Tien Linh plays with Xuan Son, why not!

Vietnam team strengthens attack

After the World Football Federation (FIFA) allowed Nguyen Xuan Son to play for the Vietnamese national team in the 2024 AFF Cup from December 21, coach Kim Sang-sik will call up this naturalized striker to assemble the squad.

Nam Dinh FC will play the final match of the AFC Champions League group stage on December 4. On December 5, Xuan Son will join the team. He will have about 2 weeks of training, integrating with his new teammates and the tactical system of coach Kim Sang-sik, preparing for his debut for the Vietnam national team, which may come in the match against Myanmar at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) in the final round of Group B.

Nguyen Xuan Son prepares to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey

Nguyen Xuan Son's class has been widely recognized in the V-League. The striker born in 1997 has contributed here for 5 years, peaking in the 2023-2024 season with 31 goals after 26 matches in the V-League, breaking many records such as the player with the most goals in the entire tournament, or the second player in history to score 4 goals in 1 match.

His aggressive style of play, ability to fight one-on-one and independent handling are qualities that Nguyen Xuan Son excels at most domestic strikers. He can play the role of target man, becoming the main destination for passes from the back, then holding the ball back to open up space for teammates or independently handling the ball in the penalty area.

The Vietnamese team has long lacked a "fighter" who is good at shielding the ball and can play with his back to the goal. With an ideal physique, impressive muscles and good balance, Nguyen Xuan Son is everything coach Kim Sang-sik has been missing.

Xuan Son is familiar with the playing rhythm in Vietnam.

Combining Xuan Son and Tien Linh?

With Xuan Son and Tien Linh, coach Kim Sang-sik will have two strikers who have scored a total of 14 goals in the V-League since the beginning of the tournament.

Each striker has his own strengths. While Xuan Son has strength and versatility, Tien Linh understands his teammates and has proven his qualities in the Southeast Asian arena.

Tien Linh and Xuan Son can create a race for a starting position, but can also become an effective "double-barreled gun" for the Vietnamese team.

Coach Kim Sang-sik once deployed a 3-5-2 formation, with Tien Linh playing the role of center forward and Tuan Hai playing as a defender. This is also the style of play that previous coaches such as Park Hang-seo and Philippe Troussier tried.

Tien Linh is increasingly improving his playing style.

With Xuan Son, the center forward position of the Vietnamese team will be taken on by an elite player. And behind Xuan Son, Tien Linh and Tuan Hai are both ready. Tien Linh can take advantage of his ability to create walls and run to attract teammates to hunt for space, while Tuan Hai is familiar with playing behind foreign strikers, having performed well at both Hanoi FC and Ha Tinh FC.

However, placing two good strikers on the field does not mean... doubling the ability to score goals. If the arrangement is not skillful, coach Kim Sang-sik may fall into the "rut" of Binh Duong Club in V-League 2023. That was the season Binh Duong had both Tien Linh and Rimario, but because of the unskillful arrangement, both of them stepped on each other's toes and played ineffectively.

Tien Linh has improved. He no longer sticks to the penalty area, but can drop deep to support his teammates in "dealing cards". This is a good suggestion for coach Kim Sang-sik to make the most of the factors he has at hand.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-tien-linh-da-cap-cung-xuan-son-tai-sao-khong-185241203073506534.htm