The sweet and much-anticipated return of Phan Văn Đức.
(Baonghean.vn) - With his goal that sealed a 2-0 victory for Hanoi Police against Dong A Thanh Hoa in Round 14 of the V.League 2023/2024, Duc "Cot" marked his return in the most spectacular way possible.
I recall that on April 2nd, 2023, when the match between Hanoi Police and Khanh Hoa in the qualifying round of the 2023 National Cup was only two-thirds of the way through the first half, Phan Van Duc suddenly collapsed on the field, despite not having collided with anyone. As a result, the player born in 1996 suffered a torn knee ligament and will have to undergo surgery.
The injury recovery process has forced Duc to take a long break from playing and face an uncertain future. Simply put, Phan Van Duc suffered a second knee ligament tear, a very serious injury for footballers. Furthermore, at that time, Phan Van Duc had just joined Hanoi Police FC.
But things have gone quite smoothly for the former Song Lam Nghe An midfielder. Phan Van Duc's tireless efforts have been deservedly rewarded. Proof of this is that Phan Van Duc was included in the Hanoi Police team's squad for their away match against Dong A Thanh Hoa on March 31st.
It wasn't until the 90+4th minute that coach Kiatisuk Senamuang brought Phan Van Duc onto the field. Perhaps this decision by the Thai strategist was simply aimed at helping the midfielder, born in 1996, regain his form after nearly a year away from the pitch. And the result exceeded the expectations of "Thai Zico".
In just two short minutes on the field, the former Song Lam Nghe An player achieved the "impossible" of scoring a goal against the opposing team. From a pass by his younger teammate Ho Van Cuong, Duc "Cot" forced the home team's goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Thang to retrieve the ball from the net.
Objectively speaking, this was a very simple goal by Phan Văn Đức, as Hồ Văn Cường had already handled the most difficult aspects. Nevertheless, this goal was extremely important; it was like a signal announcing the return of Phan Văn Đức in his best form.
With only the first match of the second half of the V.League 2023/2024 season having passed, Hanoi Police FC has a great chance to successfully defend their championship title. Don't forget, before his injury, Phan Van Duc was always considered one of the best left-wing midfielders in the V.League.
Currently, after 14 rounds of the V.League 2023/2024, Hanoi Police is temporarily in 3rd place on the standings with 25 points, only 7 points behind the leading team, Nam Dinh Steel Green. Clearly, the championship race is not yet over. Will the return of Phan Van Duc give Hanoi Police a significant boost?
