Duc Anh and his "superfluous" life

(Baonghean)Although still registered to play for SLNA in the 2013 season, Duc Anh has become accustomed to watching matches from the stands. Since the day he broke his leg in Cao Lanh, Duc Anh has been supported by SLNA, but the suffering of being a surplus player that this goalkeeper is enduring is probably not something many people can understand.

Duc Anh is one of the few goalkeepers who received a relatively solid foundation in their training. Those involved in youth development at the Song Lam academy say that this goalkeeper was discovered quite early, and at the age of 12, Duc Anh was brought from Nghia Dan to Vinh for intensive training. Living up to the expectations of his family and coaches, Duc Anh quickly demonstrated his abilities.

In 2000, preparing for the U.16 Asian Championship held in Da Nang, after many trials, coach Nguyen Van Thinh decided to place his trust in Duc Anh. At that tournament, along with players like Van Quyen, Nhu Thuat, and Lam Tan, Duc Anh had an unexpectedly successful tournament and gained widespread recognition.

Having made a name for himself and, more importantly, through tireless effort, Duc Anh continued to earn trust, becoming SLNA's starting goalkeeper in subsequent youth tournaments. His successes with the U.18, U.19, and U.21 teams are countless, but what people truly appreciate about this goalkeeper is his exemplary character and lifestyle.

Duc Anh possessed great potential and a strong desire to contribute, but at that time, Nghe An was known as a breeding ground for goalkeepers, producing famous names like The Anh, Hong Son, and Duc Cuong. Therefore, for a young goalkeeper like Duc Anh, the challenge was immense. However, true to his character, Duc Anh quietly worked hard to prove himself. In 2009, after much effort, Duc Anh began to secure a position and regularly appeared in the starting lineup of the Nghe An team.

The future looked bright for Duc Anh, who was still young and full of dreams, especially since many famous goalkeepers from Nghe An had already left their hometown to play for other teams. But life is full of surprises, and Duc Anh suffered a horrific injury that still sends shivers down his spine when he recounts it. It was April 26, 2009, when SLNA was playing away at Cao Lan against Dong Thap FC. The match was tense, and in a 50/50 situation, striker Timothy mercilessly kicked Duc Anh in the shin, breaking his leg.

The match took place at Cao Lanh stadium, where Duc Anh broke his leg.

After being urgently hospitalized and undergoing a year of treatment, Duc Anh was finally able to move again. He even considered retiring to find a more suitable job given his post-surgery leg condition, but his deep-seated passion for football led him to return to SLNA to fulfill the remaining years of his contract. Although the goalkeeper position at the Nghe An team is no longer as fiercely competitive as before, his legs haven't yet regained the necessary balance, preventing him from reclaiming his place. Thinking back to 2010, when SLNA hired a foreign goalkeeper and then a year later brought in the then-unknown goalkeeper Huynh Quoc Cuong, Duc Anh feels even more regretful, wishing he hadn't suffered that injury on the Cao Lan stadium pitch – perhaps things would have been different.

Despite accepting a reserve role in search of opportunities, year after year, Duc Anh has been unable to regain his former form. Evidence of this is that in pre-season training matches and the National Cup, Duc Anh was still used but failed to make an impact.

Despite not contributing much, SLNA continued to renew Duc Anh's contract as a gesture of support for one of the club's most disadvantaged goalkeepers. He constantly strives to repay the team, but in his current situation, it's very difficult for him to make a significant contribution. In reality, after years of training to regain his balance, Duc Anh is now able to play again, but given SLNA's circumstances over the past year or two, opportunities for him have been very limited.

Currently, besides Nguyen Manh and Viet Nam, Duc Anh also has to compete with veteran Duc Thang for the third-choice goalkeeper position. This is a huge challenge for a goalkeeper who was once injured and almost had to retire. His life as a "superfluous" goalkeeper continues, even though SLNA still provides him with a good income and other benefits. However, for someone who chose playing football as their profession, the desire to play is always a burning passion, and naturally, Duc Anh carries within him many indescribable emotions.

In the stands at Vinh Stadium during the recent matches, when asked why he wasn't in the team's technical area ready to take the field, Duc Anh could only manage a wry smile. In truth, he didn't know how to answer, because he wasn't injured, suspended, or disciplined, but…

Vinh Liem