Le Cong Vinh
Encyclopedia
Lê Công Vinh is a Vietnam
ese footballer who plays for Hanoi F.C. as a striker. He is also a member of the Vietnamese national team
.
, from 2004 to 2008.
; it was the highest transfer fee in Vietnamese football at the time.
At the beginning of August 2009, T&T announced that Vinh would be joining Leixões Sport Club of Portugal
in a three-month loan deal, starting 1 September 2009. The deal was facilitated by Henrique Calisto
, who was once Leixões' manager.
On 24 August 2009, Vinh officially signed with Leixões and was given the number 29 shirt. Two days later, in a friendly match against Padroense FC
, he scored his first goal for the club, as a substitute, in the 89th minute to secure a 2–0 win. He was included in the 18-man squad for the match against defending champions F.C. Porto on 12 September, but did not make the field in an eventual 1–4 loss. His first-team debut came on 4 October, in a league contest against União de Leiria, making him the first ever Vietnamese footballer to play in a professional European league; he played the entire ninety minutes in an eventual 3–2 home win, despite trailing for most of the game.
On 18 October 2009, Vinh scored his first official goal for Leixões, in a 2–1 Portuguese Cup
win against Casa Pia AC
. In January of the following year, he returned to T&T Hà Nội.
, Vinh scored the second goal for Vietnam
to secure a 2–0 victory against United Arab Emirates
; the nation eventually reached the quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champions Iraq
.
After a quiet and much criticized performance in the group stage in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup, Vinh came through in the elimination stage. He set up the only goal in a 1–0 upset of defending champions Singapore
. In the first leg of the final, Vinh scored the second to give Vietnam a victory against Thailand
in Bangkok
.
In the second leg, Vinh set off a wild celebration throughout Vietnam as he headed home the tying goal in the last minute time to give Vietnam the first ever ASEAN Football Championship title.
Additionally, Vinh has stated that he idolizes Luís Figo
and Cristiano Ronaldo
, two of the best wingers in modern football. His favorite approach is to attack the box from both flanks and attempt to strike or create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
s (2004, 2006, 2007), the highest award given by the Vietnam Football Federation
to the best footballer of the year. He and Duc are the only players who have won three.
In 2009, Vinh ranked number five on Goal.com
s Top Ten Most Promising Youngsters in Asian Football. In March 2009, he was given the Vietnamese Bronze Ball 2008, also holding the record for most goals scored in a single season by a Vietnamese player in the V-League
for several seasons. By May 2010, he was the top Vietnamese goal-scorer in the league's history, also ranking second in the all-time top scorers table.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese footballer who plays for Hanoi F.C. as a striker. He is also a member of the Vietnamese national team
Vietnam national football team
The Vietnam national football team is the national football team representing Vietnam and is managed by the Vietnam Football Federation.In the FIFA World Rankings, Vietnam's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in September 1998, at 84th...
.
Sông Lam Nghệ An
Born in Sai Gon Provinced , Vinh gained recognition and fame while playing for his hometown club P. Sông Lam Nghệ AnP. Sông Lam Nghe An
Sông Lam Nghệ An is a Vietnamese football club based in Vinh playing in V-League. The club is the 2011 V-League Champions.The team is currently playing at Vinh Stadium.-1973-1999:...
, from 2004 to 2008.
Hà Nội T&T
In 2008, after a well-documented transfer saga, Vinh turned down Thể Công at the last minute to accept a more lucrative offer from T&T Hà NộiT&T Hà Nội
Hà Nội T&T is a Vietnamese football club based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The club is in the top division in Vietnamese football, the V-League. Hà Nội T&T are the defending 2010 champions of V-League.- History :...
; it was the highest transfer fee in Vietnamese football at the time.
At the beginning of August 2009, T&T announced that Vinh would be joining Leixões Sport Club of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in a three-month loan deal, starting 1 September 2009. The deal was facilitated by Henrique Calisto
Henrique Calisto
Henrique Manuel da Silva Calisto is the ex-coach of Muangthong United in Thailand, having resigned in early March 2011 as coach of the Vietnam national football team.He has won 2 V-League titles with Đồng Tâm Long An....
, who was once Leixões' manager.
On 24 August 2009, Vinh officially signed with Leixões and was given the number 29 shirt. Two days later, in a friendly match against Padroense FC
Padroense F.C.
