How important is Ho Van Cuong to Song Lam Nghe An?

Talent is affirmed

As we know, since 2019, Ho Van Cuong officially became a player of the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center. Under the guidance of Nghe An coaches, Ho Van Cuong quickly matured and was soon promoted to the first team of the Vinh Stadium team.

Despite his physical limitations, Ho Van Cuong possesses good physical strength, speed, technique, and tactical vision, so he quickly won the trust of the Nghe An team's coaching staff. With his efforts in training, in the 2022 season, Ho Van Cuong officially entered the V.League. In the Song Lam Nghe An shirt, the player born in 2003 was arranged by the coaching staff to play in the position of full-back. With his own qualities, Van Cuong not only did well in the defensive role, but he also created many highly unpredictable attacks with his teammates. Although he is only 20 years old, in the 2022 V.League, Van Cuong has played in 17 matches. This is a dream number for his peers.

Through his impressive performance in the domestic football tournament, Van Cuong caught the attention of the U23 and U20 Vietnam Coaching Board. In particular, at the 2023 U20 Asian Cup finals, Van Cuong affirmed his talent and became an indispensable link in the squad led by coach Hoang Anh Tuan. The head coach of U20 Vietnam highly appreciated Ho Van Cuong for his spirit and enthusiasm in training and competing.

With the brilliant performance of the defender from Hoang Mai, coach Troussier named him in the Vietnam U22 team to participate in the 32nd SEA Games. In the group stage matches, Ho Van Cuong did not have many opportunities to play, but when it came to the Bronze Medal match of the men's football SEA Games 32, coach Troussier unexpectedly used Ho Van Cuong in the starting lineup. Not disappointing the trust of the French coach, the defender of Song Lam Nghe An scored a double against U22 Myanmar, contributing greatly to helping U22 Vietnam win 3-0 and win the Bronze Medal of the men's football SEA Games 32.

Also in the 2023 season, Ho Van Cuong showed convincing performance, thereby always being the number 1 choice of the Coaching Board of Song Lam Nghe An for the right-back position. The dynamism and aggressiveness of this defender has helped Song Lam Nghe An's right wing become the main attacking spearhead. In addition to the ability to cross the ball effectively with both feet, Van Cuong also often possesses lightning-fast penetration on the right wing, sparking many effective attacks of Song Lam Nghe An.

However, at the end of the season, Van Cuong suffered a ligament injury and could not play, which greatly affected Song Lam Nghe An's playing style. Statistics show that in the 2023 season, the player from Hoang Mai City only played 11 times in the V.League.

If you have it, don't keep it. If it's lost, don't look for it.

At the end of the 2023 season, the Vinh Stadium team said goodbye to key players such as Que Ngoc Hai and Pham Xuan Manh, leading to the quality of domestic players at this team being extremely alarming. The gap in experience between them and the "young shoots" at Nghe An Club is difficult to fill overnight. Looking deeply into the lineup of Song Lam Nghe An, there are only 3 to 4 names that bring a small hope to Nghe An fans. Among them, Ho Van Cuong is a quality player, very necessary for Song Lam Nghe An when looking forward to a difficult and challenging season ahead. Because if there is a U23 Vietnam player in the lineup, Trong Hoang, Xuan Tien or Olaha... will have a capable partner to share the fire with. Remember, in addition to his strong position as a right-back, Van Cuong can also play well as a winger. If the quartet of Van Cuong, Trong Hoang, Xuan Tien and Olaha can be combined smoothly, many effective attacking options will open up for the Nghe An team. However, when Van Cuong is absent from that quartet, it will be difficult to find a striker capable enough in the current personnel that Song Lam Nghe An has to create sudden combinations that surprise the opponent's defense. Therefore, Van Cuong is a very important player at this time for Song Lam Nghe An.

One thing that cannot be ignored is that when Van Cuong leaves, it will certainly cause psychological turmoil for other talented players of the same age at the Nghe An team. The young people who stay will more or less be controlled by emotions, finding it difficult to achieve excitement and enthusiasm to devote all their efforts to their hometown team.

It must be affirmed that Van Cuong is not an irreplaceable player, but if this defender is loaned out at the present time, the Nghe An team will inadvertently push themselves to the bottom of disappointment. I think, Song Lam Nghe An needs to come up with a suitable solution to revive the team before facing the situation of "if you don't keep it, don't look for it when it's gone".