Ever since Hau returned from injury earlier this year, he has secured a spot in the lineup of Vietnam as a left wingback.
In the game with Malaysia, Hau (number 5) continued to utilize his physical and pace strength. The 23-year-old made the first shot on goal for Vietnam in the 10th minute but it caused no trouble for goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi.
However, Hau also showed no mercy in one on one situations. In the 16th minute, when goalkeeper Dang Van Lam (L) was slow to pick up the ball, Hau elbowed Azam Azmi to prevent him from moving closer to the box.
The collision stunned Azmi and the medical team had to enter the field. Malaysia players and coaching staff were not happy when referee Sato Ryuji did not book Hau for this challenge.
At the end of the first half, Hau had another elbow on defender Sharul Nazeem in an unnecessary challenge in the midfield.
The Malaysia player got angry and responded by pushing Hau to the ground. Referee Sato gave both players a warning.
When Sato saw Hau's stubborn attitude, he continued to remind him. Coach Park Hang-seo (L, 2nd) had to step in and cool down the conversation. At that moment, Vietnam were leading 1-0 but played with 10 men after Nguyen Van Toan was sent off.
In the 60th minute, Hau became the highlight again when he put pressure on Azmi in the box and pushed him to the sideline.
Although the television cameras could not capture this incident, referee Sato witnessed the whole thing. He decided to give Vietnam a penalty and Azmi a straight red card, despite the reaction of Malaysia players. Que Ngoc Hai successfully converted the penalty and doubled the lead for Vietnam.
Hau, 23, attended the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2017 at the age of 17.
A year later, he became a regular starter on the national team under coach Park Hang-seo, finishing as the runner-up of 2018 U23 AFC Championship and winning the 2018 AFF Cup.
In 2019, he scored a brace in SEA Games 30 final, helping Vietnam beat Indonesia 3-0. Due to injury, he was absent from the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, 2020 AFF Cup and SEA Games 31.
