Compared to Siheung FC and Yongin FC, Gangwon FC is a stronger opponent. They compete in K-League 1 and recently drew with league leaders FC Seoul in the latest round of the South Korean National Championship. Facing this opponent, coach Kim Sang-sik started the Vietnam team with their strongest lineup, featuring Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, Xuan Son, Tai Loc, and Hoang Hen from the beginning.

Vietnam created several dangerous opportunities early in the match with shots from Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, and Hoang Duc, but could not score. Furthermore, the team conceded a penalty in the 14th minute after a defensive error in the box, falling behind 0-1.

Forward Nguyen Xuan Son vies for the ball with a Gangwon FC player during the friendly match on the afternoon of 13/7 in Incheon, South Korea. Photo: VFF

With an attack featuring naturalized players and active support from Quang Hai and Hoang Duc, Vietnam launched cohesive attacks. After Quang Hai hit the crossbar in the 21st minute, Tai Loc assisted Xuan Son for a close-range equalizer in the 28th minute, making it 1-1.

In the two previous friendly matches, coach Kim Sang-sik used different lineups for each half. Today, however, he maintained the best lineup until the 60th minute before making substitutions. These changes again helped the team perform well.

In the 62nd minute, Nguyen Ngoc My curled a shot beautifully with his right foot, forcing the Gangwon goalkeeper into a difficult save. Soon after, Vietnam's efforts were rewarded. From Van Do's run down the right wing, the ball was delivered perfectly for Pham Gia Hung to score precisely inside the box, sealing a 2-1 victory.

After nearly three weeks of gathering in Hanoi, then traveling to South Korea for training matches against progressively stronger opponents and achieving a perfect record, the coaching staff gained further insights to evaluate individual player performance. Moving forward, coach Kim and his assistants will review the squad and finalize tactical plans before the ASEAN Cup 2026.

Tomorrow, the Vietnam national team will fly back to Hanoi, then travel to Thai Nguyen on 17/7 to play a friendly against Myanmar on 18/7. This will be the final rehearsal before coach Kim finalizes the squad list for the ASEAN Cup.

The ASEAN Cup 2026 will take place from 24/7 to 26/8. Defending champions Vietnam are in Group A with Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, and Timor Leste.

As Timor Leste's national stadium does not yet meet hosting standards, they will use Chonburi Stadium as their home ground for the ASEAN Cup 2026. Coach Kim's team will play their opening match against Timor Leste on 24/7 in Chonburi, Thailand.

Duc Dong