A year of mixed joy and sadness for former U23 Nghe An players

Phan Van Duc - Bad luck follows

Returning from an impressive Asian Cup in the UAE, Phan Van Duc was expected to continue to shine in the 2019 V.League in the SLNA shirt. However, after only the first round, the player from Yen Thanh suffered a serious injury and had to spend 4 months recovering. It was thought that Phan Van Duc would be able to return in the match against HAGL in round 13 of the V.League, but SLNA's number 20 player suffered a relapse during training. After examination, Phan Van Duc's injury was much more serious than the initial diagnosis.

Although injury took away Phan Van Duc's chance to play in 2019, the midfielder from Nghe An quickly took advantage to score the goal of his life. Photo: Archive

Pham Xuan Manh – Efforts to come back

In the National Cup semi-final match between SLNA and FLC Thanh Hoa, Xuan Manh’s injury recurred. According to the examination, Xuan Manh had a fractured fibula and had to rest and undergo rehabilitation training at the PVF center in Hanoi.

Xuan Manh took half a season to recover from injury, but his efforts to return have been recognized both in the club and the national team. Photo: Archive

Returning from the second leg, Xuan Manh played energetically and effectively in the winger position. The efforts of the Nghe An player were recognized by coach Park Hang-seo with a position in the list of players called up to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the two matches against Malaysia and Indonesia in the World Cup qualifiers. However, Xuan Manh was not used in both of those matches. The Korean coach even crossed out the Nghe An player when finalizing the final list for the match against Malaysia. This is understandable because Xuan Manh has just returned from injury and in his playing position, coach Park has many options.

Currently, Xuan Manh's injuries have gradually recovered and SLNA fans are expecting his return along with Phan Van Duc - the duo from the rice fields of Yen Thanh - to help the Nghe An team overcome difficulties, when there have been changes in the coaching bench as well as the departure of a series of key players.

Nguyen Cong Phuong – 1 year 3 teams

Cong Phuong started 2019 with a perfect performance in the Vietnamese national team jersey at the Asian Cup. Two goals in the opening match against Iraq, a valuable goal against Jordan in the round of 16 and a dance with the ball against Japan in the quarter-finals as well as previous matches brought excitement to fans, as well as hopes for the maturity of the Nghe An striker. However, those were the rare bright spots that Cong Phuong could create during the past year.

The match against Japan in the Asian Cup quarter-finals was Cong Phuong's biggest highlight in 2019. Photo: GOAL

Recently, Ho Chi Minh City FC decided to break the contract to bring Cong Phuong back from Belgium to V.League. Thus, within just 1 year, Cong Phuong has been a player of 3 teams, ending the not-so-successful "study abroad" period.

Nguyen Van Hoang – Returning to the homeland

Growing up from the VST training center based in Cua Lo, Van Hoang then went south and spent 5 years with SGFC. During those 5 years, the opportunity for the goalkeeper from Tan Ky was not much because the competition with experienced seniors like Tong Duc An and Van Phong was very difficult. It was not until V.League 2019 that Van Hoang had the opportunity and he made significant contributions to help his team finish the season in 5th place with 12 appearances.

Van Hoang returns home after 5 years of dedication to SGFC and has the opportunity to guard SLNA's goal next season. Photo: VPF

After his contract with SGFC expired, Van Hoang was invited by SLNA to return to his homeland and the former U23 player did not hesitate to agree. Van Hoang just built his own home in early December and with the departure of goalkeeper Nguyen Manh, the former SGFC goalkeeper will have more motivation to win the number 1 position in SLNA's vacant goal in the new season.

Bui Tien Dung - Perfect for both sides

Along with Que Ngoc Hai and Duy Manh, the central defender from Ha Tinh helped the Vietnam national team reach the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, temporarily leading Group G of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers with only 1 goal conceded after 5 matches. At the club level, Bui Tien Dung's team had an impressive season when finishing in 6th place with the Viettel captain participating in many attacks and scoring extremely important goals.

Bui Tien Dung has had a fulfilling year both on the field and in his personal happiness. Photo: Sport5

On June 26, 2019, Bui Tien Dung had a grand engagement ceremony in Bac Ninh. After a period of keeping her pregnancy a secret, his wife Khanh Linh officially gave birth to their first daughter on October 21. The couple named the baby Sushi at home. The wedding of this beautiful couple is expected to be held in 2020.