The great striker entered the final round

TOP SCORER SHINES AGAIN

The second play-off match between Ton Duc Thang University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports took place on the afternoon of January 20 and was very exciting. The Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports was rated higher and played with ball control. Coach Pham Thai Vinh's team still deployed the ball a lot on the 2 wings, where 2 small but skillful wingers, Tran Tri Hieu and Ngo Manh Huy Hoang, appeared. In addition, striker Nguyen Minh Nhat, although assigned to play as a center forward, played energetically, moved widely and often participated in supporting the deployment of the ball very effectively. Meanwhile, the Ton Duc Thang University team chose a tight playing style, waiting for the opportunity to counterattack.

Tay săn bàn cừ khôi vào vòng chung kết- Ảnh 1. — Nguyen Minh Nhat (right) scored a double, contributing greatly to bringing the team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports to the final round.

Despite dominating the game, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports team still had difficulty finding a way to the opponent's net, when the home team Ton Duc Thang University played a disciplined defense. It was only thanks to a very good central coordination in the 27th minute that the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports team opened the score. The scorer was once again Nguyen Minh Nhat, the top scorer of the first Vietnamese Youth Student Tournament - 2023. But the away team's joy did not last long, the home team equalized with a header from Nigerian "foreign player" Oluka Praisegod in the 35th minute.

The second half witnessed a fierce battle between the two teams. Many opportunities were created but all were missed. By the end of the match, Ngo Manh Huy Hoang and Nguyen Minh Nhat scored to help the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education win 3-1 against Ton Duc Thang University. The Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education is the second team to participate in the final round of the 2nd Vietnam Youth Student Tournament - 2024 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2024). In particular, Nguyen Minh Nhat is the best scorer in the qualifying round of Ho Chi Minh City so far, with 8 goals scored against opponents.

FIRST TICKET TO THE FINAL ROUND IN HO CHI MINH CITY AREA

The first play-off match was between the University of Technology - Ho Chi Minh City National University (HCMUT) and Van Lang University, which also took place yesterday afternoon (January 20). Coach Nguyen Vo Hoang Phu wanted to settle the match in the official match time, so the Van Lang University team pushed up their squad to play offensively right after the opening whistle. The quality strikers on the Van Lang University team's attack line such as Nguyen Lam Son and Ngo Nhat Truong showed their understanding in their coordination and continuously put pressure on the opponent's penalty area. On the other side, the HCMC University of Technology team seemed to have faced the biggest challenge since the beginning of the tournament. The team of former Saigon Port Club player Nguyen Van Tuan could not continue to show off their "specialty" of attacking first to score an early opening goal like in the previous 3 matches. Even the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology team had to receive a cold shower when they conceded a goal in the 5th minute. Nguyen Cong Tan's beautiful shot from outside the penalty area gave the opposing goalkeeper no chance to block, putting Van Lang University team ahead.

With the advantage of leading the score, Van Lang University easily deployed the game according to their intentions. Coach Nguyen Vo Hoang Phu asked the players to slow down, prioritizing the stability of their home field. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology was forced to push up their formation to attack. Nguyen Dinh Quy and Le Ho Lam Vu played skillfully and created dangerous situations, but could not convert them into goals. It was not until the injury time at the end of the first half that Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology's efforts were rewarded thanks to an equalizer from a direct free kick by Nguyen Quang Huy.

The match became more exciting from the beginning of the second half. In important moments, Van Lang University still showed that they were the team with the more stable and courageous playing style. After a corner kick from his teammate, Do Huu Trung Chien chose a good position at the second post and headed the goal to help Van Lang University regain the lead. Ngo Nhat Truong was the one who sealed the final victory of 3-1 for Van Lang University. With this result, Van Lang University is the first name in the Ho Chi Minh City area to win a ticket to the 2024 TNSV THACO Cup Finals.