Awaken the past!

(Baonghean) - On the afternoon of September 7, at Vinh Stadium, a "fierce" match took place between the two most traditional football teams in Vietnam, SLNA and The Cong. What is special is that all 22 players on the field are old people.

The veteran lineup of SLNA - The Cong before the friendly match on the afternoon of September 7, 2014.

Many famous names of Vietnamese football in the 1970s such as Manh Hai, Tien Dung, Trong Hung, Van Quynh... (The Cong) Hong Thanh, Van Thinh, Ha Thin, Ngoc Tuan, Ta Thuan, Ba Vinh (SLNA)... took to the field with their "juniors" who were names of the "golden generation" of Vietnamese football such as Huu Thang, Van Sy Hung, Quang Truong (SLNA) Nguyen Cao Cuong, Vu Cong Tuyen, Tran Manh Cuong (The Cong)... They gave thousands of spectators at Vinh Stadium an eye-catching match, recalling past matches associated with great names of Vietnamese football.

Although it was only a friendly match between "old" players (aged 50 - 60 - 70), the heat of the match attracted the attention of many Nghe An fans. The evidence was that in the match on the afternoon of September 7, nearly 5,000 spectators filled the A stands of Vinh Stadium to cheer for the players when they were "old". Simply in the memories of many people at Vinh Stadium, names such as Manh Hai, Tien Dung, Trong Hung, Van Quynh (The Cong); Hong Thanh, Van Thinh, Ha Thin, Ngoc Tuan, Ta Thuan, Ba Vinh (SLNA) were deeply ingrained in the minds of fans in the 1970s - 1980s. The audience at the stadium was not only limited to Vinh City but also attracted the attention of hundreds of fans in remote districts, hundreds of kilometers away from Vinh City.

Mr. Nguyen Giang Hoai (Quy Hop) said: “This is a match of players whose names are deeply engraved in our minds. Therefore, when I received information about a friendly match like this, I and many brothers in Quy Hop did not hesitate to travel far to Vinh to watch them play. Recalling the emotions of many years ago, I feel very happy”. In addition, in the stands of Vinh Stadium, there were many young people coming to cheer for the players whom they only knew through the press later. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chuong (SLNA Fan Club) said: “I belong to the younger generation. When you guys played football at the top level, I was not born yet, but your names were known to us through stories and newspapers. Therefore, I feel happy to watch the match of the famous players of the past live right at Vinh Stadium”.

Of course, to create the brand “The Cong” – “SLNA” that is so popular today all comes from the enthusiastic fighting spirit, for the flag and the colors of the players on the field. That was once again recreated in a friendly match, but always clearly showing the “win, lose” spirit that has existed in the past for many years.

With 90 minutes taking place at Vinh Stadium, there were no fast-paced plays, fiery collisions of the "veterans", but rather passing plays combining experience and enthusiasm. Right in the first half, the home team SLNA took the lead with 2 goals scored by Huu Thang, Van Sy Hung, while Vu Cong Tuyen shortened the score to 1-2 for The Cong. Entering the second half with many changes, the "veterans" SLNA scored 1 more goal by Van Sy Hung; The Cong managed to equalize the score thanks to goals from Pham Minh Duc and Cong Tuyen.

At the end of the match, player Vu Manh Hai was moved: "I remember clearly in 1984, when we played our last match at Vinh Stadium, there were thousands of fans cheering us on. Yesterday, we were able to relive that atmosphere, when the Vinh Stadium stands still had thousands of people cheering us on."

The 3-3 draw accurately reflected the events on the field. But what remains in the players playing for the flag and the team's brand is never lost, but is imprinted firmly in the minds of the fans.

Article and photos:Great Meaning