Not dependent on Xuan Son
By the end of round 25 of V.League 2024-2025, Nguyen Xuan Son is still the number 1 striker of Nam Dinh club with 7 goals. However, his contribution to the journey to the throne this season of the team from Thanh Nam has been less than last year. In fact, Xuan Son scored in 3/8 appearances this season (first of the season) against Binh Duong, Da Nang and Song Lam Nghe An. In the remaining 5 rounds where Xuan Son failed to score, Nam Dinh lost 0-3 to Hanoi Police, drew 0-0 with Hoang Anh Gia Lai and had to wait for Hendrio's excellence to defeat Quang Nam and Hai Phong.
It is worth mentioning that Xuan Son's serious injury in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final made it impossible for Nam Dinh to have him for the rest of the season. That was also the time when the transfer of the attack in the team from Thanh Nam was gradually carried out. Coach Vu Hong Viet boldly changed the "third nail" Van Toan, Xuan Son, Hendrio who made an impression last season with strikers such as Brenner, Lam Ti Phong and Ly Cong Hoang Anh. This bold journey has brought sweet fruit.
Brenner - the player who caused Nam Dinh to spend the amount of money that can be considered the highest in V.League history - has made a strong impression in both goals and assists. After only 8 matches, the Brazilian player scored 5 goals and 6 assists for his teammates. Brenner's effectiveness has gradually eased the sadness of Nam Dinh fans when the home team parted ways with Hendrio.
In addition, he also became an inspiration for Hoang Anh and Ti Phong to shine in the final stages of the season. Hoang Anh has made remarkable progress when given the opportunity to play football regularly. Currently, he has 6 goals and 4 assists. With just one more goal, the 25-year-old striker will equal Xuan Son's goals in the 2024-2025 season. As for Lam Ti Phong, he also managed to score 2 goals and 1 assist even though he had only joined Nam Dinh in the middle of the season.
The new attack created a breakthrough and a positive tone that helped Nam Dinh bang to the finish line, right at the time when competitors were lacking in steam or lacking in efficiency.
Ambition to win the championship for the third time
Remember, in the 2024-2025 season, Nam Dinh had gone through a long period of decline due to injuries. Apart from Xuan Son, they are missing key players in each round. Van Toan had problems with his knee, To Van Vu had a broken anterior cruciate ligament, Van Cong, Hoang Anh, Van Dat, Nguyen Manh, Lucas Silva, Mpande, Thanh Hao, Minh Tuan... also had physical problems at different times.
But in the end, with a deep squad, combined with the ability to "grow the fish sauce" through each moment, Nam Dinh can still finish as the team with the strongest attack (50 goals) and the tightest defense (18 goals conceded). Thanks to that, Nam Dinh has won the V.League for the second consecutive season, while balancing their achievements with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Long An, Binh Duong and Hanoi.
More importantly, Nam Dinh club clearly showed their ambition to win the V.League championship for the third consecutive year. This is unprecedented in the history of more than 25 years when the tournament turned professional. The team from Thanh Nam has reason to be so confident. Because right from the middle of the season, they have quickly strengthened their force for the next year. More than 10 key players have had their contracts extended for 1-5 years. Not to mention, Nam Dinh is willing to invest heavily to recruit more good players in the summer transfer window.
The return of Nguyen Xuan Son at the beginning of V.League 2025-2026 will further strengthen Nam Dinh's attack. Meanwhile, coach Vu Hong Viet is also very confident in the home team's defensive ability. The stable performance of goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and two central defenders Romulo and Caio Cesar was enough to make opponents frustrated in their search for a goal against the representative of Nam Thanh.
