Tien Linh "surpasses" Xuan Son: Real peak or just statistical illusion?

With an impressive double against Hai Phong in the penultimate round, Nguyen Tien Linh raised his total number of goals this season to 13 – just one goal behind the two foreign players leading the scoring list, Lucao (Hai Phong) and Alan (CAHN).

With only one round left in the season and Binh Duong playing at home against Thanh Hoa - a team that is clearly in decline, the door for Tien Linh to be crowned the V.League 2024/2025 Top Scorer is truly wide open.

This is considered the season in which Tien Linh has somewhat regained the image of a "penalty box kille.r" who once gave hope to Vietnamese football fans in previous AFF Cups or World Cup qualifiers. Not only helping Binh Duong break through in the relegation race, Linh's performance also brought positive signals to the national team - where domestic strikers are still struggling to find their scoring instincts.

Tien Linh’s 13-goal achievement is clearly a significant step forward in the context that most domestic strikers in the V.League are completely inferior to foreign players. In the top 10 best strikers this season, there are only 3 pure Vietnamese names: Tien Linh, Van Quyet and Nguyen Xuan Son – the other two only stopped at 7 goals. That shows the perseverance and relentless efforts of the Binh Duong striker throughout a turbulent season.

However, if we delve deeper into performance and context, a big question mark begins to appear: is Tien Linh's current form really outstanding, or is it just the product of continuous "plowing" and accumulation over time?

Because if we compare him with Nguyen Xuan Son - who has 7 goals and 1 assist after only 7 appearances, the picture will change completely. While Tien Linh needed the whole season to reach 13, Xuan Son only needed a month and a half to assert himself as a fearsome goal-scoring machine. That efficiency even surpasses most foreign players - who are considered to be "carrying the team" at the clubs.

Unfortunately, Xuan Son's magical journey had to stop early due to a persistent knee injury. He left the 2024/2025 V.League with regret - after missing the early stages of the season because he had not completed the naturalization procedure. But what the striker from Ha Tinh showed in the Nam Dinh shirt was still enough to make the whole tournament mention his name with admiration.

Not only is Xuan Son absolutely effective in finishing, he also shows his comprehensiveness when contributing to the gameplay, linking the midfield and creating space for teammates. Last season, he scored 31 goals - a milestone that even the two "demons" Lucao and Alan this season combined have not been able to reach. That is not just a statistic, but a declaration of class and influence.

Even though he cannot continue the race, the shadow that Xuan Son left behind is still too big for anyone to overcome easily. And that is why comparing Tien Linh with Xuan Son at this time is an accurate test to determine which is the "true peak" and which is just a "temporary sublimation".

If Tien Linh can score at least 2 more goals in the final match against Thanh Hoa, the possibility of winning the Golden Boot will be very bright. But the question is: does that title have real value for his career, or is it just a reward for encouragement in the context of domestic football being thirsty for strikers?

In recent seasons, people have witnessed many cases of domestic strikers "rising" in the V.League, then quietly disappearing when called up to the national team. Tien Linh himself has also been the focus of criticism many times when he failed to score in the national team shirt. Therefore, if he really wants to assert himself, Linh will need more than a 13-goal season. He needs to continue to maintain his form, increase his efficiency, and especially show his mettle in top matches - where space and time to finish are not as abundant as in the V.League.

Nguyen Xuan Son suddenly reappeared after a serious injury that caused social media to make waves Milo12:10:27 03/06/2025The image of Xuan Son limping off the field, his distraught face and shaking his head with the medical team made fans even more confused. On football forums, the keyword Xuan Son's injury quickly climbed to the top of the search and became a hotly discussed topic.