Vietnam close South Korea training camp with Victory over Gangwon FC
On the afternoon of 13 July, Vietnam’s national team played their final training match of their camp in Incheon, South Korea, securing a 2-1 victory over Gangwon FC, a K League 1 side.
This was regarded as the highest-quality opponent among the three “sparring partners” faced by head coach Kim Sang Sik and his players during their training camp in South Korea. Before taking on Vietnam, Gangwon FC had just held league leaders FC Seoul to a draw in their most recent K League 1 fixture.
In this match, head coach Kim Sang Sik continued to make full use of the opportunity to assess his squad and fine-tune his personnel options ahead of the ASEAN Championship 2026.
Notably, the starting lineup featured most of the team’s key players and remained on the pitch for the opening 15 minutes of the second half before the coaching staff made a wholesale substitution to further assess alternative options.
In the 14th minute, Gangwon FC were awarded a penalty following a foul inside the box and successfully converted it to take the lead.
Vietnam did not allow their opponents to hold on to the advantage for long, with Kim Sang Sik’s players continuing to push forward in search of an equaliser. In the 21st minute, Nguyen Quang Hai produced a skilful effort, but the ball struck the crossbar to the disappointment of the Vietnam players.
Vietnam’s efforts were rewarded in the 28th minute. Following an attack down the flank, Nguyen Tai Loc delivered a well-placed cross for Nguyen Xuan Son to finish and bring the match level.
After the opening 15 minutes of the second half, during which the starting lineup remained largely unchanged, the coaching staff gradually introduced the remaining players to continue assessing the squad.
In the 62nd minute, Nguyen Ngoc My produced a fine curling effort with his right foot, but the Gangwon FC goalkeeper made an excellent save. Three minutes later, Vietnam scored the decisive goal. Following Van Do’s determined run down the right flank, the ball was delivered into the box, where Pham Gia Hung finished accurately to seal a 2-1 victory for Vietnam.
The victory over Gangwon FC saw Vietnam conclude their training camp in South Korea on a positive note from a technical perspective. After nearly three weeks together and three training matches against opponents of progressively higher quality, the coaching staff gained a stronger basis for assessing the players’ form, reviewing the squad and fine-tuning tactical options ahead of the ASEAN Championship 2026.
According to the schedule, Vietnam’s national team will leave Incheon and return to Hanoi on the morning of 14 July, before travelling to Thai Nguyen on 17 July for an international friendly against Myanmar on 18 July. The match will serve as the team’s final rehearsal before head coach Kim Sang Sik and his players begin their title defence at the ASEAN Championship 2026.
