Tien Linh or Tuan Hai?

Among the 4 strikers of the Vietnamese team this time, who will be the hero is the issue that fans are interested in.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has called up 23 Vietnamese players to prepare for the match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10 at Bukit Jalil Stadium. The attack line includes strikers Nguyen Tien Linh, Pham Tuan Hai, Dinh Thanh Binh and Nguyen Cong Phuong.

The main striker is in poor form.

The reigning Vietnam Golden Ball - Nguyen Tien Linh, is currently in the top 2 best scorers in the V-League this season, with 11 goals after 24 rounds, only 1 goal behind foreign player Lucao do Break (Hai Phong Club). At the national team level, Tien Linh is currently the second highest scorer in history, with 25 goals and only behind former player Le Cong Vinh. However, the captain of Binh Duong Club has been "silent" in the last 5 matches. The last time Tien Linh scored in the V-League was from a penalty kick in the 1-1 draw with Da Nang Club on April 13. Tien Linh's inexplicable decline in scoring efficiency has made experts doubt his ability to fulfill his duties in the upcoming Vietnam national team jersey.

Nguyen Tien Linh (left)'s decline in form has made the Vietnamese team's attack line fragile. (Photo: QUOC AN)

Tien Linh's performance is one of the issues that worries Mr. Kim and the coaching staff of the Vietnam team. "Tien Linh is a striker with an ideal physique, diverse finishing, and rich experience of the current Vietnam team. Compared to his teammates, Tien Linh is even better thanks to his ability to "fight in the air", compete or press. However, the feeling of scoring goals is very important for strikers. Not being able to finish successfully for a long time will also affect the player's mentality, creating pressure that makes it difficult for them to complete their tasks" - Coach Pham Minh Duc commented.

Hope for Tuan Hai

Compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the Vietnamese team lost many key strikers due to injuries such as Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Van Toan, and Bui Vi Hao. Instead, Coach Kim only added Nguyen Cong Phuong to this training session. However, Cong Phuong has never worked with Coach Kim Sang-sik, so he needs time to absorb and grasp the playing philosophy of the Korean coach.

At his home club, Cong Phuong plays in the attacking position on the left wing, similar to Van Toan and Vi Hao on the national team. Therefore, although he is leading the list of "Top scorers" of the First Division this season, the striker born in 1995 still cannot shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals for the Vietnamese team like Nguyen Xuan Son did brilliantly in his first time playing in the ASEAN Cup.

In terms of current form, only Pham Tuan Hai is qualified to be named in the starting lineup of the Vietnam national team. After a period of rest to recover from an injury, the Hanoi FC striker has regained his top "goal-scoring" instinct.

In the 24th round of V-League, Tuan Hai contributed 1 goal and 1 assist to help Hanoi FC beat Hanoi Police despite having to play with one less player. This result also ignited the capital team's chance to win the V-League.

"The fact that Xuan Son and Van Toan have not been able to return has made the Vietnamese team's attack line fragile and undermanned. Meanwhile, Tien Linh has not found his form yet, making it even more difficult for the Vietnamese team's attack line, especially when facing a team that plays tightly, is tough and has many tall naturalized players like Malaysia" - football expert Doan Minh Xuong said.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tien-linh-hay-tuan-hai-196250528214338882.htm