A warning at the National Cup
Striker Nguyen Xuan Son will be out of action for at least 8 months to recover from the injury he suffered in the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final. Xuan Son will not return until September at the earliest, meaning the 2024 – 2025 season is over. with this striker.
Nam Dinh Club is missing Xuan Son very much
Last season, Xuan Son scored 31 goals in 26 matches in the V-League, including many goals in important matches to pull the “ship” Nam Dinh towards the throne. Many fans were overwhelmed with what he did with the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024, but those who love Nam Dinh were not, because originally in the shirt of the Nam team, people had seen him carry the team like that. that’s it. The Brazilian-born striker is the highest-class player ever to appear in the V-League, with great influence: both scoring goals and connecting play, becoming a bridge to operate the attack, helping Nam Dinh Club. There are many solutions to improve the ball. He combined with Hendrio Araujo to create a duo that scored a total of 41 goals for Nam Dinh last season.
Xuan Son learns to walk
Xuan Son’s successful naturalization also helped Nam Dinh Club benefit. Coach Vu Hong Viet’s team has another foreign player to supplement its strength. At the beginning of this season, when Xuan Son “failed”, Nam Dinh Club also had a drought of goals in the V-League. But, when the Brazilian-born striker returned with 7 goals in the last 7 matches, the Southern team also rose again, winning 6 out of 7 matches in a row to climb to second place in the V-League, reaching the round of 16. AFC Champions League.
Having said that, Xuan Son’s injury is a big loss for Nam Dinh Club. In the National Cup match on January 9, the Nam Dinh team version without Xuan Son was defeated by Binh Duong Club at home. Coach Vu Hong Viet placed Joseph Mpande in the slot to replace Xuan Son. The Ugandan striker has sweeping power and powerful footwork. However, Mpande lacks the ability to link up in attack. He was lost, coordinated ineffectively with the midfielders and found himself in the siege of Binh Duong’s defense. Mpande ended a memorable day of competition when he missed the decisive penalty kick, leaving the Nam Dinh team disillusioned in the National Cup.
It’s hard to blame Mpande, because since he was playing for Hai Phong Club, this player has not played in any fixed position. He played center back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder and striker. This season, he also scored 4 goals in 11 matches, of which only 2 goals were in the V-League. The performance is not good enough to help Nam Dinh fans forget their nostalgia for Xuan Son.
What is coach Vu Hong Viet planning?
Coach Vu Hong Viet is having a headache in attack when Xuan Son, Hendrio and Van Toan are all absent. For a team like Nam Dinh that “makes up for its defense”, if it cannot maintain its offensive power, disaster can strike.
However, Nam Dinh Club still has a solution. Unlike Xuan Son, who has a long-term injury, Van Toan and Hendrio will soon return to increase the quality of the attack. The Lunar New Year break is a golden opportunity for coach Vu Hong Viet to recalculate his force and playing style, to make good use of existing people.
In addition, to serve the AFC Champions League, Nam Dinh Club has registered 7 foreign soldiers, of which Lucas Silva can play well in attack. Plus Mpande, Van Toan, Hendrio, Minh Tuan or Van Dat, Nam Dinh team still has the strongest attack in the V-League. This raw material capital is enough for Nam Dinh Club to rotate. It should be remembered that this season, teams that do not have good potential but are skillful in using people like Thanh Hoa, HAGL, and Ha Tinh are all reaping good results. Important is still the “captain’s” ability to calculate personnel.
In the next 5 matches, Nam Dinh Club faces a difficult schedule with rivals Thanh Hoa, The Cong Viettel, Binh Dinh, Hanoi in the V-League and Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the AFC Champions League. The absence of Xuan Son will significantly reduce their strength, but this is an opportunity for the home team at Thien Truong Stadium to prove that they are not dependent on any player.
