Big turning point after winning ASEAN Cup
"I got everything in such a short period of time. I couldn't believe it because everything happened so fast," striker Nguyen Xuan Son shared after winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
Vietnam's impressive achievements along with the titles of "Best Player" and "Top Scorer" at the Southeast Asian Championship helped Xuan Son change completely.
Fans across the country care about and sympathize with Xuan Son. Not many people still call him Rafaelson. Even those who are not familiar with football know and remember Xuan Son's face.
In particular, with his impressive performance and 7 goals at the ASEAN Cup, the striker born in 1997 continuously received large bonuses and benefits.
He was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal and many "hot" bonuses from the Southeast Asian championship. In addition, Xuan Son was also given 2 cars with a total value of about 2 billion VND. Most recently, the Chairman of Nam Dinh Club gave this player a luxury apartment in Hanoi.
Besides Xuan Son, midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan and goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu also created a new turning point in their football careers at the age of over 30.
Before the ASEAN Cup 2024, Ngoc Tan and Dinh Trieu only played at the club level. Their troubled past in football makes it even harder for them to believe that they will make a splash with the Vietnamese national team.
But with good and consistent performance in the Southeast Asian tournament, these two players have proven their abilities and received large bonuses of up to billions of dong.
More importantly, they and their loved ones found hope in football. That was something that Ngoc Tan and Dinh Trieu could not have dreamed of a few years ago.
"Bathe twice in the river"
Nguyen Hai Long, Truong Tien Anh, Dinh Thanh Binh, Nguyen Van Vi… also received such a large reward for the first time after winning the ASEAN Cup.
In fact, these are all talented "Gen Z" players of Vietnamese football. However, it was not until the Vietnamese team returned to the Southeast Asian throne that they truly had a memorable turning point in their journey to pursue a career in football.
Among them, Nguyen Hai Long must be mentioned. From a player who was considered unable to develop, he gradually sought opportunities at Hanoi club and the Vietnam national team.
It was not until coach Kim Sang-sik that Hai Long truly shone. The goal against Thailand that sealed the final victory for Vietnam will forever be a memorable moment in the international career of the 2000-born man.
Many players "changed their lives" from winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup. And there are also cases where they enjoy this moment 2-3 times in their career.
Quang Hai, Van Toan, Tien Linh, Hoang Duc, Van Thanh, Duy Manh, Xuan Manh, Viet Anh and Thanh Binh all received large bonuses after the historic turning point of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup finals, then the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games...
Besides increasing their income from bonuses, Hoang Duc, Van Thanh, Duy Manh, Quang Hai, Van Toan... also proved to fans an important thing, which is never being satisfied even after achieving success. Because, for every challenge that comes, they are ready to devote themselves to the Vietnamese team with a pure desire...
