Chanathip "calls" and waits for Quang Hai to "answer"

Both Chanathip and Quang Hai are small, play in the same position, have a technical and eccentric style of play, and are worthy of being young stars of regional football, approaching continental level. Although only one Vietnamese social media forum compared Chanathip, claiming that Chanathip is “Quang Hai of Thailand”, the Thai press was in an uproar.

Who is better than who?

If Quang Hai received the Golden Ball 2018, the best player of the AFF Cup 2018, then 25-year-old midfielder Chanathip was named in the typical squad of the 2018 season of the J-League and received the title of Best Player of Thailand 2018. It is difficult to just look at individual titles to say who is better, Chanathip or Quang Hai?

Chanathip was busy playing in the J-League (Japan) with Sapporo Club, so he was almost absent from the call-ups of the Thai national teams in 2018. Meanwhile, Quang Hai was an important player who helped the Vietnamese national team win the AFF Cup for the second time. Not present at the AFF Cup, the 2019 Asian Cup is the time when people will see the role of these two young players for the national team.

It is difficult to just look at individual titles to say who is better, Chanathip or Quang Hai? Photo: Internet

"Regarded as the most potential player in Southeast Asian football today, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai did not disappoint in his debut at the 2019 Asian Cup. He contributed greatly to 2 goals for the Vietnamese team and almost scored a goal for himself with his signature long-range shot," FOX Sports commented.

Although the Vietnamese team lost 2-3 to Iraq in the opening match, Quang Hai was still named by prestigious sports experts of FOX Sports channel in the list of 10 most impressive players in the first match of Asian Cup 2019. The score of Quang Hai - Chanathip is 1-0, temporarily leaning towards the player of Hanoi team.

Chanathip scores

Truth or fiction, after coach Rajevac was fired, his assistant Sirisak Yodyathai and the Thai players played like they were possessed. Thailand got the first 3 points in this year's Asian Cup, topping the list of third-placed teams in the group thanks to a narrow victory over Bahrain.

We are waiting to see how Quang Hai will “respond” in the match with the number 1 candidate for the 2019 Asian Cup championship. Photo: Internet

It cannot be said that the "War Elephants" played a convincing match, but at least Chanathip's goal also brightened the chance of the Thais advancing in Group A. This was a match in which this midfielder moved a lot, shot a lot and was truly the most outstanding player in the attack. The score between the two young players was temporarily balanced at 1-1.

In the second match, Quang Hai and his teammates will face championship candidate Iran at 6pm on January 12. As long as they get points, or even limit the number of goals conceded, the Vietnamese team will have the right to decide their ticket to the next round in the final match against the weakest opponent in the group, Yemen.

With the goal, Chanathip "called" and we are waiting to see how Quang Hai "answers" in the match with the number 1 candidate for the 2019 Asian Cup championship.