Top scorer title at the 2020 AFC U23 Championship: What are Quang Hai's chances?

Being in the same group with "easy" opponents such as U23 UAE, U23 Jordan and U23 North Korea, the chance for U23 Vietnam to win a ticket to play in the knockout round is not small. Remember, Vietnamese football often achieves favorable results against representatives of the 3 football backgrounds mentioned above, especially against opponents from the West Asian region such as U23 UAE and U23 Jordan.

It can be said that, except for the mysterious case of U23 North Korea, the remaining two teams, U23 Jordan and U23 UAE, are not highly rated in terms of defensive ability. The back line of these two teams often has defenders with tall physique, but are weak in the ability to maneuver and read the game. This is a favorable opportunity for Quang Hai and his teammates to bring goals to U23 Vietnam.

Quang Hai is the hero of U23 Vietnam at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship. Photo: soha.vn

At the tournament held in Changzhou (China) in early 2018, Quang Hai was the second player in the list of top scorers. With 5 goals, the striker born in 1997 was only 1 goal behind striker Almoez Ali, the leader. Quang Hai's "rainbow snow" goal was even chosen as the symbol of the AFC U23 Championship.

Entering this year's tournament, the player currently on the payroll of Hanoi FC is expected to continue to shine brightly like in the tournament 2 years ago. Objectively speaking, that is completely reasonable. Although he is no longer a "mysterious factor", in return, Quang Hai has matured a lot after a period of continuous competition for Hanoi FC, Olympic Vietnam, U22 Vietnam and the Vietnam National Team. Experience is also a "dangerous weapon" of the midfielder wearing the number 19 shirt.

Last season, Quang Hai contributed 8 goals and 9 assists to the V.League 2019 championship of the Hang Day team. Thanks to his performances in the Hanoi Club shirt, Hai "con" surpassed other strong candidates such as Nguyen Van Quyet, Nguyen Van Toan... to win the title of Best Player of V.League 2019. It is not an exaggeration to say that Quang Hai is going through the most beautiful days in his "shorts and shirt" career.

Quang Hai received the title of Best Player of V.League 2019. Photo: thanhnien.vn

At present, Quang Hai has completely recovered from his injury. The break of more than a month has helped the 23-year-old midfielder have the best physical foundation. It is known that since the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, Quang Hai has rarely had such a long period of time without playing. Therefore, it will not be surprising if Hai "son" plays explosively at the tournament held in Thailand, with his trademark goals.

The title of top scorer at the 2020 AFC U23 Championship is not too far-fetched a goal for the Hanoi player. As long as he plays to his full potential, Quang Hai will be the "nemesis" of every defense./.