Why is Công Phượng's move to Ho Chi Minh City the most logical choice?

It's not just "Vietnamese Messi" who's struggling to adapt and play for St. Truiden; even "Korean Messi" Lee Seung-Woo, up to round 20 of the Belgian Pro League, has only been named on the substitutes list twice.

Returning home at the right time.

“Cong Phuong is to Vietnamese fans what Eden Hazard is to Belgians. His departure is a great loss for us,” David Meekers told Het Belang van Limburg. (Photo: St. Truiden)

Lee Seung Woo, a 21-year-old player nurtured in Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy, only joined St. Truiden in the summer 2019 transfer window. Since then, he has been plagued by various problems, limiting his playing opportunities. Asian fans generously bestow the nickname "Messi" upon their favorite players, but St. Truiden and other European clubs don't see it that way.

Clearly, playing only 20 minutes, being on the bench for 3 matches, and not being named in the squad for 14 games is a failed move for Cong Phuong. Under two different coaches at St. Truiden, with no clear path to a place in the starting lineup, leaving Belgium to salvage his career before it's too late is the right thing to do. If Cong Phuong isn't ready for a fourth overseas move, returning to Vietnam is undoubtedly the wisest decision at this time.

Following Công Phượng's departure, Chairman David Meekers expressed deep regret. At the same time, he admitted that STVV's contract with the 24-year-old striker was a commercial deal: “Công Phượng is to Vietnamese fans what Eden Hazard is to Belgians. His departure is a regrettable loss for us,” David Meekers told Het Belang van Limburg.

Why Ho Chi Minh City?

Chairman Duc announced he is willing to let Cong Phuong stay in Ho Chi Minh City for the entire 2020 season without taking a single penny. Photo: St.Truiden

When HAGL participated in the V.League "just for fun" and Chairman Duc's unsuccessful strategy of exporting players who "sit on the bench and earn high salaries is still better than playing in the V.League," then returning to Pleiku is inappropriate. Chairman Duc would also never spend a fortune buying back a contract that he was so proud of just a few months ago.

Currently, only Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh, in addition to competing in the V.League and the National Cup, will also be participating in the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, requiring reinforcements to their squads. Ho Chi Minh City will also be participating in the 2020 Southeast Asian Club Championship, a tournament scheduled to be held from May to November next year.

In the context of Vietnamese football lacking many top-class strikers, players like Tien Linh (Binh Duong), Van Duc (SLNA), and to some extent Duc Chinh (SHB Da Nang), who are key players for their clubs, are not easy to negotiate with.

Given that the price for a football season is unlikely to be less than 2 billion VND/season, spending 2.5 billion VND to buy out Cong Phuong's contract is a clever move by Club President Huu Thang and Mr. Chung Hae-soung.

Moreover, theoretically, the striker from Nghe An province would only play for Ho Chi Minh City FC until June 2020, but if HAGL isn't in too much trouble and Ho Chi Minh City FC progresses deep into the AFC Champions League, the chances of Cong Phuong playing the rest of the season at Thong Nhat Stadium would be higher.

With Cong Phuong in the team, the chances of the Thong Nhat Stadium side winning against the reigning Thai League runner-up Buriram United in the AFC Champions League preliminary round will be much higher. Winning against Thai football at the national team or club level remains a constant goal for Vietnamese football, and of course, Chairman Duc is the one who desires this more than anyone else.

"The Vietnamese Messi" and "The Ronaldo of Nghe An"

Moreover, in the 2020 V.League season, despite significant investment, Chairman Duc was well aware that HAGL could hardly compete with Chairman Hien's team. In numerous encounters, even with the full complement of Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Truong, "Chairman Hien's sons" still inflicted heavy defeats on the team from Pleiku.

Currently, in Vietnamese football, only Ho Chi Minh City FC possesses the ambition and strength to compete with Hanoi FC. Chairman Duc's decision to allow Cong Phuong to join Ho Chi Minh City FC will make the 2020 V.League season more exciting and competitive. In his latest move, Chairman Duc's declaration that he is willing to let Cong Phuong stay with Ho Chi Minh City FC for the entire 2020 season without receiving any payment is clearly aimed at achieving this goal.

The remaining issue concerns Cong Phuong, because for Club President Huu Thang and coach Chung Hae-soung, past reputations don't guarantee Cong Phuong a starting spot. In real life, Messi and Ronaldo have never played together in the same team, so figuring out how to integrate the "Vietnamese Messi" and the "Ronaldo of Nghe An" is a major problem for coach Chung right now.