Fall where you stand up there

This is the third consecutive year that the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team has participated in the TNSV tournament. With a long history of being a strong team in the top student football village of Ho Chi Minh City, Coach Ho Van Lung's team is always highly regarded as a candidate to win a ticket to the final round.

The team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (right) caused a big surprise when they defeated the defending champion team, Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports, with a score of 2-0.

However, in the first tournament - 2023, they unfortunately missed the opportunity to get a ticket to the play-off round because they played too carelessly, missed many scoring opportunities and then lost to Van Hien University, which was not really strong at that time, with a score of 1-2 in the opening match. This was followed by a crucial loss to the equally strong opponent Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education with a score of 0-2, making their 8-0 victory over Hoa Sen University meaningless.

Missing the appointment at the first final round of the tournament did not disappoint coach Ho Van Lung. He once said: "After many years, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport has just rebuilt the team with many new students entering the school in their first year. In 2023, the students are still confused and unfamiliar with a tournament organized on such a large scale in Vietnamese student football. Therefore, mistakes are inevitable. And football at any level has mistakes, experienced players who compete in the World Cup still make mistakes, let alone these are student players, who always consider studying first."

Coach Ho Van Lung also confided many times: "My wish is to join the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team to participate in the final round of the TNSV tournament. We have to try, we have to do it. Personally, I am also very looking forward to it, because I will be able to compete with many colleagues who have been student football coaches for a long time."

In the second time participating in 2024, the team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport has prepared very carefully and thoughtfully. The experience from the competition in 2023 has helped coach Ho Van Lung and his team make great progress. They started perfectly with 2 victories over Dai Viet Sai Gon College with a score of 1-0 and Gia Dinh University with a score of 5-0, holding high hopes of getting a ticket to the play-off round when meeting the host team Ton Duc Thang University in the last round.

The sadness of the players of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team when they missed the ticket to the play-off round in the second participation in 2024

In the match against Ton Duc Thang University, the players of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport played very well and with great determination. They led twice, 1-0 and then 2-1, thanks to the goals of Doan Quang Nhat and Nguyen Hoai An. They kept this score until the last minutes of extra time to firmly grasp the ticket to the play-off round.

But then, "that's football", coach Ho Van Lung had to choke up, when the players of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport were careless for a moment, allowing Nigerian student player Oluka Praisegod to score in the 80+2 minute to tie the score 2-2 for Ton Duc Thang University. This draw left Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport in second place due to poor goal difference, losing the ticket to the play-off round just a few seconds into the match.

Tears of regret rolled down the faces of the players of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport. Coach Ho Van Lung and his colleagues also had tears in their eyes because of the great regret.

"But after the tears of regret from this match, we will prepare to return. Prepare right from the moment the tears of disappointment have been wiped away. The Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team will return for the third time in the TNSV tournament with a greater aspiration. We must not let disappointment dampen our determination," coach Ho Van Lung affirmed at that time.

There is nothing sweeter than the determination of a year ago, now having such sweet results. Right in the opening match of Group 1 of the qualifying round of Group E (Ho Chi Minh City area), the team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport defeated the defending champion team, Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports with a score of 2-0, to open the door to take the top spot in the group and a place in the play-off round of the 3rd - 2025 THACO Cup.

Fall down and get up again, joy has returned to the team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport after nearly a year of hard preparation.

However, this is just the first step, the team of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport needs to overcome the remaining two opponents in group 1, Saigon Polytechnic College and University of Finance - Marketing, to complete their dream.

"There are still 2 matches left in the qualifying round. The Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport team needs to continue trying, treating each match as a final match, and must win to be sure of advancing. Fall where you fall, get up there. We need to continue to make efforts. The lessons from previous years are still there. The goal of getting a ticket to the final round is extremely difficult, but with the determination we have, nothing will hinder us," emphasized coach Ho Van Lung.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-truong-dh-gtvt-tphcm-nga-o-dau-dung-day-o-do-185241229124837906.htm