Pakistan's coach Nolberto Solano attributed his team's 2-4 defeat to Vietnam in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 to a lack of second-half intensity and Vietnam's potent attack, particularly the impact of substitute Nguyen Dinh Bac. The match took place on 2/10 at Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta.
"Pakistan allowed Vietnam to exploit our right wing extensively," Solano said during the post-match press conference. "Many of Pakistan's conceded goals originated from that position."
Vietnam trailed after Mohid Ullah scored for Pakistan in the 32nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to face Le Giang Patrik. However, the game turned around in the second half. Nguyen Hai Long equalized for Vietnam early in the second half, followed by Hoang Duc's goal in the 57th minute, assisted by Nguyen Dinh Bac, giving Vietnam the lead.
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Nguyen Dinh Bac celebrates a goal during Vietnam's 4-2 victory over Pakistan in the final group B match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, at Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia on the afternoon of 2/10. Photo: Duc Dong |
Nguyen Dinh Bac entered the field at the start of the second half alongside Phan Tuan Tai. The forward continued to be instrumental, directly scoring Vietnam's third goal in the 80th minute, making it 3-1. He then provided an assist for Williams Minh Hoang to seal the 4-2 victory in the 90th minute.
Solano specifically highlighted Nguyen Dinh Bac's game-changing performance when asked about Vietnam's play and the situation involving the number 9 player. "Regarding Dinh Bac. Sorry, I am not sure how to pronounce his name," Solano continued. "But we knew that his presence caused us many problems on the right wing."
Nguyen Dinh Bac typically plays the full 90 minutes in recent matches for Vietnam. His initial benching against Pakistan might have been to conserve energy for the third-place playoff. However, with Vietnam one goal down at halftime, coach Kim Sang-sik was compelled to bring Nguyen Dinh Bac on to create a breakthrough, a decision that proved effective. Phan Tuan Tai also made an impact with his assist to Hai Long.
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Peru coach Nolberto Solano of Pakistan holds a press conference after the 2-4 loss to Vietnam in the final group B match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, at Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia on 2/10. Photo: Duc Dong |
Coach Solano identified Pakistan's inability to maintain pressure as a key issue. According to him, the South Asian team executed good pressing and maintained a tight defensive line in the first half but failed to sustain this approach after the break.
"In the second half, we could not maintain the strong pressure we had in the first half," the former Premier League midfielder stated. "Previously, the entire team had coordinated well in pressing and kept a tight defensive line. When we started to push our lineup higher, our defense tended to drop back, creating many open spaces for the Vietnam team to exploit."
The Pakistan coach also suggested that a significant difference in physical fitness influenced the game's dynamics after halftime. Following Vietnam's equalizer, Pakistan came under pressure, and some players showed signs of fatigue. "Vietnam had more abundant energy, and that was the factor affecting the outcome of the match," the 52-year-old coach observed.
Solano acknowledged Vietnam as a strong team and a championship contender. Despite this, coach Kim Sang-sik's team finished second in their group and will now compete for third place against Malaysia. Thailand will face Indonesia in the final on 5/10.
Duc Dong - Hieu Luong
