HLV Chu Đình Nghiêm, head coach of Hải Phòng FC, recently shared that he had to put Xuân Trường onto the field earlier than planned during the team's game against Nam Định in the first round of the 2023 National Cup on April 2nd. Unfortunately, Xuân Trường missed his shot in the penalty shootout, leading to Hải Phòng's defeat.
Nghiêm explained that this decision was made due to Lê Mạnh Dũng's severe injury, and he initially only planned to let Xuân Trường play for 30 minutes. However, despite his efforts, Xuân Trường was not able to perform at his best in the game.
During the match, Hải Phòng FC was leading against Nam Định but failed to hold onto the lead, leading to a 1-1 draw and a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, Xuân Trường was one of the two players who missed their shots, leading to Hải Phòng's defeat with a final score of 3-4.
Despite the loss, Nghiêm praised Nam Định FC's performance, stating that they may be in the top of the V.League, but winning the championship is not guaranteed since many other teams in the league are also very competitive.
Nghiêm also regretted the missed opportunities by his team, particularly praising goalkeeper Nguyên Mạnh's excellent performance in the game.
On the other side, Nam Định's head coach Vũ Hồng Việt also praised Nguyên Mạnh's performance and the fighting spirit of his team. Việt sympathized with Xuân Trường, who only returned to practice a few sessions before the game and believed that his team's victory was due to luck.
Việt also expressed confidence in Xuân Trường's ability and stated that he would have more time to improve in the future. Despite the loss, both coaches expressed their admiration for the players' efforts and looked forward to their next games.
