SLNA goalkeeper must rest for 2 years due to injury

Trung Kien• August 13, 2019 10:20

(Baonghean.vn) - For many years, he was the reserve goalkeeper for captain Tran Nguyen Manh, but during more than a year of his senior's absence due to injury, Le Van Hung still could not seize that opportunity to show himself in goal.

In V.League 2016, when goalkeeper Nguyen Manh was injured, SLNA introduced a new goalkeeper, 1m80 tall, to start in the match against Dong Thap. That was Le Van Hung, a face that had never been famous but had been known to many Nghe An fans for quite a while.

In the final match between U17 SLNA and U17 Dong Thap at the 2009 National U17 Finals, 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".

Another detail that left an impression on Nghe An fans about Le Van Hung was the 2014 National U21 Finals. Le Van Hung's impressive performances throughout the tournament, especially in the final match against U21 Hanoi, contributed to U21 SLNA winning the championship (U21 SLNA won 1-0).

Goalkeeper Le Van Hung suffered a wrist injury. Photo: Trung Kien

If Tran Nguyen Manh, Nguyen Dinh Bao, Ho Khac Ngoc were the "kings of the youth tournament", Le Van Hung was also considered the number 1 goalkeeper of SLNA in the future at that time. Possessing a fairly ideal physique, Le Van Hung was highly appreciated for his ability to catch the ball in the air, along with reasonable situations of entering and exiting.

He was registered for V.League 2015 but did not play a single minute. In the 2016 season, Van Hung only played in 1 match against Dong Thap. In the 2017 season, he was the main goalkeeper for SLNA twice in the V.League (SLNA 0 - 1 Thanh Hoa, SLNA 3 - 2 Long An) and played quite successfully.

During SLNA's away match against Tampines Rovers at the AFC Cup 2018, the 26-year-old goalkeeper was sent into 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.

Having just participated in the AFC Cup, V.League and National Cup, SLNA faced a goalkeeper crisis. When Le Van Hung had only played 2 matches, he continued to get injured. Young goalkeeper Tran Van Tien played 2 matches at the AFC Cup and also got injured. This forced coach Duc Thang to urgently borrow goalkeeper Phan Dinh Vu Hai from Hai Phong.

And when the goalkeeper from Ha Tinh wore the SLNA shirt, he took advantage of the opportunity and became the number 1 goalkeeper of the Nghe An team. Le Van Hung only had 2 more matches in V.League 2018 when Vu Hai was injured. It can be said that luck has not come to Van Hung when at the time when SLNA needed him the most, he was injured.

Goalkeeper Le Van Hung has not played a single minute in V.League 2019 due to another injury. Photo: Duc Anh

Not yet, in V.League 2019, SLNA said goodbye to goalkeeper Le Quang Dai and registered 3 goalkeepers: Nguyen Manh, Van Hung and Van Tien. The season started, Nguyen Manh was injured in the away match against Than Quang Ninh and was absent from the match against B. Binh Duong. However, in preparation for that match, Le Van Hung sprained his left elbow in a training session and the whole SLNA team could only rely on young goalkeeper Tran Van Tien.

Having just recovered from a sprain, bad luck continued to follow SLNA's number 2 goalkeeper when he suffered a meniscus injury during an early season training session. The pitch was too hard, Van Hung suffered pain after a collision with a teammate. Since then, the goalkeeper born in 1992 has had to have his injury checked over and over again.

Finally, after 20 rounds of V.League 2019, Van Hung was forced to go under the knife to completely cure his meniscus injury. Currently, he is at Hospital 108 to prepare for surgery.

After the surgery, Van Hung will need 1 year to be able to practice and compete again. The storm of injuries not only haunts Van Duc and Xuan Manh but also puts other SLNA players such as Van Hung and Ngoc Duc in a very difficult situation.

Trung Kien