European coach speaks honestly after Xuan Son misses penalty

Xuan Son missed a penalty in stoppage time, prompting coach Mauro Jeronimo to stand up for his player and attribute Nam Dinh’s failure to secure victory on the road to the substandard Thanh Hoa pitch.

Despite taking a two-goal lead, Nam Dinh had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Thanh Hoa, with the most unfortunate moment occurring in the final stoppage minute. Nguyen Xuan Son became the focal point after missing the penalty that could have secured all three points for the Nam Dinh team.

Speaking about this incident in the post-match press conference, coach Mauro Jeronimo showed clear sympathy for his key player. “He is definitely the most disappointed. But Son has helped the team many times. Only those brave enough to step up for penalties can make mistakes,”the Portuguese coach shared. According to him, Xuan Son hitting the post was an unlucky moment, but it does not diminish the striker’s significant contributions to Nam Dinh’s overall play.

After mentioning the crucial moment that cost the team the win, coach Mauro Jeronimo did not hide his disappointment with the draw result. He stated that Nam Dinh’s goal when traveling to Thanh Hoa was to secure all 3 points, and the whole team had prepared thoroughly for the match. However, the actual conditions on the pitch prevented Nam Dinh from showing their true ability.

According to Nam Dinh’s head coach, the quality of Thanh Hoa’s pitch was a major factor that influenced the match’s outcome. “Honestly, this pitch is not suitable for football. It seems more appropriate for another sport. The grass is almost gone, the ball keeps bouncing unpredictably, which made it very difficult for us to pass and control the game,”he frankly commented.

The Portuguese coach believes that under poor pitch conditions, Nam Dinh’s technical advantage was almost nullified, especially against a young, physically strong Thanh Hoa team that pressed aggressively. He explained: “When you face a team fighting for survival, playing at home with the crowd’s support, everything becomes much more balanced,”.

Nevertheless, coach Mauro Jeronimo still expressed respect for Thanh Hoa Club, which only had 14 fit players but fought bravely and never gave up despite falling behind twice. Closing the press conference, he emphasized that Nam Dinh must quickly forget this unfortunate result and focus on important upcoming matches.