On the afternoon of July 23, the two semi-final matches of the 2026 National U21 Championship - FPT Play Cup took place at the PVF Youth Football Training Center (Hung Yen), determining that the two teams participating in the final match are U21 Song Lam Nghe An and U21 The Cong Viettel.
In the first semi-final, U21 Hanoi entered the game proactively and created pressure right after the opening whistle. However, the U21 Song Lam Nghe An defense and goalkeeper Cao Van Binh played solidly, neutralizing the opponent's chances.
After a period of initial inferiority, the representative of Nghe An gradually regained the game and scored the opening goal in the 28th minute. Tran Quoc Hoa dribbled the ball from the center, passed the U21 Hanoi defender before launching a shot from a narrow angle, sending the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai to open the score 1-0.
A few minutes later, U21 Song Lam Nghe An had a chance to widen the gap when they were awarded a penalty. However, Phung Van Nam could not beat goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai from the 11m spot, and the rebound shot afterwards hit the crossbar.
At the end of the first half, U21 Hanoi also had a penalty after the ball touched Phan Van Thanh's hand in the penalty area. Nguyen Anh Tiep successfully converted, equalizing 1-1 before halftime.
In the second half, U21 Hanoi continued to increase pressure. In the 50th minute, Thien Phu headed wide of the post by a hair's breadth. A few minutes later, the Capital team put the ball into the net but the goal was disallowed due to offside.
In the opposite direction, U21 Song Lam Nghe An still maintained their concentration and waited for counter-attack opportunities. In the 69th minute, Ho Huu Nhat Sang crossed dangerously from the right wing but no teammates rushed in to finish.
The two teams did not score more goals in official playing time and had to decide the winner through a penalty shootout. From the 11m spot, U21 Song Lam Nghe An successfully converted 4 shots, while U21 Hanoi only scored 2 goals. The Nghe team won 4-2 in the penalty shootout, thereby winning the overall victory 5-3 to enter the final.
In the remaining semi-final, U21 The Cong Viettel played effectively to defeat Hoang Anh Gia Lai with a score of 2-0, thereby winning the remaining ticket to the final. U21 Hanoi and Hoang Anh Gia Lai jointly received the bronze medal of the tournament.
According to the schedule, the final match of the 2026 National U21 Football Championship - FPT Play Cup between U21 Song Lam Nghe An and U21 The Cong Viettel will take place at 4:00 PM on July 25th at the PVF Youth Football Training Center (Hung Yen).
