Dinh Bac overshadows the shortcomings of the Vietnam national team

The Vietnam national team finished the group stage of the 2026 ASEAN Cup with top spot, 10 points, 13 goals scored, and only one goal conceded. Those numbers demonstrate the overwhelming strength of the defending champions, and Dinh Bac has also been a standout.

At 22 years old, the striker born in 2004 is showing maturity far beyond his age. Dinh Bac possesses speed, physicality, technique, first-touch ability, and especially a goal-scoring instinct. But what sets him apart even more is his confidence. Dinh Bac does not hesitate to take on defenders, is ready to accelerate, dribble, and finish at moments when many young players would opt for a safe option.

Right in the opening match against Timor Leste, Dinh Bac demonstrated that. The 7-0 victory did not come solely from the opponent's weakness. Dinh Bac's energy and determination created a positive momentum for the whole team. The Vietnam national team gradually eroded Timor Leste's fighting spirit.

In the 3-0 win over Indonesia, Dinh Bac was not the name with the most outstanding statistics. Hoang Duc, Hai Long, Van Vi, or Thanh Long might be mentioned more, but Dinh Bac's role was still notable in stretching the opponent's defense. His speed and constant movement prevented the Indonesian defenders from focusing entirely on other attacking threats.

More importantly, Dinh Bac is not just about attacking. His ideal stamina allows him to drop back and support defense, applying pressure from the front line. This is a quality highly valued by coach Kim Sang Sik in the system he is building.

The 0-0 draw with Singapore can be seen as a necessary reminder for Dinh Bac. Not every match can this talent make a difference. The stalemate that day showed that the young striker still has areas to improve, especially his ability to seize opportunities and adapt when the opponent organizes a tight defense. A player aiming for a higher level needs to turn even scoreless matches into lessons.

And Dinh Bac responded in the most convincing way. Against Cambodia, when the opponent showed progress and made the Vietnam national team endure a difficult match, Bac appeared at the right time.

His two goals against Cambodia not only secured three points. They also helped obscure some of the limitations in the Vietnam national team's attacking approach. In fact, at this moment, no other striker in the team is as consistently efficient in finishing as the 2004-born forward. When the team struggles, Dinh Bac has the ability to create a solution on his own.

That is the factor that makes coach Kim Sang Sik place great trust in this player. In a squad that includes Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, Tai Loc, Gia Hung, Viet Cuong, or Ngoc My—many experienced and highly anticipated players—Dinh Bac is still the one used consistently throughout the group stage. This shows that the CAHN striker's position in the attacking order has become very clear.

Five goals after the group stage, contributing more than one-third of the total 13 goals for the Vietnam national team, is a number that speaks for his importance. But the 2026 ASEAN Cup is only the beginning. Having topped the scoring list, Dinh Bac will no longer surprise opponents.

In the semifinals, he will certainly be marked more closely, spaces will be tighter, and his bursts of speed will not be as easy as in the group stage. That will be the true test for the 22-year-old striker's talent.

If he can overcome that tight marking, adjust his play, participate more in combination, and continue to stay composed in front of goal, Dinh Bac will prove that his five goals so far are not a momentary phenomenon.

The Vietnam national team is in a transition period and needs new faces capable of carrying the attack. Dinh Bac not only scores for the defending champions but also uses his energy, speed, and youthful hunger to overshadow the shortcomings that coach Kim Sang Sik's team is still trying to fix.

And if he continues to improve at his current pace, the 2026 ASEAN Cup could well become the tournament that helps the reigning Vietnamese Silver Ball winner achieve greater stature in his career.