The coach who previously disciplined Dinh Bac continues to discipline the overseas Vietnamese player.

Karim Tran Phi Long ( Song Lam Nghe An , yellow shirt) with a shot that went wide of the post against Bac Ninh - Photo: VPF Coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, Karim Tran Phi Long played energetically and with speed on the left wing. He confidently controlled the ball, frequently cutting into the penalty area and taking dangerous shots. That's why coach Van Sy Son was unhappy with the flawed technical display by Vietnamese-French midfielder Karim Tran Phi Long in the final minutes of the match. Because at that time, Song Lam Nghe An Club hadn't yet secured the victory. Song Lam Nghe An FC struggled to beat newly promoted Bac Ninh 1-0 at Vinh Stadium in the first round of the V-League 2026-2027 on September 6th. Despite playing with a man advantage from the 34th minute, the Nghe An team could only score from a penalty in the 71st minute thanks to striker Bruno Pereira. The clearest example was the situation in the 87th minute when the 22-year-old controlled the ball with his chest and then shot towards the far corner, narrowly missing the post. However, Karim Tran Phi Long then performed a showy ball control move in the opponent's half. The ball bounced quite dangerously far away, but luckily he managed to chase it down and control it before the Bac Ninh player could take possession and launch an attack. Speaking after the match, coach Van Sy Son expressed his dissatisfaction with Karim Tran Phi Long. "Of course I'm happy with the win, but I still have to deal with the disciplinary issues. I can't allow players to act disrespectfully towards their opponents, because that's a lack of respect," he said. The coach, born in 1972, asserted that the issue wasn't about preventing players from using their skills; what he demanded was a balance between the playing style and the circumstances of the match. Therefore, he met with Karim Tran Phi Long privately to reprimand him and take disciplinary action. This is not the first time coach Van Sy Son has been strict with young players. When he was coaching Quang Nam FC in the V-League 2023-2024, he also disciplined Nguyen Dinh Bac by sending him to the youth team when the striker violated the team's rules.