It took Cong Phuong 5 minutes to score the first goal in the match marking his return to Vietnamese football. The striker is happy, the fans are 10 times happier. Everyone wants to see Cong Phuong at his best, at his best, and regain his previous peak form. In theory, at the age of 29, he still has time to do this.
But after 2 matches, Cong Phuong seems to have difficulty finding himself again. In the National Cup, the goal against Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club was not enough to cover up 58 minutes of indifference. But at least Cong Phuong kept the ball and had a few more shots.
On the first day of the First Division (October 26), the challenge of Hoa Binh made coach Nguyen Anh Duc and his team struggle. Taking the field with a squad consisting mostly of players who have fought in the V.League, Binh Phuoc was the team that received many dangerous shots from the opponent. If the home team had been more precise and careful when finishing, they could have scored 1-2 goals.
Coach Quoc Vuong arranged a player to closely mark Cong Phuong like a shadow. The striker born in 1995 could not escape this annoying marking. He seemed to disappear from the field for 80 minutes before being taken off to rest.
To be fair, if Cong Phuong is at his peak, the 19 and 20 year old defenders of Hoa Binh cannot be his opponents. Two long years in Japan have taken a lot from the former Hoang Anh Gia Lai player. Cong Phuong's running is heavy, the agility in his dribbling is no longer there.
Perhaps, what made fans remember Cong Phuong in the last match was a series of set pieces and corner kicks. Of course, that was not enough for Cong Phuong to contribute at least 1 assist for his teammates to score.
A week ago, coach Kim Sang-sik came to watch and shake hands with Nguyen Cong Phuong. But it seems that his path back to the national team is still long.
