VietNamNet Bridge – Everton, which is playing at the British Premier League, has sent its expert to observe Le Cong Vinh, who is now a member of the Hanoi Club, at the game between Hanoi FC and K. Khanh Hoa.

Cong Vinh joined Hanoi FC in late 2011. The most expensive player of Hanoi FC does not have good performance at present.

In the opening game of Super League 2012 between his new and old team, Hanoi FC and Hanoi ACB, Cong Vinh played not very well and he could not save his FC from failure. The striker even got injured and had to relax for two weeks.

Returning to the third round of Super League in the game against Khanh Hoa, Cong Vinh unexpectedly met a special guest, Steve Darby, the former British coach of the Vietnamese female football team. This time Darby comes to Vietnam as a talent-hunter for Everton in Southeast Asia. The coach kept a close eye on the entire game of Cong Vinh.

Darby said that Cong Vinh is the leading striker of Southeast Asia and he was at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium with the hope that he could recommend Cong Vinh for Everton. Yet, the striker played not very well. He missed several chances to score goal.

Cong Vinh said he did not know that Everton has eyes on him but he was excited that Darby is Everton’s headhunter and Darby wanted to check his talent. Vinh said if he has a chance, with the approval of Hanoi FC, he is willing to challenge himself in the new environment.

Vinh is considered the top striker of the Vietnamese national squad at present. In 2008, in the second-leg final match against Thailand in Hanoi, he scored a goal at the last minute to get a draw for Vietnam. Thanks to this goal, Vietnam won the first Southeast Asian championship for the first time. After that, Vinh moved from Song Lam Nghe An to Hanoi T&T.

At the new FC, Vinh did not have good time. The striker played only four matches at V-League 2010 and was suspended for prostrating himself to referee Vu Bao Linh in the game against Dong Thap. After the penalty finished, he could not play football because of a knee injury. Hanoi T&T paid $35,000 for Vinh’s operation in Portugual.

During his time with Hanoi T&T, Cong Vinh was tested for three months at the Portuguese FC Leixoes.

PV