Vietnam's U17 midfielder creates buzz after 2-1 win over Australia, receives a flood of praise

Forward Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc stood out in Vietnam U17's 2-1 win against Australia U17 during the 2026 Southeast Asia U17 semifinal, netting the winning 2-1 goal for his side at the 60-minute mark.

Nguyen Luc's scoring opportunity came from a well-organized set-piece situation. From Minh Thuy's lofted cross, a player Vietnam U17 intelligently let the ball pass, creating space for Nguyen Luc to rush in and finish from close range, securing the decisive goal.

Not only making an impact with his goal, the striker born in 2009 also delivered an impressive performance throughout the match. He constantly moved, fiercely contested, and handled the ball quickly and effectively. This aggressive style of play also caused Marcus Savic to lose composure, leading to a dangerous tackle and a direct red card at the end of the game.

Watching the match on television, Dinh The Nam – former head coach of Vietnam U23, who helped the team win the 2023 Southeast Asia U23 championship, offered notable evaluations about his former student.

According to Coach Dinh The Nam, Nguyen Luc showed potential quite early. Two years ago, at just 15 years old, Nguyen Luc was given the chance to start for Hanoi U17 and contributed to the team winning the 2024 National U17 Championship. By 2025, this player continued to play a key role in the successful title defense journey for the club.

Regarding his skills, Coach Dinh The Nam believes Nguyen Luc possesses a good physical foundation, a confident playing style, and is not afraid of physical challenges. However, this young player sometimes gets "too heated," needing to temper himself and refine his decision-making. “If he maintains a receptive attitude and continues to strive, Nguyen Luc can certainly develop into a highly promising player in the future”, he emphasized.