Xuân Son shines brightly amid the 'crisis' of declining Vietnamese national team players

A series of players returning from the national team collectively declined due to overload, while Xuân Son still shone brilliantly with outstanding performances in V.League.

Round 17 of V.League 2025/26 witnessed a contrasting scenario when most players just returning from the national team performed below their usual level, while Xuân Son stood out as a rare bright spot. Amid a packed schedule and draining physical pressure, the Nam Định striker maintained impressive form, becoming a distinct factor.

After a sublime performance in the national team jersey with a brace against Malaysia, Xuân Son continued to bring that confidence back to his club. On Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh's pitch, he directly contributed to both goals, helping Nam Định secure a convincing 2-0 victory.

Not only scoring from a penalty, Xuân Son also displayed tactical vision with a delicate assist for Ababa to score. His performance of 1 goal and 1 assist not only earned 3 points but also clearly proved he was unaffected by the "post-national team fatigue syndrome."

Contrary to Xuân Son, many clubs with national team players disappointed. Hanoi FC unexpectedly fell to Hai Phong when key pillars like Hoàng Hên, Hai Long, or Tuấn Hải failed to show high form. Physical overload after the national team camp is considered the main reason they lost their sharpness.

On the opposite side, teams less affected by national team players performed explosively. Thanh Hóa easily secured a big win, while CAHN overcame Đà Nẵng 5-1 thanks to the brilliance of non-national team names, especially Đình Bắc with a brace after a long scoring drought.

Xuân Son's brilliance and Đình Bắc's strong resurgence are bringing many expectations for the Vietnamese national team in the future. When one maintains stable form and the other is full of breakthroughs, they could become a formidable attacking duo in upcoming national team camps.