Ho Tuan Tai joins the national team and Coach Park's calculations

The reason for saying it's surprising is because recently, the form of the player born in 1995 has not been really good. After 209 minutes of playing in V.League 2021,Ho Tuan Taihas yet to score or assist a goal. So why did coach Park Hang-seo give the former SLNA striker a chance?

First of all, it must be affirmed that Ho Tuan Tai is considered one of the most dangerous strikers in Vietnamese football. What he has achieved in the SLNA shirt at V.League 2019 (8 goals) and V.League 2020 (5 goals) is clear proof. He is the leader of the attack of U19 Vietnam (2014) and U22 Vietnam (2017).

It is worth mentioning that it is very rare for the 26-year-old player to play in his best position - striker. During his years playing for SLNA, Ho Tuan Tai often had to take on the role of left winger and right winger. Because the striker position (striker) is always given priority by SLNA's coaching board to foreign strikers.

Ho Tuan Tai (No. 21) in the U22 Vietnam jersey. Photo: Hai Dang

Now Ho Tuan Tai is called up to the national team, where there are no foreign players. Surely in the upcoming training session (starting from August 23), the former SLNA player will beCoach Park Hang-seoarranged to play in the highest position on the attack line, just like in the last meeting in December. This is a great opportunity for Ho Tuan Tai to win the trust of coach Park.

With the decision to call up Ho Tuan Tai, the Korean strategist is implementing a plan to renew the team's attack. Observing the playing style of the Vietnam team in the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia, it can be seen that the burden of scoring goals is on the shoulders of striker Nguyen Tien Linh.

In addition to the striker currently playing for B.Binh Duong, Ha Duc Chinh, Nguyen Van Toan, Phan Van Duc and Nguyen Cong Phuong have not met expectations. To avoid over-reliance on Nguyen Tien Linh's scoring ability and avoid being caught by opponents, coach Park Hang-seo must have new plans.

Nguyen Tien Linh will have another competitor in the center forward position. Photo: AFC

In many aspects, Ho Tuan Tai is not as highly regarded as Nguyen Tien Linh in terms of his ability to press and fight in the air. However, the former SLNA player is very strong in his ability to move without the ball, choose a position to shoot and is good at maneuvering in a small space. In general, the playing styles of Ho Tuan Tai and Nguyen Tien Linh do not have many similarities.

Therefore, the appearance of Ho Tuan Tai will help coach Park have more options at important times. The player wearing the number 10 shirt of Ho Chi Minh City Club not only acts as a backup for Nguyen Tien Linh in the striker position, but also creates healthy competition for the top position in the attack of the Vietnam National Team.