In the afternoon of July 8, the Vietnamese national team had their second practice match in a training trip to Incheon (Korea), against Yongin FC - a team playing in K.League 2. Compared to the first match, this is considered a test with higher professional quality for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
Continuing the force rotation plan, coach Kim Sang-sik used two different squads in each half to create conditions for many players to play, and at the same time assess the team's operating ability in different personnel plans.
Yongin FC entered the game proactively with good ball control and creating pressure from the first minutes. The Korean team possesses many quality players in attack, including Brazilian foreign players such as Gabriel Tigrão and new player Vitinho.
However, the Vietnamese team still showed efficiency in situational transitions. In the 9th minute, Nguyen Hai Long took advantage of an opportunity in the penalty area to finish decisively, opening the score of the match.
In the 20th minute, Hai Long continued to leave his mark with a dribble on the left wing before crossing favorably for Van Cuong to finish. However, goalkeeper Yongin FC promptly saved.
Before the first half ended, the Korean team equalized 1-1 in the 42nd minute after an effective attack.
In the second half, coach Kim Sang-sik replaced the entire squad to continue testing the force. The two teams maintained a high pace of play and many fierce tackles.
In the 75th minute, Nguyen Xuan Son jumped high to head in a goal, sealing a 2-1 victory for the Vietnamese team.
Besides the positive results, the match is of great significance when it helps the coaching staff have more basis to assess the ability to operate the playing style against a high-quality professional opponent, and at the same time test the coordination between groups of players in many tactical options.
According to the plan, the Vietnamese national team will continue to train in Incheon before entering the final practice match against Gangwon FC, representing K.League 1, on July 13. This will be the final general rehearsal of coach Kim Sang-sik's team before returning home to prepare for the international friendly match against Myanmar and the campaign to defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.
