Vietnam's Golden Ball 2024: Tien Linh dominates Hoang Duc and Tuan Hai.

One day before the 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball award ceremony, the top three nominees were revealed. Compared to his two teammates in the Vietnamese national team, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Pham Tuan Hai, striker Nguyen Tien Linh has a slight edge in terms of achievements.

The fact that Nguyen Xuan Son was not eligible for inclusion in the voting list makes this year's Golden Ball race unpredictable. No other player stood out completely in the V.League or during the Vietnamese national team's AFF Cup winning campaign.

Based solely on individual performance statistics, Nguyen Tien Linh is superior to his two competitors. The striker, born in 1997, has scored a total of 23 goals for Binh Duong club and the Vietnamese national team. Except for Nguyen Xuan Son, no other Vietnamese player has scored more goals than Tien Linh.

Tien Linh has a strong chance of winning the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award.

The 27-year-old striker still faces much criticism from fans for his clumsy handling of the ball and missed opportunities. However, it cannot be denied that he was still the best striker for the Vietnamese national team before Xuan Son arrived. In the V.League - where most teams rely on foreign strikers - Tien Linh is one of the rare domestic players who plays the role of the main striker.

Pham Tuan Hai is also a consistent performer in the V.League and the Vietnamese national team. However, the Hanoi FC player has shown signs of fatigue in the final months of the year, as the new season begins. In the first 9 rounds of the 2024-2025 V.League season, Tuan Hai only played in 7 matches and scored 1 goal.

At the 2024 AFF Cup, Tuan Hai made important contributions to two goals in the second leg of the final, but overall throughout the tournament, the striker was not a key player for the Vietnamese national team. He only played 38 minutes in the first seven matches, ranking behind even his younger teammate Bui Vi Hao in coach Kim Sang-sik's selection.

Meanwhile, Hoang Duc hasn't been particularly outstanding in the V.League. Compared to Tien Linh or Tuan Hai at the club level, the reigning Vietnamese Golden Ball winner is clearly at a disadvantage. The only area where he surpasses his two rivals is his performance with the national team. Hoang Duc is an irreplaceable player for the Vietnamese national team under coach Kim Sang-sik.

At the 2024 AFF Cup, the midfielder had a poor start but quickly regained his top form and played outstandingly in midfield. He started 7 out of 8 matches, only being substituted twice (both after the 70th minute, when the Vietnamese team had already secured the win). However, this breakthrough in a short tournament may not be enough to help Hoang Duc make up for his previous "low" period.

Overall, Tien Linh has consistently delivered strong performances and statistics throughout the year for both his club and the Vietnamese national team. The Binh Duong striker has a great chance to win the Vietnamese Golden Ball award for the first time in his career.

TIEU MINH - Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/qua-bong-vang-viet-nam-2024-tien-linh-ap-dao-hoang-duc-tuan-hai-ar928087.html