Now who dares to say coach Nguyen Huu Thang is 'local'!

(Baonghean.vn) - After the first two matches at SEA Games 29, only 3/5 players from Nghe An were able to play in the starting lineup of U22 Vietnam. Among them, Tuan Tai came in as a substitute.

From the preparation process until the end of the AFF CUP 2016, coach Nguyen Huu Thang had to endure a lot of criticism from experts and domestic football fans about the personnel issue in the Vietnam National Team.

Starting from the list of players called up, there was no face from the South. Next was the removal of Huy Toan (SHB Da Nang), keeping Phi Son (SLNA). Finally, there were the mistakes of Dinh Dong, Ngoc Hai and the disastrous red card of Nguyen Manh in the second leg of the semi-final against Indonesia at My Dinh Stadium.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang was once criticized for his parochialism and localism in the Vietnam National Team. Photo: Tram Uyen

Many experts have spoken out to defend coach Nguyen Huu Thang. The strategist himself, born in 1972, also affirmed: "The national team is not a place where localism and localism exist." But public opinion still ignored all of this and implicitly condemned coach Nguyen Huu Thang.

This, along with the pain from the bitter defeat of the Vietnam national team, almost caused the former SLNA captain to resign from his position at the VFF. Until now, coach Nguyen Huu Thang has not forgotten what happened to him personally.

Now, the group that "slandered" Coach Nguyen Huu Thang cannot find any reason to criticize or curse. The current U22 Vietnam team is a diverse team, coming from many localities and many different clubs. Fairness and equality in the competition between each player is easy to see. Key players like Tuan Anh, Hong Duy... also have to sit on the bench for professional reasons in each match. In short, the opportunity to play is always divided equally among the players - depending on each person's ability.

Striker Cong Phuong is in brilliant form for the U22 Vietnam team. Photo: Tram Uyen

Of the five Nghe An players present in Malaysia, only Cong Phuong, Tien Dung and Tuan Tai have been able to play. Meanwhile, center back Van Khanh and right back Van Kien are still on the bench.

Who dares to say that Tien Dung and Cong Phuong do not deserve to be in the starting lineup, after their impressive performances in the two matches against U22 East Timor and U22 Cambodia?

Who dares to say that Coach Nguyen Huu Thang has favored Tuan Tai, when he has scored 1 goal (U22 Cambodia) and left his mark on Cong Phuong's goal (U22 East Timor)?

...And who dares to say that coach Nguyen Huu Thang is partial in U22 Vietnam?

Thanh Hung