Huu Thang: Young talent goes first, but...

When U.17 Vietnam unfortunately stopped at the group stage of the 2025 U.17 Asian Championship (despite not losing any matches), perhaps long-time football watchers could not avoid feeling nostalgic. Nine years ago, Vietnamese football also had a U.16 team (at that time the Asian tournament was for U.16 and U.19, different from the current U.17 and U.20) stepping into the big sea of ​​Asia and reaching the quarter-finals, thanks to impressive victories over U.16 Australia and U.16 Kyrgyzstan in the group stage. The leader of U.16 Vietnam at that time was a "small" midfielder, less than 1.7 m tall, but possessing an extremely strange left foot. That was Nguyen Huu Thang.

Huu Thang, or his teammates call him Thang "Hue", is the brightest gem in the 1999 - 2000 generation that The Cong Viettel produced, along with Truong Tien Anh, Nham Manh Dung, Tran Danh Trung and Nguyen Thanh Binh. Playing in the midfield position requires strength and power, but Huu Thang does not have a good physique. However, in return, Huu Thang's tactical vision and extremely "good" left foot have made up for everything.

PHOTO: MINH TU

From coach Dinh The Nam at U.16, to Hoang Anh Tuan at U.19, or Thach Bao Khanh at U.21 The Cong Viettel, all have given Huu Thang an important position. In 6 years, Huu Thang has worn the jersey of 3 youth teams, played 19 matches and scored 5 goals. Not every player can play at all levels of the national team like the midfielder born in 2000. And there are few players with unique qualities, both agile and skillful like a squirrel, and flexible and strong enough to sweep through many youth tournaments like that.

However, perhaps the experts soon realized: Huu Thang is enough for the youth tournament, but not enough for the V-League. Because in the professional playground, where the speed of the match is high, the competition is fierce and there is no shortage of "tricks" like the V-League, a small player like Huu Thang is no different than... a lamp in the wind. The midfielder from Hue has played 5 seasons in the V-League, but in no season has he started more than 10 matches.

Coaches Truong Viet Hoang, Thach Bao Khanh and Nguyen Duc Thang all share the same opinion: Huu Thang is more suitable for the strategic reserve option than the main player. In the past 5 years, Huu Thang has only started 23 matches (an average of less than 5 matches/season), but has come off the bench 41 times. In those 5 years, Huu Thang has only played the full 90 minutes... in exactly 1 match. Physical strength is an obstacle for Thang "Hue", making the young talent feel lost, while teammates like Tien Anh, Manh Dung, Thanh Binh have all worn the national team jersey, won the AFF Cup, SEA Games...

Impressive return

However, the years as a reserve did not make Huu Thang's "strange" quality fade. Coming off the bench in the match against Quang Nam, Huu Thang unleashed a powerful long-range shot from midfield to equalize 2-2 for The Cong Viettel. That was certainly one of the goals scored from the longest distance in the world in 2025.

It is a masterpiece that brings together the quintessence of Huu Thang. Good leg strength and tactical vision, along with boldness, and a way of thinking that is sometimes... unlike anyone else. "Huu Thang has always been strange and special like that", a teammate at The Cong Viettel shared.

PHOTO: MINH TU

Five days later, Huu Thang scored again from a header against Ha Tinh, with a clever positioning. Unfortunately for the midfielder born in 2000, he had to leave the field early due to injury. However, just five days with two matches, two goals were enough for the "precious gem" of U.16 Vietnam to mark his return.

After Hoang Duc left, The Cong Viettel's force became thinner and thinner. Coach Duc Thang boldly gave more opportunities to "homegrown" talents, such as Huu Thang, Danh Trung, Manh Dung, Nguyen Cong Phuong and Dang Tuan Phong. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Huu Thang will score points with coach Kim Sang-sik, who always opens the door to the Vietnamese team with players who constantly try their best.

Nguyen Hai Long, a midfielder also born in 2000, is proof. Or recently, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa was called up to the national team thanks to his good performance at Binh Duong Club. Huu Thang's position is where Mr. Kim is constantly testing, and if he continues to play well, a "miracle" can come to the midfielder of The Cong Viettel.