Thanh Luong and Buu Ngoc were seriously injured.
Buu Ngoc suffered a cervical vertebra injury, while Thanh Luong needed nine stitches. The two pillars of the U23 Vietnam team suffered serious injuries after the 0-2 loss to Indonesia and will not be able to participate in the SEA Games 26 bronze medal match against Myanmar tomorrow afternoon.
Thanh Luong still tried to compete with a bleeding wound on his head. Photo: Nam Ha.
Thanh Luong could not participate in the U23 Vietnam training session this morning. The team's doctors said that Luong will not be able to recover in time for the SEA Games 26 bronze medal match against U23 Myanmar at 4:00 pm tomorrow.
In the 52nd minute of the Vietnam-Indonesia match, after an aerial duel with a tall Indonesian defender, Thanh Luong collapsed on the field. It took five minutes for the doctor to take care of him before the captain of the U23 Vietnam team returned to the field with his head wrapped in bandages.
In the remaining minutes, Thanh Luong and his teammates played very hard but U23 Vietnam still lost 0-2. Due to heavy blood loss and exhaustion, Thanh Luong collapsed on the field. With the help of teammate Hoang Thinh, Luong "di" was able to enter the locker room. The situation worsened when the wound on Luong's head kept bleeding. U23 Vietnam's doctors decided to take this player to the hospital. After 9 stitches, Luong felt dizzy and showed signs of nausea.
Buu Ngoc was injured in the Indonesia - Vietnam match. Photo: Nam Ha. |
After the match, along with Thanh Luong, Buu Ngoc was taken to the hospital. While Thanh Luong had to have his head wound stitched, Buu Ngoc had to wear a neck brace. He suffered a cervical spine injury.
Thanh Luong and Buu Ngoc were the two pillars of U23 Vietnam during the competition days in Jakarta. Buu Ngoc was only the second goalkeeper, but after an unimpressive performance in the 3-1 win over the Philippines and especially the recent injury of Tuan Manh, Buu Ngoc was highly appreciated. He started in the following matches and played well. Although Thanh Luong was not too outstanding, he was recognized as the best player of U23 Vietnam at SEA Games 26. Without Luong "di" and Buu Ngoc, U23 Vietnam suffered a big loss before the bronze medal match.
“I will not have Buu Ngoc and Thanh Luong for the final match. This is a big loss because they are key players. Of course, I have to find a replacement for this duo and aim to win against U23 Myanmar,” coach Falko Goetz said about the incident of his two favorite players.
(According to VnExpress)
