1 year ago, after losing 0-4 to Malaysia in the first leg of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Nguyen Xuan Son was not yet able to play, but posted a short status on his personal page: "March 31, 2026".
At that time, this message was understood as a milestone that the striker born in 1997 set for himself, aiming for the rematch with the opponent. It was both the goal of returning to the pitch and the commitment to participate and make a mark in an important match.
After 1 year, that milestone has become a reality. In the second leg match taking place at Thien Truong Stadium tonight (March 31), the Vietnamese team won 3-1 against Malaysia and Xuan Son scored a double.
Notably, this performance took place 1 day after his birthday, creating a clear personal mark at a special time.
Xuan Son's two goals both came from aerial duels. In the 51st minute, from a deployment on the right wing, the ball was put into the penalty area for him to finish with his head from close range, increasing the score to 2-0 for Vietnam.
Just a few minutes later, this striker continued to take advantage of a cross from the wing to complete a double, helping the home team increase the gap to 3-0. Both goals showed Xuan Son's ability to choose positions and handle skillfully in the penalty area.
Before the match, many people questioned Xuan Son's fitness after a period of injury treatment, including weight and rhythm of competition.
Answering press interviews after the victory over Malaysia, Xuan Son expressed: "I have tried very hard for this. This goal has many emotions. Many people say it's not good about my body, but I've been doing it all the time, with 40 goals in 2 seasons. This season there are already 12 goals. Thank you to my family, fans for supporting me and the team. Today the Vietnamese team played very well".
