Xuan Son and the challenging journey back to the top

Xuan Son has returned to both the Vietnam national team and Nam Dinh Club, but he still needs more time to regain his peak form.

Started 90 minutes after 11 months of injury

In the match between Nam Dinh Steel Blue and Long An in the 1/8 round of the 2025/26 National Cup, coach Mauro Jeronimo surprised everyone by starting Xuan Son . The surprise was even greater when the 28-year-old striker played the full 90 minutes.

Although Xuan Son did not score, he played enthusiastically, along with his teammates, putting great pressure on the away team's goal. In this match, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh won 2-0, with goals from Brenner (71') and Lam Ti Phong (84').

Coach Mauro affirmed that his choice to use Xuan Son for the entire match was not a risky one. The new captain of Nam Dinh Steel Blue said: “He played 45 minutes in the match against Laos. In essence, if you look at that match, it is quite similar to the match between Nam Dinh and Long An .

Xuan Son in the match against Long An at the National Cup. Photo: TL

Xuan Son feels fine. This is very useful for the team, and I think for Vietnamese football as well. Son is healthy and has prepared himself very well for this comeback."

Thus, after playing 45 minutes in the match where Vietnam won 2-0 against Laos, Xuan Son played the full 90 minutes for the first time in the Nam Dinh Blue Steel shirt after nearly a year of absence due to injury. The fact that the Brazilian striker can play normally is good news for the club as well as the national team, creating a positive effect, but to return to his peak form, he must make more efforts.

At your best against Malaysia?

In the match where Vietnam won 2-0 against Laos in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, Xuan Son entered the field at the beginning of the second half, was assisted by his teammates to score a goal - giving up the penalty kick, opening the score for the Vietnam team.

According to experts, Xuan Son scored on the day of his return, but he still lacked ball feel, even being "shy" in the tackles. That is normal for a player who has just returned after a serious injury.

Xuan Son needs time to get into his best form. Photo: Hai Hoang

Commentator Quang Tung commented that Xuan Son is not in the best form. He needs more matches to reach the same physical condition as before the injury.

In the match where Thep Xanh won Long An 2-0, Xuan Son was able to score despite playing from the start, being provided with a lot of the ball and the opponent was only a First Division team. If he had faced a really tough opponent, the 28-year-old striker might have had more trouble.

Xuan Son's performance in the last two matches was a great effort for his return, but clearly Xuan Son has many challenges ahead, as he has been away from football for too long. Fans hope that in the next 4 months, when Xuan Son can play more regularly in the National Cup, V-League, regional and continental tournaments, he will return to his best in the match between Vietnam and Malaysia in March 2026.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/xuan-son-va-hanh-trinh-tro-lai-dinh-cao-nhieu-thu-thach-2466052.html