Cong Phuong aims to play 25 matches in 2023
Every year, J-League players are often asked to share goals for the club to put on their resumes. At Yokohama FC this season, the players mainly want to do the best for the team, but there are exceptions with more detailed goals.
Vice-captain Tatsuya Hasegawa hopes to assist more than 10 times, while midfielder Yuri Lara is determined to win the most games, stay relegation and build a family. The side trying to want to devote themselves to the team like other teammates, Cong Phuong's personal goal is to play 25 matches, score five goals and six assists, both at club and team level. In fact, in the past three years, Cong Phuong has always played an average of 20 matches and contributed to 10 goals per season. But that was the period when he played for HAGL.
In Japan, each J-League 1 team can play a minimum of 41 matches and a maximum of 49 matches in three domestic leagues, nearly twice as many in Vietnam. This year, the Vietnamese team is expected to have about two friendly matches and two matches in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Thus, Cong Phuong is about 45 matches in the immediate future. But after more than two months of the first year, he has not been able to play.
According to Hamablue newspaper, 2023 is a difficult year for Yokohama FC after promotion. The ultimate goal of the team is relegation, so J-League 1 is the number one priority. New faces like Cong Phuong will have very few opportunities to compete in a team with up to 39 competitive players. The coaching staff will give more opportunities in the J-League Cup, friendlies and scrims.
Yesterday, March 8, Cong Phuong was only on the list of registered for an official match for the first time since joining Yokohama FC in the J-League Cup, but was not allowed to enter the field. Before that, the striker born in 1995 was not registered in the first three matches of the J-League 1 season. This period is still considered a time to adapt and improve the two things that Cong Phuong is most worried about, including the ability to communicate. Japanese language and fast paced practice. Not only the Vietnamese striker, three other foreign soldiers have not had the opportunity to play in the J-League 1.
Coach Shuhei Yomoda admits that he cannot give all the opportunities to 39 players in J-League 1. He thinks that the J-League Cup will be a place to attract players who rarely play, and those who perform well will be invited to participate. and increase the strength of the team.
For players with few names on the registration list like Phuong, coach Yomoda will create the same tension and stimulation as matches through practice. "We try to solve the problem by providing post-training video feedback to the players," said the 49-year-old coach. "We want them to see what works well and what doesn't, as an assessment and test of each position."
Currently, Yokohama FC is ranked last in J-League 1 with one point after three rounds, being one of six teams that have not won. By the fourth round on March 12, the team was away against FC Tokyo, who was ranked ninth with four points.
