Nam Dinh FC secured a 2-0 victory against Ha Tinh FC in V-League 2025-2026 round 17, with Nguyen Xuan Son playing a central role. The striker scored a penalty, provided an assist, and notably missed a clear-cut opportunity, experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions during the match on 5/4/2026 at Ha Tinh Stadium.

Goals: Xuan Son 36', Akolo 48'.

Nguyen Xuan Son joined Nam Dinh in their trip to Ha Tinh just five days after scoring a brace to help Vietnam defeat Malaysia 3-1 in the final match of Group F, Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. The 29-year-old striker maintained his momentum, posing a constant threat to the Ha Tinh defense.

In the 19th minute, Nguyen Phong Hong Duy crossed from the left wing into the penalty area. Nguyen Xuan Son outmuscled a defender, controlled the ball, and struck a close-range left-footed shot into the net. However, after a VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal due to a handball by the striker. Later, in the 29th minute, Xuan Son tapped the ball against the post following a cross from Nguyen Van Vi on the left flank.

Nam Dinh FC striker Nguyen Xuan Son celebrates scoring the opening goal from a penalty in their 2-0 victory over Ha Tinh in V-League 2025-2026 round 17, at Ha Tinh Stadium on 5/4/2026. Photo: Quang Duong

One minute later, from the left flank again, Nam Dinh took a throw-in into the box, which Van Vi headed back. Xuan Son tried to shield the ball against two home defenders and then signaled for a handball. Referee Nguyen Viet Duan spent two minutes reviewing VAR footage before awarding a penalty. From the 11-meter spot, Xuan Son struck the ball into the bottom left corner, giving Thanh Tung no chance to save despite guessing the correct direction.

This was Xuan Son's second goal in the V-League 2025-2026 season, achieved in seven matches. Across all competitions since returning from injury, Son has scored 13 goals in 14 matches.

In the second half, Xuan Son continued to make an impact with a delicate through ball from the midfield into the penalty area. Chadrac Akolo chested the ball down, dribbled past goalkeeper Thanh Tung, and scored into an empty net, doubling Nam Dinh's lead.

Nguyen Xuan Son (center) assists Chadrac Akolo (right) to seal Nam Dinh's 2-0 victory over Ha Tinh. Photo: Quang Duong

The following minutes saw Nam Dinh cede possession to the hosts, adopting a defensive counter-attacking style. Goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh's excellent performance helped the visitors hold firm. Even after the captain goalkeeper left the field due to injury, substitute Tran Liem Dieu kept a clean sheet.

As the home team pushed forward, Nam Dinh had several clear-cut counter-attacking opportunities but failed to convert them. The most notable miss occurred in the 85th minute when substitute defender Kevin Pham Ba sprinted down the right flank past a Ha Tinh player and delivered a perfect cross, but Xuan Son tapped the ball wide of an open goal.

Three minutes later, Son calmly turned and accelerated past Helerson to enter the penalty area. However, his left-footed shot was blocked by a sliding tackle from a defender. Son, who had taken over the captain's armband from Nguyen Manh, insisted on a corner kick. The referee even carefully reviewed for a penalty but ultimately awarded a goal kick to the home team.

The 2-0 victory continued Nam Dinh's resurgence under coach Vu Hong Viet. The team has now won five consecutive matches, including four in the V-League. From the bottom half of the table, Nam Dinh has climbed to 7th place with 24 points, seven points behind third-placed Ninh Binh and 20 points behind league leaders Cong an Ha Noi.

Hieu Luong