Que Ngoc Hai, please watch out for the 'hidden killer' Talaha
(Baonghean.vn) - The role of veteran Talaha in the Malaysian team is similar to Anh Duc in the Vietnamese team, although sometimes he only plays as an attacking midfielder for captain Zaquan Adha Abdul. This will be a name that coach Park Hang-seo and the Vietnamese defense must be wary of.
The 33-year-old veteran, who plays for Pahang Club (Malaysia), is one of the players who has played the most for the national team. Having started playing for the team since 2010, Talaha has so far played 44 times for the Malaysian national team.
In the 4 matches of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha only scored 1 goal for the Malaysian team, raising the score to 3-0 in the match against Timor-Leste, but he is still an important player for coach Tan Cheng-Hoe.
The nemesis of Vietnam National Team
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| Norshahrul Idlan Talaha is the "leader of the pack" at My Dinh Stadium. Photo: AFC |
In terms of physique, Idlan Talaha is not as tall as Anh Duc on the Vietnamese team, and does not have a powerful shot like Quang Hai. Of course, in terms of personal technique, he cannot dribble as skillfully as Cong Phuong, sometimes it seems that this veteran is just a "wooden leg" in the Malaysian striker line. But the truth is not like that at all, Talaha is the "nemesis" of the Vietnamese defense.
At the 25th SEA Games in 2009 in Laos, it seemed that after winning the 2008 AFF Cup, Coach H. Calisto and his team would win the championship of this tournament. In the final match, it was Talaha from the U23 Malaysia team who made a pass into the middle, causing defender Mai Xuan Hop of the U23 Vietnam team to fumble and score an own goal, helping Malaysia win 1-0 and become the champion of the SEA Games in Laos.
At the 2014 AFF Cup, after winning 2-1 in the first leg at Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor at My Dinh Stadium, Coach Miura's team lost 2-4 to their opponents, eventually losing 4-5, watching Malaysia play the final match against Thailand. Talaha was the one who put pressure on goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and defender Van Bien, causing them to play like chickens with their hair caught in their teeth, allowing the latter to freely kick the ball into the empty goal.
At the AFF Cup 2018, Thai striker Adisak Kraison with 8 goals became the top scorer, but clearly that achievement of 6 goals in the match where Thailand beat Timor Leste 7-0 was too weak, not as impressive as Norshahrul Idlan (Malaysia) who came in second with 5 goals.
Que Ngoc Hai still remembers that in the first leg of the final match at Bukit Jalil Stadium (Kuala Lumpur), after being down 2-0, Norshahrul Idlan played the role of decoy to attract this Nghe An-born central defender so that defender Shahrul Saad could score.
My Dinh Appointment
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| Captain Que Ngoc Hai will be the one tasked with preventing Talaha from doing what he wants. Photo: FBNV |
Talaha's current playing style is considered to be better, more cunning and sharper, using more tricks than strength. Not tall (1m71), nor physically strong enough to play for 90 minutes, but Talaha is still Mr. Tan's strategic card in both the center forward and attacking midfielder positions.
Norshahrul Idlan plays wide, even retreating to his own field to find the ball, but is very good at sniffing out scoring opportunities and knows how to appear at hot spots, so he will continue to be a threat to the defense of coach Park Hang-seo's team on October 10.
Born in 1986, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha is one of the oldest players in Malaysia. Strangely enough, he also has a different lifestyle than his teammates, often sitting alone and not integrating with the young Malaysian team.
But on the pitch, it is the opposite. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha is always there to lift the spirits of his juniors when things are tough. The two matches against Thailand at the AFF Cup are a concrete example. In the comeback match to win 3-2 against host Indonesia, it was not until the score was tied 2-2 that this player left the field.
Currently, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha's physical condition is not enough to play both halves, this striker only played about 60 minutes. His reserve is Janasekaran (born 1992) or Akhyar Rashid (born 1999), depending on the situation on the field, Mr. Tan will choose a replacement.
After the 2-0 loss in the group stage of the AFF Cup 2018,Norshahrul Idlan Talaha was the one who made the “My Dinh promise” but in the end he and the Malaysian players still could not fulfill it. The next match between the Malaysian team and the Vietnamese team is the chance (even the last chance) for this veteran to fulfill his “promise from years ago”. Captain Que Ngoc Hai will be the one tasked with preventing Talaha from doing what he wants.
