Vietnam's national football team secured a 2-1 friendly victory over South Korean club Yongin FC in Incheon on the afternoon of 8/7, with forward Nguyen Xuan Son scoring the decisive goal. The win marks Vietnam's second consecutive victory during their training camp in South Korea, following a dominant 6-0 triumph against K-League 3 side Siheung FC. Yongin FC, a K-League 2 team, presented a higher-level challenge, featuring quality players including two Brazilian foreign players, Gabriel Tigrao Vitinho.

Midfielder Nguyen Hai Long scored the opening goal in Vietnam's 2-1 friendly win against Yongin FC in Incheon, South Korea, on the afternoon of 8/7. Photo: VFF

Coach Kim Sang-sik continued his strategy of utilizing two distinct lineups for each half. For the first half, he opted to separate his three naturalized Brazilian players, fielding Nguyen Tai Loc alongside Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Viet Cuong in attack, while Nguyen Xuan Son and Do Hoang Hen were held back. Despite not dominating possession, Vietnam opened the scoring in the 9th minute when Hai Long delivered a decisive finish inside the penalty area. This marked the midfielder from Quang Ninh's third goal in two matches. Yongin FC, however, equalized in the 42nd minute, bringing the score to 1-1. Earlier, in the 20th minute, a favorable pass from Hai Long to forward Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong was missed by the Becamex TP HCM player.

In the second half, a new lineup took the field, with Patrick Le Giang in goal and the attacking trio of Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, and Dinh Bac. Vietnam maintained offensive pressure, creating numerous opportunities. The breakthrough came in the 75th minute when Xuan Son rose high to head the ball into the hosts' net, securing the 2-1 victory.

This victory sets the stage for Vietnam's third friendly match in Incheon against K-League 1 side Gangwon FC on 13/7. The national team will return home one day later, followed by another friendly against Myanmar at Thai Nguyen Stadium four days after their return. Following the Myanmar match, Coach Kim will finalize the squad for the ASEAN Cup 2026, which is scheduled to run from 24/7 to 8/8. Vietnam has been drawn into Group A for the tournament, alongside Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, and Timor Leste.

Forward Nguyen Xuan Son headed in the winning goal, securing a 2-1 victory for Vietnam against Yongin FC in a friendly match in Incheon, South Korea, on the afternoon of 8/7. Photo: VFF

Due to their national stadium not meeting hosting standards, Timor Leste will use Chonburi Stadium in Thailand as their home ground for the ASEAN Cup 2026. Coach Kim's team will kick off their title defense against Timor Leste on 24/7 in Chonburi.

Duc Dong