Vietnam - Myanmar: Waiting for Xuan Son to score

Waiting for Xuan Son to "open his account" of goals

After many days of waiting, Nguyen Xuan Son was officially introduced to the Vietnamese national team in the match against Myanmar in the final round of the ASEAN Cup group stage at 8:00 p.m. tonight, December 21. Coach Kim Sang Sik is almost certain to use the 27-year-old striker in the starting lineup.

The Korean strategist gave Xuan Son the chance to start not only because he believed in the goal-scoring ability of the Nam Dinh Steel Club striker, but also to help him "warm up" to prepare for the semi-finals and beyond.

Coach Kim Sang Sik himself has special expectations for Nguyen Xuan Son, as the Vietnamese team has been stuck in their attacking play in the last three matches. The common point in the 270 minutes of matches against Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines is that the “golden star warriors” could not score in the first half.

As for Xuan Son, he is very eager to compete, this striker has even thought about how to celebrate in a really "cool" way when scoring the first goal for the Vietnam team.

Xuan Son's confidence is understandable because compared to the average Southeast Asian player, he is superior in terms of physique, fitness, technique, and goal-scoring ability.

Before joining the Vietnam national team, the Brazilian player had scored 14 goals in all competitions this season. Last season, he scored 31 goals, accounting for more than half of the total goals of Nam Dinh Steel Club in the V-League.

The remaining problem for Xuan Son is to overcome the pressure from the great expectations of coach Kim Sang Sik, teammates and fans. As a naturalized player wearing the Vietnamese national team jersey for the first time in an official tournament, Xuan Son understands what he must do to respond to everyone's trust.

In terms of expertise, in recent days, coach Kim Sang Sik arranged for Xuan Son to play with Tien Linh in the Vietnamese team's attack. These two players will receive support from Quang Hai and Hoang Duc.

Everything is ready, and let's wait and see how Xuan Son performs. He not only has the task of helping the Vietnamese team defeat Myanmar to win the semi-finals with the top spot in the group, but also aims for the semi-finals and the final.

Win to semi-finals

Compared to the match against the Philippines, coach Kim Sang Sik is likely to make a few changes. Players who did not perform well in the previous match will likely have to give up their positions to those with more experience and better form.

The Korean strategist admitted that these players did not complete their tasks when given the opportunity, and that is a lesson for them to continue to strive to improve themselves.

In goal, Nguyen Filip continues to be the main goalkeeper. The three central defenders of the Vietnamese team are Duy Manh, Thanh Chung and Bui Tien Dung. On the wings are Van Thanh and Van Vi, while the midfield has Hoang Duc, Chau Ngoc Quang and Quang Hai, because Ngoc Tan and Hai Long have injury problems. The two players playing highest on the Vietnamese team's attack line are Tien Linh and Xuan Son.

In theory, Vietnam only needs a draw to enter the ASEAN Cup semi-finals, but coach Kim SangSik can arrange an attacking lineup to score early.

With home field advantage, while the opponent suffers a great loss in personnel due to the absence of key player Maung Maung Lwin due to suspension, if they play to their full potential, the "golden star warriors" will do what is necessary and sufficient, which is 3 points.

Vietnam team starting lineup:Nguyen Filip, Duy Manh, Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung, Van Thanh, Van Vi, Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Chau Ngoc Quang, Tien Linh, Xuan Son