Coach Kim Sang-sik rues key striker’s poor performance in Vietnam’s goalless draw with Singapore at ASEAN Cup

At My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on July 31, Vietnam dominated possession and created numerous scoring opportunities but could not find a breakthrough.

Dinh Bac, who had scored a hat-trick in the 7-0 opening win over Timor-Leste, endured a frustrating night, missing two clear chances in the 18th and 21st minutes.

On both occasions, the 22-year-old chose ambitious finishes instead of simpler options, sending his efforts over the crossbar. He also repeatedly drifted inside from the left wing, reducing space for striker Nguyen Xuan Son.

Coach Kim replaced Dinh Bac with naturalized forward Nguyen Tai Loc in the 45th minute, an unusually early tactical substitution.

“Dinh Bac did not execute the tasks outlined in the coaching staff’s first-half plan well, so I took him off early,” Kim said after the match. “I know Dinh Bac will be disappointed—perhaps even disheartened—especially after gaining confidence from the opening match. But every player has to make sacrifices for the team’s collective goal.”

Dinh Bac acknowledged his disappointing performance and accepted responsibility for the missed opportunities.

“I missed two scoring chances. Had I converted them, the match would have been much easier,” he told reporters. “Sometimes football doesn’t go the way you want. I’ll keep working hard in training and try to do better in the next match.”

Nguyen Dinh Bac takes a shot in Vietnam’s 0-0 draw with Singapore at the 2026 ASEAN Cup in My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, July 31, 2026. Photo by Read/Ngoc Thanh

Kim also defended Tai Loc, who came on at halftime but was unable to break the deadlock.

“Tai Loc played well after coming on. He just couldn’t convert his chances, and luck wasn’t on his side because one effort hit the crossbar,” the South Korean coach said. “I hope both Tai Loc and Dinh Bac will perform better against Indonesia.”

Vietnam outshot Singapore 22-12 but failed to capitalize on their dominance, leaving more than 31,500 home fans disappointed after the emphatic victory over Timor-Leste in the opening round.

Kim credited Singapore for handling Vietnam’s pressure but admitted his own side lacked composure in key moments.

“After the big win against Timor-Leste, we should have played better,” he said. “Today we were too rushed and made poor decisions in important situations. We’ll review the match together and correct those problems.”

Vietnam relied heavily on crosses throughout the game, but Singapore’s defense effectively contained naturalized star Nguyen Xuan Son.

Tactical changes late in the second half, including introducing Thanh Long and moving Hoang Duc into a more advanced role, came too late to produce a winner.

Kim nevertheless stood by his tactical decisions.

“From the outside, it may have looked like we attacked too much from the wings and left Xuan Son isolated, but football is more complicated than that,” he said. “Replacing Quang Hai earlier with another attacking player could have disrupted the team’s balance. As captain, Quang Hai’s leadership was important. We’ll continue analyzing the match and work on the issues we identified.”

The draw extended Kim’s unbeaten run against Southeast Asian opponents to 20 matches but ended Vietnam’s 15-match winning streak. Vietnam dropped to third in Group A with four points from two matches, behind Singapore on seven points and Indonesia on six.

“It’s difficult to point to many positives from this match,” Kim said. “But I appreciate the players’ fighting spirit. We created enough chances, especially in the first half, but failed to convert them. Both the players and I are disappointed that we couldn’t reward the fans who came out in the rain to support us. We’ll do everything we can to produce a better performance against Indonesia.”

Vietnam will travel to Jakarta on Aug. 1 to prepare for their Group A clash with hosts Indonesia on Aug. 3.