Name: Som Saran (known as Nguyễn Tấn Sinh in Vietnam)
Nickname: "Tes Sean"
Country:
CambodiaClub: Phnom Penh
Position: *AMF, CB, CMF, SMF, WF, (optional SB)
Side: RF/RS
Age: 20-24 years [or 25-29] (??/??/1951) [other sources report 1946 as birth year]
Height: ??? cm
Weight: ?? kg
Attack: 78
Defence: 68
Balance: 77
Stamina: 79
Top Speed: 76
Acceleration: 77
Response: 73
Agility: 78
Dribble Accuracy: 79
Dribble Speed: 77
Short Pass Accuracy: 80
Short Pass Speed: 73
Long Pass Accuracy: 80
Long Pass Speed: 74
Shot Accuracy: 72
Shot Power: 74
Shot Technique: 71
Free Kick Accuracy: 62
Curling: 68
Header: 65
Jump: 71
Technique: 80
Aggression: 75
Mentality: 76
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 78
Injury Tolerance: A
Condition: 5
Weak Foot Accuracy: 6
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
P06 - Pinpoint Pass
S02 - Passer
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Playmaking - Passing
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced
INFO:
Tes Sean is a former attacking midfielder or playmaker and centre-back who could also play on the right. His career started in 1968 at Phnom Penh. He represented the Cambodia national team from 1968 to 1975, being the captain at the 1972 Asian Cup. Due to the war in Cambodia in the 1970s, he was forced to flee to Vietnam in 1975, joining Tây Ninh FC where he played until his retirement in 1979. In Vietnam, he changed name to Nguyễn Tấn Sinh to avoid being caught by the Cambodian forces. To this day, he's still fondly remembered with that name in Vietnam. Ten Sean returned to be active in football in 2000 as coach in Cambodia but under the name Som Saran. It turned out that Som Saran is his real name while Ten Sean was an alias. It was very common for people, especially famous ones, to use a fake name in Cambodia during the war days.
Often listed as a defender in modern football databases, Tes Sean was in reality primarily an attacking midfielder or playmaker. In fact, he was the key player of the team due to his vision and playmaking abilities. His main job was to provide balls for Cambodia's main striker Pen Phath. Tes Sean was technically and tactically gifted, capable of orchestrating the attacks even against strong teams from South Korea and Vietnam. His task was always to set up the play, including when he played in the back-line. Nonetheless, he was listed as a midfielder in AFC's official documents related to the 1972 Asian Cup. Also known for his leadership skills, Tes Sean was named Cambodia's main captain in the early 1970s for his composure and ability to lead his teammates in the pitch.
When he transferred to Vietnam, he was often used as a right-winger with the jersey n°7 as Som Saran himself mentioned in a 2004 interview. But because of his tendency to be active in attack as much as in defence, he was often described [and possibly erroneously] as a side-back in Vietnam. In the aforementioned interview, Saran also told that playing on the right in Vietnam reminded him of his days as an attacking midfielder with the Cambodia national team.