Immediately upon returning from a serious injury, Xuan Son scored for Nam Dinh Steel and the Vietnamese national team. Everyone rejoiced that the strongest striker, who had contributed significantly to the Nam Dinh team's V-League championship and helped the Vietnamese national team reclaim the Southeast Asian championship, would continue to play an irreplaceable leading role. However, time seemed to be against him. His physical condition had not fully recovered; his movements and tackles were somewhat hesitant and cautious, his ball control wasn't sharp enough, and his shots lacked confidence...

Xuan Son's physical condition has not fully recovered, so his ball control is not as sharp as it could be. Photo: baolamdong.vn

What happened to Dinh Bac was the opposite of what happened to Xuan Son. After scoring the opening goal for the Vietnam U22 team to win the SEA Games gold medal, leading the Vietnam U23 team to victory in the Southeast Asian Championship, and securing third place in the Asian Championship where he won the "Top Scorer" award, Dinh Bac returned to his club and went scoreless. The reason is that the V-League is fiercely competitive, making it difficult for young players to break through, let alone achieve great things. But then, suddenly, Dinh Bac shone, not just in one match, but in six consecutive matches. Of course, nothing happens suddenly. The most overarching reason is that coach Polking and his teammates believed that if he continued to play, continued to receive support, and continued to receive passes that conveyed confidence, Dinh Bac would score.

The passes from Le Pham Thanh Long and Quang Hai; the crosses from Le Van Do, Minh Phuc, Mauk, and Artur; the through passes from the defenders... Especially, the short passes right near and inside the penalty area between Quang Hai and Dinh Bac put the ball at his feet in a very promising way. That's the essence of teamwork, one person for the whole team and the whole team for one person. When Alan played as a striker, he also received excellent passes. When both Alan and Dinh Bac were playing together, they played for each other. It's worth mentioning the situation where Dinh Bac argued with Alan over taking the penalty kick in the recent match against Dong A Thanh Hoa. Interestingly, after Alan successfully converted the penalty, Dinh Bac rushed to congratulate him. A step towards maturity, an opportunity to clarify individual responsibility and teamwork. It's also worth adding that the collective play of Hanoi Police FC is becoming increasingly cohesive, with a balance between the defense and attack. The mistakes made by goalkeeper Nguyen Filip and defenders Viet Anh and Van Hau have significantly decreased... The progress of younger players like Thanh Long and Minh Phuc is more evident with each match, and the cohesion between domestic and foreign players is becoming tighter and smoother. Because of this, attacking the defense and scoring goals comes not only from the forwards but also from midfielders and defenders...

While Dinh Bac excelled in his team, Xuan Son's performances at Thep Xanh Nam Dinh club have become increasingly disheartening. Disjointed play in both defense and attack, inaccurate passes, turnovers, and shots off target have left both sides frustrated. Who will provide the ball and support for Xuan Son? Who will share the attacking burden with him? This problem of firepower requires a lot of data and many options. For example, in the past, Hoang Hen (Hendrio) and Xuan Son were a formidable duo at Thep Xanh Nam Dinh club. In the last two seasons, no one has been able to match Xuan Son's chemistry as well. Remembering Hoang Hen's perfectly accurate pass that led to Xuan Son's header against Malaysia, contributing to Vietnam's qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup, makes the hope of Xuan Son's return very real. The way the national team operates facilitates this. And at the club, reform in collective play is inevitable. The fact that Thep Xanh Nam Dinh has initially released five foreign players is the first sign of this. But this team still has much more to do. Does coach Vu Hong Viet have the talent and credibility to lead this radical transformation, or will a new strategist emerge?

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/trong-nuoc/bai-toan-hoa-luc-1040840