Coach Mai Duc Chung talks about the reunion match when the country was unified

Coach Mai Duc Chung talks about the reunion match in 1976 - Screenshot

Documentary Reunification Train broadcast on VTV1 channel on the evening of April 29.

The film is only 24 minutes long but captures moving stories of the railway industry during the arduous yet glorious years.

Mr. Khuat Minh Tri - former chairman of the Vietnam Railways General Union - reiterated the industry's slogan at that time: despite difficulties, traffic must be kept smooth, even if the station is lost, the river can still be crossed without a bridge, the train can still run without a station. If the enemy destroys it, then destroy it, but we keep going, if the enemy destroys it, we will repair it.

Besides the stories told by railway officials, the film also uses many valuable documentary footage.

In which, it mentioned the Railway General Department football team and the reunion match (also known as the unification match) that took place in November 1976 between the Railway General Department and Saigon Port teams.

At that time, the General Railways team representing Northern football went to the South to play a friendly match with the Saigon Port team.

The General Department of Railways at that time was a strong team, second only to The Cong team. They had just won the Northern Trade Union Championship.

Sending a football team representing railway workers at that time to the South to play was even more meaningful when the North-South railway was about to be inaugurated.

Former coach of Vietnam women's football team Mai Duc Chung at that time belonged to the General Department of Railways team.

In the film The Reunification Train , he said, "It was a historic match (the first match between two football teams from the North and South after the country was unified - PV). We were very happy to be warmly welcomed by the people in the South."

Mr. Chung recounted that at 7 p.m., Thong Nhat Stadium was packed with people both inside and outside the stadium. Some people even climbed tall trees to get a better view.

Mr. Khuat Minh Tri said that the match has the meaning of a reunion. Northerners meet Southerners to understand each other better and share with each other.

Historic match between the General Department of Railways team and the Saigon Port team - Screenshot

"The touching thing is that we - people in the same country - play sports together," said Mr. Tri.

Mr. Mai Duc Chung clearly remembers his first goal in the reunion match: "When the border was clear, Nguyen Minh Diem passed down the right sideline, I jumped up and headed the ball to score the first goal."

The second goal came in the second half, when Le Thuy Hai shot from midfield straight into the goal.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/huan-luyen-vien-mai-duc-chung-ke-ve-tran-cau-doan-tu-khi-dat-nuoc-thong-nhat-20240430010659439.htm