Tiến Linh is ready to break Huỳnh Đức's record

08/10/2025 09:59:00 ceshi

After a period of uncertainty about his performance, striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh is demonstrating a strong resurgence with Công an TP.HCM. Fueled by momentum from the V-League and backed by coach Lê Huỳnh Đức, his former teacher and idol, Tiến Linh faces a significant chance to excel in the next two matches.

In the 2025/26 V-League season, Tiến Linh stands out as the most efficient domestic scorer with 3 goals in 6 matches (a rate of 0.5 goals per game), far ahead of most other local forwards. Tuấn Hải closely trails with 2 goals, Thanh Nhàn and Gia Hưng each have 1, while Đình Bắc and Hai Long have yet to score.

For Tiến Linh, this steady form arrives just when the Vietnam national team needs a "finisher" to lead the attack. Coach Kim Sang Sik consistently relies on Tiến Linh due to his superior experience as a striker born in 1997, alongside refreshing the forward line with younger talents.

Returning to the place that launched his career, Gò Đậu Stadium, Tiến Linh is showing his natural talent. In round 4, the 28-year-old striker immediately made an impression by scoring the opening goal, securing 3 points for Công an TP.HCM. This also signals his readiness for a new phase in his career.

The role of coach Lê Huỳnh Đức in this career milestone cannot be ignored. Upon taking charge of Công an TP.HCM, Huỳnh Đức was determined to bring Tiến Linh back and confidently handed him the captain's armband. This was not only a vote of confidence in his abilities but also a clear message that Tiến Linh is the club’s driving force in reviving a legendary symbol of Vietnamese football.

Tiến Linh is currently the best-performing striker for the Vietnam national team during this training period. Photo: Diễm My

The way a legend like Huỳnh Đức "places his trust" is a massive source of motivation for Tiến Linh. The 2024 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner is pleased that his former idol now mentors him, and Tiến Linh is on track to break his coach’s scoring record with the national team.

At present, Tiến Linh has netted 25 goals in 62 matches, just 2 behind Huỳnh Đức. Huỳnh Đức ranks as the second-best scorer in Vietnam national team history with 27 goals in 62 appearances.

With two official matches coming up against lower-ranked teams like Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Tiến Linh has a real shot at moving into second place among the greatest scorers in Vietnamese football history (behind Lê Công Vinh, who scored 51 goals in 83 matches).

Earlier this March, Tiến Linh was also expected to achieve this when Vietnam hosted Cambodia and Laos at Gò Đậu. However, at that time, he was overworked from continuous play and couldn’t perform at his best fitness. But this time, the situation is different.

Tiến Linh joined coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad in October in good shape, energized as it is the start of the season. The V-League has just begun, and the 1997-born striker is reaching his peak form both technically and mentally.

Tiến Linh’s ambition goes beyond just scoring goals. As captain of both his club and an experienced member of the national team, he is demonstrating maturity and becoming a support for younger players.

Returning to the "holy ground" of Gò Đậu, where he was nurtured, Tiến Linh surely won’t miss the chance to shine and make his mark on the journey to conquer historic milestones.

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