Quang Hai - The most "magical" left-footed star of U23 Asia

Player Quang Hai.

At the age of 20, with a small physique, Quang Hai is a very dedicated player, he is not afraid of any tall central defender and is always ready to give his all with the ball. With 5 goals in 6 matches with his extremely "strange" left foot, Quang Hai has become the "nemesis" of any defense of the team he faces.

Quang Hai's goal against Australia opened the door for U23 Vietnam to enter the quarter-finals, his double against Qatar helped Park Hang Seo's players drag the semi-final into a penalty shootout, and his strike against Uzbekistan's goalkeeper helped the home team equalize in the final. Many times helping U23 Vietnam return from the "dead", Quang Hai became a hero in the hearts of Vietnamese football fans.

After witnessing Quang Hai's top performance, many audiences have given him the title of the most "strange" left-footed star of U23 Asia. Fans at home and abroad even compared Quang Hai to the best left-footed players in the world such as Messi or Robben. Also playing for Hanoi FC, senior Pham Thanh Luong even considered Quang Hai his "idol".

But in the face of admiration, praise and endless praise for him, the small midfielder of Hanoi FC is still very modest, saying that this is the result of everyone: "I think I only contributed a small part. This is a collective achievement, the whole team played their best to achieve the desired results, this is a memorable miracle of Vietnamese football".

Not only is Quang Hai calm on the field, his polite behavior and humble words are also reasons why fans love this young player even more. Quang Hai, along with Tien Dung, Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong... are considered the most talented players of U23 Vietnam.

Success comes from hard work

Quang Hai's decisive goals left a beautiful impression in the hearts of fans.

Today's achievements are not due to luck, they are the result of a process of hard work and training.

Recalling her son's childhood, Quang Hai's mother sadly said: "In the past, my husband and I were very poor, with financial difficulties, we never thought of letting our son become a soccer player. We were worried about every meal, so where would we get money to buy a soccer ball for our son?"

The fact that their son was selected by the teachers to go to the training center was beyond the imagination of Hai's parents. But they always supported their son in every step. Being away from family and relatives to practice was a very difficult thing for a boy who had just turned 9 years old. But overcoming everything with his passion for football and hard work, the dark-skinned boy has now grown up, had the opportunities to compete and achieved the historic feats today.

Few people know that Quang Hai is a perfectionist, but he is still quietly practicing his right foot and now his right foot shooting ability is quite good. "It can become a surprise weapon for many opponents," Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem revealed.

Hai's tireless efforts are partly due to his late adoptive father. If you pay attention, you will see that every time he scores a goal, Quang Hai raises his hands to the sky to remember his late adoptive father Vu Minh Hoang - the younger brother of former player Vu Minh Hieu.

Mr. Vu Minh Hoang is the teacher who has always been by Hai's side, encouraging him every step of the way, right from his first kicks. Five years ago, Coach Minh Hoang passed away in an accident, which was a great and irreplaceable loss for the young midfielder. But since then, Hai has realized that he needs to try harder, and must know how to turn pain into strength to break through.

"Before each match, I always tell myself to play well, for myself and for coach Hoang. I have to continue my dream and continue on the path that he held my hand and guided me on from the very first days," Quang Hai shared.

At the U23 Asian tournament, not only coach Park Hang Seo highly appreciated Quang Hai's ability, but his teammates, experts and fans also admired him. However, Hai is not a new player. His impressive record of achievements will certainly make many people admire him. Player number 19 is called "King of Youth Tournament" by the domestic press.

In 2014, after a period of training in the youth team of Hanoi city, Quang Hai was brought to Hanoi Club, playing in the National First Division. In 2015, he joined Hanoi T&T Club. This year, only 20 years old, Quang Hai has become famous in V-League with his strong, technical, and daring playing style, scoring beautiful goals and now an extremely "strange" performance at the U23 Asian tournament.