Let Cong Phuong dance freely!

(Baonghean.vn) - Scoring two goals, 1 assist and many impressive plays are what the 22-year-old star did in the 4-1 victory of U22 Vietnam over U22 Cambodia.

"Artist" must be like that

Despite playing so well, Cong Phuong still had to endure criticism and complaints from some experts and many fans. Witnessing the students of coach Nguyen Huu Thang unable to penetrate the U22 Cambodia net for almost the entire first half, everyone felt impatient.

In addition, every time Cong Phuong had the ball, the striker wearing the number 10 jersey kept breaking through the dense siege of U22 Cambodia players, refusing to coordinate with his teammates playing around him in a favorable position. As a result, the defenders, the goalkeeper and even the goalpost all turned Cong Phuong's efforts into nothing.

Many people believe that if the “Vietnamese Messi” had “raised his head” and been less selfish, U22 Vietnam would have scored earlier instead of waiting until the first half was almost over. The above comment is completely correct. But that is the perspective of outsiders, those who only have their eyes on the TV screen.

Cong Phuong (red shirt) dribbles the ball amidst the siege of U22 Cambodia defenders. Photo: Internet

As for Cong Phuong, he doesn't have enough time to observe his teammates when his eyes are completely focused on the ball. This weakness is common in players who play with a technical bent, not just Cong Phuong. Just look at Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil), Hazard (Belgium)... to understand.

If all players played like robots, there would be no Maradona's masterpiece dribbling past 6 England players at the 1986 World Cup (voted as the best goal of the 20th century). Nor would there be the whole Bernabeu stadium standing up and applauding after Ronaldinho scored for rival Barcelona in the El Clasico match on November 19, 2005.

It's not that Cong Phuong doesn't recognize the weaknesses in his playing style. It's just that the 1995-born star has permission from coach Nguyen Huu Thang. That doesn't mean the 45-year-old strategist doesn't care if Cong Phuong plays however he wants, without following any tactics. Simply, coach Nguyen Huu Thang knows that's how an artist should be.

The art of using people

Don't forget, Huu Thang is a coach who values ​​discipline and as a player he was a central defender with a simple, pragmatic playing style. Therefore, the former SLNA captain fully understands the difficulties and hardships of the defense when facing strikers with skillful and cunning technical foundations like Cong Phuong.

And coach Nguyen Huu Thang also understands that a “football artist” will lose his creative inspiration if he is too constrained. The same goes for Cong Phuong. If he is not careful, the player of HAGL Club will have to bear more pressure. This has happened in the past. It was very difficult for coach Nguyen Huu Thang to help Cong Phuong find himself again.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang has found a way to help Cong Phuong shine. Photo: Internet

The evidence is that since the 2018 U23 Asian Qualifiers, the striker from Nghe An has been making constant progress. Up to now, Cong Phuong has scored in 5 consecutive official matches of U22 Vietnam (3 matches in the 2018 U23 Asian Qualifiers and 2 matches in the 29th SEA Games). It shows that the 22-year-old striker's form is quite high and coach Nguyen Huu Thang is right.

Anyone who watched the match between U22 Thailand 1 - 0 U22 East Timor at 7:45 p.m. on August 17 would have seen the value of Cong Phuong's dancing. Facing the disciplined and tight defense of East Timor, the U22 Thailand players had no way to penetrate.

One of the main reasons is that the “golden pagoda” team does not possess a “drill” like Cong Phuong - who broke through the East Timor defense with clever, agile dribbling. Or like against Cambodia - the team that held U22 China to a 0-0 draw in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, was continuously tormented by Cong Phuong. The 4 goals of U22 Vietnam came one after another as a matter of course.

The journey to conquer the SEA Games 29 gold medal of U22 Vietnam is only the first stage, difficulties still lie ahead. The team's achievements depend entirely on the excellence of Cong Phuong and his teammates. Let Cong Phuong dance freely, we can just enjoy and wait for coach Nguyen Huu Thang and his team to bring glory to the Fatherland./.

Thanh Hung