Xuân Son speaks out after VAR denies a regrettable goal

Xuân Son regrets the goal being denied by VAR, causing Nam Định to only secure a 1-1 draw against Becamex TP HCM and miss the chance to close in on the top 3 of V.League.

Nam Định Club missed a regrettable victory during their away trip to Gò Đậu Stadium when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Becamex TP HCM in round 20 of V.League 2025/2026 on April 25th. The highlight of the match was not only the thrilling score chase but also the situation where Nguyễn Xuân Son's goal was denied by VAR late in the second half, causing the Nam team to miss the opportunity to secure all 3 points.

Entering the match with determination to chase the top group, Nam Định placed high hopes on Xuân Son's return to the attack. However, things quickly became difficult when the home team Becamex TP HCM unexpectedly scored the opening goal from the 3rd minute. Việt Cường continued to shine for the Thủ land team with a goal that helped the Gò Đậu Stadium hosts play confidently against the reigning champions.

Trailing from very early on, Nam Định had to push their formation higher to attack. Despite better ball control, the visiting team faced many difficulties against Becamex TP HCM's tight and disciplined defensive system. Nam Định's strikers were constantly surrounded, especially Xuân Son, as this naturalized forward was almost "carefully monitored" throughout most of the match.

It was only in the 67th minute that Nam Định found the equalizer thanks to Giáp Tuấn Dương's superb long-range shot from nearly 30 meters. This beautiful goal helped the visitors regain morale and continuously increase pressure towards goalkeeper Trần Minh Toàn's goal. In the final minutes of the match, Xuân Son headed the ball into the opponent's net after many efforts, but the joy was quickly extinguished when referee Hoàng Ngọc Hà consulted VAR and determined he was in an offside position.

Sharing after the match, Xuân Son admitted the whole team prepared very carefully for this away trip, but conceding too early significantly affected all plans. “We had meticulously planned with the goal of winning in round 20, but the early conceded goal caused the team's morale to drop, forcing us to change our approach to the match”, the forward born in 1997 said.

Speaking further about the team's performance, Xuân Son regretted that Nam Định could not better utilize the opportunities in the second half. “In the second half, we had many shooting opportunities but could not convert them into goals. We started poorly, so we don't have a high position on the standings, but the whole team will strive to achieve the set goals”, he emphasized. This draw keeps Nam Định in 5th place with 28 points, while Becamex TP HCM still faces relegation pressure in the bottom group.

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