'Mr. Ta' Nguyen Xuan Son officially had his first training session with the Vietnamese team

Nguyen Xuan Son has arrived!

Striker Nguyen Xuan Son had his first training session with the Vietnamese national team, taking place on December 6 in Laos. He and his two teammates Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Van Vi from Nam Dinh Club joined the team last night (December 5), after finishing the AFC Champions League 2 journey.

Xuan Son wears the Vietnamese national team jersey for the first time

Brazilian striker gives interview, attracts media attention

The 27-year-old striker was welcomed by the whole team in the most special way, as he was the first naturalized player after many years playing for the national team. From being a "Westerner", Xuan Son has now become a "Vietnamese": speaking Vietnamese, learning to sing the national anthem and dedicating himself to the colors of Vietnam.

During the training session, Xuan Son quickly demonstrated his integration and professional level as a player who has broken many scoring records in the V-League. He was assigned to play as a center forward, performing well in passing, controlling, moving and shooting exercises.

Xuan Son was named by coach Kim Sang-sik to the AFF Cup 2024 squad after receiving Vietnamese citizenship. The International Football Federation (FIFA) has also granted permission for Xuan Son to participate in the AFF Cup 2024 starting on December 21. Most likely, the striker born in 1997 will debut in front of fans in the match against Myanmar, taking place at 8:00 p.m. at Viet Tri Stadium.

Xuan Son moved to Vietnam to play football since the 2020 season, when he was still called Rafaelson (Brazilian nationality). He has played in the V-League for 5 years, wearing the shirts of many teams such as Nam Dinh, Da Nang , Binh Dinh. Last season, Xuan Son shone with 31 goals in 26 matches, helping Nam Dinh Club win the V-League championship.

Before joining the Vietnam national team, Xuan Son was in impressive form, scoring 8 goals in the last 4 matches for Nam Dinh FC. He has everything a striker needs: the ability to fight independently, press, maneuver and finish well in tight spaces, and is also impressive at long-range shots and headers.

His aggressive playing style gives Nguyen Xuan Son an attacking foundation that surpasses domestic strikers. Coach Kim needs such a "Mr. Ta" to confront defenders of European origin that the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and even Cambodia increasingly favor.

Perhaps for a player who has played in the V-League for 5 years and has an independent playing style like Xuan Son, adaptation is not a problem.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has a "treasure". How to use Xuan Son effectively will be a problem that the Vietnamese team will consider in the next few days.

Xuan Son has played for many years in V-League so he is expected to soon integrate into the Vietnam national team.

Vietnam team builds framework

On the afternoon of December 5, coach Kim Sang-sik finalized the list of 26 players for the Vietnamese team attending the AFF Cup 2024.

VFF posted information: "7 players had to say goodbye to the team including goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, midfielder Phan Van Duc, Nguyen Van Truong, Tran Bao Toan, Nguyen Thai Son, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Quoc Viet. Among the 7 players mentioned above, the most regrettable case is Dang Van Lam because this goalkeeper could not recover from his injury in time to ensure his position in the Vietnam team's squad.

List of Vietnam team

The remaining players, except for Phan Van Duc and Tran Bao Toan, who are over 23 years old, are all young players with great potential for development. Being given the opportunity to train with the national team will help them accumulate valuable experience, thereby gradually striving to become a quality successor for the future, including the 2026 AFC U-23 Qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games, which will take place in 2025."

The Vietnamese team will have 3 days of training in Laos, before entering the opening match against host Laos at 8:00 p.m. on December 9.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-ta-nguyen-xuan-son-chinh-thuc-tap-buoi-dau-tien-cung-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185241205180559528.htm