Van Sy Son: Truly worthy of being the son of a scholar!

When Van Sy Son was still playing as a wing-back at the "Vinh Stadium cauldron," a story circulated that the grass along the sidelines of Vinh Stadium was barren not because of the sun and the Lao wind, but because of Van Sy Son's sliding tackles. The strength, ferocity, and the Nghe An spirit flowing through the veins of the Van Sy brothers are now being demonstrated by the former steel defender in his coaching role.

Former player Van Sy Son was born into a family with a strong football tradition in Nghe An province. His father, Van Sy Chi, was a former football player for the Vietnamese national team as well as the The Cong team, his older brother Van Sy Hung, and his younger siblings Van Sy Thuy and Van Sy Linh all played football from a very young age and were famous players in their time.

Along with his two brothers, Van Sy Hung and Van Sy Thuy, Van Sy Son formed the famous trio of Nghe An football. The former left-back was one of the star players under coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh, dominating the team during SLNA's six-year unbeaten run at the "Thanh Vinh Stadium" (1996-2001).

It can be said that Van Sy Son and his brothers have experienced a life and playing career filled with ups and downs. In 1972, Mr. Chi left The Cong to become the coach of the Thanh Hoa Police football team. This was also the time when Van Sy Son was born, followed by Van Sy Thuy (born in 1974) and Van Sy Linh (born in 1980). Sy Son and his brothers all began their football careers in Thanh Hoa.

The period when Sy Son was born coincided with a time of immense hardship for his family. His mother, Mrs. Viet, had to quit her job to become a rice trader. Food was scarce back then, but thanks to his mother's work, Sy Son and his siblings were able to eat as much as they wanted. In 1991, Mrs. Viet coincidentally met the trio of Thanh Vinh, Hong Thanh, and Mr. Duc, and they suggested that her sons play for SLNA Club. Two days later, Sy Son and his younger brother, Sy Thuy, were taken to Vinh for a trial. After only a week of trials, the two brothers were accepted into the team. Later, their youngest son, Van Sy Linh (born in 1980), also joined SLNA Club.

Van Sy Son was a talented player, once a fiery captain on the field, but he also received a disciplinary warning and a one-and-a-half-year suspension for a lack of responsibility during the 2003-2004 season. He dedicated himself to SLNA until 2007, retiring at the age of 36. Despite his talent, perhaps due to his impulsive personality, unlike his older brother Sy Hung, Sy Son was never called up to the national team.

2004 was also a year of extreme turmoil for the Sy Son family. Mr. Van Sy Chi retired, his eldest brother Van Sy Ngoc's career ended and he remained in Thanh Hoa, Van Sy Hung, Van Sy Thuy, and Van Sy Linh were dismissed, leaving only Van Sy Son to struggle amidst the major overhaul of SLNA.

Despite serving a suspension, Sy Son was determined to stay at SLNA at all costs, even making a shocking statement that he would detonate a "bomb" if anyone dared to touch him during the team's crisis.

Having gone through so many stages, from glory to hardship and even extreme poverty and misery, the history of Nghe An football alone is enough for Son to be qualified to stand in the middle of Vinh Stadium and talk about Nghe An football to younger generations.

Van Sy Son recounted: “In our time, it was all about training and more training. The coaches always reminded us that as sons of Nghe An, we must always possess the qualities and fighting spirit in all aspects of the game. If we didn't train well, we would never achieve success in competitions. Once, during a practice match, I even 'hit' Sy Hung and Sy Thuy because I was so skillful.”

I wonder if you guys now have nights when you lie awake, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because you can't understand why you lost, like we did back then. Of course, things are different now, but I think the most important thing is that each player, when they step onto the field, always plays for the fans, for their family, and for the national colors, not just for their own personal brand.”

In 2008, when his finances were depleted, Sy Son sold his house to pursue coaching studies and then joined Hanoi T&T thanks to a recommendation from his close friend Trieu Quang Ha. In the 2008 season, the former Song Lam defender contributed to Hanoi T&T's promotion to the professional league as an assistant coach alongside head coach Chu Dinh Nghiem.

In Hanoi, Sy Son reunited with his former teammate Huu Thang in 2009 when the tough central defender of SLNA was invited by Chairman Hien to rescue the capital's team in their fight against relegation. Sy Son's first success as a coach was winning the V.League 2010 championship. As a coach, Sy Son became more mature, but his hot-tempered and impulsive nature, which once led to him being disciplined for bowing to referee Vo Minh Tri, hadn't changed much.

Following Hanoi's success in the 2018 V.League season, when coach Chu Dinh Nghiem received a four-match suspension, Sy Son stepped in to fill in for three matches, helping the capital city team maintain their winning streak and steadily advance to the first-half championship. Having served as an assistant coach for many years under coaches such as Trieu Quang Ha, Nguyen Huu Thang, Phan Thanh Hung, Pham Minh Duc, and Chu Dinh Nghiem, this is the first time Van Sy Son has directly led the team. The pressure is considerable, as this assistant coach will have to take on the main role, overseeing both the technical aspects and the morale of the players, while coach Dinh Nghiem was doing an excellent job previously.

The match between SLNA and Hanoi in the 10th round was the first time Văn Sỹ Sơn, a native of the region, returned to face his hometown team and directly coached them. The victory left Sỹ Sơn with mixed emotions, a blend of joy and sadness. Passionate about football and determined to pursue it to the end, even after years of playing a supporting role, Sỹ Sơn truly pushed himself and aspired to uphold his family's tradition.

Nguyen Huu Thang: From the steely defender of Nghe An to the President of Ho Chi Minh City FC.

(Baonghean.vn) - The life and career of former central defender Nguyen Huu Thang is like a memoir with many chapters. His playing career was as illustrious as his time in legal trouble.