Phan Tuan Tai has had a year full of ups and downs in 2023. The defender born in 2001 was promoted directly from U.23 Vietnam to the national team by coach Philippe Troussier, becoming a mainstay when he continuously played from the friendly matches, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to the 2023 Asian Cup. During the short 1-year period under Mr. Troussier's leadership, Tuan Tai, along with Nguyen Thai Son and Vo Minh Trong, were the rare U.23 names given the opportunity. At The Cong Viettel Club, Tuan Tai also participated in 20 matches in V-League 2023 and 14 matches this season.
Tuan Tai (12) has 1 year of training in the Vietnam team
However, for the 23-year-old defender, the past period cannot be said to be a professional boost. Because although the number of matches played has increased rapidly, the quality of Tuan Tai's matches has not met the requirements. In the Vietnamese national team, Tuan Tai is assigned to play as a left-wing center-back, which is not his forte. Playing as a left-wing center-back in a 3-man defense, Tuan Tai has shown weaknesses in his one-on-one skills, one-on-one defense, and coordination in keeping positions. Coach Troussier assigned Tuan Tai to play as a left-wing center-back to have a passer in the defense, making it more convenient to deploy the ball. However, with a thin physique and poor stretching ability, this is not a promised land for this defender to improve.
The optimal lineup of U.23 Vietnam for the 2024 U.23 Asian Cup finals
However, in the upcoming 2024 U.23 Asian Cup, it is likely that Tuan Tai will return to his favorite left wing. This is the position that brought the 23-year-old defender to the light. In the 2022 U.23 Asian Cup, Tuan Tai left his mark on 3 out of 5 goals of U.22 Vietnam, with 1 goal and 2 assists. Tuan Tai's attacking ability is confirmed with very flexible and "weird" crosses on the wing, which he has also shown in the Vietnamese team, but not regularly. Although the player of The Cong Viettel Club has not stood out this season, playing regularly alongside seniors such as Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc... helps Tuan Tai maintain a good physical foundation to meet the heavy workload of a winger and accumulate significant competition experience.
Phan Tuan Tai (right)
In the context of full-back Minh Trong not playing, Tuan Tai will bring an attacking option to the left flank. This is also where coach Hoang Anh Tuan has notable players such as Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Quoc Viet. In the U.20 Vietnam team participating in the 2023 U.20 Asian Cup, the left wing role was once assigned to Van Khang. However, the former U.19 Vietnam captain is likely to be promoted to play attacking football (as a winger) or play as a central midfielder to promote his "card-dealing" ability, demonstrating his creativity with the left wing extremely skillfully.
Although they built the team with the same philosophy of encouraging players to confidently hold the ball and deploy the play like Mr. Troussier, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan still has typical differences in tactics. The strategist from Khanh Hoa still prioritizes defensive counter-attacking play, strengthening the defense and developing "pieces" of lightning-fast transitions based on groups of players who already have good understanding. With Tuan Tai, Van Khang or Thai Son - young factors who have affirmed themselves at many levels, U.23 Vietnam will have enough firepower to deploy attacking tactics.
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