A new smile for Ho Chi Minh City's amateur football scene.

The amateur football scene in Ho Chi Minh City recently experienced exciting days as Troll Football and Saigon Amateur Football collaborated to organize the Faith Saigon Super Cup 2023, concluding with a victory for Viet Thang Steel – Hoang FC over Penguins in the final match.

The Faith Saigon Super Cup 2023 took place from October 25th to November 22nd at the H2 Sport Complex in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Eight teams competed in this tournament: 2109 FC, Hong Lam FC, 91 FC, Chim Canh Cut FC, Hoang FC, Hoang Nong Khi Neymar Sport FC, Nam Dinh FC, and Rio United.

These are the top names in amateur football in the Ho Chi Minh City area, featuring players who have trained professionally or famous amateur players from the South. While Hong Lam FC boasts many players who rose through the ranks of SLNA, the 2019 team included players who trained at the NutiFood, Lyon, and Ho Chi Minh City academies. Hoang FC features players who previously played professional futsal. Meanwhile, Chim Canh Cut FC brings together stars who helped them win the S5 tournament in 2022…

This is the second time in 2023 that Troll Football and Saigon Amateur Football have collaborated to organize 7-a-side amateur football tournaments, attracting significant attention from fans. The combination of these two organizations has contributed to making 2023 a memorable year, the hottest season for 7-a-side amateur football in Saigon in particular and the Southern region in general.

Mr. Dang Van Thanh, Head of the Organizing Committee, shared about this: “Earlier this year, Phuoi Saigon, along with Troll Bong Da and The Thao Iwin, collaborated to create Saigon Serie A. After the Covid-19 pandemic, sports activities were greatly affected, but Saigon Serie A, a major competition, was maintained and attracted strong amateur teams. This tournament generates a lot of attention because it brings together talented players from both the South and the North.”

“Compared to the Saigon Super Cup recently held at H2 Tan Son Nhat Stadium, the Saigon Serie A tournament features pitches with large 6-meter goals, typical of Southern Vietnam. Therefore, the matches feel more open, exciting, and have more goals. Initially, the Saigon Super Cup organizers also considered using pitches with large 6-meter goals, but the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) recently formalized the rules for 7-a-side football. Therefore, the organizers decided to follow the Federation's 7-a-side rules (with smaller 4.2-meter goals) to avoid conflicts and disputes regarding regulations.”

“Of course, whether it’s the Saigon Serie A or the Saigon Super Cup, there’s very close cooperation between Saigon Amateur Football and Troll Football. We all share the same goal of maintaining a playing field at an affordable cost for amateur teams. From organization to media, we try our best within our capabilities. For the Saigon Super Cup specifically, thanks to the partnership with the sports drink brand Faith, everything is more polished.”

Troll Bóng đá is a very familiar name to young football fans. With over 3.5 million followers, it is one of the most popular sports fan pages on social media. Although its focus is on humor, Troll Bóng đá always takes its work seriously, aiming for entertainment, fun, and creativity, while absolutely avoiding insults and offensive language.

According to Mr. Dang Van Thanh: “When our team started Troll Football 10 years ago, we were all in our early twenties, still young and vibrant. Initially, the team just thought of it as fun, entertainment, and a way to help people relieve stress after tiring days of studying and working. However, after many years, both the team members and the viewers of the channel have gotten older, and their thinking has matured considerably.”

"This is the time when we want to create things that truly contribute to the community and society, beyond just pure entertainment. Currently, besides international football, the team also closely follows domestic football events such as the V-League, the national team, and recently, amateur football. For amateur football, Troll Bóng Đá hopes to work with our partners to build and maintain tournaments that are within our 'small-scale' capabilities. I also hope that the Saigon amateur football movement will continue to develop, with more and better teams emerging, and that spectators will get to watch truly exciting and engaging matches."

In addition to the matches of the Faith Saigon Super Cup 2023, the organizers have decided to hold a friendly match between the Organizing Committee and the team owners. This match holds special significance as the Organizing Committee will establish a charity fund to help children in mountainous areas through the "Sowing Football Dreams" program. Through this program, the Faith Saigon Super Cup 2023 Organizing Committee aims to spread good deeds, promote mutual support, and foster social responsibility among everyone.

It's also worth mentioning that the "Sowing Football Dreams" project was launched in 2020. From its humble beginnings, with a special connection to the land and people of the highlands, in just three years since its establishment, "Sowing Football Dreams" has gradually grown strongly within the football community and the charitable community. Impressive numbers: Over 5,000 children in the highlands have gained access to football, 15 programs have been organized, and 13 village football fields have been supported…

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