Is Tien Dung's return to Ho Chi Minh City a commercial contract?

For "national goalkeeper" Bui Tien Dung, despite holding the gold medal at V.League 2019 and SEA Games 30, these were still forgettable seasons as he once confessed.

Playing impressively at the U23 Asian Cup, maintaining stability at the 18th ASIAD, however, when returning to Thanh Hoa, Tien Dung was only the third choice after Thanh Thang and Buu Ngoc in V.League 2018.

Chance for Tien Dung

Mr. Park is still waiting for his favorite student to improve. Photo: VFC

Tien Dung chose to join the capital team, with the hope that when competing on many fronts, the "national goalkeeper" will have the opportunity to shine. But after 1 year of getting used to the bench, the Thanh goalkeeper lost his official position in the U22 Vietnam team at the 30th SEA Games.

The calculations of shining in the Philippines to get a starting position in V.League and the profitable contract of Bui Tien Dung have now only been half realized. In the context of about 50% of V.League teams are busy changing goalkeepers in the new season, Bui Tien Dung is still a valuable name.

Mr. Huu Thang will not lose less than 7 billion VND along with a salary of about 40 million VND/month for the goalkeeper with the most impressive record in Vietnam at the present time. But when returning to Ho Chi Minh City, will Tien Dung be given the opportunity to play by coach Chung Hae-soung? That is another story.

First of all, it must be affirmed that with the personality of Mr. Thang and Coach Chung Hae-soung, Bui Tien Dung is definitely not a commercial contract. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City does not have many spectators, but the Nghe An boss does not need the number of fans on social networks of this "national goalkeeper".

For coach Chung Hae-soung, when competing in all three fronts of AFC Cup, V.League and National Cup, he needs someone to share with the elderly goalkeeper Thanh Thang. The Korean coach still sees Bui Tien Dung's international experience as necessary for the Thong Nhat Stadium team in the AFC Cup.

Narrow door catches the main

With the U23 Vietnam team having to finish the qualifying round of the 2020 AFC U23 Championship by January 16, 2020, if he enters the field, Tien Dung will only be present to practice with the team to prepare for the 2020 V.League. Thus, with both form and limited time, Tien Dung will hardly have a chance to compete with his senior Thanh Thang in the V.League and the National Cup.

Ho Chi Minh City Club welcomes new goalkeeper. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Club.

If he returns to B.Binh Duong, Bui Tien Dung's chances of playing as a starting goalkeeper will be much higher. But the team from the land of Thu does not have much ambition, they are in the process of rejuvenating the squad, so they probably will not accept an exorbitant price for the goalkeeper position. The price of 6 billion VND to have the service of this potential goalkeeper from Thanh Hoa to Hang Day Stadium for the past year has also made B.Binh Duong hesitate.

In the current context, more than anyone else, Bui Tien Dung understands the price to pay for sitting on the bench for the V.League champion team. Many goalkeepers in the world believe that "it is better to be the main goalkeeper of a small team than the reserve (especially the second reserve) of a big team". So leaving Hanoi is the right decision, but whether going to Ho Chi Minh City is the best option or not depends on the adaptability of the Thanh goalkeeper.

After losing his starting position in the U22 Vietnam team to Van Toan, the path back to the National Team for the "national goalkeeper" is now becoming much more difficult. If he does not get to play soon, there will come a time when Mr. Park will have to temporarily forget his "favorite student". The cruelty and lessons that goalkeeper Phi Minh Long once faced are now applied to the goalkeeper from Thanh Hoa. There are not many opportunities!

Certainly, more than anyone else, goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung wants to play in a new shirt rather than "sit back and enjoy the benefits" and Vietnamese fans in general and Ho Chi Minh City FC in particular really want this goalkeeper to turn it into action.