European scout 'spots' a Vietnam U20 player

Player scout Derya Akkar was surprised when watching U20 Vietnam play against New Zealand, and circled the name of captain Quang Hai.

"Vietnam surprised me. With what they showed on the field, I couldn't believe that before the tournament, the media said this rookie was the weakest among the 24 teams competing in Korea," Mr. Derya Akkar shared with VnExpress.

Scout Akkar asked VnExpress reporters many questions about U20 Vietnam, because he was not satisfied with the information provided in the match flyer distributed by the organizers. Photo: Duc Dong.

Derya Akkar works for Osmanlispor FK, a team playing in the Turkish Super Lig. For the past 30 years, he has traveled around the world, scouting young talents, recruiting them for his club to use, or selling them to other teams.

At the 2017 U20 World Cup, Akkar and two colleagues went to Korea to “watch” the players. He was assigned to closely monitor groups A and E. This scout did not use his FIFA-issued card, but bought a ticket to sit among the audience to watch, avoiding running into his colleagues.

On the afternoon of May 22, Akkar came to Cheonan Stadium with the sole intention of watching the France-Honduras match. But when a VnExpress reporter asked him to stay and watch Vietnam play New Zealand, along with thousands of red-shirted fans pouring into the stadium, the scout decided to stay.

"Vietnam plays in an organized manner. The players play with passion. However, the team needs to improve their feeling in front of goal. According to the documents I have, number 19, Quang Hai, is a quality player. In this match, he really played impressively, holding the ball very well. This player will organize attacks even better, if his teammates support him effectively. But honestly, to be able to play in Europe, Hai still has to try much harder," Akkar analyzed.

Mr. Derya Akkar marked the name of Vietnam U20 captain Nguyen Quang Hai. Photo: Duc Dong

The expert with 30 years of experience in scouting players said he would come to watch the match between Vietnam and France on May 25. However, he assessed that coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team would find it difficult to create a surprise against the team that just won the 2016 European U19 Championship (beating Italy 4-0 in the final).

Akkar believes that the fertile land for scouts like him is still Africa. The Asian player market has been exploited, but not to its full potential.

"The matches at the U20 World Cup are like a market, with many scouts coming here. Some players who play well will receive dozens of offers from clubs. Up to now, I have only selected a few players, the most satisfactory of which is Rodrigo Amaral. However, it is very difficult for me to attract this Uruguayan player No. 10, because he is in Barca's sights," Akkar added.

According to VNE