Filip Nguyen effect and overseas Vietnamese player resources
(Baonghean.vn) - It took a long time for Vietnamese football experts and fans to witness with their own eyes a Vietnamese-American player who had been called up to the Czech National Team many times, Filip Nguyen, officially playing in the V.League in the Hanoi Police uniform.
The strong strength and great ambition of Hanoi Police and the process of increasing the resources of overseas Vietnamese players of the Vietnam Football Federation have met at the important highlight of Filip Nguyen, although before that, many overseas Vietnamese players had played in professional football tournaments in Vietnam.
Why is Filip Nguyen said to be an important “highlight”, because before that, there was no overseas Vietnamese player with a “strong brand” like an overseas Vietnamese player from the Czech Republic, including a famous player with the same name Phillip Nguyen who returned to Vietnam from the US. Moreover, Filip Nguyen was later “invited” to play for a top V.League team, Hanoi Police, completely not a less ambitious team like Hai Phong where Van Lam used to play, like Ho Chi Minh City, where Phillip Nguyen (USA) used to play for more than 1 season. And most importantly, Filip Nguyen returned from the Czech Republic to Hanoi Police when Vietnamese football began the process of upgrading to head towards the World Cup with many resources, including the resource of overseas Vietnamese players.
Of course, despite being a goalkeeper with an ideal height (1m92), having played in the world's top professional football environment, coming to V.League and Hanoi Police, Filip Nguyen still encountered difficulties in the first matches in phase 2 of V.League 2023 in a new shirt. Filip Nguyen continuously conceded goals in matches between Hanoi Police and opponents SHB Da Nang, Hanoi FC, Nam Dinh... but then everything for the championship candidate team as well as the new goalkeeper gradually stabilized. Then, when Filip Nguyen defeated Duc Chien in a nerve-wracking penalty kick in the match against Viettel, everyone had to admit his true class and talent. Hanoi Police's national championship was only a draw away and the main thing was that the path for Filip Nguyen to be naturalized and become a Vietnamese national player was closer than ever.
This is truly a positive effect for Vietnamese football to continue to invite overseas Vietnamese players to compete in professional tournaments, gradually supplementing the strength of the national teams. Vietnamese sports in general and football in particular do not choose the path of massive naturalization like what countries in the region did at the recent SEA Games, such as the Philippine women's football team at the 2023 Women's World Cup and a remarkable victory. Our correct and sustainable path is still the slow, steady, reliable way, taking advantage of many different resources in addition to focusing on improving self-trained resources in a professional and modern direction.
The 3-man women’s basketball team and the first Gold Medal at the SEA Games are a good example to refer to and learn from. However, it cannot be said that it is a foundation for long-term development because the above players are living, studying and competing in the US, which is not easy to focus on and manage during the tournaments as planned. With football, things are not simple if the players are stateless and are competing abroad…
It is worth noting that the country's socio-economic development process allows us to progress quickly, strongly, integrate and join the world, including sports. Vietnamese sports are gradually approaching facilities, equipment, methods and world-class experts, to produce many high-quality products, approaching the continental and world level. Vietnamese football is currently seeing many players with good physique and fitness such as Van Hau, Thanh Binh, Viet Anh... in the Vietnam National Team; Van Ha, Nam Hai... in the U23 Vietnam team and many other potential faces... To see, the gap in physique and fitness of Vietnamese football is changing in a positive direction and if a team has Filip Nguyen playing, gradually the difference, if any, will also change in a beneficial way, truly raising the level.
“Highlight” Filip Nguyen is really thriving in the Hanoi Police squad, creating new inspiration not only for V.League but also for “addresses” of overseas Vietnamese players all over the world.
