The story of Quoc Duy and people with strong will to succeed

The positive consequence of this story is that experts and fans immediately expressed their opinions on adding Quoc Duy to the list of players to the Vietnam Men's Volleyball Team preparing to participate in the 32nd SEA Games in May, when the initial list of players did not include the name of this Tra Vinh player.

It is common for public opinion to have different opinions about the list of teams and it is actually very difficult to “change the plow halfway” because each coach always has the most beneficial and effective viewpoint and way when taking on a task. With Quoc Duy, the answer from the coaches could be that this player played poorly in the previous Hoa Lu Cup, or that his playing style is easily predictable when the opponent is smart and has a solution to stop him… or that Duy’s strong position is currently played by someone else who is better and more convincing.

But that does not mean that Quoc Duy has no chance of being called up to the national team because given the developments from now until the start of the SEA Games, any changes or additions are always considered necessary solutions to help the national team have the strongest and most combative force possible. Therefore, whether he is called up immediately or is on “standby” mode, the fact that Quoc Duy plays brilliantly and gives his all every time he enters the field is a positive, commendable and learnable signal not only for volleyball but also for all other sports.

The volleyball team's roster can be compared to the U22 men's football team at the recent SEA Games. When Mr. Phillippe Troussier called for a team to gather and finalize the roster for the second and third times, public opinion always had different opinions. In the past, every time Mr. Park Hang-seo announced the lineup, there was always a "feeling" scene of sharing and sympathizing with the "children" outside the final list, and then public opinion was free to "comment", most related to star Van Quyet. A European coach would of course be more "rational", there would be no father-son-son like before, and the personnel decision would also take place as it should without any explanation, sharing, or consolation.

Therefore, the public was extremely surprised when Mr. Troussier's "favorite" students in the U19 team such as: Khac Luong, Manh Quynh..., the players who scored the opening goal for the first victory of the "new dynasty" such as Manh Quynh, Van Huu... were removed from the list of players participating in the Doha Cup 2023, a signal that they are not suitable for the views and ways of doing things of the teacher and it seems that the opportunity to return is... very long and very far away, sometimes hopeless without the utmost effort like Quoc Duy that we just mentioned at the beginning of the article.

This new teacher is following the same path as his old teacher Park Hang-seo. Photo: Archive

Looking at the list of "remaining" U22 players of Mr. Troussier, people can easily see that this new coach is following the same path as his old coach Park Hang-seo, which is to choose players who can play well in one position and are versatile when needed. Luong Duy Cuong is both a good central defender and an excellent defensive midfielder. Van Khang, Van Truong, Tuan Tai... all create trust when assigned to many different positions, play many different formations and have a very high ability to complete the task. Of course, not the whole squad is versatile, but first of all, the first squad must be the best players in the assigned position, then consider flexible switching, mixing up to create surprises when there are versatile players as known.

Of course, it will take time and practice for coaches to have a correct and complete understanding of their students, not to mention other objective and subjective changes that sometimes cause things to deviate from the usual track. Therefore, the coach also needs to supplement his awareness and needs to supplement his forces to meet the requirements set by reality. That is why Mr. Troussier set a rate of 20% of players to be added to the Vietnam National Team from the V-League and the First Division. As for volleyball, of course, players who play well in the National Championship and the upcoming Hung Vuong Cup will also be considered and evaluated after the "pressure" of public opinion, such as the commendable and noteworthy story of Quoc Duy at The Cong.

A 21-year-old player, who was once called up to the Vietnam National Team, played inconsistently and was eliminated, but has tried his best and tirelessly to regain his position, which is something that really needs to be supported and encouraged. Perhaps Quoc Duy and those with the will to strive like him need to be placed in a worthy position in the sports world, not only for today but also for many years to come./.