The DTU team won the National 2023 VUG Futsal Championship in the 9th season of the tournament. The DTU team were the only participants from Danang and were selected by the Danang Student Association for the event, held at the Cau Giay Stadium in Hanoi, from December 22 to 24. The DTU team demonstrated their ability by beating the other teams and securing the Championship Cup.
After two years of delay due to the pandemic, the championship marked a decade of Vietnamese students competing in the event, which was co-organized by the Vietnamese Student Association, Warrior Energy Drinks, VTVCab, and directed by the VSDS Center and the MSE GROUP. This year the tournament adopted a knockout format, requiring immediate elimination of any team breaking the rules during play.
The DTU team
The final round of this year’s National VUG Futsal Championship featured eight powerful teams from universities representing six national regions, including:
- Hanoi: Dai Nam University and the University of Technology at VNU
- Ho Chi Minh City: Van Lang University and Van Hien University
- Danang: Duy Tan University
- Hai Phong: Vietnam Maritime University
- Can Tho: Nam Can Tho University
- Thai Nguyen province: the University of Information Technology and Communication and Thai Nguyen University
The DTU team planned to win, although the Futsal Championship is one of the major tournaments in Vietnam. Meanwhile they received the unwavering support of the DTU Board of Provosts and coaching staff.
The DTU team raises the prestigious Championship Cup in victory
The DTU team comprised several talented, dedicated and experienced players, who had previously achieved impressive results throughout the year, including:
- Champions in the seven-student football tournament in Danang
- Runners-up of the National Poly Cup Futsal Championship (SV5 Poly Cup), Central region
- Fifth place in the finals of the SV5 Poly Cup
This was the second time in 2023 that the DTU team had returned to Hanoi, following the finals of the SV5 Poly Cup there in April. They have always tried to maintain high levels of concentration and teamworking prowess representing Duy Tan University and the Danang Student Association.
In the quarterfinals on December 12, the DTU team faced a serious challenge from the University of Information Technology & Communication and Thai Nguyen University, because they had not yet adapted to the size of the field at Cau Giay Stadium. Despite this, the team secured a 2 - 1 victory.
Beautiful goals
Advancing to the semi-finals on December 24, the DTU team outplayed the Vietnam Maritime University team, who had previously beaten the Nam Can Tho University team 2 - 0 in the quarterfinals. A 2 - 0 victory, guided by the tactical expertise of their coach Nguyen Tuan Vu, led DTU to the finals on the same afternoon.
In the finals, DTU team faced Dai Nam University, the host team from Hanoi, after beating the Van Hien University and Van Lang teams from Ho Chi Minh City. Going up against a stronger team like Dai Nam University posed a challenge for the DTU team in maintaining their solid defensive strategy. At the middle of the first half, the score remained at 0 – 0, creating a tense atmosphere in the stadium.
DTU student Doan Van Manh wins Best Player title
With 12 minutes left in the first half, an outstanding pass from Trung Hieu, enabled Van Manh, wearing number 9, to launch a precise cross-angle shot, sending the ball directly into the opponent’s goal. From then on, the DTU players quickly improved. Thi Tai and Van Manh added two more goals and the first half ended with a score of 3 – 0, bringing DTU close to winning the cup.
With an additional goal in the second half, a hat-trick by Van Manh, the DTU team secured a convincing 4 – 0 victory, achieving their ambition of bringing the cup back to Danang and Van Manh became the only player to score a hat-trick in the competition.
Pham Viet Khanh from DTU is honored as the best goalkeeper
Nguyen Van Tan, Captain of the DTU Futsal team, said: “We arrived in Hanoi just one day before the first match, facing the severe cold of year end, which was a significant problem for us. However, the support of thousands of Danang students, including Dr. Le Nguyen Bao, the DTU Provost and other leaders motivated us, together with our coach Nguyen Tuan Vu’s strategic guidance, and our team spirit of determination and teamworking, we won this year.”
(Media Center)