Hung Dung can return in Hanoi FC’s next two matches, when they face Quang Nam in the V.League and Hong Linh Ha Tinh in the National Cup. But clearly, the 31-year-old midfielder will give Mr. Troussier little basis for reference, in a context where he should have maintained his form throughout recent matches.
Midfielder Hung Dung is injured and has not played in the past 3 weeks. Photo: Minh Dan
The sigh of relief came from Quang Hai
In attack, another Vietnamese Golden Ball in the past 5 years, Van Quyet, also did not maintain a stable scoring or assist performance.
If only looking at statistics, Van Quyet was in 5 goals of Hanoi FC after 12 rounds (2 goals, 3 assists). However, the density that the “veteran” born in 1991 created in the above contributions was not continuous.
Van Quyet appeared in all 12 matches for the Capital team, but he only shone in 3/12 appearances. Those are matches against Hai Phong (1 assist), The Cong Viettel (1 goal, 1 assist), Ho Chi Minh City (1 goal, 1 assist). In the remaining 9 matches, Van Quyet was silent. This striker’s poor performance is part of the reason why Hanoi FC is only in the middle of the rankings.
Luckily for Mr. Troussier, another Vietnamese Golden Ball winner, Nguyen Quang Hai, is gradually finding his form. The midfielder, born in 1997, just scored another beautiful goal for the Hanoi Police Club in the last round, helping the home team retain a valuable point against Hong Linh Ha Tinh.
Quang Hai is rediscovering his high form in the Hanoi Police shirt this season. Photo: VPF
In the current V.League, no Vietnamese player scores as many goals as Quang Hai (5 goals). If including the 2023 Asian Cup, Quang Hai scored regularly for 4 consecutive months, stretching from December last year to March this year.
From winning the Vietnam Golden Ball until now, Quang Hai has spent 5 years empty-handed with this title. But compared to teammates who won the Vietnam Golden Ball recently such as Van Quyet, Hoang Duc, Hung Dung, it is “son” Hai who is in reliable form on the domestic front, before Mr. Troussier announced the Vietnamese team list.
