With the third round of group stage matches now in the books, some nations are on the verge of securing their qualification through to the knockout phase whilst others are battling to keep their hopes of progression alive.

In amongst all that action there were a couple of standout performers in each of the four matches on the slate and below are the quartet of nominees for the player of the round – all that needs to happen now is for YOU to cast your vote to see which player emerges on top of the pile.

Sanrawat Dechmitr (Thailand)

Another fine showing from the experienced midfielder who provided a delightful final pass for the fourth in Thailand’s 4-2 win over Indonesia that’s set them up nicely for a spot in the semifinals.

Tasked with playing the ‘Chanathip role’ in the absence of the creative playmaker, Sanrawat has sparkled with not only his attacking prowess but also his movement off the ball and work rate in helping to press from the front when the War Elephants aren’t in possession.

Nguyen Anh Duc (Vietnam)

The burly forward has been an unsung – and unlikely – presence in a team dominated by youth and attacking verve.

In many ways he’s the opposite of that with a role that’s designed to open up the space for the more nimble creative types behind to play into but he did it superbly against Malaysia and grabbed another well-taken goal as well in a solid all-round showing.

Phil Younghusband (Philippines)

Against an improved Timor-Leste side the Philippines forward set up the 3-2 win with a well-struck opening goal after a tense opening half hour in neutral Malaysia where both nations had chances to take the lead.

The Azkals talismanic captain remains a threat from set-piece situations and has a superb feel for the kinds of runs he needs to make and the space to occupy and those qualities were on display here as the Philippines made it two wins from as many matches to open their campaign.

Aung Thu (Myanmar)

Responded well to having been named to start Myanmar’s first match on the bench by grabbing a well-timed equaliser late in the first half of a match where the Asian Lions were forced to once again come from behind.

Playing in a deeper role than usual has its advantages in that the 22-year-old is able to get on the ball more frequently and he displayed his creative talents here with a good range of passing and movement both on and off the ball.