Fiery football matches in the seaside town.

The 12 teams participating in the 2026 THACO Cup Finals expressed excitement about the draw results and are ready to deliver captivating performances.

Báo Thanh niên•06/03/2026

EVERY TABLE IS TENSE

Both Ton Duc Thang University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry teams are experienced, having reached the semi-finals in previous tournaments. Meanwhile,FPT Polytechnic College is a newcomer but boasts a well-rounded squad, professionally trained and led by former HAGL star Tran Huu Dong Trieu and Nguyen Ba Minh Hieu, who participated in the 2017 U.20 World Cup with the Vietnam U.20 team. Nha Trang University has a significant advantage playing at home, and its players are accustomed to the hot weather. Therefore, the developments in Group A will be highly anticipated.

Những trận cầu nảy lửa ở phố biển- Ảnh 1. — Representatives of the participating teams drew lots at the event.

In Group B, the two top contenders for the championship, the University of Water Resources and the Dong Nai University of Technology, are considered slightly stronger. However, newcomers like the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education and the Dong Thap University are always unpredictable. Surprises are expected in this group.

Meanwhile, Group C is considered the "group of death" due to the presence of many strong and evenly matched teams. Defending champions Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism will face the reigning runners-up Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education again. The other two representatives are Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, a quarterfinalist from last season, and Quy Nhon University - a resilient and tenacious team with an extremely difficult playing style.

WHAT DO THOSE INVOLVED SAY?

Assistant coach Ho Thanh Nha of Nha Trang University team commented: "At the finals, every opponent is very strong, all three groups are very tough. From the evening of March 5th, we started analyzing our opponents' matches to carefully assess and evaluate them. Recently, Nha Trang University team has had several friendly matches and achieved quite positive results. We will treat every match as a final and will strive to play our best for the image of the university and the province."

Former Hanoi FC goalkeeper and assistant coach Nguyen Ba Minh Hieu of FPT Polytechnic College shared the same opinion: "All the teams participating in Nha Trang this time have good professional quality. Our team has a good professional foundation and physical fitness; some players have trained professionally, so they know what they need to do. We have also prepared thoroughly to adapt to the hot weather in Nha Trang. This is our first time participating in the finals, so we aim to play well in each match."

Despite leading the Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism team to a double championship win last season (domestic and international), Coach Nguyen Cong Thanh remained cautious: "All the teams in the finals have their own strengths. I've also faced the teams in the same group last season and know their capabilities well. We've determined that facing any team is the same. Whether an opponent is strong or weak depends on ourselves. We respect every opponent and will try our best to deliver a quality performance. Our goal is to play beautifully, demonstrate our professional ability, and play for the prestige of the tournament organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper. For now, we're focusing on getting used to the weather in Nha Trang and the playing conditions."