Following the Vietnamese national team's fantastic match, with Nguyen Xuan Son's brilliant debut, the FIFA World Cup page posted a very interesting status update: "Seeing Xuan Son means spring has arrived."
D OVERCROWDED AND STUFFY
Coach Kim Sang-sik gave Nguyen Xuan Son a starting spot as soon as the 27-year-old striker received FIFA permission to play for the Vietnamese national team. Although Xuan Son had never played for the national team before, his five years of development in the V-League and his training were enough for Coach Kim to give the Brazilian-born striker a chance to prove himself in the crucial match against Myanmar. Coach Kim also showed favoritism towards Xuan Son by including Van Vi and Van Toan in the starting lineup. These two players understand Xuan Son very well from their time playing together for Nam Dinh FC. This gave the naturalized striker extra support in his debut for the Vietnamese national team.
Portrait of Nguyen Xuan Son - the naturalized striker who has fans going crazy.
Nguyen Xuan Son scored two goals in his debut for the Vietnamese national team.
With Xuan Son, the Vietnamese national team's attacking face has changed dramatically. The arrival of a versatile striker, capable of both dribbling and holding up the ball, like the 1997-born forward, has given coach Kim Sang-sik's players more attacking options, from aerial balls and ground passes to attacks down the flanks and through the center. Xuan Son only needed 12 minutes to find the Myanmar goal twice, including a shoulder-to-shoulder move that "knocked away" the opposing defender before shooting wide of the post, reminiscent of Xuan Son's performances in the V-League.
Despite making his first start for the Vietnamese national team, the Brazilian-born player showed good chemistry with teammates like Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, and Van Toan. He moved cleverly to create opportunities for himself, as well as to pave the way for his teammates to attack. In the first 45 minutes alone, Xuan Son created four scoring opportunities.
Young striker Bui Vi Hao delivered an outstanding performance.
Two strikers scored.
However, the problem for the Vietnamese team in the previous match has not been resolved: their finishing ability. Defender Van Vi was the player who missed the most opportunities with two missed shots, including a moment where the Nam Dinh player's shot went wide of the post at the end of the first half, even though Xuan Son had done everything he could: dribbling and then setting up a perfect pass for his teammate to score.
HOW XUAN S ON PERFORMED
The second half became Xuan Son's own stage. He produced a delicate backheel pass to Van Toan, whose shot forced the Myanmar goalkeeper into a difficult save. He then received the ball and delivered a perfect cross for Vi Hao to score. In the 55th minute, Xuan Son was no longer behind the scenes but directly involved in the goal. His skillful feint, turning the ball smoothly to beat two Myanmar defenders before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot, encapsulated the essence of last season's V-League top scorer. His left-footed shot that found the back of the net in the 90th minute, followed by a through pass to Tien Linh for a one-on-one goal, completed Xuan Son's perfect debut (2 goals, 2 assists).
Teacher Kim was overjoyed.
Quang Hai and his teammates had a fantastic game.
Photo: Minh Tu
What's remarkable about the Brazilian striker is his seamless integration and understanding with his teammates. His burning desire to prove himself in the national team jersey over the past few months has fueled Xuan Son's immense motivation.
Besides Xuan Son, Coach Kim also received positive signals from several other players. Van Vi, despite missing an opportunity, played energetically on the left wing. The duo of Hoang Duc and Quang Hai controlled the game effectively, while Vi Hao and Van Toan both matched the attacking rhythm that demanded speed and penetrating ability. Quang Hai's stunning goal and Vi Hao's brilliant performance contributed to a colorful attacking display. With their inspiration returned, the Vietnamese national team will be very exciting to watch in the remainder of the AFF Cup.
We'll meet Singapore in the semi-finals.
The Vietnamese team finished the group stage at the top with 10 points (scoring 11 goals and conceding 2). In the semi-finals, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will face Singapore. The first leg will take place away from home at 8 PM on December 26th. Three days later, the two teams will meet again at Viet Tri Stadium, also at 8 PM. The Vietnamese team is unbeaten in their last four matches against Singapore (2 wins, 2 draws), scoring 2 goals and conceding none. Singapore's deep defense and sharp counter-attacking tactics will be a test of Vietnam's mettle in these two crucial matches.
In the other semi-final match, Thailand will face the Philippines. In the most notable match of the final round of Group B, Indonesia and the Philippines engaged in a back-and-forth battle at Manahan Stadium. The turning point came in the 42nd minute with a red card for Muhammad Ferrari of Indonesia. The Philippines pressed forward in the second half and scored the winning goal through Kristensen, eliminating the hosts from the AFF Cup.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/aff-cup-man-ra-mat-man-nhan-cua-nguyen-xuan-son-185241221234653851.htm
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