Called up to the national team, what are the chances for Que Ngoc Hai?

To prepare for the away match against Jordan, Coach Park Hang Seo has called up 23 players. One of the faces that has attracted much attention from experts and fans is central defender Que Ngoc Hai (SLNA).

In the most recent gathering of the Vietnam National Team (November 2017), the player born in 1993 was not included in the list by the Korean strategist. Although at that time, Que Ngoc Hai was in quite good form for SLNA.

Playing excellently for SLNA, Que Ngoc Hai was called up to the Vietnam National Team by coach Park Hang Seo. Photo: Internet

Coach Park Hang Seo’s decision surprised the public. Because, in terms of Vietnamese football in general, Que Ngoc Hai is considered one of the best central defenders in the past 2 years.

Coach Park Hang Seo’s ignoring of Que Ngoc Hai is not purely a matter of technical expertise, but rather his attitude towards playing. Mr. Park was not pleased to see the SLNA midfielder frequently involved in arguments on the field.

Responding to the press regarding player Que Ngoc Hai, a VFF official revealed: "If in the coming time Que Ngoc Hai plays well and changes, he will definitely have a chance to be called up to the national team."

And now that has come true for the 25-year-old central defender. His excellent performances in the SLNA shirt over the past time have helped Que Ngoc Hai win the trust of coach Park Hang Seo. This is a worthy reward for the tireless efforts of the central defender born in 1993.

However, being called up is one thing, being used or not is another. There is no guarantee that Que Ngoc Hai will be named by coach Park Hang Seo in the starting lineup of the Vietnam national team in the match against Jordan.

According to the list just announced, of the 23 players gathered this time, there are 5 players playing in the center-back position. In addition to Que Ngoc Hai, there are also Bui Tien Dung (Viettel), Lam Anh Quang (SHB Da Nang), Do Duy Manh and Tran Dinh Trong (Hanoi FC).

Compared to the teammates mentioned above, Que Ngoc Hai has the advantage of experience in the field and seniority in the national team. In addition, the 25-year-old central defender is at the peak of his form, as Que Ngoc Hai has played for SLNA in 5/6 matches this season (Tran Dinh Trong, Do Duy Manh and Lam Anh Quang have only played 2 matches, while Bui Tien Dung has not played any matches).

Obviously, Que Ngoc Hai has a great chance to be used by coach Park Hang Seo from the start in the upcoming match of the Vietnam National Team.

Center back Bui Tien Dung has not played any official matches this season. Photo: Internet

Most likely, Mr. Park will continue to use the familiar 5-4-1 formation. Certainly, the 3 central defenders that the Korean strategist likes the most are Do Duy Manh, Tran Dinh Trong and Bui Tien Dung. The excellence and harmony of this trio contributed to helping the U23 Vietnam team create a miracle at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship.

What makes the strategist born in 1959 hesitate is the position of central defender Bui Tien Dung. Since the final match between the U23 Vietnam team and the U23 Uzbekistan team at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the player born in 1995 has not had another official match.

Bui Tien Dung's home team, Viettel, will not start playing until mid-April. Therefore, it will be difficult for the central defender from Ha Tinh to achieve his best form.

Coach Park Hang Seo will most likely use Que Ngoc Hai instead of Bui Tien Dung if the SLNA defender performs well in training sessions. The opportunity to play in the starting lineup of the Vietnam national team in the match against Jordan is wide open for defender Que Ngoc Hai./.

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