Tet and football
(Baonghean.vn) - In the current context of deep integration, Vietnamese players playing domestically get to take a break for Tet, but those playing abroad cannot.
Normally, the football schedule of national championships takes place on weekends, clubs participating in continental cups, national teams participating in FIFA Days in the middle of the week, that is, Tuesday and Wednesday and weekends. Of course, football teams and national teams will have a break for Christmas or New Year in Europe, and Tet in some Asian countries. Vietnamese football is no exception. However, in the context of deep integration today, Vietnamese players playing in the country have a Tet holiday but those playing abroad cannot.
Perhaps the first to come is female soccer player Huynh Nhu who is currently playing in Portugal or Cong Phuong who is playing in Japan, a country that has stopped celebrating Tet (ie Lunar New Year holiday) as many people know. This 2024 Giap Thin Tet is the third Tet Huynh Nhu celebrates away from her family and is having to play as usual for the Lank Vilaverdense football team. Right after New Year's Eve in Vietnam, Huynh Nhu has to go out to play for her home team.
The first time Huynh Nhu did not celebrate Tet with her family was in 2022 when she and the Vietnamese Women's Team competed in the 2022 Asian Cup Play-off Round in India. Last Tet, Huynh Nhu and the whole team took photos and wrote a poem to send back to their hometown to wish their family and friends a Happy New Year. Although Huynh Nhu's story is not exactly the same, it is very close to the working life of many Vietnamese people abroad, who still have to go to work on Tet holiday. However, they did everything they could to have the warmest and happiest Tet away from home possible.
The story of celebrating the New Year of the Dragon of Van Lam or Nguyen Filip this year is quite interesting when they have a holiday like other teammates, get to gather with family and friends, enjoy green banh chung, arrange peach blossoms or receive lucky money. Those are short holidays and are in harmony with the general atmosphere of society and teammates. This year, due to difficult conditions, the Tet bonus is also a bit "lesser". And the main thing is that each player must show professionalism in life, in training, in order to "open the spring" early, ready for the upcoming intense matches of clubs and teams.
There is a rather interesting detail during Tet holidays that most of the players return to their families and hometowns, immersing themselves in the Tet atmosphere in traditional villages and many players and former players have the opportunity to put on their shoes to play friendly matches in village football tournaments. Cong Vinh, Van Quyen and many stars of Song Lam Nghe An have had muddy matches and cheers in the village stadiums. It is a rare occasion for the villagers to meet and witness their "idols" with their own eyes, an opportunity for each person to contribute to the joy of Spring, responding to the affection of many fans near and far.
Also this year of the Dragon, a famous person who has contributed greatly to the achievements of Vietnamese women's football, Mr. Mai Duc Chung, can rest assured to enjoy a full and complete Tet with his family, his wife and beloved children. With excellent achievements with the Vietnamese women's team, winning 6 SEA Games Gold Medals, reaching the semi-finals of the ASIAD once, winning the AFF Cup once and most importantly, winning a ticket to the 2023 World Cup, it can be said that Mai Duc Chung is a "monument" of Vietnamese football, deserving of great honor and being handed over to the next generation.
Talking about Tet and Vietnamese football, it is impossible not to mention the match on the first day of the Lunar New Year 2022 between the Vietnamese National Team and the Chinese National Team with a 3-1 victory in favor of the home team at My Dinh Stadium in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2023 World Cup. It was a historic victory, bearing the mark of success of Korean coach Park Hang-seo and a golden generation with Van Lam, Ngoc Hai, Duy Manh, Quang Hai, Van Duc, Tien Linh... Currently, the above excellent players are still capable of shouldering the responsibility to join the Vietnamese National Team from this March to play 2 important matches with Indonesia, aiming to get a ticket to the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
To say that, the traditional Tet holiday of the nation is an occasion for reunion, meeting, opening a new Spring with many great hopes and aspirations. The integration process will create a diverse and colorful picture, in which players competing at home and abroad will face different circumstances and tasks but all have the same goal of playing well for the club and the national team. After each Tet holiday, V-League players will return early from the 3rd and 4th of Tet, bringing with them the joy of the new Spring and new momentum, new expectations. Hopefully, Vietnamese football will quickly turn a new page after exploration, experimentation, after steps that have not been as expected, to truly create a new Spring, a new stature on the path to "transforming into a dragon" through these important tournaments in 2024./.