Waiting for Xuan Son's comeback

Exactly 10 months after being injured in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final, the day Xuan Son returned to the Vietnamese national team has come when he has recovered and is ready to face Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

For Xuan Son, nearly a year away from the football field is certainly not short. But for fans and especially coach Kim Sang Sik, the time that this naturalized striker has been absent is much longer.

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Xuan Son's return to the Vietnam team after injury is good news for coach Kim Sang Sik.

Since the ASEAN Cup 2024 top scorer was absent, the Vietnamese team has had a really hard time finding the opponent's net.

Therefore, this return is not only precious to Xuan Son but also has many meanings and expectations from the Korean captain and his teammates in the Vietnamese national team for this striker.

Don't expect too much

However, fans and coach Kim Sang Sik need to be sober to see the problem: Expectation is a driving force, but too much can be counterproductive.

It should be remembered that 10 months without playing at the highest level is a huge obstacle in terms of biology and ball feel for any player, not just Xuan Son.

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However, we should not expect too much from this striker when he returns.

Even after recovering and passing the medical tests, the distance from the training ground to the competition is very far. The sense of space, the rhythm of the competition and the connection with the surrounding satellites are not easy to find again after just a few training sessions.

More importantly, Xuan Son needs time to get used to the impact pressure again, and the muscular system needs time to adapt to the highest intensity of movement.

Putting pressure on Xuan Son to score and shine in his first match back would be unfair. Impatience can lead to bad moves, which can create a heavy mentality, and even the risk of re-injury if he tries too hard is real.

Although the Laos team is not strong, they can play defensively, and it is normal for a newly returned striker to have difficulty maneuvering in a small area.

Therefore, consider the match against Laos as a gentle stepping stone. Do not focus on whether Xuan Son scores or not, but observe how this striker finds the feeling of integrating with the general playing style, before returning completely.

Xuan Son is the most valuable asset of the Vietnam team, and coach Kim Sang Sik and fans need the best version of this player in the 2027 Asian Cup instead of just the match with Laos.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-dau-tuyen-lao-dung-ky-vong-vao-xuan-son-2464074.html