Asian football expert: 'With each passing match, Xuan Son brings a new level'

According to journalist Gabriel Tan of ESPN Asia, Xuan Son is having an excellent performance at the AFF Cup 2024 and he can absolutely help the Vietnamese team win the championship.

"The Vietnamese team almost touched the championship trophy"

The first leg of the final at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) on the evening of January 2 witnessed a reasonable game of the Vietnamese team. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team proactively gave the game to Thailand, played defensive counter-attacks and only had 36% possession of the ball but were the team with more scoring opportunities. According to statistics from the Opta website, the Vietnamese team launched 21 shots, 9 more than Thailand. In terms of the number of shots on target, the "Golden Star Warriors" were also superior to Thailand: Vietnam had 9 shots on target while their opponents only had 3. Therefore, the 2-1 victory for the Vietnamese team was completely deserved.

“The first leg of the 2024 AFF Championship final was an exciting one. Vietnam almost had one hand on the trophy after a 2-1 win over Thailand at Viet Tri Stadium,” journalist Gabriel Tan wrote in an article on ESPN Asia.

Vietnam team had a convincing home win against Thailand

PHOTO: MINH TU

With a brace against Thailand, striker Nguyen Xuan Son continues to be one of the most watched players. Journalist Gabriel Tan commented: “With each passing match, it seems that striker Xuan Son brings a new level of class, proving that he can help the Vietnamese team win the AFF Cup for the third time.

Of course, no player can separate a team when they win. Even if it is a striker who receives a lot of praise, they still need the defenders to continue to complete their tasks for the team to win. However, it can be affirmed with certainty that if Vietnam did not have Nguyen Xuan Son, they would hardly be able to win the AFF Cup this year.

Xuan Son now has 7 goals at AFF Cup 2024

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

The great role of Xuan Son

Journalist Gabriel Tan continued to emphasize Xuan Son's role: "Xuan Son had to wait a long time to debut in Vietnam and his value was clearly shown. When eligible to play, the 27-year-old player immediately scored 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-0 victory over Myanmar, thereby helping Vietnam win the top spot in Group B. In the semi-finals, he was a real threat to Singapore's defense when he scored 3 goals in two matches to help Vietnam win 5-1.

On January 2 at Viet Tri Stadium, he did it again. The central defenders Pansa Hemviboon and Chalermsak Aukkee seemed to be well-suited to deal with a 90-minute physical battle with Xuan Son. But in the end, the Vietnamese striker surprised them. After a difficult first 45 minutes, Xuan Son refused to give up and in the 59th minute, he broke the deadlock in his signature goalscoring style. In the 73rd minute, when he stole the ball from Chalermsak, it seemed like he didn't have much of a chance because there were no teammates around. However, Xuan Son showed his skillful ability, breaking through on his own to score the second goal while the Thai defense was helpless.

Thailand's defenders were helpless when marking Xuan Son.

PHOTO: MINH TU

According to Gabriel Tan, the 2-1 home win boosted the confidence of the Vietnamese team. However, the return match on January 5, 2025 at Thailand's Rajamangala Stadium still has many unpredictable developments awaiting coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.

“With Chalermsak’s header in the 83rd minute, the War Elephants were able to pull one goal back, narrowing the final score to 1-2. This will give them hope for the second leg at home. And certainly, there are still many surprises waiting ahead. Moreover, when Thailand returns to Bangkok, they will know one thing: they must stop Xuan Son. He is the most dangerous player and can bring Vietnam to the championship,” journalist Gabriel Tan concluded.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-gia-bong-da-chau-a-moi-tran-troi-qua-xuan-son-mang-mot-dang-cap-moi-185250103030122671.htm