Vietnamese defender joins AFC Champions League Team of the Round

By Hoang An May 3, 2022 | 06:42 am PT

Nguyen Huu Tuan (below) fights for the ball with Australia's Anthony Caceres at an AFC Champions League match on May 1, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

Defender Nguyen Huu Tuan has become the second player of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) to be part of the Team of the Round during the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage.

Tuan, the only Southeast Asia-born player in the line-up, had greatly contributed to HAGL during their 1-0 win against Sydney FC on May 1. He has been called on by coach Park Hang-seo numerous times for training, but has never once played for the national team.

The 30-year-old footballer was born and raised in Da Nang. After finishing his youth training in his hometown, he played for Ho Chi Minh City in 2012, then HAGL in 2021. He played in the V-League for the first time in 2017, scoring two goals out of his 92 matches.

Before him, defender Vu Van Thanh also became part of the line-up thanks to his contribution in a 1-1 match against Sydney on April 19.

HAGL finished third in group H, followed by Sydney FC and behind South Korean champions Jeonbuk FC and Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos. They scored four goals and let their opponents score seven.