Two Golden Balls and the confrontation of adults

The match between Ho Chi Minh City Police and Ninh Binh in round 11 of V.League 2025 on the evening of November 9 was not only a thrilling score chase with 7 goals scored, but also a clash between two contemporary Vietnamese football icons Nguyen Tien Linh and Nguyen Hoang Duc.

One is the current Vietnamese Golden Ball 2024, the other has won this noble title twice in 2021 and 2023.

When two leaders meet

At Thong Nhat Stadium, Tien Linh and Hoang Duc are the spiritual locomotives for each home team, representing two different development directions of Vietnamese players. A striker is transforming into an all-round striker, and an organizing midfielder has reached maturity in tactical thinking.

Hoang Duc and Tien Linh are currently the most outstanding captains in V.League.

Hoang Duc was the winner of this confrontation when he scored a goal for himself. He had the advantage of being surrounded by a team of evenly matched satellites, and Ninh Binh Club built a coherent control style of play.

Meanwhile, Tien Linh was the only striker, also taking on the task of supporting defense, even having to follow Hoang Duc in the midfield area.

This difference reflects a very different image of Tien Linh, not just waiting for the ball in the penalty area, but willing to do everything to keep the team in rhythm. That transformation is a clear manifestation of a player who is going through the stage of simply "scoring goals" to become a true leader.

Two Golden Balls, two paths

If looking at the statistics, Hoang Duc is better than his teammate in the national team. After 11 matches in V.League 2025, the midfielder born in 1998 scored 5 goals, assisted 3 times, always showing the appearance of a conductor who can "control" the attack tempo and make a difference himself.

On the contrary, Tien Linh has only scored 3 goals, but surprisingly stands out in his defensive ability: an average of 0.7 clearances and 1.9 successful aerial duels per match. His effective defensive participation rate is up to more than 60%, surpassing Hoang Duc's 52.6%. A striker who can support the back line to that extent shows a rare fighting spirit and sense of sacrifice.

Hoang Duc has led the way for Ninh Binh Club through 35 unbeaten matches from the First Division to V.League.

Both players, in their own way, are showing maturity in their playing style. Hoang Duc is experienced, cool and controls the game with a modern football mindset. Tien Linh is persistent, disciplined and willing to do more than what is expected of a striker.

Behind the statistics is the story of two of the most typical domestic leaders of Vietnamese football at present, but they meet at the common point of will and influence in the locker room.

Courage and responsibility

When coach Gerard Albadalejo said after the match that “not many people like Ninh Binh FC”, he actually implicitly admitted that his team plays a type of football that makes opponents uncomfortable, and a type of football led by Hoang Duc. On the other hand, Cong An TP.HCM may have lost, but Tien Linh is still the biggest spiritual support, as he constantly encourages his teammates even though they miss opportunities.

Two Golden Balls in two consecutive years, two different styles, but aiming for the same common value of professionalism and the desire to improve. Both Hoang Duc and Tien Linh show that they are not slowed down by the title, but are entering a new phase of their careers.

Where character is tested not only by numbers, but also by influence and responsibility towards the team. That is the true measure of those who have passed through the limelight.

Source: https://znews.vn/hai-qua-bong-vang-va-cuoc-doi-dau-cua-nhung-nguoi-truong-thanh-post1601461.html