Xuan Son was injured and the loss was too great
After suffering a serious injury in the 2024 AFF Cup final second leg against the Thai team, Xuan Son had surgery with the most advanced techniques and technology. The striker’s current condition is considered positive. However, the striker on the staff of Nam Dinh Club will likely take up to 8 months to return to the field. That’s not even taking into account the fact that he needs more time to regain the feeling of competition and confidence…
Xuan Son and Tien Linh played well together at AFF Cup 2024
If Xuan Son recovers quickly, he may only miss the first two matches of the Vietnamese team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the unfortunate event that happens, coach Kim Sang-sik may not have the services of striker for much of the campaign. Therefore, Korean strategists need to prepare for alternatives.
It is impossible to deny Xuan Son’s great influence on the Vietnamese team. The numbers show that clearly. 7 goals in 5 matches is an impressive achievement. Thanks to that, he also won the title of Top Scorer and Best Player of the tournament.
However, coach Kim Sang-sik does not need to worry too much.
Tien Linh is in good form
Currently, this strategist is still in the hands of Tien Linh, the best domestic striker currently. The striker of Binh Duong Club is not as comprehensive as Xuan Son, but he also has the ability to run intelligently, sharp shooting and the ability to play with his feet and organize the play better.
Including 2024, Tien Linh directly contributed (scoring and assisting) to 26 goals. This number surpasses a series of attacking stars in Vietnamese football such as Tuan Hai (16 goals) and Quang Hai (15 goals). He also only needs 1 more goal to reach the 100 goal mark when competing at the team level. At the AFF Cup 2024 alone, Tien Linh also had 4 goals and 2 assists. Looking more broadly, Tien Linh is the player who scores the most goals for the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang-sik with 7 goals (4 goals in AFF Cup 2024, 2 goals against the Philippines, 1 goal against the Philippines). Thailand), on par with Xuan Son.
Will Tien Linh fill the void left by Son?
PHOTO: FB NGUYEN TIEN LINH
In the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, each group has only one place in the final round. Therefore, the Vietnamese team must not make mistakes and take the top spot in the table. At first glance, this is a fairly simple task for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team because their opponents in the same group are Malaysia, Nepal and Laos. However, these opponents are not simple.
The Laos team is making certain progress, and after the confrontation in the AFF Cup 2024 group stage, coach Ha Hyeok-jun and his team will certainly learn a lot to become more annoying and more stubborn towards their opponents. Vietnam team as well as other competitors. Meanwhile, the Malaysian team has appointed a new coach, Peter Cklamovski. This strategist used to work as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant at the Australian team and won the Asian Cup with the team in 2015.
Therefore, coach Kim Sang-sik always needs the shine of his pillars to overcome difficulties. And in the context of Xuan Son’s injury, Tien Linh will receive many expectations.
