A happy ending for ' bầu Đức's kids'

At the age of 31, Cong Phuong, Minh Vuong, and Xuan Truong finally won their first championship title in their careers.

Cong Phuong (right) celebrates with the president of Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club. Photo by ANH KHOA

To this day, the first graduating class of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Arsenal - JMG Academy remains the most memorable for Vietnamese fans whenever they are mentioned.

The young players from bầu Đức's ( bầu Đoàn Nguyên Đức's) team once created a sensation, causing stadiums to overflow, when the Vietnam U19 team played internationally, and were then promoted to the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai first team to compete in the V-League 2015.

Creating immense excitement among fans, this talented generation of Vietnamese footballers was unable to lead Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC to the V-League championship title even once. "Spending our youth just to avoid relegation" – the famous quote from midfielder Tran Minh Vuong in 2019 perhaps perfectly encapsulates the feelings of him and his teammates.

At the age of 28, when their training contracts ended, the young players under Chairman Duc's tutelage began to win their first titles in their careers.

Van Thanh won the V-League 2023 championship with Hanoi Police FC. Hong Duy, Van Toan, and Tuan Anh won the V-League championship twice, in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, with Nam Dinh FC.

Minh Vương beams as he proudly displays his gold medal in the rain. Photo: ANH KHOA

The remaining stars like Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, and Minh Vuong were not so lucky! The burden of age forced all three to accept playing in the First Division for Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club (the predecessor of the current Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club) in search of glory.

And it wasn't until the evening of May 30th that Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, and Minh Vuong finally experienced their first joy after 11 years of professional football. All three played exceptionally well, making significant contributions to Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC's victory in the 2025-2026 First Division and securing promotion to the V-League one round before the end of the season. The championship was even more meaningful for Cong Phuong, as he had missed out on promotion with Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC in the play-off match of the 2024-2025 season.

Celebrating a championship at the age of 31 might seem a bit late for a talented generation. But it's a beautiful ending for the young players from bầu Đức's team – persevering through ups and downs to finally enjoy the glory they dedicated their youth to achieving.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cai-ket-dep-cua-dam-tre-nha-bau-duc-20260531135348105.htm