The 'steel' team is forged from thorns

Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism: Those who are afraid should... go home.

When the play-off results put Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism against the host University of Water Resources, many people probably thought that the journey of the rookie of the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - 2025 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2025) would stop here.

Thuyloi University is the runner-up for 2 consecutive years in the Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament. Coach Vu Van Trung and his team have a long and impressive tradition in school football, with countless final matches played over the past 20 years.

The familiar playing space at home and the support of hundreds of fans helped the University of Water Resources have 7 wins (scoring 30 goals, only conceding 1 goal) in the qualifying round during the 3 years of participating in the Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament. That said, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism faces a "huge" obstacle if it wants to win a ticket to the final round.

- Ảnh 1. — Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism (yellow shirt) is stubborn and brave

"We are not worried, but just remind ourselves to try our best. Just try our best, and what will come will come. Try so that when we look back, the players of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism will have nothing to regret, because we have tried our best," coach Nguyen Cong Thanh recalled.

Under pressure from the host, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism stood firm, dragging the match into a penalty shootout. Despite missing the first two shots, the representative from Thanh Hoa still recovered in time to come back to win dramatically.

Surrounded by suffocating pressure both on the field and on the sidelines, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism still did not collapse. That was when the shadow of the future champion appeared.

The Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism team has many talented players, such as the trio Ha Lam Thanh, Nguyen Van Anh and Ngan Nhu Dung who played for the U.19 team, or Le Van Thuc and Thatsaphone Xaiyasone who are also very good. However, the factor that created success for the representative from the northern region comes from the spirit of solidarity.

"We want to build a collective style of play, not relying on any individual," Coach Cong Thanh affirmed. The players of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism were carefully instructed on the principles on the field: no arguing with the referee, no playing dirty with opponents, and must encourage each other to lift each other's spirits.

"You guys should rely on each other to strive, don't rely on anything. No one can help us, except ourselves," coach Cong Thanh encouraged the players.

Rose on concrete block

The championship journey of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism was not full of roses. In the opening match against Van Hien University, the Thanh Hoa players had to struggle to get a 0-0 draw, as they had not yet adapted to the hot weather in Ho Chi Minh City.

Everything only returned to normal from the second match, when Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism defeated Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (VNU-HCM) to secure an early quarter-final ticket. In the final match against Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism was down 0-3, but still came back to take 1 point, thanks to 3 goals in the last 20 minutes.

In the quarter-finals, against the solid and disciplined Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology team, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism created a stalemate, then won dramatically thanks to Van Thuc's goal in the 71st minute. "I put all my strength into that shot. I didn't think much, I just shot," Van Thuc recalled about the "lifetime" goal.

"On the day of the tournament, no one thought the team would go this far," the captain of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed. "We only try our best for the team, for the common good."

Coach Cong Thanh also confided to his students: "The whole team will fight each match, solve each difficulty. Even if we are eliminated, it doesn't matter, we will leave with our heads held high. Being a part of the tournament is already a source of pride for Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

From the time the players of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism arrived very early, sat down to eat student meals at the dormitory of Thuy Loi University to wait for the opening ceremony of the northern qualifying round in the... cold weather, until they became champions, the spirit of Coach Nguyen Cong Thanh's students remained unchanged.

Still fighting, with the mindset that what will come will come. Blood, sweat and tears were shed, like the image of the players collapsing on the field because they were too tired from the pressure... It was the simple, rustic efforts of students that led Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism to defeat Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry on penalties, then went through "suffocating" minutes to defeat Da Nang University of Physical Education and Sports.

In only 2 out of 9 matches played, Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism won by more than 1 goal. Every match was hard, but because of that, Van Thuc and his teammates knew how to cherish every moment they could walk on the field.

"No matter how far we walk on the rose-strewn path, our feet will still be filled with pain from the thorns...". It is the thorns that have forged a "steel" team.

Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism is ready to create new success in the International Student Youth Competition - 2025 THACO Cup, which will kick off this weekend.