HOT: Coach unexpectedly criticizes Xuân Son's poor finishing ability

Despite scoring, coach Vũ Hồng Việt is still not pleased with Xuân Son's finishing in the match against Đà Nẵng.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory over SHB Đà Nẵng in round 19 of V.League 2025/26, Thép Xanh Nam Định failed to satisfy the coaching staff. The Nam Định team controlled the game well and even played with a numerical advantage throughout the second half, but could not establish a safe lead due to repeatedly squandering clear opportunities.

After the match, coach Vũ Hồng Việt candidly pointed out that the biggest issue lies in the attacking line's finishing ability. He stated that if they had utilized their chances better, Nam Định could have comfortably closed out the match instead of enduring tense final moments. The coach emphasized: "We won but are not satisfied with our finishing. The team created many opportunities but the final execution was poor. Many clear situations were not capitalized on."

Among the players mentioned, forward Nguyễn Xuân Son drew the most attention. The striker born in 1997 continued to show his dynamism and created several dangerous penetrations, but missed numerous clear-cut chances, preventing his team from sealing the match early despite having a significant numerical advantage.

However, coach Vũ Hồng Việt also defended his player by stating that Xuân Son's role is not solely about scoring. According to him, this forward was tasked with playing deeper, moving widely to support defense and connect play, rather than just waiting for opportunities inside the penalty area. He assessed: "Xuân Son today performed well in his tactical role, competing, moving, and making many runs. But the issue is that the finishing aspect did not meet requirements."

Aside from the attacking issues, Nam Định also allowed SHB Đà Nẵng to create difficulties at times, especially after the home team's equalizing goal. According to coach Vũ Hồng Việt, most dangerous situations arose from players losing possession themselves, giving the opponent opportunities for quick counterattacks and complicating the game.

Even late in the match, while playing with a man advantage, Nam Định was still occasionally pressed and lacked proactive ball control. This caused concern for the coaching staff, as the championship race is entering a decisive phase. Despite securing all three points, the performance of Xuân Son and the attacking line clearly did not meet expectations, while SHB Đà Nẵng continues to sink deeper into the bottom group after this defeat.

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