Former Song Lam Nghe An goalkeeper Tran Van Tien: When will I no longer be considered a 'surplus' player?
As of this point in the 2024/2025 season, former SLNA goalkeeper Tran Van Tien has yet to play a single match for his current club, Ho Chi Minh City FC.
At the end of the 2023/2024 season, the goalkeeper from Do Luong district had to say goodbye.Lam River, Nghe AnAfter 14 years of dedication, during his time serving his hometown team (2017-2024), Tran Van Tien's familiar position was on the substitutes' bench. According to statistics, Tran Van Tien only made a mere 17 appearances with a total playing time of 1,530 minutes.
However, things are not going so well for the 1994-born goalkeeper at his new club, Ho Chi Minh City FC. Specifically, Tran Van Tien is constantly being benched, watching his teammates play. This is understandable, as coach Phung Thanh Phuong already has two very famous goalkeepers in Patrik Le Giang and Bui Tien Dung.
In many respects, Tran Van Tien is not as highly regarded as the two goalkeepers mentioned above. While Patrik Le Giang is currently one of the best goalkeepers in the V.League, Bui Tien Dung, along with the Vietnam U23 team, created a sensation at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship. Clearly, according to coach Phung Thanh Phuong's order of priority, Tran Van Tien must be ranked behind his two teammates.
Based on the squad list for the last six matches in the V.League 2024/2025 of Ho Chi Minh City FC, it's clear that Tran Van Tien has consistently been relegated to the role of a "surplus" player. Evidence of this is that the 30-year-old goalkeeper was only selected twice by coach Phung Thanh Phuong as a backup option for Patrik Le Giang (in the match against The Cong - Viettel and the match against Song Lam Nghe An).
With Ho Chi Minh City FC being eliminated from the National Cup (losing to Phu Dong Ninh Binh in the qualifying round), Tran Van Tien's chances of playing have become even slimmer. It seems the former Song Lam Nghe An goalkeeper still can't change his fate, even after joining Ho Chi Minh City FC. Hopefully, Tran Van Tien will continue to work hard in training.
Overall, Ho Chi Minh City FC is not a "lucky place" for former Song Lam Nghe An players. In the past, apart from Ngo Hoang Thinh, other players also failed to achieve success in the colors of the Thong Nhat Stadium team, notably Tran Phi Son and Ho Tuan Tai, the player currently on the roster of Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc in the National First Division.
