The second time he put the ball into Cambodia's net in the 89th minute of the match on the evening of August 7, Dinh Bac did not immediately run to the corner post to celebrate with his teammates as usual.
The Vietnamese national team striker bent down and kissed the grass of My Dinh stadium. This image immediately received attention from fans.
In his press conference interview for the best player of the match, when asked about the meaning of the celebration, Dinh Bac explained: "I think the grass on My Dinh stadium is too beautiful, very favorable for the Vietnamese team to play at home. Actually, it's not something too far-fetched.
The quality of the field surface is a factor that directly affects players in deploying the ball, especially for teams that often use short combinations and quick transitions.
Before being chosen as the home stadium of the Vietnamese team at the ASEAN Cup 2026, My Dinh Stadium had undergone more than 1 year of renovation and upgrading of the grass surface with a total cost of up to 8 billion VND, including the stage of redoing the entire grass surface, reprocessing the base and digging deep from 40 to 50 layers for complete replacement.
The automatic sprinkler system will also be upgraded to ensure grass care meets standards, helping the field surface maintain stable quality.
Returning to Dinh Bac, he was the most prominent factor in Vietnam's 3-1 victory over Cambodia. Two goals have raised his total goals at ASEAN Cup 2026 to 5, thereby temporarily leading the top scorer race.
