SLNA U21's "lucky charm"

(Baonghean)With his powerful runs and excellent finishing, young striker Vu Quang Nam brilliantly scored 5 goals in crucial matches, helping U21 SLNA win their 4th championship title after a long 10-year wait. Along with that, Nam also won a double of individual awards: Top Scorer and Best Player of the tournament. His teammates call Nam the "lucky charm" of U21 SLNA.

At the same age, while players like Tran Nguyen Manh, Ngo Hoang Thinh, Que Ngoc Manh, and Ho Khac Ngoc were promoted to the SLNA first team right from the start of the 2012 V.League season, young striker Vu Quang Nam was seconded to help Thua Thien Hue team play in the First Division. Taking advantage of the new environment and more playing time, Quang Nam strived to prove himself in every play and every match. At the end of the 2012 season, Nam was called back to join the SLNA U21 team to train in preparation for the National U21 Championship. In the first training sessions, coach Dinh Van Dung was very surprised by the remarkable progress of his student. Previously, Nam sometimes appeared clumsy and awkward, but now his ability to make runs and seize scoring opportunities had improved significantly.

Quang Nam with the U21 national championship trophy.

Entering the final round of the 2012 Thanh Nien Newspaper U21 Cup, in the last match against U21 Dong Thap, if SLNA wanted to reach the semi-finals, they had to win convincingly to improve their goal difference compared to U21 Da Nang. In that match, Quang Nam alone scored 4 goals, helping U21 SLNA secure a 7-1 victory over U21 Dong Thap and narrowly qualify. In the semi-final against U21 Than Quang Ninh – a team undefeated in the group stage – the U21 SLNA players faced significant difficulties in launching attacks. Furthermore, U21 SLNA conceded a goal in the 28th minute after a penalty. After taking the lead, the U21 Than Quang Ninh players adopted a defensive strategy, preventing SLNA's forwards from finding the net. However, once again, Quang Nam relieved the pressure on U21 SLNA with a crucial equalizer. From a teammate's pass, despite being surrounded by three opposing defenders, Quang Nam calmly and skillfully backheeled the ball with his left foot. The ball spun, catching the U21 Than Quang Ninh defense off guard, leaving them with no choice but to watch it roll into the net. This equalizer gave U21 SLNA the confidence to win the decisive penalty shootout and advance to the final. In the final, although he didn't score, Quang Nam played a crucial role in drawing the opposing defense away, allowing his teammates to score. Quang Nam himself nearly scored his sixth goal of the tournament with a quick volley after a cross, but unfortunately, the opposing goalkeeper made a brilliant save. However, with 5 goals scored in the Finals, coupled with his outstanding performance on the field, Quang Nam surpassed highly-rated players such as U21 SLNA captain Ngo Hoang Thinh and U21 Ninh Thuan captain Duy Thanh to win the double "Best Player of the Tournament" and "Top Scorer" awards, and also pocketed a record total prize money of 225 million VND from the organizers, with 215 million VND allocated for the "Best Player" title! Quang Nam also secured a starting spot in the Vietnam U21 team competing in this year's Thanh Nien Newspaper International U21 Tournament.

Despite achieving a good result, Nam humbly said: "I thank my teammates for giving their all so that U21 SLNA could reach the final and stand on the podium of glory. I also won this title thanks to my teammates who created opportunities for me to showcase my goal-scoring ability."

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh - General Director of the company and Chairman of SLNA Football Club - who closely followed the matches of U21 SLNA in this year's final round, praised the young player from Quynh Luu: "Nam is a player with an ideal physique (over 1.80m tall), refined technique, and a very skillful left foot. Playing as a center forward, with good acceleration, a dynamic playing style, not afraid of tackles, and good finishing technique, Nam alone can shake the opponent's defense. Nam is the type of player who can change the course of a match. In the next season, Quang Nam will certainly wear the first team jersey to play in the V.League."

Coach Dinh Van Dung said: "If given more time to hone his skills, Quang Nam will be a formidable 'killer' in attack that any team would covet."

While football in Nghe An province in general, and the Vietnamese national team in particular, is increasingly lacking in genuine goalscorers, Quang Nam is expected to become the number one center forward in Vietnam, like striker Le Huynh Duc before him.

Duc Dung