Desire to play for Vietnam Tel

This is one of France’s royal football teams, a name steeped in history and a traditional room packed with titles. The club nicknamed Les Lionceaux has spent 66 seasons playing in the top division of France, second only to Marseille (72 times), Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne (69 times).

Founded by Jean-Pierre Peugeot in 1928, Sochaux was created so that Peugeot workers could play ball in their spare time. He was one of the first to advocate the professionalization of French football. In 1929, he even went as far as to admit to paying his players, something that was strictly forbidden as there was no professional club at the time.

Thanks to the ease of recruiting French players, as well as prominent names playing abroad, Sochaux became a dominant force in the sport. In 1930, the first professional league rules were enacted. With Peugeot being a strong supporter of this idea, Sochaux is one of the founding fathers of French football as we know it today.

The 1930s was a golden era for Sochaux, which saw the team win Ligue 1 twice in 1935 and 1938. Success in this tournament alternated with winning the Coupe de France for the first time in 1937.

However, these beautiful years did not last long. All activities in France stopped in 1939, because of the call for resistance against Nazi Germany. Many of the team, including Uruguayan coach Conrad Ross, left the club to continue their careers in places not ravaged by war.

When professional football returned in 1945, Sochaux could not reach the pre-war influence. The sad results on the pitch are a far cry from the results fans are accustomed to.

Sochaux’s poor form has led club owners to become more cautious in their spending. They choose to balance the books rather than participate in auctions for the best players in the league. The Stade Auguste Bonal team were relegated that season and, despite returning to Ligue 1 the very next season, they began a cycle of ups and downs familiar to Les Lionceaux followers.

It has been 84 years since Sochaux last won Ligue 1. Even after winning the first Coupe de La Ligue in 2004 and the second Coupe de France in the club’s history in 2007, it was a long time before Sochaux returned to the glory of the past.

However, at the moment, what makes Sochaux famous is their academy, which continuously develops potential local boys, while scouring the world for players. the best. Sochaux is rated as one of the top 10 French academies (ranked 4th in 2010).

The most successful team in the academy is the U19 team, as they won the Coupe Gambardella twice in 1973 and 2007. Sochaux is one of the most successful teams in the history of the tournament, with five finalists and five winners. won 3 titles. There are many remarkable preschools that were cared for here before going to the big sea, such as El-Hadji Diouf, Jeremy Menez, Marcus Thuram or Ibrahima Konate.

If you look up the names of the 15 most valuable players who have grown up at transfermarkt’s Sochaux academy, you’ll see the familiar red flag with a yellow star. With a valuation of 600,000 euros, Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant became the most expensive Vietnamese-born player, twice as much as Quang Hai’s transfer value (300,000 euros), as well as one and a half times more expensive than the most elite player. used to play in the V.League, Lee Nguyen (400,000 euros).

Two years ago, Pendant had more or less caused a stir in Vietnamese public opinion, not only because he was one of the overseas Vietnamese players with the most “brightest” record, but also because of the two words “Quang-Vinh” (only appeared in Vietnam). appear on a very small number of football data sites) in the player’s name, as a way for his family to remember his hometown.

Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant soon showed his talent for playing football from a young age and then joined Sochaux’s training academy. In 2016, Jason Pendant was promoted to play for the first team of this team. With the ability to attack the defense rhythmically and with good speed, he is the number one choice of coach Omar Daf for the position of left-back.

In the 18/19 season, Pendant played 31 matches in Ligue 2 and was one of the key players in Sochaux’s relegation battle. However, in the following season, the 1997 defender gradually lost his main kick to Christopher Rocchia.

Because he wanted to play more often, the Vietnamese-born defender refused to renew with Sochaux. After 5 seasons with the team, Pendent played 75 times for the French team, scoring 1 goal. Even in the opening round of the 18/19 season, in the match against Caen at home, the defender whose mother is Vietnamese was also trusted by Sochaux to hand him the captain’s armband, after Maxence Prevot was injured.

In March 2020, Pendent decided to choose the New York Red Bulls of the US, the former team of the legendary Thierry Henry as the next stop. Here, he received a salary of 333,500 USD/year, ranked 8th in his team.

Pendent’s first time in the US did not go very smoothly. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament was constantly interrupted. This makes it difficult for him to adjust to life here.

After playing 17 of his first 18 games for the New York Red Bulls, Pendent suffered a shoulder injury, which kept him out for a while. By this season, the 24-year-old was transferred to the reserve team and had to play in the USL Championship (the Second Division of American football). He also only made 9 appearances this year.

However, Pendant feels extremely lucky to play football in the country of chess. Compared to Ligue 2, MLS is a better league, both in terms of quality and image.

“People feel that MLS is far from European football. But for me, this is a great opportunity to be part of the great Red Bull family. They own many teams, from New York, Salzburg to Leipzig. This is one of the most effective and innovative football operation methods available today. I feel very happy that New York Red Bull and MLS have become a part of my career,” Pendant told Zing.

“MLS is a competitive league, the players here are also very diverse and quality. Right now, I just try to go through the game and show everyone my progress.”

Jason Quang-Vinh Pendent has a Vietnamese mother and a French father. “I went to Vietnam for a vacation when I was 6 years old. Since then, I always try to return there. But you know, with the job of a football player, this is really not easy. “, the former French U18 player shared about the attachment between himself and his motherland.

“For me, the two words Vietnam carry a great meaning. Vietnam is a part of my heart. That’s where my mother was born and raised. In my childhood, I was also brought up with features. typical Vietnamese culture. From food, stories, songs to even movies…”

Sharing with Goal, Jason Pendant revealed that he still regularly learns more about football in the S-shaped country, and left open the possibility of playing for Vietnam in the near future.

“Where I live, it’s not easy to follow Vietnam’s matches. But I always try to update the news about Vietnamese football. I think the players there are quick, technical and conscious. good discipline”.

Remember in the AFF Cup 2020, defender Jason Pendant went to Singapore to watch and cheer for Vietnam Tel. “The spirit of competition never gives up, the fans are passionate, it’s proud to be here. Go Vietnamese boys, let’s fight hard,” he shared on his personal page. .

In the past, VFF has mentioned many times about taking advantage of Vietnamese-born talents abroad. In 2019, a list of typical expatriate players was released by them. With his charisma, Jason Pendant is one of those names.

The defender, born in Sarcelles, France, is always sad to return to his motherland to serve the Vietnamese team. However, so far, he has not received any offers.

“My opinion remains the same. I hope to have the opportunity to try my hand at the Vietnam team. For me, the two words Vietnam carry a very sacred meaning. However, I have not been contacted by VFF yet. At this point, I can only improve my form and performance at the host team. I believe there is still a way for me and VFF to find common ground and take advantage of this opportunity,” Pendant shared with Zing.

Jason Pendant also acknowledged the legal difficulties he must face, if he wants to return to contribute to the Golden Stars. Because until now, Pendant has not received Vietnamese citizenship.

“I understand these issues, especially since I don’t have Vietnamese citizenship,” he said. But before I think about these issues, I must continue to focus on the profession.”

“However, as I have shared, Vietnam is a part of me. Someday, if the Vietnamese team asks, I will definitely have to consider it carefully. It is really a great pride.” , he confirmed to Goal.