SLNA's Achilles' heel and the wastefulness named Vuong Quoc Trung.
(Baonghean.vn) - After years of proving his abilities playing for Hai Phong Club, then Thanh Hoa, and finally returning to SLNA, midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung was expected to mentor young players like Dinh Chau and Van Lam. However, the Nghe An team is wasting a player who has spent many years competing in the V.League.
Midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung was born in 1990, along with players like The Nhat, The Cuong, Dinh Hoang, Nguyen Manh, Dinh Bao, Khac Ngoc, and Hoang Thinh. Among them, Quoc Trung is a year older, but his impact in the youth teams hasn't been as significant. This is partly because he played as a defensive midfielder, recovering the ball to support his teammates.
Nevertheless, Quoc Trung also appeared in the SLNA U17 team during the 2006 National U17 Championship. It wasn't until 2012 that Vuong Quoc Trung truly showcased his abilities when he convincingly won the championship with the SLNA U21 team. Playing as a central midfielder, Quoc Trung and Khac Ngoc formed an ideal partnership.
Returning after winning the championship with SLNA U21 in Ninh Thuan in 2012, Vuong Quoc Trung was promoted to the first team by coach Huu Thang to play in the V.League 2013. However, in his first two years as a professional, Quoc Trung could not compete for a starting position and did not even get a single minute of playing time.
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| Midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung (8) and the generation of players who won the national U21 championship in 2012. Photo: FBNV |
That was a time when SLNA possessed a host of excellent central midfielders such as Hoang Van Binh, Ngo Hoang Thinh, Ho Khac Ngoc... Ultimately, Quoc Trung joined Hai Phong Club on a free transfer, and it can be said that the team from the port city was an ideal destination for him.
In his very first season with Hai Phong, Quoc Trung impressed coach Truong Viet Hoang with his passionate playing style and excellent physical condition. He played a total of 22 matches alongside other Hai Phong midfielders such as Nguyen Minh Chau and Le Khanh Lam.
It was that impressive performance that led coach Toshiya Miura to include Vuong Quoc Trung in the Vietnamese national team squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in 2015. Although he was called up to the national team, Quoc Trung was not retained, but this was also an acknowledgment from the then head coach of the Vietnamese national team of this midfielder from Nghe An province.
After Minh Châu retired, Quốc Trung's role in Hải Phòng's midfield became even more important. Between 2015 and 2018, Quốc Trung was a key player, only missing a few matches per season. Particularly in 2016, when Hải Phòng FC came close to winning the championship and finishing as runners-up, Quốc Trung's performance for the team was highly appreciated by Hải Phòng fans.
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| Midfielder Quoc Trung is thriving in the colors of Hai Phong Club. Photo: FBNV |
In the 2019 season, when Hai Phong FC experienced changes, Quoc Trung was forced to leave the team at Lach Tray Stadium after 9 matches to join Thanh Hoa FC. However, while playing for Thanh Hoa, Quoc Trung didn't get much playing time, only appearing in a mere 6 matches. His career was at its peak, but he wasn't getting playing time, so the player born in 1990 was called back to Vinh by coach Quang Truong.
At 29, Quoc Trung is still very fit and has plenty of experience. Perhaps in his first two years with the SLNA first team, he couldn't compete with his teammates, but this time Quoc Trung returns with a completely different mindset. With Khac Ngoc and Ngoc Toan leaving, and Van Binh also retiring, he will be one of the oldest players with the mission of guiding other young players like Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Van Duc, and Bui Dinh Chau.
However, after 11 matches, the youngest midfield duo in V.League, Van Lam and Dinh Chau, haven't left much of an impression. Statistics from Instat also show that, on average, SLNA has the lowest ball possession rate in V.League 2020, averaging 45%, only slightly better than Thanh Hoa FC's 43%.
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| Midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung has not played a single minute in the V.League 2020. (Photo: Archival image) |
In total, the SLNA coaching staff had to substitute Van Lam and Dinh Chau seven times, bringing in Quang Tinh and Sy Sam to strengthen the midfield. Despite this, Quoc Trung was among SLNA's central midfielders. He was only registered to play twice and didn't play a single minute. This is clearly a waste, even though Quoc Trung wasn't seriously injured.
The matches played so far have shown that SLNA's midfield needs a player capable of long passes, controlling the game, and providing defensive support from afar. Midfielder Quoc Trung may not be as outstanding as expected, but at least his experience is entirely useful for a team with many young players like the one from Nghe An.
Vuong Quoc Trung - Coach Quang Truong's expectation
(Baonghean.vn) - With Khac Ngoc and Ngoc Toan leaving Vinh Stadium, and Van Binh retiring, Quoc Trung is the most anticipated central midfielder. It seems that coach Quang Truong is placing great expectations on this midfielder born in 1990.
