Xuan Manh called, waiting for Van Duc to answer

Football fans will never forget the journey of Van Duc and Xuan Manh "rescuing" from U21 Song Lam Nghe An to U23 Vietnam to attend the U23 Asian Finals.

Called up last, both Van Duc and Xuan Manh quickly took the main position in the U23 Vietnam squad. Van Duc was active and innovative in the left wing midfielder position and more than that, he was also a explosive, great striker in the snowy Changzhou. Meanwhile, Xuan Manh was quiet and steady in the right wing back position, sometimes being pulled into the center back position. Both played "well in every way" in this extremely memorable tournament.

Of course, after that, due to injuries and performance, Van Duc was trusted more under Mr. Park Hang-seo, especially in the 2nd and 3rd qualifying rounds of the 2022 World Cup. Then Van Duc transferred from Song Lam Nghe An to Hanoi Police, unfortunately suffered a long-term injury, then was called but was not on the final list to attend.ASEAN Cup 2024Kim Sang-sik's time.

Xuan Manh also moved from Song Lam Nghe An to Hanoi FC, not really playing outstandingly in the capital team's lineup but caught the eye of the young Korean coach and played extremely tight in defense, launching excellent attacks in the recent matches at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Notably, Xuan Manh was named in the typical lineup by the famous statistics site Sofascore, scoring 7.15, the highest score of the Vietnam National Team (compared to Hoang Duc 7.13, Tien Dung 7.06).

Congratulating Xuan Manh for missing Van Duc is because this "twin pair" has had similarities for a long time but also has notable differences. They were the two most outstanding players of the U21 team in 2018. Only entering the field from the final matches of the National U21 Finals that year, Van Duc and Xuan Manh showed a difference compared to the rest of the tournament and immediately caught the eye of coach Park Hang-seo.

Neither of them were inferior to the other in the U23 Asian Finals in Changzhou, in the Thanh Vinh team, although each of them had their own style on the field as well as in real life. After the victory in Changzhou or after the fierce matches in the V-League, both of them suffered from persistent injuries and both tried their best to regain their original form.

The difference between these two players is probably that Van Duc is more trusted in the national team under Park Hang-seo even though he has not played very successfully. Van Duc scored a beautiful goal in the match against the Chinese team on February 1, 2022, the first day of the Lunar New Year, but always had difficulty entering the field in the matches of the 3rd round of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Xuan Manh did not show any outstanding performance in training sessions and friendly matches under Mr. Kim Sang-sik, but was unexpectedly trusted in the 2024 ASEAN Cup and did not disappoint his coach or the audience with the new lungless player of the Vietnam National Team, a most versatile player, with the highest defensive and offensive efficiency as voted by the above international scoring site.

Currently, at the two ambitious clubs Hanoi FC and Hanoi Police where the above players are playing, Xuan Manh and Van Duc both have the opportunity to shine if they recover well from their injuries and quickly integrate into the new environment.

Obviously, coach Kim Sang-sik will base on the current form to "mark" the name, then consider whether that player is suitable for the playing style or not to choose as known. In this regard, Xuan Manh has an advantage over Van Duc after what he showed at the ASEAN Cup 2024. But that does not mean Xuan Manh is sure of a place while Van Duc is... out of the question? The efforts of any player, including Van Duc, will be rewarded at the right time, at the right moment.

Finally, the good news for the two players mentioned above as well as many other players is that no matter where they go, Song Lam Nghe An is always the most beloved home for their children to return to. This "inherent" trait of theirs is what fans always give extra points to each player, those who are brilliantly successful as well as those who tirelessly seek success.