Struggling with the problem of going abroad
Over the past 10 years, Vietnamese football has witnessed many national players looking for opportunities abroad. Quang Hai, Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Van Hau, Van Lam are all top players, but no one can create a buzz in Japan, Korea or Europe.
Dang Van Lam played for several seasons in Thailand - also helplessly finding a position when moving to J.League. Cong Phuong played abroad 3 times, but the striker born in 1995 was out of the "play" in his home teams in Japan, Korea or Belgium.
Similar to Xuan Truong when he had the opportunity to try out in Incheon, Gangwon (Korea) and Buriram United (Thailand), but everything was just an experience.
The two unsuccessful cases going abroad are unfortunately Doan Van Hau and Nguyen Quang Hai, because both have more or less demonstrated their abilities in the Netherlands (Heerenveen) and France (Pau FC). However, in the end, they still have to return to Vietnam to compete.
Anyway, the story of Van Hau and Quang Hai opens up a few interesting points. As for Van Hau, he has played 11 matches for different levels at Heerenveen. In the reserve team tournament, he played quite often and even had 1 assist.
Captain Heerenveen himself at that time intended to keep Van Hau for another season. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and modest financial foundations, the Dutch team had to part ways with Van Hau.
Quang Hai also had a good start at Pau FC. He has played 20 matches at many levels, including 13 Ligue 2 matches and the French Cup. In particular, Quang Hai became the first Vietnamese player to score in a European championship.
However, the decision to return to Vietnam to compete in the AFF Cup 2022 is considered a turning point. Because when he returned to France after the Southeast Asian tournament, this midfielder lost his position and became a redundant player in Pau FC's relegation plan.
The solution from adaptation
From my own experience, I think the key to a successful overseas trip is adaptation. When abroad, the player will no longer be with his family regularly.
They have to get used to new dishes and cultures. That is something that Vietnamese players need to quickly transform to integrate with the new environment, said overseas Vietnamese player Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.
The 1997-born beauty queen left France to play in the US and Vietnam. He has experience in being independent when going abroad, helping himself not to fall into a situation of losing direction when leaving an environment that has been with him for many years like France.
I only knew a little English before going to the US. But during the tournament postponement due to the pandemic, I tried to learn English and started to hear and speak after only 6 months.
Learning Vietnamese is more difficult because there are some words or sentences. But after 1 year, I was able to listen, understand and speak basically, Quang Vinh said.
Returning to the story of Quang Hai in particular and Vietnamese players going abroad in general, according to Quang Vinh, Hai "child" really had to make a lot of effort to overcome the adaptation problem when coming to France.
He spent his entire youth in Vietnam. Therefore, when coming to France, Hai could not help but face difficulties with many differences, from food, culture, language, and time zone.
But anyway, I still think the Vietnamese players are good enough to go abroad. After Quang Hai or Van Hau, I believe that V.League still has quality players with skills, sharp thinking, and strong physical strength.
Importantly, they need to be well prepared before going abroad. Next, they have to adapt quickly enough to a new environment. Communicating with people around and being proactive in life will ensure more opportunities for success for Vietnamese players, said the defender of the Hanoi Police team.
In fact, to have a good start at Pau FC, Quang Hai has had serious preparation. After leaving Hanoi FC in mid-April 2022, he spent more than 2 months practicing physical fitness, learning foreign languages and getting used to cooking, ensuring nutrition for a player.
Similar to Van Hau, with the support of a close friend, he gradually got acquainted with his teammates at the new club; excitedly cycling every day to the training ground with other Heerenveen players, participating in meals with neighbors to actively communicate.
In terms of qualities, the names playing well in the V.League can confidently show themselves in mid-level teams in Japan, Korea or Europe. Importantly, they must truly live and work like a local when going abroad. That is what foreign players playing in the V.League such as Hendrio, Leo Artur and Xuan Son have been applying.
