Tran Cong Minh: From teacher to best defender, now retired and back to being a "transporter"

The history of Vietnamese football has just witnessed a defender named in the top 3 of the Golden Ball four times, and after nearly 25 years, he is still loved and respected. That person is none other than Tran Cong Minh.

Nearly 25 years after Cong Minh retired, Vietnamese football has new equally talented and enthusiastic defenders such as Que Ngoc Hai, Doan Van Hau or Vu Van Thanh. It is very difficult to compare generations and generations of players in all aspects, because each generation is better than the previous generation thanks to advances in sports science as well as nutrition, which is obvious in modern football.

Watching the junior generation bring Vietnamese football to the regional throne and become one of the best defensive teams in Asia, players like Cong Minh and Do Van Khai in the past are certainly proud. However, to find a defender who has won the gold, silver, and bronze ball four times like Cong Minh is rare in Vietnam.

Cong Minh is a rarity in Vietnamese football in terms of talent, virtue and dedication, just as expert Nguyen Sy Hien commented: "If you want a person who is perfect in terms of expertise, ethics and many Contributing to the team, I believe Cong Minh is still the most loved person."

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Tran Cong Minh is considered a monument of Vietnamese football, one of the best players of the "golden generation" of Le Huynh Duc, Nguyen Hong Son, Vo Hoang Buu, Nguyen Huu Dang...

Cong Minh is the former captain of the Vietnam national team, twice winning SEA Games silver medals in 1995 and 1999, and second place at the 1998 AFF Cup. As for the club, he won the cabinet football championship in 1989 and 1996. Cong Minh He is also one of the rare defenders in domestic football, having won the Vietnam Golden Ball in 1999.

Like many other football stars, Cong Minh started his career with passion and matches with friends around poor neighborhoods in Lai Vung district, Dong Thap province. From a young age, young Tran Cong Minh caused many older brothers to suffer goals and failures when competing on the football field.

However, not daring to think about a professional football career, after finishing high school, Tran Cong Minh passed the entrance exam to the physical education department at Dong Thap Pedagogical College with the desire to become a teacher but still attached to his passion. loves sports.

However, the hustle and bustle of life helped Cong Minh quickly become the brightest star of the Dong Thap College of Education team and in such a match, he caught the eye of the football club scouts. Dong Thap.

Cong Minh was asked to return to Dong Thap to play without a trial and that rainy afternoon completely changed his future, despite the dissuasion of his friends and the fierce opposition of his family. .

That's the story that happened in 1989 and at that time, he had almost finished his second year of school. Standing at a crossroads in life, Cong Minh still followed the ball as if it were destiny. Dong Thap and Vietnamese football are grateful for the decision that Cong Minh himself described as too reckless because otherwise, we would have lost one of the best right backs in Vietnamese football history.

Tran Cong Minh decided to join Dong Thap Club, and the rest is history... Because for a long time, he was considered the most comprehensive defensive and defensive defender in Vietnamese football. Speedy moves on the ball, then launching highly explosive passes. Cong Minh even scored many spectacular goals at the club and national team levels.

Watching Cong Minh on the field, people see that he exudes the beauty and quintessence of the king's sport. Calmness and always playing with a noble spirit are the most notable points of this player. Normally, full-backs only need to take on a fair amount of defensive work, and support the attack by running down the wing, crossing the ball, or overlapping with midfielders, but Cong Minh has increased his role in this position. border to another level.

Not simply being an attack direction and taking on the role of supporting border breakthroughs, Cong Minh also plays an important role in operating the tactical system. The Dong Thap-born defender can single-handedly take care of an entire right wing corridor, which is rare for Vietnamese full-backs.

Right in his first peak season, Cong Minh contributed to helping Dong Thap win the national championship in 1989 and then win the throne again in 1996. At the national team level, Cong Minh won silver medals at the SEA Games in 1995 and 1999. , 1997 SEA Games bronze medal, 1996 Tiger Cup bronze medal, 1998 Tiger Cup silver medal.

Cong Minh's pinnacle is definitely the title of Vietnam Golden Ball in 1999, Silver Ball in 1996 and Bronze Ball in 1997 and 1998. This is an achievement that no player from Dong Thap has won and also helped Cong Minh become one of the greatest defenders in Vietnamese football history.

Not only that, the former captain of the Vietnam national team was also honored to receive the "3rd Class Labor Medal" awarded by the state. The famous player was born in 1970 and then retired in 2002. However, his passion for football did not stop when Cong Minh continued his career as a coach.

Cong Minh was assigned to lead Dong Thap's first team in 2003, then moved to Ho Chi Minh City to work in youth training at Thanh Long Sports Center. In 2007, Tran Cong Minh was appointed by Dong Tam Long An Club as an assistant to coach Patricio, then became the head coach of this team at the end of the 2008 season.

In April 2012, Cong Minh liquidated his contract with Long An to lead Dong Thap Rubber but could not help his hometown team stay relegated in the V-League. After this season, Cong Minh ended his contract and worked many times as a coach for the Vietnam national team under foreign coaches.

Although not as outstanding as when he was a player, his mindset and passion for football still help Cong Minh be considered a responsible person with the job he is assigned.

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