Quang Hai admits average score in victory over Syria

Nam Dinh midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai gave himself only 5 points in the friendly match against Syria, winning 1-0 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 the termination of 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 sense of the ball, contributing to Vietnam's smooth play, 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 evaluate 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 to 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 the injured Nguyen Hoang Duc. Defender Phan Tuan Tai also started the match, replacing his Viettel teammate Nguyen Thanh Binh. These adjustments had a positive effect, as Vietnam defeated their opponent who was ranked five places higher in FIFA thanks to the only goal by 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 National Team, and thanked Nam Dinh fans for coming to Thien Truong Stadium, as well as the television 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

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