Chinh, don't cry!
(Baonghean.vn) - When the linesman showed the board announcing that Tien Linh was coming on as a substitute for Ha Duc Chinh, I thought Chinh would probably cry out of regret for the opportunities he had missed during those precious few dozen minutes of playing time. And then Chinh did cry.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered that Chinh was just a young boy born in 1997. At that age, most people are still spending their parents' money, and their biggest concerns are what to eat tonight, where to go out, and with whom.
A day after the draw against Malaysia, it's no surprise that the frenzy at Bukit Jalil shifted to the internet. Many fans swarmed Ha Duc Chinh's Facebook page at a speed perhaps even faster than the disabled veterans buying tickets at My Dinh Stadium, unleashing insults and attacks on Chinh. Typing "Ha Duc Chinh" into Google, the suggested keyword "Ha Duc Chinh the wooden-footed" almost always appeared at the top. I even saw an article on one of Vietnam's most popular online news sites with the title "There's a way for Ha Duc Chinh to finish more sharply." Suddenly, I thought, Chinh's tears as he left the field were obviously from regret at not being able to do better, but could it also be because Chinh knew what awaited him?
Fans have always been like this. Or rather, people have always been like this. They often only look at the results and rarely care about the journey. When you succeed, how many people admire and cheer you, but how many know how much sweat, tears (even blood) you poured to climb to the top of glory? Similarly, when you stumble, people only see a despicable failure. The difference between a hero and a villain is sometimes just a short, fleeting moment called "luck." And Duc Chinh, on an unfortunate evening, became a villain in the eyes of many Vietnamese football fans. Just as quickly as Chinh went from an unknown player to one of the most famous and beloved young players after the 2018 Asian Games.
I won't say anything more about Duc Chinh, because ultimately, luck and form are perfectly normal in sports. What makes me think more is the Vietnamese fans. Ultimately, who or what do they truly admire? Do they admire the players or the victories they achieve? Do they admire the Vietnamese national team or the championship trophy? Do they admire the team's efforts or the glory that brings them pride? If I compare them, I think Kpop fans are perhaps more truly fans. Even if they are considered obsessive fans, ultimately, blindness is a characteristic of love and admiration. Because if you truly love someone or something, you will love them not only in their most glamorous and glorious moments, but also in their failures, sadness, or weaknesses.
A viral video that has become a source of amusement for many netizens recently shows a girl wearing a "Vietnam Champions" headband being interviewed while celebrating the team's victory in the second leg of the semi-final. She claims to know all the Vietnamese players' names, but when asked who the starting goalkeeper was, she stutters and can't answer. Finally, the interviewer asks, "Do you know which team Vietnam just played against?" Her immediate response, which brought the clip to a head, was hilarious: "Which team?". But after having a good laugh at that naive fan, shouldn't we ask ourselves which team we support?
