LookAtVietnam – The Golden Boot Awards for 2009 will be announced in January 2010. Here, VietNamNet reviews the top candidates for the title.

The Golden Shoe Award 2009 (photo: VNE).

The sought after award is open to both Vietnamese and foreign footballers who have been granted Vietnamese citizenship and is based on the number of goals scored between January 1 and December 31, 2009.

With the domestic V-League has now closed all eyes are on international matches and tournaments which still could make a big difference to the outcome.

The points are calculated using the following method: goals scored at FIFA, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the C1 and C2 Asian tournaments will gain four points each. Three points were given out for goals in the national V-League and two points for goals in the First Division, the National Football Cup and the Super National Cup. Players receive only 1 point for goals recorded at the HCM City Football Cup, the T&T Cup and friendly matches for the national football squad.

Currently ranking top is striker Huynh Kesley Alves , a Brazilian nationalised Vietnamese footballer, from Binh Duong club, with 57 points from 17 goals. These include nine goals at V-League, one at the National Cup and seven at the AFC Cup.

However, Huynh’s number of goals are unlikely to be added to as he was not called up to the national squad to take part in the upcoming HCM City Football Cup.

Centre half Nguyen Vu Phong, also from Binh Duong club, ranked second with 48 points from 15 goals, including two at the qualifying round of the Asian Cup, three at the National Cup, six at the V-League and four at the AFC Cup.

Vu Phong is Alves’s biggest rival because he will play for Binh Duong club at the AFC Cup on September 30, for the national squad at the HCM City Football Cup and the qualifying round of the Asian Cup.

While also scoring 15 goals, striker Le Cong Vinh has only 46 points, with one goal at the qualifier round of the Asian Cup and 14 at the V-League. But with Vinh now playing for Leixoes in Portugal the three time Golden Boot winner will lose out on a fourth title.

There remains, however, an opportunity for Hoang Dinh Tung from Thanh Hoa (12 goals – 39 points), Quang Hai from Khanh Hoa (10 goals – 28 points) and Anh Duc from Binh Duong (8 goals – 27 points) because all have been called for either the national squad or U23 teams. The trailing pack are still likely to feature in HCM City Football Cup, T&T Cup, the 25th SEA Games and the qualifying round of the Asian Cup.

Alongside a golden boot there will also be silver and bronze boots with each worth around $1000, The Golden Boot winner will also receive 15 million dong with 12 million dong for the silver winner and 10 million dong for bronze.

PV