Quang Hai received an average score in the victory over Syria.

Nam Dinh midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai only gave himself 5 points in the friendly match winning 1-0 against Syria at Thien Truong Stadium on the evening of June 20.

Quang Hai's shot went over the bar in the second half of Vietnam's 1-0 win over Syria. Photo: Giang Huy — Quang Hai's shot went over the bar in the second half of Vietnam's 1-0 win over Syria. Photo: *Giang Huy*

Coach Philippe Troussier has publicly stated that he called Quang Hai up this time to encourage and motivate him, not because of his performance. Over the past year, "number 19" has been almost unused at Pau FC, leading to him having to terminate his contract to return to Vietnam.

However, he was given the opportunity to start both of Vietnam's first matches under coach Troussier. Five days ago, Quang Hai was only mentioned because of the controversial foul that brought a penalty for Que Ngoc Hai to score in the friendly match that won Hong Kong 1-0 at Lach Tray Stadium. Today, Quang Hai showed a better feel for the ball, contributing to making Vietnam's play more fluid, creating many opportunities against Syria. Before leaving the field in the 84th minute, he had a chance to score but curled his shot over the bar.

Asked to rate this match, Quang Hai said: "I think I would probably get 5 points out of 10 for this match. I need to try harder. We always tell each other that we need to work hard and step by step towards progress in each match."

Compared to the Hong Kong match, Coach Troussier made some changes. Notably, 20-year-old midfielder Nguyen Thai Son was chosen to replace injured Nguyen Hoang Duc. Defender Phan Tuan Tai also started the first match, replacing his Viettel teammate Nguyen Thanh Binh. These adjustments had a positive effect, as Vietnam defeated their opponent five places above FIFA thanks to the only goal of substitute player Nguyen Tuan Hai.

"When you wear the national team jersey, there are no young players. We always try to create a unified block, support each other to progress and build the team in the best way," Quang Hai said about the new members of the World Cup, and thanked Nam Dinh fans who came to Thien Truong Stadium, as well as the TV audience, for supporting the team. He believes that the support of the fans motivates the players to be determined to contribute a beautiful match.

Quang Huy

Source link