Hong Son 'princess'

N HIGHLIGHTS

Hong Son's class is unquestionable because during his peak period, he was voted "Player of the Month" by the Asian Football Confederation. Hong Son won the Vietnam Golden Ball twice in 1998 and 2000, was honored to be awarded the Third Class Labor Medal in 1999, and was voted the typical athlete of the year many times. The generation of Hong Son - Huynh Duc also aroused the love of football and national pride through the valuable silver medals at the 18th SEA Games in 1995 and the Tiger Cup in 1998. In particular, the miracle of overcoming the semi-finals of the Tiger Cup 1998 with a 3-0 victory over arch-rival Thailand is still one of the most memorable marks of Vietnamese football.

Hong Son with the number 8 shirt has become a special brand of Vietnamese football.

PHOTO: QUANG MINH

The audience also cannot forget a very beautiful memory of Hong Son when he faced off against the best superstars in the world , in a football exhibition event in July 2001. Having to compete with famous players such as David Beckham, Roberto Carlos or Rivaldo..., Hong Son demonstrated his top ball handling skills and finished in the runner-up position.

But what is more precious to Hong Son is the love, respect and special recognition of those in the profession. Former coach of the Vietnam national team Dido once exclaimed: "If he was born in Brazil, Hong Son would be a world-class star". Whether under coach Weigang, coach Riedl or coach Calisto, Hong Son is always the number 1 choice for the position of conductor, the midfielder leading the play of the Vietnam national team. And in almost every tournament that Hong Son participates in, the midfielder of The Cong Club has left his mark with his ability to skillfully control the ball in the midfield, soft dribbling situations, beautiful but very reasonable technical performances. He is also a comprehensive attacking midfielder, when he knows how to skillfully combine his ability to create and his deadly scoring skills every time he enters the penalty area. Up to this point, Son "Princess"'s goal in the semi-final win over Thailand at Tiger Cup 1998, the diagonal shot that brought the only goal to eliminate Indonesia at SEA Games 20 in 1999 or the extremely flexible turn and pass to striker Quoc Cuong to score a backheel goal in the bronze medal match of Tiger Cup 1996... are still extremely wonderful moments!

THE ARTISTIC QUALITY OF A WARRIOR

Previously, many audiences mistakenly thought that Hong Son had a very favorable career because he was born into a wealthy family with a football tradition. Hong Son was discovered and trained at the famous The Cong academy, trained by the strictest and most qualified teachers in the military environment, and supported and guided by many generations of talented and famous The Cong players. In the early years of his career, Hong Son matured quite quickly when he had the opportunity to practice and compete with previous generations of players such as his brother Nguyen Sy Long, central defender and captain of the Vietnam national team Nguyen Manh Cuong, talented left-back Doan Ngoc Tuan, and experienced midfielders Dinh The Nam and Dang Dung.

Tran Cong Minh, Nguyen Hong Son, Le Huynh Duc (from left to right) at the Vietnam Golden Ball award ceremony

Photo: Hoang Hung

Talented football players of Vietnam

Photo: Hoang Hung

Hong Son received the Vietnam Golden Ball award in 1998.

PHOTO: HOANG HUNG

Hong Son's natural talent was also brought into play when he learned one and understood ten. He was extremely skillful, learned everything quickly, had perfect control of live and moving balls, and was always among the top players of his age. In 1990, when he was given the number 10 shirt of former player Nguyen Cao Cuong, he played in his first official match against Thanh Hoa Police team at Hang Day Stadium, within the framework of the national championship of strong teams. Also in that season, Hong Son won the title of top scorer with 10 goals, contributing greatly to the fourth national championship in the history of the army team.

Success did not come easily to Hong Son. Shining in his first appearance and becoming the soul of The Cong Club also meant that Hong Son was in the sights of all domestic football teams. Since his debut and rise to fame in 1990, in every match, the talented midfielder has received special "attention" from the opposing defenders. In the lightest cases, someone with good physical strength would be sent to stick to Hong Son without leaving him for a second, in the worst cases, Hong Son would be hit by malicious, damaging blocks. The violent plays at Vinh Stadium in 1998 are a proof, or the situation where Hong Son was punched in the nose by goalkeeper Van Cuong at Pleiku Stadium. In each match, Hong Son was fouled at least ten times and his "performance report" was... showing off his legs with scratches and bruises. When competing internationally, Hong Son was also a "victim" of rough play. A terrible tackle by Tecuari (Indonesia) in the final minutes of the 1996 Tiger Cup bronze medal match forced Hong Son to leave the field on a stretcher, use crutches to receive his medal, and then fly straight to Germany for surgery.

And then, as a junior, a teammate of Hong Son, I witnessed the great efforts in the training and recovery process to return of the warrior nicknamed "princess". From the steps of walking at the Army swimming pool to the light jogging steps on the grass of the Flagpole. From the difficult steps when climbing the stairs of the A stand of Hoang Dieu stadium to the hours of hard training in the gym. Then just one year later, Hong Son returned to the Vietnamese team to participate in the 19th SEA Games in 1997, and one year later, he reached the peak of his career with the national championship with The Cong, won the runner-up position of Tiger Cup 1998, was voted the best player in Asia in August 1998 and the Golden Ball of Vietnam.

"A NH TAI" HONG S SON IS STILL LOVED AS EVER

There have been such sublime and glorious moments, but in the program "Phuong Nam Show" broadcast on VTVCab and in his own memoir titled Hong Son "Princess": A monster on the football field in a soldier's uniform , Hong Son still shares the quiet moments of his career. The audience appreciates even more a Hong Son who is always honest with his own feelings. There are ups, downs, stumbling and bitterness. A Hong Son who does not deny the pain of failure, does not deny the professional sadness that is difficult to explain clearly.

Family and friends share joy with Hong Son (holding flowers) on the day of his memoir's release.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Hong Son is currently very happy with his own family. Recently, he appeared in the famous reality TV show Anh trai vu ngan cong gai . The audience got to know a new Hong Son. He was able to live with challenges and difficulties that he had never experienced during his illustrious football career. Talented Hong Son continues to win the love of fans. Just like what he received during his football career more than 20 years ago, with the very special name Son "Princess". (continued)

WHY IS THE NICKNAME "PRINCESS"?

Footballer Hong Son was nicknamed "Princess" Son because since he was a child, he was naughty and tried on bridal dresses at his mother's Bich Sinh Wedding Shop. Later, the way this elegant midfielder controlled and dribbled the ball in a soft and beautiful way was also compared to being graceful like a princess. Hong Son's artistry on the field always made a difference.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hong-son-cong-chua-185250428230458487.htm