Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and defender Doan Van Hau have been named among the best U-21 players of the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 by Fox Sports Asia.

The website said the 21-year-old midfielder was always expected to shine for his nation, but what stands out the most about Quang Hai is his ability to play wherever he is asked to.

“Often playing deeper than he would like, Quang Hai has proved his maturity in the national team shirt and showed at the Asian Cup that there are so many different facets to his game. Definitely one to watch out for in the future,” it added.

Meanwhile, Hau was said to be key to Vietnam’s defence and proved that even at the age of 19, he can hold his own with some of Asia’s best.

“His form in five Asian Cup matches proved vital for the Golden Dragons, even though they were unable to get past Japan to make the semis,” Fox Sports Asia noted.

Vietnam faced Iran, Iraq and Yemen in Group D of the tournament. In the first game against Iraq, the Golden Stars twice took the lead before losing to Ali Adnan’s last-gasp free kick, which was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Iran.

They then defeated Yemen 2-0 in the final group match and reach the last 16 as the fourth and final third place team, overcoming Lebanon thanks to fair play rules.

In the knockout stage, they found themselves up against surprise package Jordan, who were the first team to book their knockout round berth after upsetting Australia and Syria.

Vietnam took the game to their favoured opponents, prevailing 4-2 in the penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

Vietnam lost 1-0 to Japan in the quarter-final, however, their admirable performance was praised by fans and commentators.

The underdogs showed a brave, determined spirit against the giants Japan throughout the match and conceded only one goal from a 57th-minute penalty kick, determined with help from the video assistance referee (VAR).

Vietnam’s national team will gather in September for the qualifying round of the World Cup Asian region for the World Cup 2022.

VNA/VNP