When Van Duc is in trouble....?

It is predicted that with this type of injury, Phan Van Duc will have to rest for 9 months, which means he will have to rest from V-League 2023 and the first part of V-League 2023-2024 in Hanoi Police uniform as well as not being able to join the Vietnam National Team to participate in the upcoming ASIAN Cup 2023.

Upon receiving this unfortunate news, the writer suddenly recalled a similar event in 2000 at Hang Day Stadium. It was the return match between Song Lam Nghe An and Oxaca of Indonesia in the AFC Champions League (the first leg ended in a 0-0 draw away from home). A match filled with spectators from Nghe An and Hanoi to cheer, although the home team lost heavily on purpose due to the high cost of participating in the tournament. But the bigger loss, the heavier loss was that the main striker of Song Lam Nghe An and the Vietnam National Team, striker Van Sy Hung, was seriously injured, breaking his leg while playing due to a rough foul by an opposing defender.

The media at that time spoke out, expressing regret that Vietnamese football was temporarily missing an extremely excellent striker. Fans of Song Lam Nghe An were even more worried about both Sy Hung and their beloved team because more than anyone else, this small striker with excellent physical strength and technique was the spark, the one who created the biggest breakthrough, the premise to bring success to the home team as well as the national team.

Regarding Van Duc's current story, someone might think that he has left the Vinh team, and that the powerful Hanoi Police will take care of everything, so "take care of yourself" before talking about the world. But after all, Van Duc was trained and devoted himself to his hometown team, so wherever he goes, he always looks forward to his birthplace. All the successes and misfortunes, if any, have happened in this sunny and windy land. Van Duc, along with Xuan Manh and many other players, were indispensable pillars for Song Lam Nghe An to stand firm in the V-League despite difficulties, and were highly appreciated by Mr. Park Hang-seo as well as experts and fans every time they were selected for the Vietnam national team.

This injury of Van Duc also reminds people of the injuries that happened to him after the brilliant competition in Thuong Chau in 2018. At that time, there was a reason why the Vinh team rushed him to compete when he had not yet recovered after fighting hard in the U23 Asia. There was also an inevitable cause of overload, not only Van Duc but also the stars of Thuong Chau such as teammates Xuan Manh, Dinh Trong, Duy Manh... The problem is the recovery process is fast or slow, whether he can reach his old form or not afterwards. Very fortunately and proudly, Van Duc, Xuan Manh or Trong Hoang recently, Sy Hung not so long ago, all returned one by one to meet the hopes and expectations of many people.

But to achieve completeness, Van Duc, like many other players, will have to go through an unwanted period of time away from the field, going through a recovery process after treatment like a tough, persistent "fight", and the recent lesson of senior Trong Hoang is worth referring to and learning from. And what needs to be added is that the story is not only related to each player who is unlucky enough to suffer a serious injury, but also to those responsible for it, both teammates and even... opponents. Injuries can happen during internal training, during competition, can be caused by opponents, and sometimes not by anyone. Van Duc's recent case was not caused by a specific opponent, but could be the result of a whole process, including the inevitable cause of "injury sensitivity"...

After all, injuries are part of sports, of football, and the process of recovery and regaining form is also an indispensable part of sports life. The strong potential of the team and the progress of sports medicine can help shorten the treatment, recovery and return process of players like Van Duc and many other players. This time, hopefully Van Duc will really try, really be lucky to quickly return "more powerful than before" in the all-star lineup of Hanoi Police and the Vietnam National Team as everyone knows and cheers for./.

Bui Hoa