Dependence on the Duo Nguyen Xuan Son – Nguyen Tien Linh: Glory or Curse for Vietnam National Team?

After the Vietnamese national team won the 2026 ASEAN Championship, fans and sports media alike could not stop praising the striker duo of Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Tien Linh. These two names scored a total of 10 goals during the tournament, a telling number that propelled Vietnam to the regional title convincingly. But as a journalist who has followed Vietnamese football for many years, beneath that glory, I see a simmering concern: the almost absolute dependence on two outstanding individuals has inadvertently masked the larger tactical problems in the team's overall play. No one can deny the talent and effectiveness of Nguyen Xuan Son – a naturalized striker with Brazilian blood but fully dedicated to Vietnam's colors. He was the tournament's top scorer with 7 goals, displaying tidy ball control, calm finishing, and intelligent positioning. Alongside him, Nguyen Tien Linh, though scoring only 3 goals, was the one who opened up space and served as a target in small combinations; he had previously won the 2026 AFF Cup Golden Boot. Together, they form a well-oiled, almost perfectly complementary duo. However, let us face a big question: If one of these strikers cannot take the pitch due to injury, who will shoulder the scoring burden? In the semifinal against Thailand, when Nguyen Xuan Son was closely marked to suffocation, Vietnam's attack nearly stalled. Backup strikers like Pham Tuan Hai or Nguyen Van Toan failed to provide the necessary spark. This lays bare the reality that the team's success is resting quite a bit on luck in terms of human factors, rather than having a clear attacking system. Looking at Vietnam's style of play, we can easily notice a missing element: diverse attacking routines on the wings, central combination play, or set-piece strategies. The ball seems to be moved forward with the sole intention of getting it to the two stars' feet. This inadvertently makes it easy for opposing defenses to decode Vietnam's approach. In the second leg of the final against Thailand, Vietnam had to rely on Nguyen Xuan Son's flash of brilliance to turn the game around, but what would happen if he had not been in top form? Thailand, Vietnam's arch-rival, showed a completely different face. They had multiple attacking options, from long-range strikes by Chanathip Songkrasin to second-line incursions by Supachok Sarachat. Thailand also relied on individuals, but their tactics were far more flexible, not absolutely dependent as Vietnam's. When the opponent neutralized their main threat, they still had effective alternative attacking arrows. From an outsider's perspective looking in, I observe that Vietnamese football is stuck in the story of two stars. The domestic sports media exaggerate their importance to the point that young players develop a dependent mentality, waiting for others to make a difference. Youth academies must adopt strategies to develop new strikers; we cannot rely forever on a naturalized Brazilian like Nguyen Xuan Son, who is now 28, or Nguyen Tien Linh, who is also 28 and no longer young. At the age of 43, I have witnessed several generations of Vietnamese players go through boom-and-bust cycles, and I know that if we do not change, we will pay the price with failure on bigger stages. Beyond the concern over personnel, I also want to critique the lack of depth in the coaching staff's tactical thinking. Why do we not experiment with a real two-striker system with one playing deeper? Why are wingers such as Vu Van Thanh underused? During training sessions, is there any emphasis on set-piece routines to score from difficult situations? Analysis of match data shows that when opponents play deep and defend in numbers, Vietnam runs out of ideas to break through. However, to be fair, our coach Kim Sang-sik is a clever strategist. He understands the strengths of each player and has built a style based on the available resources. But is this tactic enough to compete in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where opponents like Japan, Australia, and Iran all have solid defenses and diverse attacks? We must admit that Vietnam's caliber cannot yet match theirs, and if we only rely on a striking pair, the door to the World Cup will remain far away. The statistics are stark. Over the past 12 official matches, goals coming from the two main strikers accounted for 60-70% of the total. This dependency rate is higher than any other team in Asia. This imbalance will make Vietnam vulnerable when facing opponents with defenders skilled at interception and quick pressing. I remember an English coach once saying, 'Football is a team game, but great teams know how to create dependence on the system, not on a single star.' I wholeheartedly agree. But then, I ask myself: Am I being too harsh? Vietnamese football has gone through too many quiet years, and having two talented strikers like Son and Linh is a precious gift. Perhaps we should enjoy the immediate success rather than worry about the future? I learned a lesson from a past mistake when I bet emotionally on a result and was twisted by reality itself. Therefore, I always try to see both sides and not let emotions take over. On the positive side, the emergence of a quality naturalized striker like Nguyen Xuan Son opens up a great opportunity: he can mentor and guide young players. But this requires a long-term plan. In upcoming friendlies, Coach Kim Sang-sik should boldly give opportunities to young strikers such as Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Dinh Bac – players considered to have potential. We need to experiment to find backup solutions, so that when Son or Linh are no longer at their peak, the team can still operate smoothly. Moreover, Vietnam needs to improve attacking output from the second line. Modern football does not only rely on forwards but also on midfielders who advance to score. Look at Portugal with its Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, or Germany with Jamal Musiala – they always have multiple sources of goals. Vietnam needs to develop midfielders like Khue Van Khang, Nguyen Hoang Duc to become third or fourth attacking threats beyond the two main strikers. Six years ago, I was criticized for saying Vietnamese football was slow to innovate. They told me I was someone who always points out weaknesses without acknowledging effort. But I believe only honesty helps development. If we keep deluding ourselves that the team is strong thanks to two stars, the shock will be even greater when they are absent. Football is a team sport, but to achieve lasting success, you cannot rely on just two people. The pitch has harsh rules that will expose anyone pretending otherwise. Vietnam must undergo a tactical revolution, a new breath in the way we use players. Let Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Tien Linh be important pieces, not the only centers. Midfielders must boldly advance into the box, wingers must drive more, and the team must have concrete attacking patterns. During most of the tournaments, when I sit in the stands, noting every movement of the players, and based on my years of experience watching matches, the most successful teams in the world – such as Manchester City, Real Madrid, or Liverpool – all have collective play, smooth ball circulation, and goals distributed among many players. Vietnam should aim for that as well. We are in a golden generation with many talented players, and if we exploit them thoroughly, there is no reason why they cannot compete on the continental stage. But now, as I write these lines, too many questions remain unanswered. Will football administrators truly dare to change? Will fans be patient enough to wait for a team built on modern football, rather than relying solely on individuals? In football, nothing is permanent, and teams that depend on one generation will pay the price when that generation fades. I want to end this article with a message: Trophies cannot erase tactical flaws. Fans may celebrate victories, but football executives must always look forward. The Vietnamese team must remember that the Asian stage is harsh, and there will always be stronger opponents. If we do not prepare carefully, current success is only temporary. Coaches should see this as the golden moment to build a sustainable tactical framework, where even if any star is absent, the team still operates smoothly. We need vision, persistence, and the courage to change. Otherwise, we will continue to be a team dependent on the fate of two individuals – and that is truly risky.