Xuan Son has lost his ability to score goals, leaving Coach Kim Sang Sik extremely anxious.

Xuan Son is going through a worrying period without finding the net, just as the Vietnam team gears up for the 2026 AFF Championship.

Nguyen Xuan Son is facing the toughest stretch since returning from a long-term injury. The key striker for Nam Dinh has gone six consecutive matches without scoring—a troubling statistic for a forward once regarded as the team's primary attacking pillar. His last goal came against Da Nang, a side still struggling to avoid relegation in the V.League. Since then, the naturalized striker's form has visibly declined, as he repeatedly misses crucial chances and no longer displays his former explosiveness.

Before the major clash with Hanoi Police, Coach Vu Hong Viet decided to rest Xuan Son to keep him in peak condition for the Shopee Cup. However, that plan did not yield the expected results. In both legs of the semifinal against Selangor, Xuan Son failed to score, and Nam Dinh were heartbreakingly eliminated on aggregate. The team's over-reliance on the 1997-born striker quickly led to stagnation once he lost his scoring touch.

It's not just Xuan Son—the entire Nam Dinh squad is in deep crisis. The club has suffered five consecutive losses across all competitions, creating an extremely heavy atmosphere in the dressing room. Once considered title contenders, Nam Dinh now have few objectives left apart from the National Cup. This is seen as their last chance to salvage a turbulent and disappointing season.

In Round 24 of the V.League, Nam Dinh disappointed again, losing 2-1 to Hanoi FC after taking the lead at Hang Day Stadium. Despite scoring first, Coach Vu Hong Viet's side couldn't hold onto the advantage, once again exposing problems in both defense and mental resilience. This defeat has only intensified the pressure on the coaching staff and key players.

After the match, Coach Vu Hong Viet did not avoid the truth, admitting that Nam Dinh is facing significant issues in both morale and performance. The tactician believes that the dense match schedule following a long injury layoff has considerably affected Xuan Son's fitness. He stated that the striker has been playing continuously over a short period, so he hasn't yet reached peak condition. According to Nam Dinh's coach, for a player just returning from a serious injury, maintaining a high intensity of play will inevitably impact his physical foundation and explosive speed.

Notably, Xuan Son has only three to four remaining matches to rediscover his scoring form before he joins the Vietnam national team to prepare for the 2026 AFF Cup.. If Xuan Son fails to regain his scoring inspiration, this will be a perplexing problem for Coach Kim Sang Sik when selecting personnel for the Vietnam national team's attack.