Que Ngoc Hai - the factor that paved the way for Vietnam's attacking style of play

That is the change in the way Que Ngoc Hai plays and the new attacking style ofVietnam team. More precisely, we played continuous mid-range pressing in the middle of the field. In this match, Malaysia was completely divided into 3 lines. Vietnam controlled the game. From holding the ball and controlling the space, Vietnam began to think of different plans to threaten the Malaysian goal.

According to experts, the Vietnamese team played the best match of 2021. Many people praised Cong Phuong, Quang Hai, Van Duc, Hoang Duc, Tuan Anh. But perhaps everyone overlooked Que Ngoc Hai, who played a very important role in the match against the Malaysian team, both literally and figuratively.

Que Ngoc Hai impressively supported the attack. Photo: Archive

Que Ngoc Hai did not play as a regular central defender against Malaysia. When the Vietnamese team actively pressed midfield, Que Ngoc Hai was one of the players who continuously pushed up to support the midfield. To be more precise, Ngoc Hai was allowed by Coach Park to push up as a holding midfielder. His appearance freed up one of the two midfielders, Tuan Anh and Hoang Duc, to play a defensive role in the middle of the field.

The way Ngoc Hai proactively pushed forward to compete and cut the ball from Malaysia's midfield was originally seen in the match against Saudi Arabia a month ago. At that time, he had a few situations of pushing forward and cutting off the opponent's pass. At that time, fans saw the positive initiative from Vietnam in the 3rd qualifying round of the World Cup. That is, instead of playing with a low 3-line distance at home, Vietnam proactively pressed the midfield more fiercely to prepare for counterattacks.

Que Ngoc Hai is like a defensive midfielder of Vietnam when he often stands next to Hoang Duc. Besides, he also found the instinct of a player who is good at passing the line. Throughout the first half, Ngoc Hai always made the Malaysian defense have to retreat, in the context of Van Duc and Cong Phuong ready to rush in to threaten the opponent's goal.

Que Ngoc Hai stands out with his long passing skills. Photo: Document

It is very possible that, in the context that Vietnam wants to put more pressure and create more attacks with higher density, mid-range pressing with the participation of Que Ngoc Hai is something worth applying for coach Park Hang-seo, especially in the match against Indonesia on December 15./.