Curtain rises on national U19 football championship

The qualifying round of the 2015 national U19 football championship officially kicked off on January 8 with eight group matches at stadiums across the country, witnessing poor starts from powerhouses.

Defending champions Hanoi T&T missed out on their chance of victory in the Group A opening match on January 8 (Credit: thethao247.vn)

Reigning champions Hanoi T&T tied 2-2 with the People’s Public Security team, while Viettel crushed Thanh Hoa 3-0 in the Group A opening matches.

A similar scenario was repeated in both Group B matches, with SHB Da Nang tying 1-1 with underdogs Binh Dinh and Thua Thien-Hue overcoming Sanna Khanh Hoa with a score of 4-2.

In Group C, Ho Chi Minh City suffered a pitiful goalless draw against Binh Phuoc on home turf, while Lam Dong beat Dak Lak with ease 3-1.

The final group to compete saw An Giang bag full three points with an away 3-1 win over Can Tho, while guests Dong Thap failed to create a stir against Long An conceding a narrow 1-2 loss.

The annual tournament has brought together 20 teams competing in four groups of five to decide the top two teams from each group that will advance into the final round, scheduled to take place from March 5 to 14.

The overall winners will be awarded with the championship trophy and VND50 million in prize money. Second- and third-place teams will receive VND30 million and VND20 million respectively.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)