Cong Phuong reunites with Phan Van Long
Although they are second to last and have to play in the play-off to compete for a place in the V-League next season, Da Nang Club is still a formidable obstacle that Cong Phuong and Binh Phuoc Club must overcome if they want to reach the highest level of Vietnamese football.
Da Nang FC is very different from the crisis in the first leg of V-League (only 4 points after 11 rounds). Thanks to the guidance of coach Le Duc Tuan and the new team, the Han River team won 21 points in a row after 15 matches. A number that no one at Da Nang FC would have thought of, at the time when the Hoa Xuan Stadium team was in crisis.
Phan Van Long (orange shirt) is the "soul" in the playing style of Da Nang Club - PHOTO: DONG NGHI
In the last 9 matches of the season, Da Nang FC remained unbeaten in 8 matches, despite facing many tough opponents such as Nam Dinh, Binh Duong and Thanh Hoa. The spectacular comeback was marked by Coach Le Duc Tuan in both spirit and tactical innovation.
There, the young "general" who once coached the Hanoi team boldly focused on domestic players, instead of foreign players. The symbol of the rising spirit of the Da Nang club is Phan Van Long, a former U.19 Vietnam player of the same generation as Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Truong.
When mentioning Phan Van Long, perhaps many audiences who once admired U.19 Vietnam cannot forget his beautiful trivela in the 4-1 victory over U.19 Myanmar in the semi-finals of U.19 Southeast Asia 2014.
At a very narrow angle, when most people thought Van Long would curl the ball or cross, the player born in 1996 chose to stroke his cheek, sending the ball through the most difficult angle.
"That is a move that not everyone has the courage and sophistication to do," commentator Vu Quang Huy affirmed. As for coach Guillaume Graechen, Van Long is the player who has improved the most.
Among the U.19 Vietnam stars that year, with most of the team grown from HAGL JMG Academy, Van Long was a rare name "lost" from Da Nang's training center that could stay. He created his own mark, not mixed with anyone.
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However, Phan Van Long's career did not break through like his teammates in the U.19 Vietnam team. The 29-year-old was born in Quang Nam, but chose to stay with Da Nang at a time when coach Le Huynh Duc's team was full of "talented players" in attack.
Coach Le Huynh Duc, although highly appreciating Phan Van Long's professionalism and potential, is also fair: he does not favor young players, but the starting position only belongs to those with enough ability.
Phan Van Long is professional and diligent - PHOTO: DONG NGHI
Just like that, the best days of Van Long's career were the years of fighting for the official position and recognition. When the stars left Da Nang one by one, Van Long rose up and became an irreplaceable player. In the 2020 season, he shone and won a ticket to the Vietnam national team.
Even though after 11 years, what people remember about Van Long is still the "trivela" of that year, but the ability of this gentle, hard-working boy from Quang Nam cannot be denied.
Van Long carried the "twilight" collective between youth and experience of Da Nang through the most difficult turns, such as relegation in 2023, returning to V-League the following season, then trying to avoid relegation this season.
Tall, but with quick feet, skillful finishing and unpredictable handling, Van Long is an effective striker. 6 goals in 24 matches this season, including a curling free kick to spark the comeback against Da Nang, is a warning from Van Long to Binh Phuoc Club.
Van Long has scored many great goals in his career with decisive kicks. That is the weapon expected to help Da Nang FC tear apart Binh Phuoc's net, in a play-off match that promises to be calculated and tight. With Minh Quang, Dinh Duy, Van Long, Cong Nhat, Da Nang FC has a strong enough firepower. Let's see how Binh Phuoc FC and Cong Phuong will solve it!
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-cu-o-u19-viet-nam-co-the-can-mong-v-league-cua-cong-phuong-va-binh-phuoc-185250625092202094.htm
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