What are the chances for Tuan Tai?

Last season, midfielderHo Tuan Taileft Vinh stadium with 5 goals after 17 matches (1,353 minutes), a pillar of SLNA. This achievement is only behindCong Phuong(HCMC) with 6 goals in 12 matches and equal to Nguyen Van Toan at HAGL Club with 5 goals after 20 matches.

Competition in attack

Ho Tuan Tai was injured while training with the national team. Photo: VPF

This result helped Tuan Tai catch the eye of coach Park Hang-seo and get into the national team. Fans of the Nghe An team highly appreciate Ho Tuan Tai's scoring ability because the player born in 1995 often starts as a winger in SLNA's 4-4-2 formation. Playing behind 2 foreign strikers, Tuan Tai's number of goals is even more than SLNA's 3 foreign strikers because of his excellent positioning ability.

Currently, new coach Polking really likes the 4-2-3-1 tactical formation, so being able to play in the 4 main positions on the Thong Nhat team's attack line is not an easy thing for domestic players such as Xuan Nam, Tuan Tai, Quang Nam, Ti Phong, Huy Toan, Cong Thanh, Thanh Hau. Not to mention, captain Sam Ngoc Duc has also tried his hand at this position and played quite well.

Especially when Ho Chi Minh City FC has just welcomed new player Junior Barros. The Brazilian player was born in 1993, playing in the attacking position. He was recruited by Coach Polking to replace center-back Pape Diakite, showing that Ho Chi Minh City FC is determined to play offensively with all foreign players.

Before Barros arrived at Thong Nhat Stadium, the team of Club President Nguyen Huu Thang had two other Brazilian strikers, Joao Paulo (24 years old) and Federico Da Silva (29 years old). Supporting this Brazilian attacking trio is Vietnamese-American midfielder Lee Nguyen. Thus, the position of center forward seems to have been assigned to Joao Paulo by default, while strikers Quang Nam and Xuan Nam will be on the bench.

After 6 years with SLNA, Ho Tuan Tai decided to join Ho Chi Minh City Club. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Club. Photo: VPF

The wing position will be more crowded than ever when Federico Da Silva had an impressive debut with 1 goal after 2 matches, winning the trust of coach Polking, who has German/Brazilian blood. Having just arrived in Vietnam, Lee Nguyen has not yet integrated with his teammates, but during the Lunar New Year break and the V.League being suspended due to Covid-19, it is only a matter of time before he starts. Lee Nguyen's class is confirmed and there is no reason for Club President Nguyen Huu Thang to spend billions to put this player on the bench.

The bend of life

Before Tuan Tai, another SLNA player, Phi Son, was unsuccessful when he came to Thong Nhat Stadium. To save his career, this player had to move to play for Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Coincidentally, Tuan Tai also played in the same position as Phi Son's winger, both had to compete fiercely internally and were prone to injury. Ho Tuan Tai was injured when he misstepped in a collision with Vu Xuan Cuong on Cam Pha Stadium during national team training. This is also the reason why he was not on the list of players for the first two rounds of V.League 2021.

There is no other way, Ho Tuan Tai must practice hard to hope to catch the eye of Coach Polking at the peak of his career in shorts and jerseys. Tuan Tai must regularly play for Ho Chi Minh City Club to hope to have a chance to be selected for the national team. Although he joined U19 Vietnam in 2014 and U23 Vietnam (in 2016), Ho Tuan Tai's path to the national team is quite bumpy. Wish him to overcome himself in this Tan Suu year, soon to be on the field to compete in the new shirt./.