HAGL suffered a heavy 2-5 defeat to Viettel right at their home stadium in Pleiku.

The Cong Viettel I and PVF kicked off impressively at the 2026 National U17 Championship – Red Dragon Cup.

On the afternoon of July 16, the 2026 National U17 Finals – Red Dragon Cup officially kicked off with the first two matches of Group A. Both The Cong Viettel and PVF had favorable starts, defeating HAGL and SHB Da Nang respectively to secure full three points.

In the opening match at Pleiku Stadium, hosts HAGL entered the game with full confidence and took the initiative in the early minutes. However, The Cong Viettel gradually regained control and opened the scoring in the 29th minute. From a corner kick on the right flank, the ball was swung into the penalty area, creating a scramble in front of the goal, allowing Thanh Dat to quickly finish.

The home side quickly equalized 1-1 in the 35th minute through Manh Nguyen. However, a defensive error cost HAGL dearly as Dai Nhan took advantage of a rebound to put The Cong Viettel ahead 2-1 before the first half ended.

In the second half, The Cong Viettel completely dominated the game. Right at the 46th minute, the army team extended the lead to 3-1 before Dai Nhan completed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute, making it 4-1. In the 67th minute, Quang Danh scored the fifth goal for The Cong Viettel. HAGL only managed a consolation goal through Gia Huy in the 70th minute, thus accepting a 2-5 defeat on their opening day.

In the other Group A match played at Ham Rong Stadium, PVF also put on a convincing performance against SHB Da Nang. With a well-balanced squad and several Vietnam U17 national team players in their lineup, PVF controlled the game and scored through Van Duong, Sy Bach, and Anh Hao to secure a 3-0 victory.

After the first round of Group A, The Cong Viettel and PVF both have 3 points, giving them an advantage in the race to qualify for the next round of the 2026 National U17 Finals – Red Dragon Cup.