Thanh Chung: Who is the Vietnamese national team central defender who set a record alongside Xuan Son?

With 630 minutes of playing time (7 starting matches), Nguyen Thanh Chung is one of the players who has played the most in the Vietnam National Team. The central defender born in 1997 left a strong mark on the journey to the championship of the "Golden Star Warriors".

Thanh Chung is only behind Hoang Duc (638 minutes) in terms of minutes on the field. Of course, this number is important, but it is not as important as what he contributed to the Vietnam National Team in the journey to conquer the AFF Cup championship for the third time. According to statistics, Thanh Chung is the one who owns the most dangerous situations among the defensive players (9 times) in the tournament. He is also the one who saved the home team twice in situations when it seemed like the opponent had scored.

Before the AFF Cup 2024, Thanh Chung seemed to be absent from many people's memories. This can be understood when Bui Hoang Viet Anh had an excellent Asian Cup 2023. In the central defender position, Que Ngoc Hai was like a "big tree". But then everything turned upside down, "Hai Que" was eliminated, Viet Anh was injured. The team was formed and Duy Manh was elected captain. Many people "planned" a position for Duy Manh. The rest is the competition between Bui Tien Dung, Thanh Binh, Viet Anh.

The rotation policy made people mistakenly think that coach Kim Sang Sik would use the central defenders in turn. Even when Duy Manh made a mistake in the first match against Laos, he was still the first choice. But no, the corner striker Tuyen Quang gradually emerged, playing the role of a stopper in the middle of the three central defenders. It was not until the final match that people realized that Xuan Manh, Thanh Chung and Bui Tien were the first choices at the AFF Cup 2024. Of course, from the numbers and developments, Thanh Chung showed that he had received the absolute trust of coach Kim Sang Sik.

Thanh Chung's class has been proven not only in the moments of reading situations, cutting or fighting in the air, but he has also become the obsession of top strikers. Gustavsson (Thailand) and Anuar of Singapore have literally "pocketed" him. What is special is that both of these players have had to stop at 4 goals in the race for the Golden Boot since facing Thanh Chung. Therefore, it would be a big mistake if Thanh Chung's name is not included in the list of the best players.

At the peak of glory, we also need to talk about Thanh Chung's difficult time. After the 2018 U23 Asian Cup runner-up with U23 Vietnam, this central defender's career has not been smooth sailing, especially in the national team. After the AFF Cup 2022, Chung was not valued by coach Troussier. Injuries also became a threat to Thanh Chung's career. It was not until September 2024 that he marked his return to the national team in the match against Russia.

Thanh Chung's path to the top of Southeast Asia was indeed difficult and full of surprises, but in the end, he deserved to enjoy the results thanks to his professional qualities and the virtue of not giving up and not being afraid no matter who the opponent was.

Recently, fans gave many compliments to Thanh Chung and To Uyen couple when they shared a meaningful moment on their personal page when receiving a certificate of merit in their hometown of Tuyen Quang. Specifically, the couple was present at the Fatherland Front Committee of Tuyen Quang province to contribute 50 million VND to support the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses in the province. Thanh Chung and To Uyen's actions were commented by the audience as beautiful and received many compliments.

Sharing about his meaningful work, central defender Thanh Chung expressed: "It's great to be able to contribute a small part to his homeland". His wife, To Uyen, not only accompanies but also wholeheartedly supports her husband in community projects. She wrote: "Together we carry out many plans".

The couple of central defender Thanh Chung scored points for their actions in overcoming the consequences of typhoon Yagi. While people in her hometown Tuyen Quang were struggling with floods, To Uyen went directly to the flooded areas to provide support. The WAG born in 2000 proactively prepared necessities in time to support people in difficulty due to storms and floods or isolated due to flooding. At that time, she took a boat, bringing food and drinks to many families in Hong Thai, Yen Son town, Minh Tan, Quang Thang, Phuc Ninh.

Not only that, To Uyen also called on friends on social networks to join hands to help. The valuable thing is that the WAG refused to accept donations through her personal account, but encouraged everyone to contribute directly to the account of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. This practical and transparent action helped the wife of central defender Thanh Chung receive respect and support from the community.

Xuan Son missed Tet, 'disappeared' from Vietnam national team list, what's going on? Lan Chi08:11:22 29/01/2025Striker Nguyen Xuan Son will not be on the list of the Vietnam National Team in the first training session after the Lunar New Year 2025. After winning the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnam National Team will focus on the next important task, the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.