Vietnamese American Lee Nguyen looks set to attract big crowds to stadiums nationwide in the 2009 V-League season

Players from arguably the world’s greatest footballing nation to date, Brazil, dominate the sizeable foreign contingent that will be in action as the premier football tournament – the V-League - kicks off this weekend.

Of the 70-odd foreign players, 39 are from the land of Samba; 19 from Africa, especially Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana; and about 10 others are from Argentina, Romania, the Czech Republic, Thailand and the US.

Brazilian players are the favorites because Vietnamese people love the skills that their compatriots have displayed on the world stage for many years now. Also, they fit in pretty well with the local teams, and hence can find stable places in Vietnamese clubs. They are credited with contributing significantly to improving Vietnamese football in its nascent stages of professionalism over the past few years.

Familiar Brazilian names on Vietnamese football fields include Almeyda, Rogerio and Rafael who have moved from The Cong to Da Nang; Leandro, Elendino and Trindade who have moved from HCMC Club (formerly Saigon Port) to Hai Phong; Robson De Lima and Helio who have moved from Hai Phong to Binh Duong; and Antonio and Everton Rocha who have moved to Dong Tam Long An (DTLA) from Tien Giang. These players are very likely to create a high degree of competitiveness among the V-League clubs.

Other well-known foreign players will also attract lots of attention from fans, including Czech goalkeeper Sihavy Michal who has moved to Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) from The Cong; Jonathan and Issifu from Ghana who will still be favorites at Khatoco Khanh Hoa; South African Philani and Ugandan Mbabazi who have moved from Hanoi ACB to Binh Duong; and Congolese Tshamala of DTLA who will be a real challenge for all defenders.

Additionally, Thai midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao will continue to be tough and effective in Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL)’s midfield;

Wednesday, some clubs contacted Vietnam Football Federation and were instructed on how to apply for a “labor license” for their foreign players to prepare for the upcoming V-League. Those players who sign contracts of less than three months and have “international transfer

certificates” will be allowed to play temporarily but have to complete the application for “labor license” as soon as possible. Failure to do so will prevent them from playing further.

Argentinean Molina will lend high quality support to Da Nang’s up front strikers; and fast Nigerian Philip Okoro will contribute a lot to Nam Dinh’s progress, especially as he is playing beside compatriot Amaobi, who has been the V-League’s best scorer twice.

Other names who have become dependable players for their clubs have attained or will be granted Vietnamese nationality to play for the national team, like Brazil’s Fabio Santos of DTLA and Kesley Alves of Binh Duong; Thailand’s Sakda and Nirut of HAGL.

Promising newcomers

There are about 30 new foreign players in the V-League this year.

New Brazilian players like Isey, Dolas, Alex and Junior of T&T Hanoi; Evado and Nene of HAGL; Alex of Dong Thap and Palio of Binh Duong hold out the potential for superb displays.

High expectations also ride on the shoulders of players from other countries, like Ghanaians Kankam of SLNA and Mustapha of Khatoco Khanh Hoa; Cameroonians Ajuwa of The Cong and Adela of Dong Thap; Kenyan Eric of SLNA; Argentineans Vicente of HCMC Club and Milo of Da Nang; and Serbian Alecxander of DTLA.

Most prominent of all the newcomers is American expatriate Lee Nguyen who joined HAGL earlier this month and displayed his worth as the most expensive foreign player to date with a hat-trick in the Central Highlands club’s 3-2 home win over Saigon United in the National Cup opener on Sunday.

He has fit in well with his new teammates and will probably display even sharper skills and strategy as the season proceeds. Nguyen will be a big challenge for other foreign players, old and new alike, who are in the running for “the best foreign player” and “the top scorer” titles in the 2009 V-League.

Reported by Quang Tuyen