The dream debut of overseas Vietnamese Damian Vu Thanh An

Who is Damian Vu Thanh An?

Ho Chi Minh City Police Club suffered its first defeat in V-League 2025 - 2026, losing 0-3 to The Cong Viettel in round 2 at Hang Day Stadium on the evening of August 22 (including 1 goal by Damian Vu Thanh An).

It was a completely "convincing" defeat for coach Le Huynh Duc and his team. Throughout the match, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club could not create pressure. The away team suffered under the pressure of the home team. With superior midfield and forward lines, The Cong Viettel took control of the game, then defeated their opponents thanks to goals from Pedro Henrique, Damian Vu Thanh An and Lucao.

Thanh An's goal was a big surprise. The player with Vietnamese and Polish blood has only just started his first season in the V-League, playing for a team that is fiercely competitive in both domestic and foreign players, such as Viettel's The Cong. Thanh An has speed, technique and youth (22 years old), but is still unfamiliar with the Vietnamese environment, and needs more strength to survive in a tournament that his teacher, Coach Velizar Popov, once assessed as "extremely fierce".

PHOTO: MINH TU

Entering the field in the second half, Damian Vu Thanh An quickly left his mark with his clever movement, intercepting a faulty combination between Patrik Le Giang and Hong Phuc to score against the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. A moment of receiving a gift from the opponent's mistake, but playing a very important role. The Cong Viettel doubled the gap to suppress the opponent's resistance, and Thanh An had a dream start. Rarely does an overseas Vietnamese player score as early as this midfielder born in 2003, when he was on the scoreboard as soon as he entered the field.

Damian Vu Thanh An is one of the young seeds that The Cong Viettel is cultivating. For a coach who likes to discover and nurture new factors like Popov, owning players like Thanh An is no different from a "treasure". Under the hands of disciplined and strict coaching, Vietnamese-American player Damian Vu Thanh An and the young talents of The Cong Viettel promise to continue to improve.

Besides Thanh An, overseas Vietnamese center-back Kyle Colonna also played well in the victory over Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. The former Hanoi player was the replacement for center-back Thanh Binh (injured) and he did not disappoint coach Popov. Throughout the 90 minutes, Colonna and Bui Tien Dung blocked the star-studded attack of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. The away team only had 3 shots in the entire match, as the strikers could barely get past Colonna's "wall".

Last season, the player with mixed Vietnamese and American blood could not gain a foothold in Hanoi FC, when Thanh Chung and Duy Manh played solidly, and Colonna was only playing in the first season of V-League. However, after getting used to the living conditions and climate of Vietnam, as well as having confidence from good matches, Kyle Colonna is still a potential factor with smart and sophisticated playing style in defense.

With a squad of overseas Vietnamese players "in form", combined with youth and experience, The Cong Viettel of coach Velizar Popov is a formidable championship candidate this season. The "test" for Bui Tien Dung and his teammates is stability, which has been a stumbling block for this team in previous seasons. With a style of play gradually shifting from pragmatism to dedication, The Cong Viettel will be worth watching!