Quang Hai in top 10 impressive players in the opening round of Asian Cup

Quang Hai passed the ball to Cong Phuong, in the situation that led to the opening goal in the match against Iraq. Photo:Van Loc

Quang Hai and striker Javier Patino are two rare Southeast Asian players on the list, even though Vietnam and the Philippines both suffered defeats in their opening matches.

In the match against Iraq, Quang Hai was the one who passed the ball to Cong Phuong to put pressure, causing central defender Ali Faez to be confused and score an own goal. In the second goal, the midfielder from Hanoi had a clear move to the right wing for Trong Hoang to break into the 16m50 box, indirectly helping Cong Phuong score. The two situations showed Quang Hai's coordination ability and good vision.

In the previous match, Javier Patino's Philippines almost caused a surprise, making the championship candidate Korea struggle to win 1-0. The striker, who plays for Buriram United in the Thai league, made things difficult for the Korean defense thanks to his excellent physical foundation and speed. If Patino had finished more sharply, the Philippines would have had a point in hand.

Also in the top 10 is India captain Sunil Chhetri. The 34-year-old veteran put in a stellar performance with a brace against Thailand to help India top Group A. So did striker Mehdi Taremi, who also scored twice in Iran's 5-0 win over Yemen. Another striker who scored a brace in his opening game was Yuya Osako, who helped Japan come from behind to beat Turkmenistan 3-2.

Iraq's 18-year-old striker Mohanad Ali also made it into the top 10. Ali made a classy move when he took advantage of Duy Manh's error, turned around Que Ngoc Hai before scoring the equalizer 1-1 in a 3-2 win over Vietnam.