Song Lam Nghe An solves the problem of not having Van Duc.

Van Duc scored a brace to help Song Lam Nghe An salvage a point at Thong Nhat Stadium. Photo: Hai Hoang

The heart and soul of Song Lam Nghe An's attack.

Phan Văn Đức joined the V.League in 2016. Although he didn't play much, he left a good impression on the Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff. He was also the striker with the most appearances compared to other young players promoted at the same time.

A distinctive feature of Van Duc's playing style is his ability to accelerate over short distances and his consistently unpredictable and skillful maneuvers. This made it very difficult for opponents to anticipate his moves. Therefore, Van Duc contributed to a more versatile attacking style for Song Lam Nghe An at that time.

Van Duc's contributions to Song Lam Nghe An are undeniable. Photo: Chung Le

However, it wasn't until the 2017 season that Van Duc truly proved his worth. The combination of Van Duc, Khac Ngoc, and Olaha created seamless plays that inflicted significant damage on opposing attackers. Also in that year, despite playing as a midfielder, Van Duc played a major role in Song Lam Nghe An's National Cup victory. In the final, Van Duc scored two goals, helping Song Lam Nghe An win 5-1.

2018 marked a brilliant year for the midfielder from Yen Thanh, as he scored 9 goals, helping Song Lam Nghe An finish 4th in the V.League. The more he played, the more Van Duc showed his significant influence on the Nghe An team. He doesn't have the dazzling dribbling and quick footwork of Phi Son, nor the flamboyant passing of Khac Ngoc, but Van Duc always knows how to simplify his movements to deliver effective attacking plays. Besides his role in orchestrating play, he also consistently produces spectacular goals that many strikers can only dream of.

In the 2022 season, when Song Lam Nghe An only finished in 5th place, Van Duc still left a bright spot that pleased many fans. Watching the 2022 V.League, many of Song Lam Nghe An's attacking moves often involved this midfielder. With his creative and intelligent playing style, always knowing when to strike, Van Duc contributed important goals for Song Lam Nghe An. In difficult times, Van Duc showed the character and qualities of a star. It's said, "When needed, Van Duc is there; when things are tough, Van Duc is there." In round 21 of the 2022 V.League, Song Lam Nghe An faced Ho Chi Minh City at Thong Nhat Stadium, and the player from Yen Thanh scored two goals to secure a valuable 2-2 draw. In the following match, Van Duc shone again with two goals against Binh Duong.

Van Duc always takes to the field with the spirit that Song Lam Nghe An should score a goal. Photo: Chung Le

At the end of the season, despite playing only as a midfielder, Van Duc contributed 7 goals to the Nghe An team (he was the top scorer for Song Lam Nghe An). Notably, two of his goals were selected by the National Football Championship organizers as the best goals of March and July.

Coach Ngo Quang Truong, who mentored Van Duc from the beginning, shared: “Van Duc is a star that any team would want to have. He has an intelligent and modern playing style. His personality is especially impressive, allowing him to achieve seemingly impossible things. It can be said that Phan Van Duc is the type of player who always knows how to make a difference.”

At Song Lam Nghe An, Van Duc is considered one of the most important contributing players. He not only scores goals and provides assists but also inspires his teammates. It can be affirmed that Van Duc is the heart and soul of Song Lam Nghe An's attack.

New plan at Song Lam Nghe An

Given Phan Van Duc's influence, Tan Long Group, upon taking over Song Lam Nghe An, decided to retain him with a contract until 2024. However, at the end of the 2022 season, Hanoi Police was promoted, and the player born in 1996 decided to try his luck in a new environment.

Van Duc's departure from the Nghe An team will be a significant loss. However, a team's success cannot rely solely on one individual. Last season, coach Huy Hoang experimented with many new tactics and playing styles, involving numerous young players. He often employed high-speed, team-oriented attacking combinations, surprising opposing defenses.

Dinh Xuan Tien is currently one of the most promising players of Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Duc Anh

This is a modern style of play that many big clubs are adopting. To implement this, in addition to players possessing good basic technique, physical fitness plays a crucial role. Recently, Song Lam Nghe An signed a contract with fitness coach Tiago Jose Almeida Goncalves (from Brazil). With this move, it can be confirmed that the Nghe An club will build a fast-paced style of play with many collective combinations. The team will flexibly rotate tactics and players, avoiding dependence on any single star.

Fitness coach Tiago Almeida will contribute to changing Song Lam Nghe An's playing style next season. Photo: CTV

However, "you can't make something out of nothing," and players like Xuan Manh, Dinh Xuan Tien, Dinh Tien, Manh Quynh, and Van Lam all possess quite good individual skills. This is a prerequisite for coach Huy Hoang to successfully implement this playing style for Song Lam Nghe An in the following seasons.

The head coach of Song Lam Nghe An shared after Van Duc's departure: "Van Duc was an important player for Song Lam Nghe An. However, with his departure, we will have other options. In the future, we will place more trust in promising young players. Besides that, Song Lam Nghe An is also planning to find quality foreign players. I am confident heading into the new season."

It can be said that losing Van Duc will bring certain difficulties to the Nghe An team. However, hopefully the philosophies that Song Lam Nghe An is applying will bring positive results in the new season.