Xuan Son and the 'unnoticed run' in the V-League opener

This weekend afternoon, Thien Truong Stadium will welcome a different version of Thép Xanh Nam Định. No more explosive Brenner on the wing, no more Lucas Alves commanding the defense. The southern team enters the new season with a 'streamlined' squad – and fans can only wait to see if this neatness can compensate for the weight of departed names. HAGL is the opposite. They arrive at Thien Truong not with ambition, but with a single task: survival. Having lost Quang Kiet and Chau Ngoc Quang, the Mountain Town team looks thinner than ever. But precisely this 'underdog' status is what makes this match worth watching. I have followed many V-League openers. There is a recurring detail: teams that are underestimated often play with rare freedom. HAGL has nothing to lose. Nam Định does – they must win to prove that the squad restructuring was right. What caught my attention was not the starting lineup, but how Xuân Sơn moved in the final training sessions before the match. After the ASEAN Cup 2026, he returns with a new status, but also with a silent pressure. All eyes are on whether he will score. I remember writing once: 'The captain doesn't shout, he just changes the way he plants his feet on the grass.' For Xuân Sơn, this shows in how he chooses his position – not flashy moves, but intelligent runs into the space behind HAGL's defenders. Nam Định has recruited Caio Cesar, Romulo, Lu Sambal and Ezequiel Santos Da Silva, but it's the domestic core that intrigues me. Phạm Tuấn Hải – the most notable domestic signing – could form a complementary striking pair for Xuân Sơn. But in the V-League, that's never enough. Vietnamese teams often play with five defenders when facing stronger opponents, and HAGL under coach Lê Quang Trãi is no exception. A deep, crowded block in front of the box, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities. If Nam Định are not patient, they will trap themselves. Xuân Sơn will not receive much space. The question is: does coach Vũ Hồng Việt have a Plan B when Plan A is shut down? A lineup with Xuân Sơn at the top, Tuấn Hải dropping deep, and full-backs pushing high – that's the attacking football Nam Định fans want to see. But the V-League does not forgive teams lacking patience. If HAGL score from a set piece, the pressure will weigh heavily on the home side's feet. Analysts often look at possession stats or shot counts to assess a game. I don't do that. I look at how Nam Định defend from the front. If their forwards don't press from the start, HAGL will easily circulate the ball and stretch the home side's shape. Conversely, if Nam Định press actively, they can disorient HAGL right from their own half. This is where I remember the work of those behind the scenes. While players battle for every blade of grass, coaches and assistants have studied every pattern meticulously. I don't ask them – I just watch how they stand, how they signal, and how the match changes course. Vietnamese football is in an interesting phase. Nam Định once threw money out the window and got a disappointing 6th place. This season, they chose stability. There are revolutions without slogans, only training sessions no one films – and that is where Nam Định will find themselves again. As for HAGL, they will fight not just for 3 points, but for existence. It would be a mistake to underestimate them. V-League history is full of upsets from underrated teams. This match will not only revolve around Xuân Sơn. It revolves around how Nam Định handles their own emotions – the impatience, the expectation, and the fear of being overturned. I want to see who stays calmest, who reads the game's rhythm earliest. Because as I often say: The biggest changes usually start from an unnoticed run.