Myanmar duel: Quang Hai needs to play to his strengths and be more explosive

QUANG HWHEN DOES AI SHINE?

In the first two matches of the group stage, the Vietnamese team won 4-1 against Laos and 1-0 against Indonesia. In both of these matches, coach Kim Sang-sik made a substitution when the match had passed two-thirds of the time. And not long after the adjustment, Nguyen Quang Hai spoke up. In the match against Laos, Quang Hai was brought onto the field (replacing Doan Ngoc Tan) in the 60th minute to play in midfield with Nguyen Hoang Duc. Very quickly, Hai left his mark when he approached the opposing player to win the ball and created an opportunity for Tien Linh to score to increase the score to 2-0 in the 63rd minute. In the 69th minute, the midfielder of Hanoi Police Club made a big contribution when he poked the ball so Van Toan could score, deepening the gap to 3-0.

Meeting Indonesia is much more difficult. Quang Hai was the main starter in the match where the Vietnamese team, despite dominating the game, was stuck in finding a way to the opponent’s goal. At the 61st minute, coach Kim Sang-sik put Van Toan on the field to replace Doan Ngoc Tan, pulling Hoang Duc (previously playing as a striker with Tien Linh) to play in the middle midfielder. After Mr. Kim’s decision to substitute, the Golden Star team scored the opening goal in the 77th minute. From a seemingly harmless play, Quang Hai suddenly volleyed beautifully and sent the ball into contact. The crossbar of Indonesia’s goal popped out, then this midfielder ended the situation with a dangerous shot that beat the opponent’s goalkeeper. This was also the only goal that helped the Vietnamese team win 3 valuable points against their charming opponent Indonesia.

We can see the common point in the times Quang Hai shined in the matches the Vietnamese team won against Laos and Indonesia, when he was paired as a midfield midfielder with Hoang Duc. Hoang Duc possesses both physical strength and technique, so he can successfully complete the stage of holding, coordinating the ball and even competing and supporting defense. With Hoang Duc by his side, Quang Hai is more or less freed from the task of “dealing cards” in the midfield, thereby being able to participate in more attacks, which is considered a strong point of the fifth-born midfielder. 1997.

The 1-1 draw of the Vietnamese team with the Philippines is proof that Quang Hai’s strengths are limited when he is not allowed to play near the opponent’s penalty area. When meeting the Philippines, the Vietnamese team took the field with a squad that was not the strongest, so it could not put much pressure on the opposing team’s field. Quang Hai is placed in the middle midfield pairing with Doan Ngoc Tan. Against tall players from the Philippines, Quang Hai is not strong in defense and cannot compete well. Besides, because the Vietnamese team uses many long passes, Quang Hai’s role naturally becomes blurred. During more than 45 minutes of play in the first half, Quang Hai did not seem to make any significant contributions, before being replaced by coach Kim Sang-sik at the beginning of the second half.

HWIDE OPERATIONS, MORE FREEDOM

The draw with the Philippines put the Vietnamese team in a difficult position. Instead of holding on to the ticket to continue with first place in the group and being able to make calculations to ensure strength for the final match, the Vietnamese team now needs to put all their effort into the match with Myanmar in the final round tonight. . There are still many risks that will cause the Vietnamese team to stop right from the AFF Cup 2024 group stage, and Mr. Kim’s team needs at least a draw to be sure of progressing.

The Vietnamese team will play with the strongest squad to win a favorable result against Myanmar. And Quang Hai also needs to be played to his strengths. When paired with a teammate who can control the midfield well, Quang Hai will be able to play more freely and operate more widely. This is when the Hanoi Police Club midfielder can maximize his best qualities. Quang Hai’s technical and impromptu handling of the ball will cause a breakthrough when the Vietnamese team attacks, creating a major turning point in the match.