The lineup of 11 talented players of Song Lam Nghe An 'blooms early and fades quickly'

Goalkeeper: Pham Duc Anh

Same generation as players Van Quyen and Minh Duc who made a splash at the 2000 AFC U16 Championship, goalkeeper Pham Duc Anh had a very good starting point. When he was promoted to professional football, Duc Anh had to play for Hue as a secondment. It was not until 2007-2008 that Duc Anh was able to play for his hometown team.

There was a time when Duc Anh was called up to the Vietnam U23 team but was not retained due to health problems. In V.League 2009, he played again but suffered a very serious injury. The name Pham Duc Anh was almost forgotten and the last time the goalkeeper played was in the Dong Thap shirt in V.League 2016.

The 2000 U16 Vietnam team with many young SLNA players. Photo: Quang Minh

Fullback: Nguyen Lam Tan - Pham Hai Nam

Another face that emerged from the U16 Asian Cup is Nguyen Lam Tan. Thanks to his ideal physique, technical playing style, and speed, this left-back was promoted by coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh to participate in the V.League 2001 when he was only 17 years old. After only 1 year of playing at the top level, Lam Tan proved that he was a promising full-back every time he was on the field to replace his senior Van Sy Son.

And that year, Lam Tan was called by coach Alfred Rield to the Vietnam U23 team to compete in the SEA Games. However, after that, persistent injuries that were not treated decisively caused Lam Tan's career to be cut short. In 2010, Lam Tan officially retired, ending a rather lackluster career at the top level.

Former defender Nguyen Lam Tan. Photo: ST

On the other wing, Pham Hai Nam was in the main U16 SLNA squad along with Van Quyen, Nhu Thuat, Minh Duc, who won the championship in 1998. At the age of 20, Hai Nam had won the national U16 and U18 championships, and 2 gold medals in the U21 tournament in 2000 and 2001. The SLNA right-back also played for the U20 Vietnam team in the Asian finals last October and the 22nd SEA Games in 2003.

In SLNA shirt, Pham Hai Nam was highly expected but the harsh environment of the top level and injuries forced Pham Hai Nam to say goodbye to football early. After a period of amateur competition, Hai Nam is currently working as a youth trainer at Hanoi Club.

Center back: Nguyen Ngoc Tu

It is difficult to find a talented SLNA defender who has not left a mark in the professional environment, because the Nghe An training center always produces top defenders for Vietnamese football. The case of Nguyen Ngoc Tu is perhaps the most regrettable. Born in 1982, Ngoc Tu and Minh Duc were the central defender pair who won the national U16 championship in 1998, and together with Huy Hoang won the national U18 championship in 1999.

In 2001, Ngoc Tu and Minh Duc's generation participated in the U21 Finals to compete and in 2003, after consecutive successes, he was promoted to the SLNA first team and was the captain of the Nghe An youth team that won the silver medal. However, because he could not compete with the Huy Hoang - Minh Duc pair in the V.League, Ngoc Tu had to join Hoa Phat Club in 2006 and his career gradually declined there.

Central midfielder: Phan Nhu Thuat - Nguyen Cong Minh

In the position of central midfielder, Phan Nhu Thuat is a typical example of a “hibiscus flower” that blooms early and fades quickly. Nhu Thuat’s talent goes hand in hand with the success of the SLNA U14 team in 1998, the Vietnam U16 team in 2000. In 2001, the midfielder born in 1984 was named by Mr. Dido - the National Team coach - to the official list of players attending the SEA Games.

In 2003, Nhu Thuat played impressively at the JVC Cup and continued to be on the list for the SEA Games at home. However, due to his physical weakness and high competitiveness at SLNA, Nhu Thuat had to move to Binh Dinh in 2011. He is currently the assistant coach for his senior Ngo Quang Truong.

Midfielder Phan Nhu Thuat at the age of 16 at the 2000 AFC U16 Championship. Photo TL: Quang Minh

In addition to the previous names such as Phan Thanh Tuan, Le Manh Huy, another talented but unlucky central midfielder is Nguyen Cong Minh. At the age of 22, Cong Minh played outstandingly for SLNA, matured and always had a regular position in the U23 Vietnam team on the journey to win the silver medal at SEA Games 25.

However, due to difficult economic conditions and underdeveloped healthcare, Cong Minh's injuries persisted for 6 years and caused him to lose his form. He joined Hanoi ACB, Quang Nam, Hai Phong and then the First Division team Dak Lak, but Cong Minh finally retired in 2016.

Wingers: Truong Dac Khanh - Ha Mai Giang

In the position of left midfielder or fullback, Dac Khanh is a talent that coach Huu Thang once regretted. Born in 1988, Dac Khanh was promoted to the SLNA first team in 2006 and by 2008, he was in the U20 Vietnam squad. In 2009, he returned after playing for Ninh Binh and played extremely impressively.

This player with good physical strength, skillful left foot, technical play and no less passionate was called by coach Calisto to the U23 and Olympic Vietnam team in 2009. However, because of being involved in gambling outside the field, Dac Khanh fell, many times coach Huu Thang "guaranteed" and corrected him but was helpless, his contract was terminated by SLNA in 2012.

Player Truong Dac Khanh. Photo: SLNA FC

Positioned as a right midfielder, midfielder Ha Mai Giang is considered a player who left many regrets and pain for Nghe An fans because of his departure. After winning the national U21 championship in 2000, he continued to successfully defend this title with U21 SLNA in 2001 as captain and best player.

With his scholarly, romantic appearance and intelligent and gallant playing style, Ha Mai Giang captivated viewers even when he became a professional player. Unfortunately, in January 2004, he had a traffic accident and passed away at the age of 25, leaving behind grief for his teammates, relatives and fans of Nghe An.

Forwards: Phan Thanh Hoan - Nguyen Dinh Hiep - Nguyen Ngoc Anh

In the striker position, Phan Thanh Hoan is the most regrettable case. He was an excellent young player for many consecutive years of the Nghe An team, won the national U16 championship, won the national U18 championship in 1999, participated in the Vietnam U18 team, Vietnam U23 team, won the national U21 championship for 3 consecutive years and won the titles of "Best player", "Top scorer" many times. However, in the professional arena, Phan Thanh Hoan fell behind compared to his talent.

Former striker Nguyen Dinh Hiep (23). Photo: NVCC

Another striker who is also considered to be “early bloomer, late faller” is Nguyen Dinh Hiep. He was born in 1990 and emerged from the 2007 National U21 Finals when he was only 17 years old. At that tournament, Nguyen Dinh Hiep won the title of “Best Player of the Tournament”, although U21 SLNA only finished in 2nd place. He was considered the most promising young player of the Nghe An team at that time, but when he joined the first team, Dinh Hiep could not compete for a position. He played for Khanh Hoa, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, B.Binh Duong, Long An, Hai Phong and retired with Long An Club.

Striker Nguyen Ngoc Anh is perhaps a special case of SLNA with a height of up to 1m80. Born in 1988, Ngoc Anh played impressively under coach Nguyen Van Thinh in V.League 2009 and was called up to the Vietnam U23 team to win the silver medal at SEA Games 25 as well as the national team. However, after leaving Nghe An, Ngoc Anh played for XT Saigon, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City Club and Dong Thap but was not very successful.

The lineup of 11 talented SLNA players left the most regrets. Graphics: TK