Thai media: 'Vietnam national team must drop Tiến Linh and use naturalized stars'

The decision to call up Nguyễn Xuân Sơn and Đỗ Hoàng Hên, while dropping Nguyễn Tiến Linh from the Vietnam national team immediately caught the attention of Thai media.

The Vietnam national team entered the March 2026 FIFA Days with a 23-player squad announced, and the absence of key striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh is drawing public attention. This player, who has held a crucial role in the attack for many years, has made this decision quickly spark a strong wave of debate.

Not only domestically, Southeast Asian media also immediately jumped in. The Thai site Buriram Prankster v2 even posted a dramatic headline: “SHOCK: Vietnam drops veteran domestic striker from national team!”, while emphasizing that coach Kim Sang Sik prioritizes naturalized players over domestic forwards. From a regional perspective, this story is seen as a sign indicating a major shift in the Vietnam national team's squad-building approach.

Specifically, coach Kim Sang Sik called up two Brazilian-origin players, Nguyễn Xuân Son and Đỗ Hoàng Hên, while removing Nguyễn Tiến Linh from the list. Regional media commented: “It is surprising to witness the moment when the Vietnam national team intensifies giving opportunities to naturalized forwards.” This comment reflects the interest and curiosity from Thai media regarding the new personnel strategy of the Vietnam national team.

However, from a professional standpoint, the decision to drop Tiến Linh is not entirely without basis. Since moving to wear the jersey of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club in the 2025/2026 season, the striker born in 1997 has clearly declined. He endured a streak of 11 consecutive matches without scoring in domestic competitions and has only managed 4 goals across all fronts - a number far too low for a top striker.

Even domestic experts acknowledge the issue. Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức pointed out that Tiến Linh's biggest difficulty lies in his playing mentality, where the pressure to score has caused him to lose confidence. The striker himself could not hide his disappointment about his declining form, making the coaching staff's decision more understandable.

On the other hand, the call-up list still maintains the familiar core with pillars such as Đặng Văn Lâm, Nguyễn Filip, Duy Mạnh, Hoàng Đức, and Quang Hải. The inclusion of new elements, especially Đỗ Hoàng Hên, is expected to bring a different breeze to the playing style, particularly as the Vietnam national team aims for important matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Nevertheless, the controversy shows no signs of cooling down. The exclusion of a veteran contributor like Tiến Linh while naturalized players are given opportunities has become a topic that Thai media is particularly focused on. This indicates that the competitive pressure within the national team is increasingly fierce, where performance and effectiveness are placed above all other factors.