Dinh Xuan Tien - the solution to Song Lam Nghe An's midfielder problem

A completely different Dinh Xuan Tien

As one of 10 players called up to supplement the Vietnam U20 team, Dinh Xuan Tien was quickly named by coach Dinh The Nam in the starting lineup for the opening match against Hong Kong U20.

Right in the first minutes, the midfielder of Song Lam Nghe An made a smart pass for striker Quoc Viet to run down and face goalkeeper Pong Cheuk Hei. Unfortunately, the excellence of the Hong Kong U20 goalkeeper denied this beautiful combination.

More than 15 minutes later, theDinh Xuan Tienwas the one who had the precise finish to open the score for U20 Vietnam. The goal demonstrated the excellent running and finishing ability of the midfielder wearing the number 18 shirt.

Entering the second half, Dinh Xuan Tien once again demonstrated his excellent finishing ability when he made a decisive shot from outside the penalty area to raise the score to 3-0 for the U20 Vietnam team.

Dinh Xuan Tien (No. 18) impressed with a double in the opening match. Photo: VFF

The two goals were just highlights to embellish an excellent match by this midfielder from Nam Dan. Present at every hot spot, winning most of the one-on-one situations, Dinh Xuan Tien made the audience forget the absence of midfielder Nguyen Van Truong.

The presence of Dinh Xuan Tien helped captain Khuat Van Khang and his teammates feel more confident in the attack. He, along with Thai Son in the first half and Duc Phu in the second half, created a central midfield duo that completely controlled the midfield area.

Suggestions for coach Huy Hoang

Compared to the V.League arena, the qualifying roundU20 Asiais a less harsh tournament. With the experience accumulated after playing 9 matches in V.League 2022, Dinh Xuan Tien has more than enough confidence to demonstrate his best qualities in the U20 Vietnam team. Especially against weak opponents such as U20 Hong Kong, U20 East Timor, the young midfielder of Song Lam Nghe An has more opportunities to gradually integrate into the general playing style proposed by coach Dinh The Nam. The coach from Hai Phong clearly grasped Dinh Xuan Tien's strengths through the U23 Vietnam team's training session to participate in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament in early 2022. The role of this midfielder wearing the number 18 shirt is not only limited to defensive duties but is also encouraged to move up to participate in the attack whenever there is an opportunity. The situation of penetrating the penalty area in the first half and occupying the space in front of the 16m50 box in the second half proved Dinh Xuan Tien's excellent positional sense, something he has not been able to show while playing for Song Lam Nghe An.

Dinh Xuan Tien practices with his teammates from Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Duc Anh

Besides 2 successful shots in the match againstHong Kong U20also speaks to the 19-year-old midfielder's excellent finishing ability. Perhaps because V.League is a more competitive environment and Xuan Tien's role at Song Lam Nghe An is more defensive, Nghe An fans rarely get to see the finishing moves of the midfielder from Nam Dan.

Hopefully, his good performances in the U20 Vietnam team will help Dinh Xuan Tien feel more confident when he returns to play for Song Lam Nghe An club. And these performances will also be suggestions for coach Huy Hoang in solving the midfield problem of the Nghe An team.