Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Duy Hung (L) shakes hands with national football team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong before the first leg of the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup finals in Bangkok last December

Versatility, playmaking, leadership – the potent combination came at just the right time.

One of the best midfielders in Southeast Asia, Phuong’s accurate passes make him extremely dangerous with the ball in his opponents’ zone.

First impression

Phuong was interested in football at an early age but kept his mind focused on books.

From a poor family in Binh Phuoc Province’s Binh Long District, Phuong’s parents instilled in him the desire for a university education and a new life.

But at 18, he failed the university entrance exam.

Not discouraged, he asked his parents to help him find enough money for a pre-college class in Ho Chi Minh City.

Once in the big city, he began watching the Saigon Port club fanatically and was mesmerized by their games at Thong Nhat Stadium.

In a stroke of luck, former referee Bui Nhu Duc, a friend of Phuong’s father, recommended Phuong to the Saigon Port coaching staff. Though he had little experience, the coaches agreed to let him try out for the team.

After a few months of training with the club, coaches began praising Phuong for his skills and strategic mind.

Phuong recalls, “I was honored to play for Saigon Port at the time. It was my greatest dream and I decided to give up the pursuit of a university education to be on one of the best teams in Vietnam.”

“At first, my parents were unhappy but I explained everything and things got better gradually. I told myself to make sure I did good by my family no matter what,” Phuong said.

After an exceptional season in 2002, Phuong was offered some VND400 million (US$22,900) to transfer to Dong Tam Long An (DTLA).

That year, he had scored the winning goal to help the national team beat Malaysia 2-1 and win third place at the ASEAN Football Federation Tiger Cup.

A new era

On his decision to switch teams, Phuong is nostalgic but practical, “The career of a footballer is very short, so anyone wants to have as much money as possible. I have always considered Saigon Port a place where I was trained to be successful. I will never forget the assistance of the club managing staff as well as the teammates.”

Saigon Port didn’t agree to the switch and Phuong was suspended for six months by the Vietnam Football Federation for quitting the club.

Thanh Nien and a few other newspapers published bitter editorials against VFF and DTLA filed a complaint to the Sports Committee.

Eventually, Phuong’s penalty was halved and he played for DTLA in the second half of the V-League that year.

He played exceptionally for the club and coach Henrique Calisto placed him alongside Phan Van Tai Em in the midfield. The pair contributed to the club’s two consecutive V-League championships in 2005 and 2006. They have been the national team’s best midfield pair of recent years.

Phuong’s strategic skills impressed both his coach and his teammates who also respected his experience and leadership abilities. This earned him pride of place in the national team - as its captain. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Coach Calisto has helped me improve a lot,” Phuong said.

Passes and free kicks

Phuong’s specialties are his accurate long balls and dangerous free kicks.

It was Phuong’s pass that found Quang Thanh who scored the opener in Vietnam’s 2-0 win over the UAE in the 2007 Asian Cup.

Yet his free kicks are more impressive. His free kick found striker Le Cong Vinh’s head to net the winning goal in the last minute of the stoppage time of the second leg of the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup Finals.

Thailand’s team assistant coach Steven Darby admitted, “I told head coach Peter Reid that it was dangerous when I saw Phuong was going to take the free kick.”

Darby had reason to worry indeed as it was Phuong’s free kick that helped striker Viet Thang score the opener in a 2-2 friendly draw with Thailand in Hanoi last November.

“I have practiced in a lot of different situations; but I just do my best,” Phuong said.

“I am very grateful to Calisto for giving me opportunities.”

Reported by Quang Tuyen