Bae Ji-won Decodes Vietnam's Defeat: Possession Without Purpose

In the 10th minute, Sarach Yooyen's long-range strike cut through Vietnam's post-ASEAN Cup confidence. At the neutral Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia, Vietnam dominated possession but lost 0-2 to Thailand in a FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 Group B match. Korean analyst Bae Ji-won said Vietnam revealed many problems in their attacking play. Bae stressed that holding the ball is not an advantage for this generation of Vietnamese players. Thailand deliberately dropped deep, protected the lead, and relied on an experienced midfield trio and disciplined full-backs. Vietnam could not break down the low block. Bae identified two promising moments: Nguyen Tai Loc's offside run in the 37th minute and Nguyen Hoang Duc's penetration in the 58th minute. But they were isolated moments, not repeatable patterns. Bae also questioned Kim Sang-sik's substitutions, suggesting that Pham Gia Hung should have been used to add aerial presence. The bigger issue is workload management: four key players - Nguyen Thanh Chung, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Xuan Son, and Nguyen Hoang Duc - were injured from playing too many matches in a short period. Thailand's pragmatic win under Anthony Hudson exposed Vietnam's squad-depth problem. The loss is a warning: if Vietnam cannot solve the low-block puzzle, other ASEAN teams will copy Thailand's blueprint.