Padroense Futebol Clube is a Portuguese football club that competes in the Portuguese Second Division. They were founded in 1922-History:The first field of Padroense F. C...
, he scored his first goal for the club, as a substitute, in the 89th minute to secure a 2–0 win. He was included in the 18-man squad for the match against defending champions F.C. Porto on 12 September, but did not make the field in an eventual 1–4 loss. His first-team debut came on 4 October, in a league contest against União de Leiria, making him the first ever Vietnamese footballer to play in a professional European league; he played the entire ninety minutes in an eventual 3–2 home win, despite trailing for most of the game.
On 18 October 2009, Vinh scored his first official goal for Leixões, in a 2–1 Portuguese Cup
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
win against Casa Pia AC
Casa Pia A.C.
Casa Pia Atlético Clube is a sports association founded in 1920 and based in Lisbon, Portugal. The club is named after Casa Pia, a Portuguese children's charity, and many of its athletes come from that institution...
. In January of the following year, he returned to T&T Hà Nội.
Hanoi ACB
Le Cong Vinh made the move from T&T to ACB in September 2011. Vinh was set to sign a three year extension with T&T but decided to move to ACB after the controversial 2011 V-League season and the set up at ACB.International career
In the first group match of the 2007 Asian Cup2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
, Vinh scored the second goal for Vietnam
Vietnam national football team
The Vietnam national football team is the national football team representing Vietnam and is managed by the Vietnam Football Federation.In the FIFA World Rankings, Vietnam's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in September 1998, at 84th...
to secure a 2–0 victory against United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
; the nation eventually reached the quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champions Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
.
After a quiet and much criticized performance in the group stage in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup, Vinh came through in the elimination stage. He set up the only goal in a 1–0 upset of defending champions Singapore
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
. In the first leg of the final, Vinh scored the second to give Vietnam a victory against Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
In the second leg, Vinh set off a wild celebration throughout Vietnam as he headed home the tying goal in the last minute time to give Vietnam the first ever ASEAN Football Championship title.
International goals
- Scores and results list Vietnam's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. August 20, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Thong Nhat StadiumThong Nhat StadiumThong Nhat Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is located at 138 Đào Duy Từ Street, Ward 6, District 10. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium for NaviBank Sài Gòn of the V-League, Sài Gòn Xuân Thành and Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh of the...
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
1–0 5–0 2004 LG Cup 2. August 20, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 5–0 5–0 2004 LG Cup 3. August 24, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 1–0 2–1 2004 LG Cup 4. December 9, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 3–1 9–1 2004 Tiger Cup 2004 Tiger CupThe 2004 Tiger Cup was jointly hosted by Vietnam and Malaysia from 7 December to 16 January 2005 and participated by the national football teams of Southeast Asia....5. December 9, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 8–1 9–1 2004 Tiger Cup 6. December 9, 2004 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 9–1 9–1 2004 Tiger Cup 7. December 15, 2004 Hanoi HanoiHanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, My Dinh National StadiumMy Dinh National StadiumMy Dinh National Stadium is a stadium in My Dinh commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam, has a capacity of 40,192 seats and is the centerpiece of Vietnam's National Sports Complex...
, Vietnam1–0 3–0 2004 Tiger Cup 8. December 26, 2006 Bangkok BangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Suphachalasai StadiumSuphachalasai StadiumSuphachalasai Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium holds 26,000 people and was opened in 1935.-History:...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
2–1 2–1 2006 King's Cup 2006 King's CupThe 2006 King's Cup finals were held from December 24 to December 30, 2006 at the Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The King's Cup is an annual football tournament; the first tournament was played in 1968....9. December 28, 2006 Bangkok, Suphachalasai Stadium, Thailand 3–2 3–2 2006 King's Cup 10. January 17, 2007 Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar StadiumJalan Besar Stadium is a football stadium located along Jalan Besar, in the Kallang area of Singapore and is the current home stadium of Young Lions, a S.League football team. The stadium can also be used for any Singapore national football team matches as the National Stadium, Singapore is being...
, Jalan BesarJalan BesarJalan Besar is the name of a street in the northeastern part of the Central Area in Singapore, which is its central business district. It is also the name of the electoral Jalan Basar Group Representation Constituency, of which Jalan Basar is a prominent centrepiece...
, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
1–0 9–0 2007 ASEAN Football Championship 2007 ASEAN Football ChampionshipThe 2007 ASEAN Football Championship was the 6th ASEAN Football Championship, hosted by Singapore and Thailand....11. January 17, 2007 Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore 2–0 9–0 2007 ASEAN Football Championship 12. January 17, 2007 Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore 5–0 9–0 2007 ASEAN Football Championship 13. June 24, 2007 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 1–0 3–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...14. June 30, 2007 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 1–1 5–3 Friendly 15. June 30, 2007 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 2–1 5–3 Friendly 16. July 8, 2007 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 1–0 2–0 2007 AFC Asian Cup 2007 AFC Asian CupThe Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...17. October 1, 2008 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 1–1 2–3 2008 Ho Chi Minh City International Football Cup 18. October 1, 2008 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 2–3 2–3 2008 Ho Chi Minh City International Football Cup 2008 19. October 5, 2008 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 2–3 2–3 2008 Ho Chi Minh City International Football Cup 2008 20. December 24, 2008 Bangkok, Rajamangala Stadium Rajamangala StadiumRajamangala National Stadium , also known as Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, is the national stadium of Thailand and the home stadium for the Thailand national football team. Located in Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang kapi, Bangkok, it officially opened in 1998....
, Thailand2–0 2–1 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup 21. December 28, 2008 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 1–1 1–1 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup 22. January 14, 2009 Hanoi, My Dinh National Stadium, Vietnam 2–0 3–1 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualificationThe 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification saw various countries take part to determine 10 spots to the final tournament in Qatar under the new qualification system set by the Asian Football Confederation ....23. January 17, 2010 Hanoi, Vietnam 4-2 2–2 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 24. June 29, 2011 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 1–0 6–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...25. June 29, 2011 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 2–0 6–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 26. June 29, 2011 Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam 3–0 6–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 27. July 3, 2011 Macau MacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Estádio Campo DesportivoEstádio Campo DesportivoEstádio Campo Desportivo is a multi-purpose stadium on Taipa, in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, in the People's Republic of China. It was renamed 'Macau Olympic Complex' when the reconstruction of the stadium had been completed....
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
3–0 7–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 28. July 3, 2011 Macau, Estádio Campo Desportivo, China 4–0 7–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 29. July 3, 2011 Macau, Estádio Campo Desportivo, China 5–1 7–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 30. July 3, 2011 Macau, Estádio Campo Desportivo, China 6–1 7–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
Playing style
Vinh is widely considered one of the best players in South-East Asia. He is known for his exceptionally quick first step, having played in the traditional forward as well as the second striker role.Additionally, Vinh has stated that he idolizes Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
, two of the best wingers in modern football. His favorite approach is to attack the box from both flanks and attempt to strike or create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Honors
Vinh is widely regarded as one of the best strikers Vietnamese football has produced since Lê Huỳnh Đức, the first footballer from the country to have played professionally overseas. Only at age 23, Vinh won three Vietnamese Golden BallVietnamese Golden Ball
Vietnamese Golden Ball also referred to as Vietnamese Footballer of the Year, is an annual association football award for the best performances of Vietnamese footballer over the previous year. Presented since 1995 by Sài Gòn Giải Phóng Newspaper. The first winner was striker Le Huynh Duc...
s (2004, 2006, 2007), the highest award given by the Vietnam Football Federation
Vietnam Football Federation
The Vietnam Football Federation is the governing body of football in Vietnam. It is responsible for the Vietnam men's, women's, olympic, and other youth teams as well as national competitions....
to the best footballer of the year. He and Duc are the only players who have won three.
In 2009, Vinh ranked number five on Goal.com
Goal.com
Goal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...
s Top Ten Most Promising Youngsters in Asian Football. In March 2009, he was given the Vietnamese Bronze Ball 2008, also holding the record for most goals scored in a single season by a Vietnamese player in the V-League
V-League
The number of foreign players is restricted to five per team. A team could use three foreigners on the field each game.As 2009 statistics, about half of V-League foreign players are Brazilian and the rest come from Argentina, Nigeria, Ghana, Czech Republic, Thailand and others.-Attendance:V-League...
for several seasons. By May 2010, he was the top Vietnamese goal-scorer in the league's history, also ranking second in the all-time top scorers table.