Myanmar, 4 December 2025 – Returning from a long injury layoff, naturalised striker Nguyen Xuan Son delivered a sensational hat-trick to inspire Nam Dinh’s 3-0 win over Shan United in Group B of the Shopee Cup 2025-2026.
Nam Dinh produced a dominant performance at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon on 4 December, defeating Myanmar’s Shan United 3-0 thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from striker Nguyen Xuan Son. Despite enjoying up to 75% ball possession at times, the Vietnamese side struggled to break through the host’s deep defensive block until a decisive moment arrived late in the first half.
In the 44th minute, a defensive misjudgment from Shan United proved costly. A home defender accidentally kicked into Nguyen Van Vi inside the penalty area, leaving the referee with no hesitation in awarding a penalty. From the spot, Xuan Son calmly guided the ball into the bottom-right corner, sending goalkeeper Thu Pyae Phyo the wrong way to open the scoring.
The goal marked Son’s first for Nam Dinh in exactly one year. On 4 December 2024, he had scored twice against Bangkok United in the final group-stage match of the AFC Champions League Two 2024-2025. Following that campaign, he joined the Vietnam national team for the ASEAN Cup 2024, but a severe leg fracture suffered in the second leg of the final against Thailand sidelined him for nearly 11 months.
Son only returned to official competition on 19 November, coming on at halftime and scoring a penalty in Vietnam’s 2-1 win over Laos in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. His sharpness in front of goal has returned quickly, and it was on full display in Yangon.
Just six minutes after halftime, he doubled the lead. Brenner danced past two defenders on the left flank before sending a precise floated cross to the far post, where Son darted in to stab home from close range. His movement, timing, and finishing were simply too much for the Shan United backline.
The Myanmar club attempted to stay compact and rely on counter-attacks, but Nam Dinh were in complete control throughout. Shan United’s best chance came in the second minute of stoppage time when Thet Wai Moe’s close-range header crashed off the crossbar. Their evening worsened in the 82nd minute when Mark Sekyi was shown a straight red card for a dangerous high challenge to the knee of a Nam Dinh player.
Son completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute with a spectacular finish. After a powerful long throw from the left, Brenner rose to flick the ball into Son’s path. The striker reacted instantly, launching into an acrobatic right-footed volley that left the goalkeeper rooted and sealed the emphatic 3-0 victory. It was the ninth hat-trick of Son’s career since arriving in Vietnam in 2020.
This victory is Nam Dinh’s second triumph under new head coach Mauro Jeronimo, following their 2-0 win over Long An in the National Cup round of 16. Sandwiched between those results was a narrow 0-2 defeat to Ratchaburi in ACL Two, but the latest performance shows clear signs of improvement and renewed attacking confidence.
With Xuan Son firing again, Nam Dinh will look to build momentum as they continue their ASEAN Club Championship campaign.
Trong Hien
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