National U15 Football Championship: The poor family produces outstanding children

Tây Ninh defeated PVF, SLNA overcame Bình Dương, that was the final result of the first two quarter-final matches of the National U15 Finals held yesterday afternoon (9/4) at Thành Long Sports Center, Ho Chi Minh City. This afternoon (10/4), the remaining quarter-finals will take place, with Quảng Nam facing Hanoi and the other match being Đà Nẵng against Viettel.

For many years now, youth training centers of Vietnamese football, such as Hanoi, Viettel, SLNA, or PVF, have truly dominated the podium in the youth football tournament system. And PVF along with SLNA are almost unbeatable. The absence of Hanoi youth football in the final matches is indeed somewhat surprising. But everything has its reason. Let's look at the succession of Hanoi FC's first team.

The poor family produces outstanding children, adversity breeds loyalty. Now Tây Ninh and SLNA overcame PVF and Bình Dương, like overcoming a great hurdle. The youth football of these two localities, Tây Ninh and Nghệ An, are not invested as much as their defeated opponents PVF and Bình Dương.

This afternoon (10/4), Quảng Nam and Đà Nẵng will play their matches. Đà Nẵng faces Viettel, while Quảng Nam meets Hanoi. In theory, the youth teams of Quảng Nam and Đà Nẵng are not opponents for the remaining two names. However, in youth football, nothing can be predicted.

Quảng Nam football did not fade away after the Quảng Nam first team was disbanded. The people of Quảng Nam are brave and resilient. Advancing through the qualifying round and progressing deep in the Finals is also a great effort by coach Nguyễn Văn Bé and his team. Along with that is the effort of young general Phan Duy Nam of U15 Đà Nẵng.

Regarding youth training in Vietnam over the past decades, it has essentially revolved around a few localities. Nghệ An, Đà Nẵng, Đồng Tháp... The emergence of some large Centers or Football Academies only addresses the initial stage. In the long term, it does not solve the fundamental issue of the football foundation.

Academies like HAGL, PVF, or Viettel, do not dominate. Instead, localities are beginning to rise. From an observer's perspective, the plans for youth football in Vietnam seem somewhat unreasonable. We still overlook a large workshop: school football. This is truly the gold mine for the entire football industry.

Japan and South Korea have approached the world's strongest football nations precisely by leveraging the power of school football. What about Vietnam?

All the children playing in the qualifying round and the National U15 Finals 2026 are entering the most crucial stage of their student age. Why is the tournament organized at this time? We still have to follow the regional competition schedule, with the first Southeast Asian U15 tournament coming up soon. Even PVF's General Director, Mr. Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, disagrees, saying: "Don't organize it just for the sake of having it."

Young players from localities do not live and train collectively like those in Academies or large Football Centers. Why did the host U15 Ho Chi Minh City team get eliminated after the group stage? The parents of these children do not allow them to attend supplementary classes.

That's why it's said, the poor family produces outstanding children!