Coach Bae Ji-won: 'Vietnam Exposed Many Problems in the Loss to Thailand'

Hook

Bandung, September 8, 2026. In the cramped press conference room of Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Vietnam head coach Bae Ji-won sat in silence for a long time before speaking. Camera flashes blinked like an unexpected rain shower, but the air in the room was as thick as if time had stopped. Finally, he said only one short sentence: "We exposed many problems." There was no bitterness in that voice, only the acknowledgment of a man who had seen everything. I have been in Vietnam football dressing rooms long enough to understand that what is said in a press conference is only the outer shell. The truth usually lies in the silence between sentences, in the eyes of young players when they look at each other, and in the sighs of those who have experienced both glory and defeat. The 0-2 loss to Thailand in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 group stage was not merely a defeat. It was a moment when all the problems buried for so long suddenly surfaced, laid bare before anyone clear-headed enough to look directly at them.

Context

To understand the significance of this match, one must go back 34 days. On August 5, 2026, in Bangkok, Vietnam was crowned ASEAN Cup champions after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Thailand. It was a night when Vietnamese football touched the peak of emotion, as young players like Nguyen Van Toan and Pham Tuan Hai, alongside seniors like Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Hoang Duc, wrote a new page in history. But football does not allow anyone to sleep on victory. After the championship, Vietnam entered the 2026 ASEAN Cup group stage as defending champions, and the match against Thailand in Bandung, Indonesia, was seen as a decisive rematch for the top spot in Group B.

I have followed Vietnam football for 36 years, from my first days as a trainee reporter for a local radio station in Nagoya, to long journeys across stadiums throughout Asia. I stood in their dressing room in Rostov-on-Don in 2026, when the whole team collapsed after a 2-3 loss to Belgium in stoppage time. I witnessed silent tears falling on wooden benches, pats on the back that needed no words, and shared rituals created not to win but to survive together. And this time, in Bandung, I saw something similar again. But this time, the silence was not crying. The silence was awareness.

Thailand under coach Anthony Hudson showed a significant tactical shift. Unlike their past image as an attacking, entertaining team, Thailand this time chose a pragmatic approach, proactively ceding possession and waiting for opportunities. Meanwhile, Vietnam's coach Bae Ji-won approached the match with the mindset of a possession-based team imposing their will. But the result was Thailand scoring in the 10th minute, then defending tightly, and delivering the final blow through Sarach Yooyen's strike from outside the box. Vietnam controlled more possession but could not penetrate the dense low block.

Core

What I saw most clearly in this match was not a technical inferiority of individual players, but a difference in how the two teams understood the game. Thailand, with the advantage of an early lead, proactively adjusted their tactics. They dropped deep, organized their defense tightly, and more importantly, they understood that in modern football, controlling possession does not mean controlling the match. Vietnam, with a framework of familiar players, struggled to convert their territorial dominance into real chances.

Thailand's midfield, featuring experienced players, played a near-perfect tactical game. They sealed the gaps between the lines, forcing Vietnam to play the ball wide, and there, the mobility of Thailand's full-backs neutralized most of the opponent's attacking efforts. This was a systematic error by Vietnam: when facing a low block, a team needs diverse solutions — long balls over the top, long-range shots, one-two combinations in central areas, or set-piece situations. Vietnam had moments where they did this, such as Nguyen Tai Loc's offside-called situation in the 37th minute, or Nguyen Hoang Duc's penetrating run in the 58th minute. But those moments appeared sporadically, not forming a repeatable pattern sufficient to create sustained pressure on the opposing defense.

Another notable point was Thailand's use of a "false number 9" — Chanathip Songkrasin in a relay station role. Although it did not produce the desired direct effect, Chanathip's presence in the midfield area forced Vietnam's center-backs to push up to mark him. This created spaces behind them, but Thailand, with their lead and cautious mentality, did not fully exploit it. This is a detail showing that Thailand not only played pragmatically but also had very careful tactical calculation.

Deep tactical analysis

From a data perspective, although I do not have full xG or pass map data at hand, it is clear that Vietnam controlled more possession. However, possession does not automatically create chances. The problem lies in the fact that most of Vietnam's possession occurred in the midfield area and on the flanks, in front of Thailand's already-organized defense. This is the phenomenon of "sterile possession" — a term I learned from Western data analysts, but very appropriate to describe what happened in Bandung.

Thailand's central midfield trio played an excellent match. They not only defended well but also maintained reasonable team compactness, not exposing gaps between the lines. When Vietnam intensified their attack, they were ready to drop deep and form a crowded defensive block. Thailand's full-backs also showed high concentration, continuously covering and supporting the center-backs in aerial situations.

For Vietnam, the problem was not only tactical but also personnel-related. Coach Bae Ji-won had to deal with a worrying injury list: Nguyen Thanh Chung, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Xuan Son, and Nguyen Hoang Duc — key players who could not reach their best physical condition due to continuous play over a short period. This is an inevitable consequence of a dense fixture schedule, with players having to play for their clubs in the V.League and then for the national team in regional tournaments. The lack of equivalent-quality replacement options made it difficult for Coach Bae to rotate the squad and adjust tactics during the match.

It is worth noting that even with the best players available, Vietnam still could not demonstrate diversity in their attacking options. Coach Bae recognized this when he mentioned the need to improve "ball circulation speed, pressure maintenance, and attacking diversity." These are legitimate demands, but they also show that Vietnam is in a phase of building their playing style, not yet at tactical maturity.

Contrarian

There is a paradox here that few mention. While Vietnamese media focuses on the national team's problems, in Thailand, coach Anthony Hudson is facing criticism about his playing style. Thai experts, including former star Be Bangkapong, argue that Hudson's pragmatic approach is "ugly" and goes against Thailand's attacking football tradition. But Be Bangkapong also admitted one thing: "Just looking at the final result is enough."

This is an interesting contradiction in Southeast Asian football. Fans want to see beautiful football, but results are what ultimately matter. Thailand beat Vietnam for the first time after 3 losses and 1 draw. They proved that in modern football, tactical discipline and match experience can overcome stylistic ambition.

But can Thailand maintain this playing style in bigger tournaments? When facing stronger opponents at the continental level, a team that only knows how to defend and wait for opportunities may struggle. This is a question Thai football will have to answer in the future.

For Vietnam, this defeat could be an opportunity to look at themselves. In 34 days, from the peak of ASEAN Cup victory to defeat against the same opponent, Vietnam experienced a complete emotional cycle. But football does not allow anyone to stop. Vietnam's problem is not a lack of talent — players like Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai, or Nguyen Xuan Son are all capable of making a difference. The problem is how to make that collective operate consistently, especially in matches where the opponent does not give them space to counterattack.

Takeaway

When the lights of Si Jalak Harupat Stadium went out, I remained seated in the press area. In the stands, a few Vietnamese fans had not yet left. They sat there, silent, looking down at the pitch where their team had just lost. I wondered: who will be left behind as this team moves forward? Will young players like Pham Gia Hung, whom Coach Bae mentioned as an additional attacking option, be given the chance to prove themselves? Or will Vietnam continue to depend on key players who are already overloaded?

The dressing room does not lie — it only whispers to the right person at the right time. And this time, that whisper is telling Coach Bae Ji-won and his staff: it is time for a longer-term plan, not just for the next match, but for a whole new development cycle. Modern football runs on data, but the heartbeat remains in the dressing room. And the heart of Vietnamese football needs to be cared for properly, before the next beats become too heavy.