Reigning champions Da Nang has booked a berth in the finals of the U21 National Football Tournament after thrashing T&T Hanoi 4-0 in the semis in Binh Duong on Thursday.

The excitement started early as striker Van Quy curled the ball around Hanoi goalkeeper Van Son to score the opener for Da Nang after less than a minute.

The Hanoi team, who hammered hosts Binh Duong 7-1 in a group stage match of the 13th Thanh Nien-sponsored football event, fought back fiercely, putting Da Nang under great pressure.

However, with several star footballers on board, many of whom helped Da Nang take the 2009 V-League and national cup championships, the team from the central city rode the storm well.

Playmaker Nguyen Sa, the match’s MVP, helped Da Nang stand firm against the relentless before Van Meo doubled the score 15 minutes after the interval.

T&T Hanoi, who were playing in the tournament for the first time, didn’t give up.

They continued to show determination through most of the second half before all hopes were dashed in the final minutes by a double from substitute Cong Thao, who replaced Van Quy in the front line.

Speaking after the match, Da Nang coach Phan Thanh Hung said, “We studied T&T Hanoi’s other matches very carefully and discovered a gap between its two defenders.

“That was why I asked my players to find a way through that gap, and we were successful.

“Also, Nguyen Sa’s dynamism and an early goal by Van Quy really heightened my players’ spirits.”

“We are not very disappointed,” T&T Hanoi coach Truong Viet Hoang said. “The Da Nang squad is at a higher level. It was good that we made it to the semifinals on our first visit to this national tournament.”

After the final on September 27, the best players of the tournament will be picked to represent Vietnam against Iran, China, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia in the third U21 International Football Tournament in October, also in Binh Duong and again sponsored by Thanh Nien.

Reported by Trung Duong