Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and defender Doan Van Hau have been named among the best U-21 players of the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 by Fox Sports Asia.

Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai (right) and defender Doan Van Hau (second from right) have been named among the best U-21 players of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 by Fox Sports Asia

The website said the 21-year-old midfielder was always expected to shine for his nation, but what stands out the most about Quang Hai is his ability to play wherever he is asked to.

“Often playing deeper than he would like, Quang Hai has proved his maturity in the national team shirt and showed at the Asian Cup that there are so many different facets to his game. Definitely one to watch out for in the future,” it added.

Meanwhile, Hau was said to be key to Vietnam’s defence and proved that even at the age of 19, he can hold his own with some of Asia’s best. 

“His form in five Asian Cup matches proved vital for the Golden Dragons, even though they were unable to get past Japan to make the semis,” Fox Sports Asia noted.

Vietnam faced Iran, Iraq and Yemen in Group D of the tournament. In the first game against Iraq, the Golden Stars twice took the lead before losing to Ali Adnan’s last-gasp free kick, which was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Iran.

They then defeated Yemen 2-0 in the final group match and reach the last 16 as the fourth and final third place team, overcoming Lebanon thanks to fair play rules.

In the knockout stage, they found themselves up against surprise package Jordan, who were the first team to book their knockout round berth after upsetting Australia and Syria.

Vietnam took the game to their favoured opponents, prevailing 4-2 in the penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

Vietnam lost 1-0 to Japan in the quarter-final, however, their admirable performance was praised by fans and commentators.

The underdogs showed a brave, determined spirit against the giants Japan throughout the match and conceded only one goal from a 57th-minute penalty kick, determined with help from the video assistance referee (VAR).

Vietnam’s national team will gather in September for the qualifying round of the World Cup Asian region for the World Cup 2022.

Quang Hai must move abroad: Fox Sports Asia

Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai 

Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai was selected by Fox Sports Asia as one of five players from the ongoing Asian Cup who need to move out of their domestic leagues to reach their potential.

Quang Hai was ranked second on the list, and he was evaluated as an important factor for the success of the Vietnamese team.

“Vietnam’s star man Nguyen Quang Hai was integral in spurring his team’s impressive run to the quarterfinals of the tournament and even popped up with a Messi-esque freekick in their final group stage match against Yemen”, the website wrote.

“While he plays for Ha Noi FC in Vietnam currently, his fleet-footed dribbling abilities and eye for goal would definitely have attracted attention of other teams in Asia, perhaps even in the J-League.”

The other players on the list are Almoez Ali from Qatar, Supachai Jaided from Thailand, Bassan Al-Rawi from Qatar and Sandesh Jhingan from India.

VNA