Quang Hai's new step
On a day when Cong Phuong opened the score and Xuan Truong returned in full form, fans still did not forget Quang Hai, who also had an excellent performance in the match against Laos.
Cong Phuong, Quang Hai scored, Vietnam defeated Laos on the opening day
(Baonghean.vn) - In the group stage of the AFF Cup 2018, the Vietnam national team only had to face Laos on their home field. With the strongest squad, coach Park Hang Seo and his team did not encounter many difficulties in imposing their playing style and winning easily.
Witnessing Quang Hai's left-footed moves, especially the goal from a direct free kick with that strong left foot, former player Vu Nhu Thanh exclaimed, "That is the class of a star."
It was even more valuable when the young midfielder from Hanoi appeared very modest in the post-match interview: "This was a difficult match. The first match in every tournament is very difficult, but the whole team played their best and achieved what they wanted. Hopefully in the following matches, the Vietnamese team will play better."
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| Quang Hai (middle) started playing well in the ball distribution position even though Laos was not a high-dose test. Photo: Anh Duc |
Many people feel sorry for Quang Hai because coach Park Hang-seo assigned the central midfielder position to this young midfielder, while the Dong Anh player's forte is playing on the wing. At the U23 Asian Cup, Quang Hai continuously shined with 6 goals in his familiar role. However, since the 2018 Asian Games and the match against Laos, Quang Hai has continuously played the central midfielder role, along with Xuan Truong, controlling the tempo of the match.
Therefore, many people think that Quang Hai's scoring efficiency has decreased significantly. However, according to experts, switching to playing in a different position shows that Quang Hai is good at adapting.
"A top-class player is someone who can adapt to different roles. Quang Hai has proven his ability as a winger, but when he switched to playing as a central midfielder, he has always shown satisfaction with all his teammates, from Xuan Truong to Do Hung Dung. That shows Quang Hai's progress" - Vu Nhu Thanh shared.
It is no coincidence that the Asian Football Confederation and Southeast Asia Football Federation have chosen Quang Hai as one of the most anticipated stars of Vietnamese football in recent consecutive international tournaments. At the age of 21, Hai is showing steady progress to become a big star of Vietnamese football, not only in the AFF Cup but also expected to soon have the opportunity to go to Europe to show his talent.
Tickets for the match against Malaysia are increasingly difficult to buy.
Although the organizers of the Vietnam - Malaysia match have paid for tickets via online booking since the morning of November 8 and on November 9, the fever has pushed ticket prices up. According to some sources, many people in need have agreed to spend up to 1.2 million VND just to have an invitation ticket in the area of doors 2 and 3 of stand A - the most beautiful area of My Dinh Stadium. For positions that are slightly offset to the 2 stands, the price for a pair has reached 800,000 VND, double the listed price.
"I don't dare accept invitations to book tickets now because the number is small and the demand is too high. Each position also has certain differences depending on the needs of the buyer" - a ticket broker shared. According to VFF Deputy General Secretary Nguyen Minh Chau, this unit received more than 800 official documents to register to buy tickets with a total quantity of about more than 50,000 tickets. This quantity includes both matches against Malaysia at My Dinh Stadium and Cambodia at Hang Day Stadium.
My Dinh Stadium has a capacity of more than 40,000 seats. However, the Organizing Committee has to use a large number of tickets to serve foreign affairs and pay benefits to partners. Currently, the Organizing Committee is paying tickets to individuals who register online. According to Mr. Chau, this unit issues about more than 10% of the total number of tickets (about 2,400) through this channel.