Nguyen Manh is out with injury, a chance for Le Van Hung to prove himself

Goalkeeper Nguyen Manh was seriously injured. Photo: Internet

First of all, it must be affirmed that the absence of goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh is a great loss for SLNA. There are only about 2 weeks left until the National Super Cup match between SLNA and Quang Nam FC officially takes place. Without the presence of the 1991-born goalkeeper in the goal, the defensive strength of the Nghe An team will be significantly affected.

The injury that Tran Nguyen Manh suffered was something that no one wanted. Of course, as Tran Nguyen Manh's teammate, his junior Le Van Hung did not wait for the opportunity to come to him in that way.

Although he did not want Tran Nguyen Manh to get injured, Le Van Hung was still given the opportunity to play in the starting lineup of the Nghe An team. The important thing at this moment is whether Le Van Hung can successfully complete the task left by Tran Nguyen Manh (temporarily) or not? If the goalkeeper born in 1992 plays successfully, helping SLNA achieve positive results, it will not only be a reward for Le Van Hung, but also a valuable spiritual gift for his senior and teammate Tran Nguyen Manh.

Le Van Hung and the memorable final match

Mentioning the name Le Van Hung, there are few SLNA fans who do not know. Remember, in the final match between U17 SLNA and U17 Dong Thap at the National U17 Finals in 2009, Le Van Hung played extremely well (blocking a penalty in the last minute of extra time), helping the young team from Nghe An win the championship. At the end of the tournament held at Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh), Le Van Hung was awarded the title of "best goalkeeper".

Goalkeeper Le Van Hung. Photo: Internet

Another detail that makes Nghe An fans remember Le Van Hung is the 2014 National U21 Finals. Le Van Hung's impressive performances throughout the tournament, especially in the final match against U21 Hanoi T&T, contributed to U21 SLNA winning the championship (U21 SLNA won 1-0). It is not an exaggeration to say that Le Van Hung is also "a king of youth tournaments", like Tran Nguyen Manh, Nguyen Dinh Bao, Ho Khac Ngoc...

According to experts, Le Van Hung is a goalkeeper with good skills. In the rare times he gets to play, SLNA's number 2 goalkeeper always shows his solidity in every save.

Possessing an ideal physique (1m80 tall, 65kg), Le Van Hung is highly regarded for his ability to catch the ball in the air, along with reasonable situations of entering and exiting. In the 2017 season, Le Van Hung was the main goalkeeper for SLNA twice in the V.League (SLNA 0-1 FLC Thanh Hoa, SLNA 3-2 Long An) and played quite successfully.

During SLNA's recent away match against Tampines Rovers (February 10), the 26-year-old goalkeeper was sent onto the field by coach Nguyen Duc Thang to replace the injured Tran Nguyen Manh in the 17th minute. During more than 70 minutes in the home team's goal, Le Van Hung played excellently, helping SLNA keep a clean sheet and win the match with a final score of 2-0. Le Van Hung's impressive performance somewhat reassured the coaching staff and fans of the Nghe An team, with a plan to replace Tran Nguyen Manh.

Still, knowing that after only a few matches, it is not possible to confirm whether Le Van Hung can do what his senior Tran Nguyen Manh has done for SLNA in recent years, but at least, this is a very good opportunity for the goalkeeper born in 1992 to prove his inherent ability.

Don’t forget that this is the last year of the contract that Le Van Hung signed with SLNA. If this goalkeeper plays well in the National Super Cup and the matches in V.League 2018, before Tran Nguyen Manh returns, it is very likely that SLNA will extend his contract, or he will be noticed by other teams.

Hopefully, Le Van Hung will not disappoint the trust of SLNA's coaching staff and Nghe An fans./.