After the match against The Cong Viettel in the V.League 2025-2026 postponed round, Xuan Son entered the tunnel and threw a water bottle on the ground with anger. He was not satisfied with himself.
In 3 consecutive matches in the domestic arena, the striker born in 1997 has still not been able to score. Previously, he missed a penalty in the match against Dong A Thanh Hoa, which was considered his forte, and a series of opportunities were missed.
That frustration also shows the pressure that Xuan Son is carrying on his shoulders, in the context of Thep Xanh Nam Dinh going through a 10-match winless streak in the V.League.
What is noteworthy is the contrast in form of Xuan Son himself. Although he has not been able to write his name on the V.League scoreboard, Xuan Son has exploded in the regional arena.
In just 3 matches at the C1 Southeast Asian Cup, the 29-year-old striker scored 7 goals. Those were 2 hat-tricks against Shan United and Lion City Sailors and a double against Bangkok United, helping Nam Dinh advance to the semi-finals.
In this playground, Xuan Son shows his ability to choose positions, finish in one touch and take advantage of opportunities at a high efficiency level.
The contrast between the two arenas raises questions about the psychological state and how Nam Dinh's playing style operates. In the regional tournament, the Nam Dinh team actively controlled the ball and created many spaces behind the opponent's defense.
In the V.League, teams often play tighter against Nam Dinh, causing Xuan Son's operating space to be narrowed. This striker is still actively moving, still creating opportunities, but the goal has not come yet.
Xuan Son's angry reaction after the most recent match is an expression of a desire to score goals. A fiery striker like him can hardly accept a series of silent matches, especially when the team is in trouble.
Besides Nam Dinh, he still has a bigger goal ahead. Next March, the Vietnamese team will gather to prepare for the match against Malaysia in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. This is a decisive match in the race to win a ticket to the finals.
At the national team level, Xuan Son is expected to play a key role. Diverse finishing ability and international competition experience help him become an important option in attack.
The goals at the ASEAN Club Championship show Xuan Son's scoring instinct. The remaining issue is to maintain stability and regain the feeling of scoring goals in the domestic arena to be in the best condition when joining the national team.
In the context that the Vietnamese team needs a large victory against Malaysia, the efficiency of the attack will be decisive. Xuan Son's form therefore also affects the national team's chances. 3 goalless matches in the V.League may just be a short-term period of silence, but his reaction shows great pressure.
Between the hot temper behind the stadium tunnel and the consecutive goals in the regional playground are two different images of the same striker.
Early rebalancing of psychology and form will determine what appearance he will show in the Vietnamese national team jersey in March.
