Struggling in Korea, Cong Phuong is encouraged by his old teacher

Growing up from the Youth Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup in 2004, 2005 and 2006 under the guidance of coach Truong Quang Vinh (Do Luong district), Cong Phuong joined HAGL and became the most promising player among the faces of the first class of HAGL JMG Academy.

The U23 Vietnam team created an Asian miracle, the Vietnam team won the AFF Cup 2018, reached the semi-finals of the 18th Asian Games or reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup, all of which had a great mark from striker Nguyen Cong Phuong. With his maturity in playing style and technical and tactical perfection, along with his brand, Cong Phuong was noticed by Incheon United and recruited with a transfer fee of 150,000 USD.

When Cong Phuong moved to Incheon United with the commitment to play 70% of the matches, the fever he brought to the top Asian tournament was beyond imagination. Sitting out in round 1, the pressure from fans forced coach Andersen to let Cong Phuong officially debut in round 2.

Although he only entered the field when the match was already decided and did not have a chance to touch the ball, that was the start for Cong Phuong to enter the field earlier a week later and by round 5 of the K.League, he was able to start for more than 90 minutes.

Incheon United Club is not strong, making it even more difficult for Cong Phuong to integrate into the K.League. Photo: Incheon United

In terms of expertise, Cong Phuong had moments to show his qualities, but "one small swallow does not make a spring", the efforts of the Vietnamese national team striker were not enough to help the Incheon United team have more cohesion.

In round 6 of K.League, Cong Phuong was still in the starting lineup (playing until the 75th minute). In the next match, although he did not start, CP23 also entered the field from the 54th minute. Obviously, Cong Phuong was given more opportunities, but Incheon United still had to accept consecutive defeats. It seems that this is not the right place for Cong Phuong to shine. The Korean team's playing style is very poor and not suitable for the Nghe An striker to develop his strong playing style.

Coach Andersen was fired and assistant Lim Jung Yong became head coach of Incheon United. Cong Phuong was still trusted, he was in the starting lineup in the 4th round of the FA Cup, against 3rd division opponent Cheongju. However, he showed weakness in the controversial situations on the field and was replaced after the first 45 minutes.

Recently, the new head coach of this team put Cong Phuong on the bench and did not use him for a single minute in the 0-0 draw against Seoul FC. Most recently in round 9 of the K.League when Incheon hosted Seongnam, the player wearing the number 23 shirt was not even named in the match list by coach Lim Jung Yong. In the 10th round, Cong Phuong also disappeared.

Coach Truong Quang Vinh led Cong Phuong in 3 times participating in the Youth Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup. Photo: Hoang Hao

Mr. Truong Quang Vinh, the first teacher to discover Cong Phuong's talent and lead him to the Youth Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup, confided: "Cong Phuong is a professional player, coming to Korea, he must meet the professional requirements of the new team. However, when Cong Phuong first arrived and integrated, it was not a simple matter. Each coach has a different perspective and builds a different style of play. I watched Incheon play and this team is not a strong team."

Mr. Vinh advised his student: “The team that recruited me means they have assessed that I am capable. Vietnamese players are physically disadvantaged, so they must be more active and improve during training sessions.

Personally, I think that Phuong's trip to Korea will definitely give him experience and knowledge of advanced football to continue contributing to the country's football. If he gets discouraged after just a few matches without playing, it will be difficult to integrate and become a great player. I encourage Phuong to practice well, he will definitely be recognized and the results will come."

Recently, on his personal Fanpage, the Nghe An striker also shared to reassure everyone: "Thank you everyone for always worrying about Phuong during this time. Phuong is still happy and healthy, practicing normally, and still chatting with everyone in her free time. I wish you the same. No matter what people say, my heart is still steadfast and has not leaned to any side"./.

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