Kuala Lumpur, 6 June, 2025 – Midfielder Nguyen Hai Long is not daring to dream of wearing the “Red Devils” jersey, despite receiving widespread praise for his performance in the ASEAN All Stars’ victory over Manchester United.
Hai Long was rated 7.5 for his performance in the ASEAN All Stars’ win over Manchester United at Bukit Jalil on May 28. Major international media outlets also dedicated many articles to praising the 25-year-old midfielder for his display on that day.
Two weeks after the match, Hai Long will return to Bukit Jalil to face Malaysia with the Vietnam national team in the final qualifiers for the 2027 Asian Cup. When asked about the victory over Manchester United, Hai Long described it as a beautiful memory in his life. “I’m very happy with the positive feedback after the match with Manchester United. But if it leads me to think too far ahead, I haven’t considered that yet. I know where I am,” Hai Long said on the sidelines of the training session on June 6 in Kuala Lumpur.
“My goal, along with the entire team, is the upcoming match against Malaysia. This is a crucial and important game. The whole team is focused on getting the best result in this match,” the Vietnam midfielder emphasized.
Vietnam will miss many key players like Nguyen Van Toan, Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Bui Vi Hao, Doan Ngoc Tan, Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Thanh Binh, and Bui Hoang Viet Anh due to injuries, and only have one newcomer, French-Vietnamese defender Cao Quang Vinh Pendant. Moreover, the team will have to play at Bukit Jalil, a cauldron with about 80,000 spectators. However, Hai Long believes that no matter the stadium, he and his teammates are not afraid of the pressure.
“As professional players, playing at any stadium is the same. The most important thing is ourselves. I am determined to stay focused and contribute to the collective gameplay, helping the team win. Despite the pressure from the opposing fans, we will do our best to secure the three points,” Hai Long said. “Currently, everything is going well since we arrived here. The team is excited to start training.”
Hai Long was born in Tien Yen, Quang Ninh, and grew up in the The Cong training center. He played for Quang Ninh and Hanoi FC. The 25-year-old has been part of the Vietnam national team since 2021 and scored the winning goal in Vietnam’s 3-2 victory in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final.
While Vietnam is missing several key players, the host country Malaysia has strengthened their squad with many naturalized players, such as Gabriel Palmero, Hector Hevel (from Spain), and Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca (from Argentina). Previously, they had three Argentine players: Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, and top scorer in the Greek league, Jefte Betancor.
However, Hai Long is not focused on the opponent, but rather on Vietnam’s specific goal. “Malaysia has naturalized players, but that’s not too important. The coaching staff, including the head coach, has been analyzing the opponent carefully,” he said. “Vietnam is very eager to extend our unbeaten streak against Malaysia.”
Dang Long
Leave a Reply