The Vietnamese Student Champion asserts his strength.
Despite fielding a reserve team to rest key players, the champions of the 2026 THACO University Student Tournament, the Water Resources University team, still played impressively, defeating the Svay Rieng University team (Cambodia) with a score of 3-0.
Having already secured a place in the semi-finals, coach Vu Van Trung benched key players like Nguyen Hoang Danh, Tran Duc Hoan, and Bui Xuan Truong, while giving opportunities to players who had previously received little playing time. Against the strong Svay Rieng University team, who had defeated the National University of Singapore 5-1 in their opening match, the Water Resources University team demonstrated that the skill gap between their main and reserve squads was not significant. The defending champions built a tight defensive game, capitalizing on their opportunities to take a 2-0 lead against Svay Rieng University in the first half thanks to goals from Nguyen Van Bang (8th minute) and Nguyen Ba Hoan (37th minute). Nguyen Ba Hoan scored a spectacular goal with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.
The home team, Nha Trang University ( right ), and the National University of Malaysia team both aim to reach the semi-finals.
PHOTO: DUY ANH
Coming on in the latter half of the second half, striker Tran Duc Hoan earned a penalty for the Water Resources University team, and Nguyen Ba Hoan successfully converted it, securing a 3-0 victory for the defending champions, TNSV VN.
This victory helped Coach Vu Van Trung's team secure first place in Group B after two consecutive wins, while Svay Rieng University advanced to the semi-finals as the group runner-up.
Sharing his thoughts after the match, Coach Vu Van Trung said: "I am very happy and proud that some players who rarely play have shown great confidence when given the opportunity. Matches like this will help them mature and follow in the footsteps of their predecessors." Coach Trung also said he will be absent from the remainder of the University of Water Resources' journey at the 2026 International Student Summit in Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) because he has to return to Hanoi to prepare for his doctoral thesis defense on April 5th. "I trust and expect my students to continue to maintain their spirit and perform well in the upcoming matches to bring glory to the University of Water Resources," Coach Vu Van Trung said.
The home team's nail-biting semi-final ticket.
Securing a place in the semi-finals by no more than three goals seemed like an easy goal for the home team, Nha Trang University, but coach Nguyen Anh Tu's team had to work extremely hard to achieve it. This was because the home team faced the strong and determined National University of Malaysia team.
After a disappointing opening match against the University of Laos, the National University of Malaysia team needed to defeat the host team, Nha Trang University, to advance. Therefore, coach Raffiq Roslan's players launched an attack immediately after the opening whistle. The brilliance of striker Izrin Bin Ibrahim helped the National University of Malaysia score the opening goal in the 7th minute, then double their lead in the 18th minute. For the opening goal, Izrin Bin Ibrahim showcased his superb free-kick skills; and for the second goal, the striker positioned himself well and headed the ball accurately into the net.
Technical Director Hoang Anh Tuan and Head Coach Nguyen Anh Tu made appropriate adjustments in the second half, helping Nha Trang University create a better defensive game and also generate some scoring opportunities. The attacking pressure from the National University of Malaysia also decreased because if they maintained the 2-0 score, they would achieve their goal of reaching the semi-finals as group winners. However, this team also created several chances to threaten goalkeeper Ho Hoang Thinh's goal, missing narrow opportunities to score, causing anxiety among Nha Trang fans.
A 2-0 victory against the host team, Nha Trang University, gave the National University of Malaysia team the same 3 points as the host team and the University of Laos, but they finished first in the group due to a better goal difference (+1). Nha Trang University, with a goal difference of 0, advanced to the semi-finals as the second-placed team in Group B; while the defending runner-up, the University of Laos, was eliminated with a goal difference of -1.
Thus, the 2026 International Student Tournament officially determined the two exciting semi-final matches taking place tomorrow (April 3) as follows: the National University of Malaysia team (first in Group A) will meet the University of Svay Rieng team (second in Group B) in semi-final 1, and the University of Water Resources (first in Group B) will meet the host team Nha Trang University (second in Group A) in semi-final 2.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xac-dinh-2-cap-ban-ket-trong-mo-185260401223521249.htm
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