Can Thailand stop it?

Xuan Son is too comprehensive

Specifically, Nguyen Xuan Son has scored 3 goals with his left foot, 3 goals with his right foot and 1 goal with his head, after only 4 matches he appeared on the field at AFF Cup 2024. Nguyen Xuan Son's current scoring rate is 1.75 goals/match, a very high number at the national team level.

Xuan Son is having a strong breakthrough

Graphics: VFF

Xuan Son scored with his left foot, right foot and head.

Nguyen Xuan Son is called a "goal monster" by the Indonesian media. When opponents think that Xuan Son will shoot with his right foot, he turns the ball to his left foot to finish. Conversely, when opponents choose a position to "block" Xuan Son's left-footed shots, he turns the ball to his right foot and shoots.

Even when the opponent defends densely, trying to block Xuan Son's finishing situations on the field, he still has another weapon: the ability to head the ball. In the match against Thailand in the first leg of the final on the evening of January 2, at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho), Xuan Son scored the opening goal for the Vietnamese team, from a header like that. He jumped much higher than the Thai defender, and headed the ball very bravely into the net.

Vietnam team 'landed' in Thailand: Xuan Son trained hard, everyone is ready!

Technique, physical strength, physique (1.86 m), speed are all factors that Xuan Son has. The type of striker like this player has almost surpassed the level of Southeast Asian football. That is also the problem that has been giving the Thai team a headache in the past few days.

How many defenders does Thailand need to guard Xuan Son?

In the first leg of the final, they used a pair of experienced and physically fit central defenders, Pansa Hemviboon (1.90 m) and Chalermsak Aukkee (1.86 m), plus a left-back with part European blood, Nicholas Mickelson (father is Norwegian, mother is Thai) to control Nguyen Xuan Son, but failed.

Nicholas Mickelson even had to leave the field quite early, while Chalermsak Aukkee had a situation where he almost "avoided" Xuan Son's very brave dribble in the second goal of the Vietnamese team in the 73rd minute, causing Chalermsak Aukkee to be criticized.

Currently, Thailand coach Masatada Ishii is considering arranging for the defensive midfielder Jonathan Khemdee to play from the start, possibly replacing veteran defender Pansa Hemviboon. Thailand wants to take advantage of Khemdee's youth and physique (1.90 m) to limit the physical strength of Nguyen Xuan Son. However, in addition to physical strength, Xuan Son also has technical factors and agility, while Jonathan Khemdee lacks experience in playing intense international matches, and he is also not flexible in his ability to turn around.

It is too difficult to think about for the team of the land of the golden pagoda. What is even more difficult to think about for the home team of the second leg of the final is that if they focus too much on marking Xuan Son, they will certainly leave gaps in other positions. At that time, the Thai defense will be in danger from another direction, because the Vietnamese team does not only have Xuan Son ready to score against Thailand.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xuan-son-ghi-ban-bang-dau-chan-trai-chan-phai-thai-lan-chan-noi-khong-185250103233631374.htm