Tien dao Nguyen Dinh Bac celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1, in Vietnam's 3-2 victory over UAE in the quarter-finals of the U23 Asia Cup 2026, at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Arab Saudi on 16/1. Photo: AFC

Vietnam advanced to the semi-finals of the U23 Asia Cup 2026 after scoring 8 goals: two from penalty kicks (Dinh Bac against Jordan and Khuat Van Khang against Kyrgyzstan), one an own goal by an opponent from Kyrgyzstan, one directly from a corner kick by Nguyen Hieu Minh (against Jordan), and 4 goals from open play.

Among these 4 goals, Dinh Bac's strike against UAE stood out, arguably setting a new record for U23 Vietnam in the tournament for originating from the longest sequence of consecutive passes.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik's players executed a total of 16 consecutive passes before the ball reached Dinh Bac, who then delivered a spectacular reverse header into the net of the West Asian representative. Including the 21-year-old player, 7 Vietnamese players collaborated to create this goal, establishing another record for the number of personnel involved.

These statistics are not merely dry numbers; they reflect the dynamic and flexible playing style of coach Kim's team in the current U23 Asia Cup.

Dinh Bac's goal against UAE.

Also against UAE, Nguyen Le Phat's opening goal in the 39th minute ranked second in terms of consecutive passes during its build-up. This goal followed a sequence of 5 passes that began with a throw-in on the right flank of Vietnam's half and concluded with Dinh Bac's skillful dribbling and maneuvering to eliminate opponents and provide an assist.

For the other two open-play goals, Dinh Bac's close-angle shot against Arab Saudi in the final group stage match came from just one pass and an assist by Nguyen Ngoc My, after the opponent lost the ball in their own half. Meanwhile, Pham Minh Phuc's winning goal, securing a 3-2 victory over UAE in extra time, statistically resulted from an opponent's failed clearance, with the ball falling to the Cong an Ha Noi player's feet, leading to a decisive shot.

Looking back at Minh Phuc's decisive goal against UAE, before the ball reached the right-back, center-back Nhat Minh had taken the first shot, which was blocked. The rebound then went to Thanh Nhan, but an opposing player immediately rushed in to block it again.

Vietnam's passing sequence starting from a throw-in that led to Minh Phuc's 3-2 goal. Screenshot

The passing sequence was broken after Nhat Minh's blocked shot, before the opportunity was presented to Minh Phuc. Screenshot

At the moment Nhat Minh prepared to shoot, U23 Vietnam players had completed a total of 15 consecutive passes, with 9 different players involved in the combination – only Van Khang and goalkeeper Trung Kien did not touch the ball. During this sequence, the right-wing group consistently sought to attack behind the UAE defense. Had the center-back from Hai Phong successfully finished, it would not only have been a masterpiece of combination play but also ranked second in terms of passing sequences and set a record for the number of players involved for coach Kim's team in the tournament.

However, the most regrettable situation occurred from the 87th to 88th minute. From a throw-in on the right flank of their own half, the Vietnamese players developed the play, circulating the ball from the right wing to the left, then back to the right, and again to the left.

From that left wing, a display of intricate weaving play unfolded, with Nhat Minh's through ball to the final third of the field for a group of 4 players near the ball: Dinh Bac, Quoc Cuong, Van Khang, and Thanh Nhan. These players constantly interchanged positions like a shifting quad to evade marking and create space.

Vietnam's passing sequence in the 87th minute from a throw-in, with the ball circulated from right-left-right-left, and Thanh Nhan dropping back to connect. Screenshot

The intricate weaving play displayed on the left wing, with Nhat Minh's through ball for the quartet of Dinh Bac, Quoc Cuong, Van Khang, and Thanh Nhan to combine, make runs, and dismantle the opponent's defense. Screenshot

Vietnam's familiar third-man run pattern in wide-area combinations was replicated, and Thanh Nhan twice executed feints before delivering a precise cross for Anh Quan. Unfortunately, the header from the player wearing jersey number 20 could not beat the exceptional save by the UAE goalkeeper.

Had that chance resulted in a goal, it would have been Vietnam's most complete record in the tournament to date. Anh Quan's flicked header concluded a sequence of 19 consecutive passes, involving a total of 10 players – with the exception of goalkeeper Trung Kien, and Anh Quan's only touch was the header itself.

Hoang Thong