Manh Thang “Carlos” Nguyen

Date of Birth: 13/12/1988
Game(s) Played: FIFA Series
Year when gamer started competitive/pro gaming: 2006
Country/State: Hanoi, Vietnam
Favorite Gaming Hardware (e.g. mouse,keyboard - please mention brand): Logitech Rumplepad Cordless (gamepad)
Major Tournaments Won/Ranked In (Please list name of competition, country
and ranking): None

Hello, can you introduce yourself to the readers who might not have heard of you?

Manh Thang: Hi all, my name is Manh Thang Phan, I’m the admin of FIFAVN.com and leader of team FIFA UDF.

How did come to playing FIFA and why did you choose to set up the FIFAVN portal?

Manh Thang: I have always been a big fan of soccer, but I actually started on the FIFA series unintentionally. In 2005, after months of saving, I upgraded my personal computer for gaming purposes. I was looking for a game to test my new rig on, and one of my friends, UDF|C3, handed me the FIFA2005 CD for my dry run. I took a liking to it immediately. Soon after, we began playing regularly via direct IP.

In late 2005, Nam Anh “b1uegh0st” Ta came back from the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Finals in Singapore. His qualification to the top 32 stage in the tournament made him very famous at the time, granting him several features in the Vietnamese newspaper. I decided to join the Vietnamese FIFA community then (at that point, it comprised one mini forum on GameVN). Back then, I felt that a mere mini-forum was by no means sufficient for the Vietnam FIFA scene. I envisioned a common home for all the FIFA gamers in Vietnam, one where a unified, cohesive, online community could commune and develop. I created FifAVN.com a week later.

What were some of the difficulties you faced when FIFAVN was first set up?

Manh Thang: The first difficulty was setting up the forum system. As I was just a technician, didn’t know much about the FIFA community. I eventually had b1uegh0st help me to build the content system of FIFAVN.

What was your initial strategy for promoting the site?

Manh Thang: Initially, I felt that there was a need to attract FIFA players in Vietnam to FIFAVN. To do this, I regularly posted gameplay guides to attract interested players, newbie and hardcore alike.

What is your favorite version of FIFA?

Manh Thang: I will have to say FIFA09; it is the perfect version to me. It had perfect gameplay, graphics and physics. But maybe I will change my mind if FIFA11 turns out even better haha.

What does it take to be a good FIFA player?

Manh Thang: Firstly, a good FIFA player needs good composure and high levels of self-confidence. Secondly, as FIFA is based on the real sport itself, natural ability and experience with soccer helps a lot. As the FIFA series becomes increasingly representative of real life soccer, this edge will become more and more pronounced. Finally, a good player has to train harder and harder each day. I remember training with UDF team 5 days/week before participated in the Netchua Game Cup 06.

How do you think FIFA gamers in Vietnam and Asia compare to those in other parts of the world?

Manh Thang: In my opinion, Vietnamese gamers aren’t that much worse than European gamers. Take the World Cyber Games 2006 Grand Finals in Monza, Italy for example. Hoang Hiep “Zozz0” Nguyen beat Patrascu “Ovyy” Ovidiu 2-1 in the group stages. Ovvy would eventually go on to clinch 2nd place in the tournament, losing only to the legendary German player Her0 in the finals. In the ClanBase league as well, team FIFA VN only lost to NoA, a very strong team from Romania.

In Asia, I think FIFA in Vietnam is only behind that in Korea and China.

Who do you think are the 3 best FIFA players in Vietnam?

The first one is Trung Hieu “L2vn” To. I saw him play in the WCG Vietnam 2007 in Giang Vo, Hanoi. He has a very different play style from the rest – it’s virtually freestyle! Hieu can attack his opponent side with no predictable patterns, making it extremely difficult to pre-empt his moves.

The second one is Hoang Hiep “Zozz0” Nguyen The. He trains really hard for every tournament he participates in. When Hoang Hiep played in World Cyber Games 2007 in Monza, Italy, the players from FIFA VN cheered for him till 2 in the morning. He ended up clinching a top 32 position.

The final one is Nam Anh “b1uegh0st” Ta. He’s a little different from other gamers, but he has helped a lot in pushing the FIFA Vietnam community forward. He is also the admin of Vietnamese FIFA community site.

Tell us about your experience with the 3rd Asian Indoor Games

Manh Thang: The 3rd Asian Indoor Games was an unforgettable experience for me. I was the referee, and my job was to arrange and marshal the matches. My role wasn’t actually very different from that I played in other tournaments, but in the 3rd AIG, I received the Veston – a special uniform for the referees of the event.

Did any gamer impress you at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games?

Manh Thang: Absolutely. Khoei Seyeddavood from Iran was that player. He was so friendly and professional. I have kept in contact with him after the 3rd AIG, often talking to him via email and chat.

Carlos with Khoei Seyeddavood from Iran

 

What is the greatest obstacle to FIFA players in Vietnam?

Manh Thang: In Vietnam, we have few tournaments for FIFA and the internet connection is poor. In Europe, gamers have very good internet connections which enable them to train regularly without lag or disconnects.

What are you working as now? I recall that you were working for an eSports company in Vietnam at some point…

Manh Thang: At the moment, I am working for an online advertising company.

Do you aspire to work long-term in the eSports scene?

Manh Thang: I’ve grown up on gaming and have made so many friends through eSports and FIFAVN. If a good opportunity presents itself I will definitely come back.

What are your plans for the future?

Manh Thang: Keep working and studying. If I have a chance, I will help to push FIFAVN to the next level!