U9 HCMC players play on professional field for the first time

Cầu thủ U9 TP.HCM lần đầu thi đấu trên sân cỏ chuyên nghiệp - Ảnh 1. — U9 District 5 players (orange shirts) compete with U9 Nam Son District 10 on the velvety surface of Thong Nhat Stadium - Photo: NK

The 1st U9 Open Thong Nhat Cup 2025 kicked off on the evening of March 29 at Thong Nhat Stadium, for young players from 7 to 9 years old studying at primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

The tournament is organized by Thong Nhat Sports Center to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), select athletes with good professional qualifications to participate in the 2025 National U9 Tournament and supplement the city's talented force.

The eight participating teams are divided into two groups. Group A includes District 5, Navy Phu Nhuan, District 6, Nam Son District 10. Group B includes Thu Duc City, Vietgoal, Ban Me Ngoc Hung, Thang Long Binh Tan District.

The teams will compete in a round robin to score points, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The champion team will receive a trophy, gold medal, and VND3 million in prize money. The runner-up and third-place teams will receive a silver medal, VND2 million, and a bronze medal, VND1 million, respectively.

But the bonuses are just a sideline for the young players. What they enjoy most is playing on the professional grass field of Thong Nhat Stadium for the first time, running on the velvety surface, scoring and celebrating goals.

It is worth mentioning that even though it is just a grassroots tournament, head coaches must have a degree in Sports University specializing in football or a primary coach certificate from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)/Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation (HFF) to be registered.

The tournament will end tomorrow night (March 30), promising to be very exciting when entering the knockout round.