Xuan Son's response

My father loves football. His hobby in his old age is watching Vietnam’s international matches, from youth teams to the national team. He never misses a match of his favorite “young players” at the Sea Games and AFF Cup.

My father passed away not long before coach Park Hang-seo left the national team after a period of reviving and successfully leading Vietnamese football. That is why on his journey away, never to return, my father still carries with him the glorious memories of Vietnamese football during that period.

He did not have to be sad because of the heavy, melancholy days that followed, like the feelings of many other fans when Vietnamese football fell into a deadlock since coach Park left the position of head coach.

I remember my father like that when I sat alone watching the final match of the Group B qualifying round between Vietnam and Myanmar in the ASEAN Cup 2024. A resounding and too sweet victory of the national team seemed to reawaken the passion and intense love for football of Vietnamese fans after a long time of witnessing the setbacks under French coach Philippe Troussier.

The national team is now coached by another South Korean, Kim Sang-sik, and apart from a 5-0 win over Myanmar, the team’s other qualifying matches, while not as disappointing as they were under Troussier, have not shown the solidity of a team that is expected to win this year’s tournament.

For coach Kim Sang-sik, it is too early to judge talent even though he confidently declared "Vietnamese football is back" right after the victory over Myanmar.

The team’s victory is the result of a collective, based on the different contributions of each member. However, we still have to recognize and praise an individual player with a great contribution through outstanding talent in the match. I am talking about the Brazilian player who was naturalized with the Vietnamese name Nguyen Xuan Son.

Son is the first foreign player to be naturalized and play for the national team without having Vietnamese blood or any other family ties to Vietnam (Son's wife is Brazilian).

Having fought for many years on the pitches of the V-League arena, playing for several strong clubs, Son's talent has been recognized by experts and fans.

Son was selected by coach Kim Sang-sik to join the national team to compete in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. To achieve this honor, Son voluntarily applied for Vietnamese citizenship and was accepted earlier.

As a naturalized player with no Vietnamese blood, Son was provoked and insulted by Myanmar players right after the final match of Group B ended. In the post-match press conference, Son said that Myanmar midfielder Soe Moe Kyaw approached him and angrily said that he was "not Vietnamese".

In response to the opponent's rudeness, Son just smiled and held up two fingers, then held them for a long time. He was not angry, nor did he argue with his opponent. The two raised fingers were a non-verbal "response", but subtle and sharp.

Son did not react in the angry, losing-tempered way that is common in football players. Instead, he kept a confident smile, showing pride in the great result that he and his teammates had achieved in the uncompromising victory over their opponents.

The two fingers are also the two goals he scored, the two wonderful assists he gave to his teammates. This gesture also forms the letter V, which can be understood as Vietnam, Victory, a familiar symbol, symbolizing victory.

Son also said: "Vietnam is my homeland. I love this country." Vietnam is the country where he has lived for more than 5 years and has become a citizen and an official player in the national team.

Son’s subtle response was meaningful, not just to the opposing player. Along with what Son contributed in the match, it was also an affirmation of his talent and character to those who were skeptical about him.

Football always has moments that create emotions and make viewers remember. Son and his teammates will continue to play with all their heart, with the spirit of dedication and aiming for victory for the flag.

On the positive side of the football story of the 27-year-old naturalized player, a Vietnamese player is no longer defined by his birthplace or the blood flowing through his veins. More simply, that definition includes a hidden love in his heart and a positive action for the country that accepted his nationality and gave him a pure Vietnamese name.