Dinh Xuan Tien - From Nghe An Newspaper Cup to Southeast Asian Champion

In early February 2022, Dinh Xuan Tien and U23 Vietnam won the Southeast Asian U23 tournament held in Cambodia. Photo: Internet

Affirming the talent of a star

When witnessing Dinh Xuan Tien's performance atNghe An Newspaper CupIn 2014, in the Nam Dan Children's Team, Mr. Le Ky Phuong - one of the most successful coaches at the Youth Football Training CenterSLNAhad to exclaim: "This will be the talent of Vietnamese football in the future, a player who can change the situation of the match by himself."

By 2022, Dinh Xuan Tien was only 19 years old, but was already the Southeast Asian U23 Champion held in Cambodia. In the opening match of that tournament, U23 Vietnam met U23 Singapore in the context that the official lineup of the red team only included players aged 21. Dinh Xuan Tien was arranged by coach Dinh The Nam to play in the attacking midfielder position. Not only playing the role of a player to fuel the attack, the striker born in 2003 also contributed a beautiful goal in the 7-0 victory ofU23 Vietnambefore U23 Singapore.

The goal that raised the score to 2-0 was scored by this player from a very technical ball handling before calmly finishing with a beautiful outside foot, sending the ball into the far corner of the goal. This goal was later highly praised by experts and the press at home and abroad. In the following minutes, Xuan Tien played explosively when he himself assisted captain Quang Nho to score the goal that raised the score to 4-0.

But few people know that, in the days before the match, the player from Nam Dan was sick and could not practice with the team. However, when wearing the red shirt with yellow stars, Dinh Xuan Tien entered the match with great determination, thereby helping U23 Vietnam gain a great advantage in the journey to conquer the Gold Cup of this tournament. Unfortunately, Dinh Xuan Tien later contracted Covid-19 and could not go all the way with coach Dinh The Nam's team to the end of the tournament.

Tien recalled: “It was a historic tournament, the team encountered many difficulties when facing the pandemic storm. During the time of medical isolation at the hotel, I could not join my teammates, but I was still happy because the team fought hard to bring glory to the Fatherland. This was a meaningful tournament that helped me become stronger and more mature.”

Dinh Xuan Tien is an important link in SLNA's squad for the 2022 season. Photo: Xuan Thuy

At the age of 19, at SLNA Club, Dinh Xuan Tien is probably the most mentioned name recently. Because with his talent confirmed at the youth team levels, the midfielder from Nam Dan was signed by the Club's Board of Directors to join the first team of the Nghe An team when he was not yet 18 years old. This is a dream of many players of the same age at SLNA. Although in the attacking midfielder position in the squad of the Vinh Stadium team, there are many talented players such as Van Lam, Bui Dinh Chau, Tran Manh Quynh... Tien was still given the opportunity to play as a starter by Coach Huy Hoang in the 2022 V.League season. This is the trust and recognition of the Club's Board of Directors for the talent that the midfielder born in 2003 has shown throughout the past time.

A place where dreams take flight

When he was a primary school student in Nam Dan town, Dinh Xuan Tien was famous as an excellent student, an active class monitor. His father was a soldier, his mother was a teacher, so Tien never thought he would become a football player, but only thought of studying hard to become a student at a prestigious university in the country. But football was Tien's true passion.

Dinh Xuan Tien and Nam Dan Children won the 2014 Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Championship. Photo courtesy

Showing his talent for playing football since he was a child, when he was just 9 years old, Dinh Xuan Tien was called by the coaching board of the Nam Dan district children's team to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Tournament. Although he was the youngest player in the team, the midfielder born in 2003 was the leader who brought Nam Dan Children's Team to the semi-finals in the 2013 season. However, it was not until 2014 that the name Dinh Xuan Tien really made a strong impression on many fans and experts. The match in which the midfielder born in 2003 left the strongest impression was the final match against Do Luong Children's Team, when this player helped Nam Dan Children's Team win the Championship with 2 goals. In particular, the second goal that Tien scored was extremely spectacular with a solo performance from the middle of the field through 4 opposing players before scoring against the opponent.

One detail that Dinh Xuan Tien still remembers to this day is when the fans of Than Quang Ninh team came to cheer for their team playing against SLNA in V.League 2014. They went to Nghe An Province Sports Stadium to watch the final match between Nhi Dong Nam Dan and Nhi Dong Do Luong. After seeing the excellent performance of the prodigy Dinh Xuan Tien, those fans came to ask for autographs and take pictures with the midfielder born in 2003. This action made Tien feel proud, and was the motivation for him to decide to pursue the king sport. At the end of that year's tournament, Dinh Xuan Tien was voted the Player with the most goals, and also won the Best Player award.

The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament is an interesting playground and a nursery for football talents. Photo: source

Tien said: “If there was no Nghe An Newspaper Cup, my life would definitely have taken a different direction. Participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup is an opportunity for me to live my passion to the fullest. In addition, through the process of training and competing in the Newspaper Cup, it also helps young players develop comprehensively in terms of thinking, as well as football skills.”

Tien also confided: “Participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup also gave us a meaningful summer day, experiencing many interesting activities. I still remember that at that time in Nam Dan there were no electronic games for children. When I went to Vinh City, the teachers rewarded me with a trip to Big C supermarket. We got to play the fish shooting game. Children like us were all attracted and enjoyed this game. Those were unforgettable memories when I participated in this tournament.”

The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Tournament brought Dinh Xuan Tien to the world of football. And it was also an opportunity for young players to realize their dream of becoming professional players.