Le Cong Vinh after second Golden Ball

Striker Le Cong Vinh is a likely pick to win the highly sought after Golden Ball title for best Vietnamese footballer of the year.

The 22-year-old Song Lam Nghe An player made his mark in the V-League and national team scoring nine goals in 2006 to be voted the V-League”s top athlete.

Vinh is well-known for his sensational debut on the national team at the 2004 Southeast Asian Football Championship, also called the Tiger Cup. This was the same year he won both the Golden Ball and Best Junior Footballer titles.

The vote is being organised by the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper.

Over 100 sports journalists, coaches, and experts have cast their ballots to pick their favourite male and female footballers out 16 candidates, with a split of 10 men to six women.

Tough opponents

But Vinh”s competition for the Golden Ball is fierce.

Dong Thap”s striker Phan Thanh Binh, Becamex Binh Duong”s Nguyen Vu Phong and teammates Nguyen Huy Hoang and Nguyen Minh Duc could steal the title from under Vinh”s nose with their impressive 2006 performances.

The poll”s dark horse pick could be left winger Le Tan Tai from Khatoco Khanh Hoa. Tai”s contributions went a long way to getting his team to the V-League last year.

In addition, Tai showed a lot of promise during the 2006 season under the tutelage of Austrian coach Alfred Riedl at tournaments like the Agribank Cup in Ha Noi, the Bach Viet Cup in HCM City and the King”s Cup in Thailand. The defender was rewarded for his efforts with the 2005 Bronze Ball and junior player titles.

And women”s lineup is just as heated.

National team captain Doan Thi Kim Chi, who won the Golden Ball in 2004 and 2005, faces off against the 2003 winner Van Thi Thanh, Bui Thi Tuyet Mai, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh and Dao Thi Mien.

Mien became a fan favourite when she helped the Ha Tay provincial team win the women”s championship last year while Mai scored six goals at a qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Footballers vying for the Foreign Player of the Year are brothers Carlos Rodrigues from Dong Tam Long An and Antonio Rodrigues who moved to the First Division Vinakansai Ninh Binh team, as well as Southern Steel Sai Gon Port”s goal hunter Elenildo De Jesus, Hoa Phat Ha Noi”s Williams Dos Santos and Luiz Carlos Da Silva. All are from Brazil.

According to organisers, the Golden Ball winner will receive a cash prize of VND15 million (US$937) in the men”s division and VND12 million ($750) in the women”s.

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in HCM City on March 28. 

VNS