Honoring Hoang Duc and Kim Thanh

N. MASTER, LEADER HOANG DUC

Compared to his V-League championship and the Vietnamese Men's Golden Ball award in 2021, 2023 witnessed a significant maturation of Hoang Duc. Shedding the image of a promising young player, he took a giant leap to become one of the most talented midfielders in Vietnamese football. Wearing the colors of The Cong Viettel Club, Duc became an almost all-around playmaker. Spectators witnessed the 1998-born player's dedicated performances, sharpness in creating chances and scoring goals, and increased responsibility in defense. In the 2023 season, Hoang Duc started all 20 matches for The Cong Viettel Club, playing 1,735 minutes (playing the full 17 games, being substituted 3 times), and scoring 5 goals. Duc was voted the Best Player of the V-League 2023.

Quả bóng vàng Việt Nam 2023: Vinh danh Hoàng Đức, Kim Thanh- Ảnh 1. — Hoang Duc and Kim Thanh won the 2023 Vietnam Golden Ball

Hoang Duc's inability to fully adapt professionally to playing as a center forward in the Vietnamese national team under coach Philippe Troussier will motivate him to strive harder and improve further. However, his achievements of winning the bronze medal in the 2023 V-League, being included in the 2023 V-League Team of the Year, and finishing as runner-up in the 2023 National Cup are the clearest recognition, forming a solid foundation for his chances of winning the 2023 Vietnamese Men's Golden Ball. He emotionally stated: "I am very happy to receive this very prestigious award for the second time in my life. It will become the most beautiful and profound memory of my career, giving me more motivation to improve myself and contribute more to Vietnamese football. Thank you for everyone's support."

The 2023 Vietnamese Men's Silver Ball award went to striker Pham Tuan Hai, while the Bronze Ball award went to goalkeeper Dang Van Lam.

THE FIRST FULL TIME OF KIM THANH

2023 marked a brilliant peak in Tran Thi Kim Thanh's career when she helped Ho Chi Minh City FC 1 win their 8th national women's league championship in 9 years, and especially with her impressive performance at the 2023 World Cup. At the world's biggest tournament, the Vietnamese goalkeeper ranked among the top 6 best goalkeepers with 15 spectacular saves.

Kim Thanh deserves this prestigious title.

Huỳnh Như was absent because she was playing for Lank FC (Portugal).

Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy - Women's Bronze Ball

Few people know that this girl, born in 1993 in Duc Hoa District ( Long An Province), has always had to have lubricant injected into her legs every time she plays, due to injuries that started a decade ago when she first joined the Vietnamese women's national team. That was the most difficult period for Kim Thanh, as she had to stop training for a long time because of patellar inflammation in both legs and cartilage damage. The pain and despair even made Kim Thanh think about retiring early and finding another job to make a living. But then her love of football and the encouragement of her teachers and friends helped her to stand up strong. At the age of 31, her talent and willpower have helped the 1.65m tall girl become the number one goalkeeper of the Vietnamese women's national team, the top female goalkeeper in Southeast Asia, with very strong achievements in regional and continental competitions, and successfully fulfilling her World Cup dream with her teammates.

Nguyen Thai Son - Best Young Male Player

Ngoc Minh Chuyen - Best Young Female Player

Thanh fulfilled her dream by winning the 2023 Vietnamese Women's Golden Ball award. She tearfully stated: "I trained with Kieu Trinh for a long time. My time as a reserve for her at Ho Chi Minh City FC and the Vietnamese national team helped me learn a lot, especially improving my ability to read situations and my reflexes. I've been waiting for the Vietnamese Golden Ball award for a very long time. This will be a huge motivation for me to continue striving even harder at the club and with the national team."

Striker Huỳnh Như won the 2023 Vietnamese Women's Silver Ball. The Bronze Ball went to midfielder Nguyễn Thị Bích Thùy.