The Vietnamese footballers listed are all under-23 (U23) players, including centre back Bui Tien Dung, centre midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and right back Vu Van Thanh.
They were selected for their outstanding performances at the recently concluded tournament in Indonesia, as well as for their prospects to shine in the future, according to FOX Sports Asia.
Having already been a star in January’s Asian Football Confederation U23 Championship in China, Vu Van Thanh continued his excellent form in Indonesia as Vietnam stormed to the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners the Korea Republic, said Fox Sports Asia.
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Vu Van Thanh played all of Vietnam’s seven matches at the 2018 Asian Games.
“The 22-year-old looks a perfect fit for coach Park Hang-seo’s 5-2-3 system, bombing forward with intent whenever he gets the chance but he is also adept at performing his defensive duties,” the cable sports network added about Thanh.
Regarding Bui Tien Dung, Fox Sports Asia stated that the Viettel defender played a crucial role in his side keeping five consecutive clean sheets until they conceded in the semi-finals to the Koreans, and was arguably the most impressive out of himself, Do Duy Manh and Tran Dinh Trong.
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Bui Tien Dung (No. 4) played a crucial role in helping his side keep five consecutive clean sheets from their matches.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Quang Hai was widely regarded as “one of Southeast Asia’s brightest prospects” following his brilliant displays as an attacker, and his development continued at the Asian Games as he was deployed in a traditional central midfield role.
The trio were part of the Vietnamese team that made history in finishing in the top four at the Asian Games for the first time, after losing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a penalty shootout after drawing 1-1 in official time in the bronze medal playoff match.
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Quang Hai had a memorable tournament with the Vietnam Olympic team in Indonesia as he scored the only goal in the group match against Japan to help his team claim top position in Group D.
Their performance was praised by the fans, who gave the players and the coaching staff a hero’s welcome when they returned home on National Day (September 2).
The Best XI list also includes two players each from the Korea Republic, Japan and Uzbekistan, while the UAE and Malaysia have one each.
