Midfielder Nguyen Van Duc: The successor to Ho Khac Ngoc's position?
(Baonghean.vn) - In case they cannot keep "conductor" Ho Khac Ngoc, SLNA will have to put their trust in other faces for the central midfielder position. One of them is Nguyen Van Duc, also known as Duc "Ozil".
The player from Quynh Luu is a familiar face to experts and fans of Nghe An. Nguyen Van Duc has played prominently in youth tournaments, especially at the 2017 National U21 Finals. In the tournament held at Go Dau Stadium (Binh Duong), the midfielder born in 1998 was one of the players who contributed the most to the 3rd place finish of U21 SLNA.
Arranged by coach Dinh Van Dung to play in the central midfield position, alongside his senior Bui Dinh Chau, Duc “Ozil” has somewhat demonstrated his inherent qualities. In addition to his excellent personal technical foundation, Nguyen Van Duc also possesses the excellent tactical vision of a “director” on the field.
 |
| Nguyen Van Duc (number 11) in the U21 SLNA shirt in 2017. Photo: Thanh Nien |
This player's playing style has many similarities with midfielder Mesut Ozil, currently playing for Arsenal. It is not known whether it is because he idolizes the German superstar or not, but Nguyen Van Duc's playing style does not lean towards muscular strength, instead, he handles the ball very gently and delicately. Clearly, Nguyen Van Duc is a "rare commodity" of the Nghe An team.
The reason why it is called “rare” is because up to now, SLNA training center has often produced central midfielders with strong and fierce playing style. Typical examples are Vuong Quoc Trung, Ngo Hoang Thinh, Vo Ngoc Toan. Occasionally, Vinh stadium has the appearance of “successors” of Phan Thanh Tuan, Ha Mai Giang - players with artistic playing style.
In the past seasons, Ho Khac Ngoc has also been considered such a player. The midfielder nicknamed “Fabregas of Nghe An” is the “soul” and “conductor” of the Vinh Stadium team. The talent and importance of the 27-year-old player to SLNA have been proven. Therefore, if Ho Khac Ngoc decides to leave, SLNA will have to face a difficult problem in the midfield.
 |
| Ho Khac Ngoc is on his way out of Vinh Stadium. Photo: Archive |
Along with the plan to recruit players from other teams (domestic or foreign), SLNA's coaching staff will also give opportunities to young players. Considering many factors, it can be seen that Nguyen Van Duc is a potential candidate to fill the gap left by Ho Khac Ngoc. Of course, Duc "Ozil" still has to learn and practice a lot to be able to approach the level of Ngoc "Fabregas".
Hopefully, injuries will not "visit" Nguyen Van Duc in the near future, helping the player from Quynh Luu fulfill his dream of wearing the SLNA shirt to compete in the V.League arena. Don't forget, recently, Duc "Ozil" has been practicing and living with coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team./.
