From fields to television
In the last days of August, Nghia Lo ward stadium became a meeting point for football lovers.
Not only whistles, ball contests or goals, this place also has drums, cheers, brilliant traditional costumes and stories brought back from many villages across the country.
The tournament is held for the first time, gathering 12 teams from 9 localities.
Tay, Nung, Dao, H'Mong, Thai, Bahnar, Jrai... girls for the first time stepped onto a large stadium, competed in front of a large audience and were known by a large number of fans through television.
Therefore, each match in Nghia Lo is not simply a competition in terms of technique or fitness. For many players, it is also a journey to overcome their own limits.
One of the most impressive images at VTV Cup is the female players appearing in competition costumes developed from the traditional costumes of their nations.
On the field, those outfits still have to meet movement requirements, but the lines, colors, and characteristic patterns are still kept at an appropriate level.
The competition days at Muong Lo - Nghia Lo are not always favorable. Prolonged rains make the field muddy at many times, the ball is wet, and the competition conditions are difficult.
They still run, compete for the ball, fall down and then stand up, continuing to chase after the ball. There are women who are familiar with farming and swidden fields, some are mothers, wives, and sisters in the family; some are still sitting in school.
From the dirt yards after the harvest, the grass along the stream or the vacant land next to the village, the girls stepped onto the large stadium.
There, they not only compete but also bring a story about their homeland, nation and love for football nurtured through ordinary years.
Northwest meets Central Highlands in the final
After a week of competition, Nghia Lo ward stadium is heading towards the most anticipated match: the final between Luc Yen (Lao Cai) and Dak Doa (Gia Lai), taking place at 9 am on August 29.
Right from the afternoon of August 28, the atmosphere around the tournament became particularly exciting. Chats about the final match appeared in residential areas, shops and on social networks.
Fans began to discuss the chances of the two teams, about the players who left their mark on the journey to the final.
For Luc Yen, this is a home match and also an opportunity for the home team Lao Cai to close the tournament with a championship cup.
The Tay and Nung girls of Luc Yen have made their mark throughout the tournament with their energetic playing style.
The cheers of Nghia Lo fans are also expected to become the "12th player", adding strength to the home team in the final match.
On the other side, Dak Doa brings a completely different story.
This is an amateur football team with mainly Bahnar and Jrai girls who are familiar with coffee fields and everyday life. But with passion and training process, they went straight to the final match.
That interesting contrast makes the final more anticipated. On one side is the home team with the advantage of the field and the cheers of Northwest fans. On the other side are the Central Highlands girls who are continuing the fairy tale of grassroots football.
On the stands, cars from the villages are also connecting to Nghia Lo. Some people travel dozens of kilometers, some people overcome hundreds of kilometers.
They brought flags, banners, drums and even traditional costumes to cheer for their favorite team.
The cheering atmosphere in Nghia Lo is also very different. Even when the away team is playing, the audience still applauds and cheers for the beautiful plays.
A goal scored, no matter which team it belongs to, can make the whole stand jump up.
Player Thuon of the Dak Doa women's football team shared that initially she thought the away team's matches might have few spectators. But the reality surprised the players from the Central Highlands.
Everyone does not cheer for any team in particular, as soon as there is a goal, everyone cheers. The audience contributes like that, so everyone wants to play their best" - Thuon expressed.
