Why can't Tuan Hai take advantage of Xuan Son's "gap"?

Striker disappears in the rain of goals

More than 2 months after winning the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team started the cycle called the Asian Cup qualifiers. The "King" of Southeast Asia faced 2 neighboring opponents in the region, Laos and Cambodia. It is not surprising that the class of the Vietnamese team was shown in these 2 matches, with 7 goals scored. Notably, all 7 goals scored by the "Golden Star Warriors", the strikers chosen by coach Kim Sang Sik including Tien Linh, Tuan Hai, Vi Hao and Thanh Binh did not put their names on the scoreboard.

Tuan Hai played extremely well in the final against Thailand.

The cases of Vi Hao and Thanh Binh can be temporarily ignored. Because Vi Hao is young and purely plays on the wing in the supporting role. Thanh Binh is just a reserve player who tends to disrupt the opponent's defense. However, the fact that the two strikers who play the role of "scoring goals" for the Vietnam National Team, Tien Linh and Tuan Hai, have not scored is something that makes coach Kim Sang Sik worried. Remember, at the recent 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball Gala, Tuan Hai and Tien Linh were 2 of the 3 best players. It should also be emphasized that they are the top domestic strikers in the past 2 years, in terms of the number of goals scored at both the national team and club levels.

However, unlike Tien Linh, Tuan Hai is at a disadvantage in both position and time on the field for the Vietnam national team under coach Kim Sang Sik. In the match against Cambodia, the striker born in 1998 only played the entire first half. The position assigned to him by the Korean coach was only left winger. Meanwhile, the highest player on the Vietnam national team's attack line at that time was Nguyen Quang Hai, a player who had played quite deep in midfield at the Hanoi Police Club this season.

In the match against Laos, Tuan Hai also had to sit on the bench until the 81st minute. And in the few 9 minutes he was on Go Dau field, he also had to share the center forward position with Dinh Thanh Binh - who was chosen by coach Kim Sang Sik to replace Tien Linh, when the match was already decided.

Without many opportunities, both in terms of time and position, it is not difficult to explain why Tuan Hai has not been able to meet the expectations of replacing Xuan Son, as fans envisioned.

Need a touch of trust

The story of Tuan Hai not playing as a striker now needs to be turned back to 5-6 years ago. At that time, he and his old club Hong Linh Ha Tinh were promoted to V.League. Due to the team's priority in choosing foreign strikers, this striker had to accept sacrificing his favorite role as a striker. Coach Pham Minh Duc, who understands Tuan Hai very well, witnessed how this player tried to transform himself, from a "goal scorer" to a supporting role on one wing.

"Before 2020, letting Hai play as a midfielder was a waste. Because Tuan Hai's weakest point is passing, crossing, and opening the ball. Until now, that is still Tuan Hai's weakness," coach Pham Minh Duc shared with the press. "But when Ha Tinh team had a foreign striker, I told him: If you play as a striker, there is no position. You have to go to the wing. If you have physical strength, be willing to compete, be willing to defend, and be willing to rush forward when counter-attacking."

Mr. Minh Duc continued: "Hai started to do well. The 3-4-3 formation with a diamond midfield block with Hai as the top was effective. There were also times when he played as a winger and dropped back to support the full-back. With a good physical foundation, Tuan Hai could stab forward to create decisive situations. In 2021, Ha Tinh returned to the 4-1-4-1 formation. Hong Linh Ha Tinh's flank was reinforced with Phi Son and Quach Tan. Tuan Hai was asked to kick the opponent's defender's armpit. Obviously, Hai's position is more diverse, although his skill set remains the same, only developing more in his strengths".

After moving to Hanoi FC, Tuan Hai continued to play as a winger. The fact that Tuan Hai played wide and took on this role somewhat narrowed his goal-scoring instinct. After more than 3 seasons, Tuan Hai scored 21 goals in V.League. This number is not small, but not much either. In the Vietnam National Team, Tuan Hai played nearly 30 matches. But he only scored 4 goals for the "Golden Star Warriors". Remember, Nguyen Van Vi - a defender of the same era, also matured at the Hanoi training center like Tuan Hai, scored 4 goals for the Vietnam National Team, even though he only "ate the national team's rice" 11 times.

Coach Kim Sang Sik's use of players may be an objective reason. But the subjective nature of Tuan Hai's goal-scoring instinct means that he himself needs to practice more in the story of "sniffing" in front of the opponent's goal. Fans need to see Tuan Hai as sharp as he played in the second leg final against Thailand at the AFF Cup 2024. In the 8th minute at Rajamangala Stadium, Tuan Hai only needed one touch to lift the ball over the Thai goalkeeper's head, starting a memorable victory with the "Golden Star Warriors".

In addition, in that match, Xuan Son was injured and could not play in the entire second half. Tuan Hai himself contributed significantly to the turning point goal, when he put pressure on defender Pansa Hemviboon to score an own goal. The image of a dynamic, effective and courageous Tuan Hai at that time helped fans expect that he would fill the position left by Xuan Son, from now until September 2025.

However, he missed the opportunity in the last 2 matches with the Vietnam National Team, when he could not bring the expected expectations. Anyway, Tuan Hai still has matches with Hanoi Club in front of him. He will also have 1 more training session with the Vietnam National Team in June. That is an opportunity mixed with a challenge for "little" Hai to hope to put his name on the scoreboard!

Touch to Glory

On the occasion of signing a contract with a shoe company in Vietnam, Tuan Hai also shared about himself. He shared: "In football, the result of a match or an entire campaign is sometimes decided by just one touch. It could be a shot, a block or an accurate pass, all of which can change everything on the field. One touch can change everything, bring glory, but to have that touch is a journey of effort and persistent training accumulated in advance".

Tuan Hai is also cherishing the dream of playing football abroad. Specifically, Japan. In the contract signed with Hanoi FC, Hai "little" also has a clause hoping that the capital team will create conditions for him to join a J.League club, for at least 1 season. He believes that will be a turning point to further improve himself...

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/vi-sao-tuan-hai-chua-the-tan-dung-khoang-trong-xuan-son--i763288/