Perhaps by now, there is no fan who does not know Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, the female player who has thrilled the entire Vietnamese football community with 2 beautiful goals in the final match of SEA Games 32 and in the recent friendly match with the world's number 2 women's team - Germany.
Thanh Nha (19) and the Vietnamese team played a friendly match with the German team. Photo: DPA
Passion since childhood
Visiting a small house in Thuong Tin district (Hanoi), we heard Mrs. Vu Thi Chi talk about her second daughter with a lot of emotions. At only 6 months old, Thanh Nha was learning to walk and her love for football gradually grew. At only 7 years old, Thanh Nha stayed up to watch international matches on TV. When she grew up a bit, Thanh Nha went to watch every amateur football match of her uncles and brothers in the village.
When she was in 7th grade, every afternoon after school, Thanh Nha followed her friends to the neighboring commune to play soccer, where there was a teacher who taught her for free for girls who loved soccer. After that, she was introduced to the Soccer Training Center in Ha Dong (Hanoi), gradually nurturing her dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
"When we first brought our daughter to the center in Ha Dong to practice, my husband and I had many sleepless nights because we missed her and were worried that she would have to be independent soon. When Nha was allowed to play on the field, every match that took place in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, my husband and I tried to go there to watch and cheer for her; and if our daughter went abroad to compete, the whole family watched on TV or the internet," Thanh Nha's mother recalled.
Thanh Nha has 4 siblings but only one plays sports, especially football. She still remembers the early days when only her father supported her dream of becoming a professional football player, while her mother and grandmother did not like it but did not stop her. The first time she auditioned for the Hanoi Club's gifted team, Thanh Nha failed but she did not give up, persevering until the second time she passed. "At the end of the 7th grade, I was called up to the youth team and stayed in Ha Dong. I had a choice and decided to pursue my passion for football instead of continuing my studies like many other friends of the same age. Will and passion are the reasons for everyone to try harder and be more resilient. When becoming a professional player, anyone must have a clear direction and determination" - Thanh Nha shared.
Thanh Nha (19) after the decisive goal in the final of SEA Games 32. Photo: Quang Liem
Many emotions
Thanh Nha first participated in the National Championship in 2017 with Hanoi 2 Club, but she often sat on the bench and rarely played in the starting lineup. After that, she was loaned to Thai Nguyen Club for a year and then called back to play for Hanoi Club in 2019. In early 2021, Thanh Nha was called up to the national team, participating in the second qualifying round of the World Cup in India, then the Asian finals and winning a ticket to the 2023 World Cup.
The female player who is considered by many fans as the "sideline tornado" of the Vietnamese women's team said that when she was on the team, she and her teammates practiced according to the coach's training plan, and did not practice separately much more than everyone else. She mainly focused on muscle training, while coach Mai Duc Chung had his own training plan for speed.
Recalling the goal that helped the Vietnamese women's football team successfully defend the 32nd SEA Games championship, Thanh Nha said it will always be the most emotional and memorable moment in her life. "Every victory has its own meaning, and there are always difficulties to win. In the final match against Myanmar, the team had difficulties in both strength and ability to adapt to the weather. We tried to play well. I was very happy and delighted with my decisive goal. The moment of joy when the whole team achieved the set results brought joy and hope to the fans" - Thanh Nha said.
In the recent friendly match with the German team, Thanh Nha also scored an equally beautiful goal against the world's number 2 team. It was just a goal to shorten the gap to 1-2 with a few dozen seconds left in the match, but for experts, it was a sign of the resilience and maturity of the Vietnamese women's team. "Even though we were losing the match, the whole team still played defensive counter-attacks. My teammates stole the ball and passed it up, I accelerated and faced the goalkeeper, afraid of kicking the ball into the sky, but luckily I still managed to put the ball into the German team's net. The feeling was hard to describe" - Thanh Nha recalled.
"National bride" has no boyfriend yet
On the field, Thanh Nha is considered a passionate player, but off the field, she is very gentle and feminine. Standing 1.62 m tall with a slim figure, a pretty face, long hair and a charming smile, Thanh Nha is nicknamed "national bride" by many netizens even though she still doesn't have a boyfriend.
When not practicing, Thanh Nha often goes to coffee shops with friends. She also loves watching movies, taking photos, and shopping. In addition, Thanh Nha also loves business but currently has to focus on her career so her dreams will belong to the future.
The Vietnam women's team will leave for New Zealand on July 5 to prepare for the 2023 World Cup group stage.
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