Tran Van Buu - the only player from Nghe An in the Vietnam U23 team.
(Baonghean.vn) - The only player from Nghe An province included in the Vietnam U23 team's training camp preparing for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers is Tran Van Buu, who currently plays for Saigon FC in the V.League 2019.
Born in 1998, Tran Van Buu joined the Viettel academy quite early. The player, originally from Quynh Thien commune, Hoang Mai town, is one of the students of coach Nguyen Thanh Cong, who previously worked in youth training at Viettel and is now the head coach of Saigon FC.
“Joining the Viettel academy meant that Buu and his peers from Nghe An had to live away from home from a young age. That was a real challenge for any boy. However, he always harbored a strong will and a dream of becoming a footballer, and Buu overcame all difficulties to achieve the remarkable growth he has today,” said coach Nguyen Thanh Cong about his student.
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| Van Buu in the Phu Dong FC jersey. Photo: Saigon FC |
Before playing for Saigon FC, Van Buu played for Phu Dong FC in the second division and made a significant contribution to helping the team get promoted to the first division after the 2018 season.
Understanding the potential of his former pupil, coach Nguyen Thanh Cong decided to bring Van Buu to Saigon FC, and from there the midfielder from Hoang Mai has made great strides in the V.League.
The Saigon FC midfielder is only 1.68m tall but has a rather muscular build. Playing in the central midfield position, Van Buu is considered to have an all-around offensive and defensive playing style.
"His tactical thinking is sharp, and his basic technique is also considered good. Choosing Buu in midfield will help balance Saigon FC's defense and attack," added coach Thanh Cong.
The fact that Tran Van Buu was called up to the Vietnam U22 team to prepare for the U22 Asian Cup qualifiers is certainly a big surprise for Buu and coach Nguyen Thanh Cong.
“From a player in the second division, who had just started playing in the V.League, Buu has made it onto the Vietnam U23 team roster, which is truly a dream come true. I'm happy that his efforts have paid off. Honestly, I hope Buu will train hard in the national team. If he can't make it to the finals, he shouldn't be sad because it's only the beginning. There are many opportunities ahead, and if he continues to perform well like he is now, he will go far in the future,” Coach Thanh Cong told Nghe An Newspaper.
The Vietnam U22 team will begin their U23 Asian Cup qualifying campaign from March 22nd to 26th, 2019 at My Dinh Stadium. Park Hang-seo's squad will compete for a spot in the U23 Asian Cup finals against other Southeast Asian teams: Indonesia U23, Thailand U23, and Brunei U23.
