Ngo Quang Truong – Memorable moments!

(Baonghean) - Ngo Quang Truong was born in 1972, in Hung Nguyen - Nghe An, in a family with a football tradition (his uncle is the former The Cong player, Ngo Xuan Quynh). He is in the same generation as Nguyen Huu Thang, Phan Thanh Tuan, Pham Anh Tuan, Nguyen Tien Quang, Van Sy Son... as the "golden generation" of SLNA. In 1989, Ngo Quang Truong was promoted to the first team at the age of 17. In 1996, he was called up to the national team for the first time.

With a stout figure and dark skin, Ngo Quang Truong looks more like a boxer or wrestler than a football player. Wearing his familiar 11 jersey, playing in his favorite position as a right winger, Truong "buffalo" is like a bulldozer with an F1 engine, rushing forward, sweeping away all obstacles, creating a whirlwind on SLNA's right wing.

Back then, every time Quang Truong accelerated or fired a cannon from afar, the whole stadium cheered with excitement. Although his height was only average, Truong "buffalo" was very dangerous in headers. Every time SLNA got a corner kick, a set piece kick, or a cross from the sideline, people saw number 11 cutting, pressing, and shaking his head among the forest of players from both teams.

During the period when Nguyen Huu Thang had not retired (before 1999), the captain's armband and leadership role belonged to the steel center back wearing the number 4 shirt. At that time, Quang Truong was a hard-working, diligent bee on the field. The day Huu Thang retired from his football career, before fans could worry about the team being like a headless snake, Quang Truong took the reins and reassured everyone.

With the captain's armband, Truong "buffalo" played extremely aggressively, he attacked and defended, shouting at his teammates to try harder. Many times, the audience and the opponent did not know which position Quang Truong played on the field, as he appeared at every hot spot. In every match, after a few minutes of the ball rolling, Truong "buffalo" was seen sweating profusely, his clothes dirty, constantly rushing all over the field. That was the image of a simple, honest and very enthusiastic captain.

Although he is considered a player who focuses on strength, Ngo Quang Truong made everyone unable to forget the delicate goal when he dribbled the ball over the head of the late goalkeeper Do Thanh Ton (CAHN) at Hang Day Stadium; or the lightning-fast volley that hit the net of the Capital team after a skillful flip by Van Sy Hung. That goal is considered one of the masterpieces in the national championship. Who says Truong "buffalo" doesn't know how to play beautifully?!.

Nghe An fans have many memories of Ngo Quang Truong. But there is one memory that everyone must remember first when mentioning him. In the first leg of the 1998 national championship, in the match between SLNA - The Cong, at Vinh Stadium, Ngo Quang Truong hit Nguyen Hai Bien (The Cong) straight in the face during a chaotic ball in the penalty area. Without needing to explain or beg, the midfielder wearing the number 11 shirt headed straight towards the tunnel of Vinh Stadium.

The press and public opinion slandered him, the Vietnam Football Federation suspended him for months, but no Nghe An fans blamed him. Then that fateful day came, in the match between Hoa Phat Ha Noi and SLNA, in the second round of the National Cup, Quang Truong scored a goal against his old team. He did not celebrate as usual, the fans who witnessed the loss were not too sad, because deep in their hearts, SLNA always existed. Those were moments that I and many Nghe An fans will never forget.

Ngo Quang Truong left SLNA after 14 years of dedication to his hometown team (1989 - 2003), with many noble titles: 2 national championships, 1 spring training championship, 1 national cup, 1 Dunhill cup, 2 indoor soccer championships... He is considered a symbol of Nghe An football.

In the Vietnam National Team's jersey, Quang Truong's performance did not leave much of an impression, this was a low point in the football career of "buffalo" Truong.

In 2015, Ngo Quang Truong took over the head coach position handed over by Nguyen Huu Thang, just like how he took over the captain's armband handed over by his teammate 16 years ago. Nghe An fans are thinking about the Thang-Truong transition as a "long-lasting" transition of the SLNA team.

Le Thanh Hung

(Chi Khe - Con Cuong)