Tet match a special motivator: new football captain

“Tet is the time for family to gather, so of course, we feel homesick when we have to train and compete during this period. However, this will be a special Tet. I hope that the team will perform well and bring a remarkable Tet to all Vietnamese fans,” Dung said before the training session Tuesday.

In the first leg against China last year, Vietnam had equalized 2-2 after 90 minutes, but, in the last extra minute, substitute Nguyen Thanh Binh made a mistake and let Wu Lei score for China’s winning goal.

Vietnam will get to play the second leg at home stadium My Dinh in Hanoi with 20,000 spectators on Feb. 1.

“The presence of our fans will be a great motivation for us to play better,” Dung said.

The 28-year-old midfielder had suffered a horrible injury last year, breaking his shinbone during a V. League game in March. It took him over eight months to recover. He is said to be fully fit at the moment.

“Before calling me up to the team, coach Park Hang-seo and the coaching board have discussed with the medical team to make sure that I can be at my best form during training and competition. I’m also really confident. I will try to give my best for the team,” Dung said about his current state.

Dung was a crucial player for Vietnam when the team won AFF Cup 2018 and SEA Games 2019, before being sidelined because of injury. His return to the national team was special as coach Park gave him the captain armband, replacing defender Que Ngoc Hai.

“Whoever has this responsibility must always try and motivate the teammates in the next games,” he said.

After AFF Cup failure last year, coach Park is determined to renew the team, as he called up many new faces. As the captain and an experienced player, Dung affirmed that he will help the new players adapt quickly to the team.