LookAtVietnam – It’s a bad memory for midfielder Truong Viet Hoang that his Binh Dinh team lost the National Cup final on the day he retired from football two years ago.

Polished up: Truong Viet Hoang is the last of Viet Nam football’s ‘golden generation’, which led Viet Nam to rank second in the Southeast Asian Football Championship, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, in 1998.

The Hanoian-born playmaker is the last of Viet Nam football’s ‘golden generation,’ which lead Viet Nam to rank second in the Southeast Asian Football Championship, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, in 1998.

The 34-year-old coach imprinted Vietnamese fans with the unforgettable image of his goal in the Tiger Cup semi-finals against archrivals Thailand at Ha Noi’s Hang Day Stadium.

Hoang’s 20m thundering volley opened the score for Viet Nam before his teammates Nguyen Hong Son and Van Sy Hung added two more to take a 3-0 win over Thailand.

The spectacular goal was voted as ‘Asia’s best goal’ in August 1998.

The shot, which could have resulted in a broken leg when a Thai defender advanced to clear the ball, has been the most fantastic memory for Vietnamese fans during the last 11 years.

But in the final, Viet Nam tasted a bitter 1-0 loss to Singapore.

“It’s so hard to say good-bye, but I must. I’ve started to leave the pitch when I feel tired. I can not play high performance football any longer. I just want to thank all the fans who supported me when I played for The Cong and Binh Dinh,” he said.

“However, my love of football will continue as I coach future generations. I hope to return to The Cong [my native team] someday as a trainer for the youth.”

Sad memories

Hoang began playing football at The Cong’s training centre and made his debut in 1996 at the age of 21.

He helped The Cong win the championship and a Super Cup before taking the Tiger Cup silver medal in 1998.

He was then called up to the national team to compete in the Southeast Asian Games in Brunei in 1999, where Viet Nam bagged a silver medal.

But his happiness was tattered when he divorced from his wife in early 2003.

One year later, his The Cong team was relegated from the V-League to the lower First Division after a poor performance on the team’s 50th anniversary.

Most of the best players left The Cong that year, and Hoang did not maintain his top form.

New life

In 2005, Hoang married a member of Ha Noi’s shooting team he met while training with The Cong at the National Sport Camp 1 in Ha Noi.

“Love changed my life. I fell in love and it’s a milestone in my life,” Hoang explained.

He moved to Binh Dinh on a one-year loan contract and improved his form.

Hoang helped the central-based team cruise to the National Cup final in 2006 and rank fifth in the V-League.

Soon after he listened to a friend’s advice and returned to Ha Noi.

“It’s time I go home. I want to live in Ha Noi to care for my family, which is every thing to me,” he said.

In 2007, Hoang left The Cong to settle his life with Ha Noi T&T. He has coached the U-19 squad for two years.

Hoang and 20 other young coaches have studied in a two-year AFC course in Ha Noi.

“I will try to finish the training course. I want to face my old teammates as a coach of the senior teams in coming years,” Hoang wishes.

“He is one of the best trainees. He has the experience required to be a good coach in the future,” said AFC’s lecturer Phan Thanh Hung.

“I think he will take off in a few years with a new job,” Hung added.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News