Accordingly, keeper Van Lam, midfielder Duc Huy and two wingers Quang Hai and Van Duc are the four Vietnamese players who have impressed the prestigious sports network in the past round.
For the goalkeeper position, FOX Sports Asia selected Van Lam for his consistency since the start of the campaign. According to the network, the Moscow born keeper is capable of becoming the best goalkeeper of the entire tournament. With a height of nearly 1.90m, Van Lam impressed in dealing with high balls, while he is also no slouch when it comes to handling and reflexes. Lam has conceded just two goals so far, contributing to the great success of the toughest defensive line of the tournament.
In the midfield, FOX Sports Asia selected Duc Huy, who did not start the tournament as part of Vietnam’s starting XI but has played very well in recent matches. Duc Huy was given his chance in the final group game against Cambodia and has not lost his place since. “In a side brimming with attacking quality, Duc Huy provides the much-needed defensive stability in midfield and it is now hard to see coach Park Hang-seo dropping him for the final,” FOX Sports said.
In the attacking line, there are the presence of the two wingers Quang Hai and Van Duc. Writing on Quang Hai, FOX Sports said the 21-year-old was the best attacker since being reinstated in the front three, instead of in central midfield as in previous games. The star of Hanoi FC is a constant threat to the opposition defences and also gets into excellent scoring positions. Along with Anh Duc and Cong Phuong, Quang Hai is currently Vietnam’s joint-top scorer with three goals.
For left winger Van Duc, FOX Sports Asia was impressed by his pace and skill on the ball, and his partnership down the left with Doan Van Hau has been one of the highlights of Vietnam’s campaign.
In addition to the four Vietnamese players, the list of the 11 best players in the semi-finals also features four Malaysian players, including defender Syahmi Safari, centre-back Shahrul Saad, midfielder Syamer Kutty Abba and veteran striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha. Former champions Thailand have two players, centre-back Pansa Hemviboon and midfielder Thitipan Puangchan, while the Philippines have only one, left-back Martin Steuble. In addition, FOX Sports Asia decided to choose Malaysian coach Tan Cheng Hoe to complete the list.
The overwhelming number of Vietnamese and Malaysian players in the Best XI for the semi-finals is predictable, as both teams deservedly won tickets to the final of the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup. The first leg of the final will take place at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on December 12. Four days later, the return leg will be played at Hanoi’s My Dinh to officially crown the champions.
