Vietnamese American scores only goal in debut, Long An Club in danger

Vietnamese-American center-back Zan Nguyen Le Cao had a beautiful long-range shot, helping Ho Chi Minh City FC beat Long An away from home in the early match of round 5 of the 2025-2026 National First Division on the evening of October 24.

Zan Nguyen celebrates his goal - Photo: CAO TOAN

Zan Nguyen was brought on as a substitute by coach Nguyen Minh Phuong. This was the first match of the 2025-2026 season for the Vietnamese-American center-back for his new team.

In his very first match, the player born in 2006 unexpectedly made a significant impact. Just minutes after being substituted onto the field, Zan Nguyen scored the only goal against Long An Club.

In the 88th minute, Zan Nguyen unexpectedly appeared in an attacking position instead of a defensive one. He unleashed a long-range shot from approximately 22 meters, the ball curving around two opposing defenders before flying straight into the net.

The stunning long-range shot sent the TP.HCM FC coaching staff into a frenzy of emotion. Zan Nguyen didn't hesitate to take off his shirt to celebrate and accepted the yellow card from the referee.

This was the first goal for the Vietnamese-American center-back since returning to Vietnam to play in the 2024-2025 season. Prior to that, he played for Ho Chi Minh City FC, the predecessor of the current Ho Chi Minh City Police FC.

The match between Long An and Ho Chi Minh City FC was severely affected by heavy rain. The grass pitch became waterlogged and muddy, making it difficult for players from both teams to control the ball.

In the final minutes of the match, Long An FC brought midfielder Nguyen Trong Dai onto the field. He immediately had a chance to shoot from close range, but his shot hit an opposing defender and went wide.

Long An FC accepted a 0-1 defeat and risk dropping to the bottom of the table. Coach Nguyen Van Sy's team has only 3 points after 5 matches, with only 1 win and 4 losses.

Meanwhile, Zan Nguyen's goal temporarily propelled Ho Chi Minh City FC to the top of the table with 11 points. Coach Nguyen Minh Phuong's team has at least 48 hours to wait for Truong Tuoi Dong Nai to play.

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QUANG THINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-kieu-my-ghi-ban-duy-nhat-trong-lan-ra-mat-clb-long-an-lam-nguy-20251024182141914.htm