Goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Huy (U21 SLNA): From 'supporting actor' to hero

Nguyen Thanh Huy was born in 1999, in the same generation as Duong Van Cuong, Thai Ba Sang, Mai Sy Hoang, Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Van Viet, Tran Ngoc Anh... Before being used by coach Dinh Van Dung, Nguyen Thanh Huy was only a backup plan for his teammate Duong Van Cuong in the youth teams ofSLNAthroughout the past time.

After many years of being a "supporting actor", the opportunity finally came to Nguyen Thanh Huy. Because Duong Van Cuong could not participate in the 2020 National U21 qualifying round, Nguyen Thanh Huy became the "main actor" of U21 SLNA. Nguyen Thanh Huy's excellence has contributed to helpingU21 SLNAwon second place in group C, which means a ticket to Nha Trang city to attend the final round.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Huy is always present in the starting lineup of U21 SLNA. Photo: Ba Tuan

With what he showed in the qualifying round, it is no surprise that Nguyen Thanh Huy has always received the trust of coach Dinh Van Dung. The proof is that since the beginning of the tournament, Nguyen Thanh Huy has not had to sit out any match (playing in all 4/4 matches, with a duration of 360 minutes). It is enough to see how important Nguyen Thanh Huy is to U21 SLNA.

Statistics don't lie. After 4 matches at the 2020 National U21 Finals, U21 SLNA is one of the two teams that have conceded the fewest goals, along with U21 Viettel (3 goals). Obviously, to achieve this, Nguyen Thanh Huy's contribution is not small. In addition to his lightning-fast reflexes, Nguyen Thanh Huy also showed his ability to come and go quite reasonably.

Particularly in the match with U21 Nam Dinh in the semi-finals,Nguyen Thanh Huyhas proven its true worth. A series of shots by the U21 Nam Dinh players could not get past the hands of the goalkeeper wearing the number 26 shirt. The brilliant save of Mai Xuan Quyet's extremely dangerous header from U21 Nam Dinh in the 75th minute is a typical example.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Huy on the podium receiving the title "Best Goalkeeper of the match". Photo courtesy of Viet Dinh. Photo: Ba Tuan

Thanks to the brilliance of Nguyen Thanh Huy in goal, U21 SLNA defeated U21 Nam Dinh with a narrow score of 1 - 0 (Tran Manh Quynh was the scorer), despite having to play with one less player from the 62nd minute, after the second yellow card of right-back Nguyen Van Son. The reward for Nguyen Thanh Huy's efforts in the semi-final match against U21 Nam Dinh was the title of "Best Player of the Match".

National U21 Finals 2020There is still one more match to go. Nguyen Thanh Huy is facing the opportunity to win the championship of the tournament with U21 SLNA. In particular, with impressive performances at the finals this year, Nguyen Thanh Huy is also one of the strongest candidates for the title of "Best Goalkeeper of the tournament".

At the age of 21, Nguyen Thanh Huy has a bright future ahead.