160908429.htm