VOTE: Player of the Round (Semi-final, 1st Leg)
The knockout stage of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 got off to a thrilling start with Indonesia and Vietnam playing out an engaging draw while Malaysia earning a slender 1-0 lead against defending champions Thailand heading into the semi-final second leg.
There were a number of players who impressed during the semi-final first-leg ties which included:
We have picked four players who have been a cut above the rest during the knockout stage so far and ask you, the fans, to vote for the one who deserves to be the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 Player of the Round for the first leg of the semi-final.
Do not forget to cast your vote below!
Asnawi Mangkualam (Indonesia)
Indonesia proved to be a menace for Vietnam in the semi-final first leg at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta and one of the star performers for the home side was right wing-back Asnawi Mangkualam.
The Ansan Greeners star had 61 touches during the 90 minutes and completed 41 passes at a success rate of 76 percent. The 23-year-old also made two clearances and one interception to keep Park Hang-seo’s side largely silent in the first half of the two-legged semi-final tie -- no mean feat.
Dang Van Lam (Vietnam)
It is all thanks to Dang Van Lam that Vietnam go into the second leg in Hanoi on level pegging. With hosts Indonesia in the ascendancy in the first half, the Binh Dinh goalkeeper produced two quickfire saves to keep his country in the tie.
Marselino Ferdinan looked certain to give Shin Tae-yong's side the lead in the 36th minute as he made his way to the Vietnam goal with just Van Lam to beat, but the shot-stopper denied the Indonesian player before blocking Yakob Sayuri's header in the very next minute.
Ruventhiran Vengadesan (Malaysia)
It was an all-round performance from Ruventhiran Vengadesan that gave Malaysia a hugely important 1-0 win at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Saturday. Faisal Halim might have hogged the limelight with his winner, but the 21-year-old full-back played a vital part in the goal as it was his header across the goal that Faisal turned in.
Ruventhiran also made six clearances and won all three of the duels that he competed for in the first leg, producing a solid defensive display as well.
Sasalak Haiprakhon (Thailand)
Stepping into the shoes of Theerathon Bunmathan is not an easy thing to pull off, but it is something Thailand left-back Sasalak Haiprakhon has done admirably in the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, enabling the Thai skipper to move into midfield.
The 26-year-old kept Safawi Rasid largely silent at Kuala Lumpur and made 94 touches in 90 minutes completing 61 passes with a success rate of 88 percent. Sasalak also won a remarkable six duels and made two key passes in Thailand's narrow defeat.
Faisal Halim (Malaysia)
Birthday boy Faisal stepped forward on the day he turned 25 to score the only goal of Malaysia's first leg win over Thailand when he volleyed home Ruventhiran Vengadesan's headed assist.
It was the fourth time Faisal had found the back of the net in the 2022 edition as he remains well in the hunt for the Top Scorer accolade, while it was also the only goal scored over the two semi-final match-ups on Friday and Saturday.
