Speaking on the day the Thai national team gathered, coach Hudson admitted that the Golden Temple team did not have the favorable preparation conditions like some opponents in the region.
He said: "I think Thailand is not a championship candidate at the ASEAN Cup 2026 because of many different conditions. For example, the Vietnamese team has about 3-4 weeks of preparation and Singapore too. However, in general, I am satisfied with the current force and our goal at this time is to contribute our best.
I think we cannot underestimate the Vietnamese team. They have a long preparation time and summoned the best players. I'm not saying that to put pressure on them, but simply to look at reality.
While Thailand has just started gathering, the Vietnamese team has completed a nearly 2-week training trip in Korea.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's team won all 3 victories in friendly matches against Siheung FC, Yongin FC and Gangwon FC. This is considered a positive warm-up before the Southeast Asian tournament.
According to the plan, the Vietnamese team still has a friendly match with Myanmar at Thai Nguyen stadium on July 18, before going to Thailand to officially compete in the ASEAN Cup 2026.
In this gathering, Mr. Kim Sang-sik called up 26 players with the combination of experienced pillars, a group of potential young players and some naturalized faces.
According to the schedule, the Vietnamese team will successively meet Timor Leste, Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia in the group stage, aiming to defend the regional championship.
