Hoang Duc and Tuan Hai 'each has their own style', the Golden Ball race is too unpredictable

Balance

The race for the Vietnamese Golden Ball has entered its decisive phase, with equally qualified candidates for the title of best male player.

2023 is a special year, when Vietnamese football enters a transitional period at both the national championship and the national team level, but there are still outstanding individuals who have risen. That is the case of Nguyen Hoang Duc ( Viettel The Cong Club) and Pham Tuan Hai (Hanoi Club).

Both played 20 matches for their respective clubs last season. Hoang Duc started all 20 matches for The Cong Viettel Club, playing 1,735 minutes (playing the entire 17 matches, being substituted 3 times), scoring 5 goals. Tuan Hai started 16 matches, playing 1,542 minutes, scoring 6 goals.

Hoàng Đức và Tuấn Hải 'mỗi người một vẻ', cuộc đua Quả bóng vàng khó đoán - Ảnh 1. — Hoang Duc plays an important role

If we only consider the 2023 V-League season, Hoang Duc is the more outstanding player. The 25-year-old midfielder was voted the best player of the tournament with a great influence on the playing style.

Although The Cong Viettel Club rejuvenated its squad, gave opportunities to many new faces, and also gave the coaching authority to a young "general" like Thach Bao Khanh, the army team still played well, finishing 3rd in the V-League and second in the National Cup. The factor that contributed greatly to helping The Cong Viettel Club stay on the right track was Hoang Duc.

Thanks to his tactical vision, ability to control the game, control the rhythm and coordinate, Hoang Duc is the real boss of the midfield of Viettel The Cong Club. The player born in 1998 has a very "unique" playing style, and is a rare type of midfielder who controls the game in Vietnamese football today.

Obviously, Hoang Duc is a strong candidate for the Vietnam Golden Ball award.

However, Tuan Hai emerged as a formidable contender. If we look at the 2023 season, Tuan Hai is not too outstanding. Although the Hanoi FC player scored 6 goals, he only played at a moderate level. Although Tuan Hai still played aggressively and enthusiastically, being pushed to the wing by coach Bozidar Bandovic prevented the 25-year-old explosive player from being able to fully demonstrate his abilities.

But in the 2023-2024 season, Tuan Hai is breaking through. He has scored 4 goals in the AFC Champions League, including 3 goals against Wuhan Three Towns (the current Chinese champions) and 1 goal against Urawa Red Diamonds (last season's AFC Champions League champions).

Hoàng Đức và Tuấn Hải 'mỗi người một vẻ', cuộc đua Quả bóng vàng khó đoán - Ảnh 2. — Tuan Hai plays consistently and consistently.

Fighting spirit and perseverance helped Tuan Hai stand out, in a Hanoi FC team that faced many difficulties due to lack of players and the transition of the first generation of the season. In the V-League, Tuan Hai also played very well. He was the author of the most beautiful goal of October with a spectacular shot from the middle of the field against Binh Duong FC, and a penalty that helped Hanoi win 2-0 against SLNA in round 5.

In the national team, Tuan Hai is also superior to Hoang Duc. Tuan Hai has played all 8 matches under coach Philippe Troussier, while Hoang Duc has not played a single minute in the past 2 matches in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

The race is still dramatic

In round 5 of V-League 2023 - 2024, Hoang Duc and Tuan Hai both shined in their own ways. Hoang Duc helped the midfield of The Cong Viettel overwhelm HAGL, then he also had a delicate pass for Khuat Van Khang to score his first goal in V-League. As for Tuan Hai, it was a goal against SLNA with a cool penalty kick.

The interesting thing about the two-horse race is that each player has his own unique style. If Hoang Duc is the creative "brain" in the midfield, Tuan Hai is the warrior in the attack.

Hoang Duc creates influence with smooth, reasonable passes, regulating the team's playing rhythm to control the game. As for Tuan Hai, it's goals. He plays the role of a finisher, helping Hanoi FC score regularly, even in difficult matches.

If Hoang Duc breaks through first with a successful 2023 season, Tuan Hai will "break through" the second half with extremely stable performance in both the V-League and AFC Champions League. This makes the identity of the winner even more difficult to predict.

Not to mention who will win the Golden Ball, but the good form of the pillars, playing in the core positions of the controlling style of play like Hoang Duc and Tuan Hai, brings good signals for the Vietnamese team.

Coach Troussier and his players are going through a difficult transition period, and no matter how he rejuvenates the squad, the French strategist still needs experienced players who are at their peak to be the "backbone" of the team.

Hoang Duc and Tuan Hai are such players, especially Hoang Duc, a player who was not used in the last 2 matches, but still showed professionalism and constant effort at the club.

Source link