With a football pro as a doting father, Doan Viet Cuong took to the game early.

As a child, he would pester his father to play with his plastic ball in the front yard, and his father in turn, took Cuong with him whenever he went to watch a football match.

Cuong is the youngest of former Dong Thap Province center fullback Doan Van Phat’s four children.

A favorite of his father, Cuong was taken along to Cao Lanh Town frequently to watch matches, and the excitement at the stadium as well as the thrilling stories his father told him made him passionate about football.

It also made him practice the game hard and it was not surprising that he was chosen to join Dong Thap Province’s U11 team to play at the national competition for children in 1995.

Three years later, however, Cuong failed to qualify for the provincial U14 team. He was devastated.

“It was the worst unforgettable moment in my childhood,” he recalls.

Phat felt sorry for Cuong because he knew how deep his son’s love for the sport was. He asked Dong Thap Province’s Center for Training Football Talent to let Cuong stay and practice there at the family’s expense.

The shock of being left out was a turning point in Cuong’s football career. At a very early age, it instilled in him the awareness that there was no substitute to practice and hard work. An added motivation, if necessary, was his desire to lift the financial burden from his parents’ shoulders.

In those days, Phat sometimes went to Cao Lanh Town to encourage his son and give him more training tips.

Fast learner

The days of hard training eventually earned Cuong an official place on the provincial junior team, and he made huge contributions to winning Dong Thap Province the second place at the national athletics competition in 2000. He was called to join the provincial U18 team.

Cuong was happy to tell his father about the good news and the family had a small party to celebrate the event.

Having learnt his lessons early, Cuong continued to improve on his skills and in 2003 he made it to the provincial team. That year, he also played well for the national U18 team in the Southeast Asian final.

Two years later, his family received another piece of good news when Cuong was elected as the provincial team captain.

He was only 20 years old then but was mature and responsible beyond his years, and the team management found him very reliable.

National team coach Henrique Calisto knew of Cuong’s abilities, so he called him up to prepare for the friendly T&T Cup prior to the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup final competition.

Speaking to the press at that time, Calisto said he called Cuong because he knew he was a versatile player.

Cuong was surprised and extremely happy to be chosen to play for the national team.

“When I knew I was chosen for the national team, I thought of my father immediately and I was very happy because I brought happiness to the family again,” Cuong says.

When he showed up for the national team, Calisto asked him what position he would like to play most and Cuong responded, “I play well as a defensive midfielder and right back.”

Calisto took him at his word and let him play as a defensive midfielder in a friendly against Singapore. He did his job well. After that, the Portuguese coach tried him out in the position of a right back in a friendly match against the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and he fulfilled his duty exceptionally well again.

Calisto’s confidence in the young player prompted him to move the team’s then right back Quang Thanh to the left flank, cementing Cuong’s place in his favorite position.

At the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup, Cuong repaid his coach’s confidence putting in sterling performances in six of the seven matches.

Tough move

Cuong disappointed his home team fans earlier this year when he moved to the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

“I hope Dong Thap football fans understand and sympathize with me. As a professional player, I must choose the best possible place,” Cuong said.

“I know my home province’s team will have a lot of difficulties as it has lost several top players right after being promoted back to the top-flight V-League; but I hope Dong Thap will be able to hold on to its place there.”

Reported by Quang Huy