Vietnamese star forward faces dilemma in Japan

By Minh Khang December 10, 2023 | 05:00 am PT

Nguyen Cong Phuong is the only Vietnamese footballer who is still playing abroad. Photo by Yokohama FC

Forward Nguyen Cong Phuong had a poor 2023 in Japan as his club were relegated and he did not get to play a single minute in the league.

Yokohama FC are the only team to get relegated after a 2-1 defeat to Kashima Antlers in the final fixture of the 2023 J1 League this month. For Phuong, the sadness was doubled, as he has been an outsider at the club this past season.

Phuong joined Yokohama at the end of 2022 after his contract with Vietnamese club HAGL expired. The 29-year-old had high expectations for this abroad spell and brought his wife and child to Japan for extra support.

However, in 34 matches of the 2023 J1 League, Phuong was not registered even once. He was only registered twice in the League Cup and appeared once as a substitute, playing a few seconds in the defeat to Nagoya Grampus in April.

Yokohama did not use Phuong on the field but instead used his popularity to attract Vietnamese fans. He appeared in a food advertising poster of the club in February.

Phuong’s contract with Yokohama still has two years to run. Many experts as well as his friends have advised him to save his career by going back to Vietnam. However, Phuong still wants to stay in Japan to find opportunities because this is likely his last time playing football abroad.

Phuong, a product of the HAGL-Arsenal JMG Academy, used to be one of Vietnam's most promising football talents. In 2016, Phuong played for Mito Hollyhock in the J2 League. He then had spells at South Korean club Incheon United and Belgian club Sint-Truiden in 2019, but all were unsuccessful.

If Phuong stays in Japan, he is most likely to continue to be absent from the national football team. The last time Phuong was called up to the national team was in September. Although he scored a goal to help Vietnam defeat Palestine 2-0 in a FIFA Days match on Sept. 11, he was criticized by head coach Philippe Troussier, who said he lacked enthusiasm. After that, he was not called up for the October and November training periods.

Compared to J1, the J2 League is considered more suitable for Phuong. However, this is still a big challenge for the Vietnamese forward because he failed to leave his mark on the league seven years ago. At the age of 29, Phuong's form has dropped because he often has to sit on the bench.