Vietnam 3-1 Cambodia Highlights: Đình Bắc Shines but Coach Kim Sang Sik Not Entirely Satisfied

Đình Bắc's double and a Cambodian own goal secured Vietnam's 3-1 victory, allowing them to top Group A and reach the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals. But there were still aspects to be unhappy about.

Đình Bắc Confirms His Talent

In a match where Vietnam was completely relaxed mentally since a draw would suffice to reach the ASEAN Cup semifinals, they did enough to finish top of Group A.

Coach Kim Sang Sik showed respect for the opponent while also wanting key players to maintain their rhythm, so he kept almost the same starting lineup as against Indonesia, with only one change: Quang Hải started in place of Tài Lộc.

The bright spot for the "Golden Star Warriors" in this match was the excellent performance of Đình Bắc. The number 9 striker showcased his incredible strength and speed, dribbling into the box surrounded by four Cambodian players before scoring a diagonal shot to open the scoring, and then sealed the match with a clever lob after a well-timed run, securing the 3-1 victory for Vietnam.

Besides his brace, Đình Bắc had several other impressive bursts of speed and aggressive runs. He played a beautiful through ball for Quang Hải, but Quang Hải couldn't beat the Cambodian goalkeeper in a one-on-one. He then sped down the left wing and delivered a perfect cross for Trương Tiến Anh, but our right-back's close-range shot went over the bar. He also dribbled and passed well to Văn Vĩ, but our left-back failed to capitalize.

Unstable Defense

Coach Kim Sang Sik kept the same defensive line as in the 3-0 win over Indonesia, but we had many poor situations.

Cambodia didn't have much possession or put heavy pressure on Patrik Lê Giang's goal, but a few moments were enough to put Vietnam's goal in danger; if the visitors had finished better, they might have scored more than just one goal.

In the first half, Xuân Mạnh made a risky pass to Thành Chung, who then failed to notice a Cambodian player right behind him, allowing the opponent to close in, steal the ball, and burst into Vietnam's box. Fortunately, the opponent's finish was poor.

In the second half, Xuân Mạnh seemed in control, running ahead of his opponent, but still allowed Cambodia's Bento to get past him, win the ball, and beat Patrik Lê Giang to score.

In another situation, Xuân Mạnh lost the ball right at the edge of the box, but fortunately he recovered it quickly to clear the danger before the Cambodian player could shoot.

These are all starting defenders of Vietnam, yet they still made serious mistakes. And the opponent was only Cambodia. Could it be that we were complacent because the opponent was Cambodia?

Coach Kim Sang Sik Continues to "Charge" His Players

We have nine days until the semifinal. The players have plenty of time to rest, recover fitness, and train to sharpen their tactics.

But at the same time, this is also a period for Coach Kim Sang Sik to review the remaining issues and remind his players. Though Vietnam beat Cambodia, their defense didn't perform well in this match. They must not repeat such mistakes in the ASEAN Cup semifinals if they hope to continue their quest to conquer the regional football throne once again.