VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City-based Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents (PVF) team will debut at the National U15 Football Championship qualifiers at HCM City's Thanh Long Sports Centre on July 12-21.

Through the ranks: Teenage players of the Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents team train at HCM City's Thanh Long Sports Centre for the National U15 Football Championship qualifiers. — Photo courtesy PVF

It will be the first time the team, who was all recruited onto the first seven-year course run by the PVF academy, to battle it out in an official national tournament against tough rivals from Long An, Dong Thap and Binh Duong.

"The championship is a crucial tests for our players. They are younger than the other teams, but I believe that our kids will show off the skills they have learnt over the past two years," said PVF coach Tran Minh Chien.

"We are set to qualify for the final round, but we will have to play our socks off in every game," Chien said, adding that he expected the match against Long An to be the toughest.

Chien, who was a former national striker, said the team's strength lay with their three midfielders, Nguyen Thanh Loc, Vo Ngoc Tinh and Truong Van Thai Quy, who are all on top form.

The trio helped the team win the National U13 Football Championship and then triumphed at HCM City's Student Sports Games last year.

The qualifying round will see 24 teams competing in three groups, from which the two top teams from each group and the best third place team will secure a spot in the final round.

The final round will take place at HCM City's Thong Nhat Stadium on August 7-17.

The winners will walk away with a VND50 million (US$2,500) cash-prize.

The PVF is the third professional football centre open in Viet Nam along with the French-style Scavi Rocheteau in HCM City and the Arsenal-Hoang Anh Gia Lai-JMG Academy in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News