Song Lam Nghe An promotes two young players to training.

Yesterday afternoon (May 15th), coach Nguyen Duc Thang made a rather surprising decision by summoning Duong Van Cuong and Nguyen Van Duc to train with the SLNA first team.

Midfielder Nguyen Van Duc (number 11). Photo: VPF.

For now, these two young players will participate in training sessions under the guidance of the coaching staff of the Nghe An team. If they prove their abilities, the chances for Duong Van Cuong and Nguyen Van Duc to be included in the SLNA squad for the second half of this season are very high.

Football fans in Nghe An province are certainly no strangers to Duong Van Cuong and Nguyen Van Duc from the U21 age group. Over the years, Duong Van Cuong and Nguyen Van Duc have consistently performed impressively in the National U17, U19, and U21 Championships.

The goalkeeper, born in 1999, previously won the "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament" award at the 2017 National U19 Championship Finals.

Meanwhile, the midfielder born in 1998 made a strong impression playing for SLNA U21 at the National U21 Championship finals nearly two years ago (2017).

Duong Van Cuong during a training session with SLNA. (Photo courtesy)

Currently, the Nghe An team has two players with serious injuries who are likely to miss the remainder of the 2019 season: left-back Vo Ngoc Duc and second-choice goalkeeper Le Van Hung. With a torn meniscus in Le Van Hung's knee and a torn ligament in Vo Ngoc Duc's knee, the risk of a long-term absence is very real.

Currently, Vo Ngoc Duc and Le Van Hung are at the PVF Center receiving treatment for their injuries. To address the depleted squad, the SLNA coaching staff is forced to implement a plan to reinforce the team. As a backup in case Vo Ngoc Duc and Le Van Hung are unable to play in the second phase, coach Nguyen Duc Thang has selected Nguyen Van Duc and Duong Van Cuong as backup options.

This is an opportunity for Duong Van Cuong and Nguyen Van Duc to win the trust of coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his colleagues.