Surprisingly, a Nam Dinh defender scores as many goals as Tien Linh.

Nam Dinh defender Lucas Alves has scored 3 goals in 10 matches, equal to Tien Linh - who recently extended his "goal drought" streak to 14 matches following the most recent loss.

Nguyen Tien Linh was once the symbol of Vietnam's football attack, but the 2025/26 season is witnessing a very different image. After the 0-3 loss to Hanoi Police Club on April 19th, the striker born in 1997 extended his streak of not scoring in V-League to 14 matches. A statistic that leaves many people surprised.

Previously, Tien Linh started the season fairly well with 3 goals in the first 5 matches. However, since late September 2025, the 29-year-old striker has completely "gone silent" in scoring. Notably, his current tally of 3 goals in V-League is only equal to... defender Lucas Alves of Nam Dinh Steel Blue, creating a significant paradox.

Lucas Alves, the 1.93m tall defender, is not a name expected to score frequently. However, the Brazilian player has scored 3 times in 10 matches this V-League season. Meanwhile, Tien Linh – a key striker – remains stuck at the same number after a long streak of stagnant performances.

Tien Linh's decline is not only evident in statistics, but also clearly shown in how he handles opportunities. In many recent matches, this striker has missed quite a few good chances, from close-range taps to shots in favorable positions. Psychological pressure seems to weigh heavily on the feet of striker number 22.

Speaking about his student, coach Le Huynh Duc once admitted: “Tien Linh is under pressure. When there are no goals, a player easily feels pressure and becomes impatient. During my playing days, I also experienced this. Once you lose the feeling and confidence, it's very hard to regain them. I need to encourage him and provide lighter training exercises so Tien Linh can regain his feeling and excitement. Regarding his playing style, Tien Linh has no issues. The only hitch is the finishing part which is not stable.”

In reality, Tien Linh has changed his playing style by dropping deeper to support the overall gameplay, instead of just waiting for opportunities inside the penalty area. However, for a striker, goals remain the most important measure. The fact that a defender like Lucas Alves has the same number of goals as him makes this decline even more alarming.

Nevertheless, in football, form can change very quickly. Tien Linh has repeatedly overcome difficult phases to explode back into form.With his proven class, fans still have the right to expect this striker to soon rediscover his scoring feeling and return to his sharp image as before.