Coach Dinh Hong Vinh not satisfied despite Vietnam reaching ASIAD 2026 quarterfinals

At Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Vietnam entered their final Group C match at the 2026 Asian Games against Uzbekistan, the strongest team in the group. A draw would have secured their progress, but those plans collapsed after five minutes. Mohammadali Urinboev cut inside from the right and finished past goalkeeper Cao Van Binh. Vietnam responded well, dominating possession and creating chances. Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong saw his shot blocked, Nguyen Ngoc My fired over from distance, and Nguyen Thanh Nhan had a goal disallowed for offside. In the 35th minute, central midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac left the field injured. Without him, Vietnam lost control of midfield. Uzbekistan defended deep in the second half and hit Vietnam on the counter-attack. Ibraimov dribbled past Pham Ly Duc and scored in the 68th minute to make it 2-0. Vietnam pushed for a consolation goal but could not break through. The loss did not eliminate Vietnam. With four points, they finished second in Group C, one point ahead of the Philippines, who beat Kuwait 2-1. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh was not satisfied. He said the team started cautiously, but one moment of lost concentration led to the opening goal. He believed the match could have changed had Vietnam converted their first-half chances. The statistics supported his concern: Vietnam attempted 51 shots in the group stage, only 17 on target, scoring three goals. The team also lacked fluidity because they had just three days of preparation before the Asian Games. Coach Vinh also worried about injuries to Nguyen Xuan Bac and Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong. Vietnam will play their quarterfinal on September 25 at Paloma Mizuho Stadium. Their opponent may be South Korea, who only need a draw against Saudi Arabia to top Group D. South Korea are title favorites and have extra motivation because winning gold earns players military service exemptions. Vietnam must improve their finishing and defensive concentration to have any chance.