Last weekend, the bench of Binh Phuoc club had the return of striker Nguyen Cong Phuong after an injury suffered before Tet. He has not been in the best form and is once again absent from the Vietnam national team. The question mark is, will there be a chance for Cong Phuong if he is completely healthy?
The answer is probably not. In fact, right before the 2024 ASEAN Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik caused controversy when removing Cong Phuong's name. The Vietnamese team's attack has also been stuck for a long time, lacking goalscorers and no one holding the ball, breaking through like the striker born in 1995.
Mr. Kim once replied that Cong Phuong was not in the best condition to compete internationally. After a few months of playing in the First Division, the striker from Nghe An proved that the quality of the star is still in him. However, Cong Phuong's physical strength and response to top-notch football are not good.
After an injury that lasted for more than 2 months, Cong Phuong's continued to be out of the national team's plan did not surprise anyone.
Regrets are the only thing left behind for Vietnamese fans. When Cong Phuong started to emerge with U19 Vietnam more than 10 years ago, until he shined again at the 2018 ASEAN Cup, the 2019 Asian Cup... few people thought that the Vietnamese team would have to find a new striker. Remember, Cong Phuong is still 29 or 30 years old - the most beautiful age of a player.
If we say that a warm family has delayed Cong Phuong's career, it is completely wrong. More than once, Cong Phuong affirmed that he is still very eager to return to the national team. Two years of playing in Japan and not being able to play 90 minutes took away many things from the star from Nghe An.
For a player who was at the peak of his glory like Cong Phuong, criticism is not as scary as forgetting.
When the Vietnamese team can be stable until Nguyen Xuan Son returns, coach Kim Sang-sik will not need to think about new options. Another year of absence has reduced Cong Phuong's chance to wear red.
