The ball boy on the sidelines made a shoulder bump, followed by an elbow strike as if he were challenging an opponent. The coach, usually polite and refined, this time made a rather "dirty" tackle, then ripped off his vest, ready to charge in for a fight. One of them is a national team player, the other is a former coach of the Vietnam U23 team.
That's a brief description of the highlight match of Round 5 of the V.League 2023/24 on the evening of December 9th at Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh). The central figures in that event were Tran Van Kien (Nam Dinh) and Coach Gong Oh-kyun ( Hanoi Police FC).
Van Kien (far left) and coach Gong Oh-kyun clashed outside the stadium.
The moment Mr. Gong ripped off his vest while Van Kien remained standing, defiantly challenging the Korean coach, was the climax of the chaotic scene on the sidelines. It was reminiscent of boxing or MMA weigh-ins, where two fighters resort to provocative tactics and are on the verge of lunging at each other if not for the intervention of others.
And yet, that MMA atmosphere is taking place in football.
It's difficult to say who was right and who was wrong in such a fast-paced situation. Tran Van Kien probably thought Coach Gong was trying to slow down the game when his team was leading Nam Dinh 1-0. Coach Gong reacted because Van Kien touched him physically. Both displayed a defiant and aggressive attitude.
Van Kien met with coach Gong Oh-kyun to reconcile and apologize after the match. The South Korean coach confirmed this. However, the story hasn't cooled down as fans' interest continues. Tran Van Kien's next move on social media seemed to fuel the discussion. A few hours after the collision, the right-back posted a photo on his personal page accompanied by two words of unclear meaning.
Kien didn't say it directly, but many believe he was referring to the recent situation. Coach Gong said "don't think about it," and Van Kien also said "learn from it." But with this status update, he doesn't seem ready to learn from it immediately.
A social media post by Tran Van Kien.
Kien's status update was provocative and was further encouraged by hundreds of comments below. Notably, many national team players and V.League teammates also joined in with Van Kien, including even players who were students of Coach Gong himself at Hanoi Police FC.
What did Kien mean by that status update? No one knows for sure. But he seemed unhappy and was directing his criticism towards his opponent. Perhaps this player didn't choose to "ignore" it like Coach Gong, but instead wanted to continue: After the on-field clash, a war of words on social media ensued?
Van Kien's choice, if it is indeed true, seems inappropriate considering several factors. Kien is a national team player, and Mr. Gong is a former coach of the Vietnam U23 team. They haven't worked directly together, but they still have some contact.
Coach Gong Oh-kyun and Tran Van Kien clashed on the field.
Kien is a veteran of Hanoi FC, a team known for its professional media relations and image-building skills. Kien himself is 27 years old and has extensive experience at all levels of football. He should have reacted more restrainedly to an opponent who is a former national team coach.
No one blames Kien for his aggressiveness, but there's a fine line between enthusiasm and respect for one's opponent. The status update Kien just shared seems to have crossed that line.
This season's V.League is becoming more exciting with a fresh breeze brought about by Gong Oh-kyun, with Nam Dinh FC of Van Kien, with the resurgence of Quang Hai, Hanoi FC, and many other positive developments. In this picture with many bright colors returning, what those involved need to do is make constructive contributions.
Kien and coach Gong will most likely receive a penalty. But the negative image already established at Thien Truong Stadium will not disappear because of it.
Thanh Ha
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