Vietnam wrapped up their training camp in South Korea with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over K League 1 side Gangwon FC, completing a perfect three-match record while providing head coach Kim Sang Sik with the final answers he sought ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

Goals from Xuan Son and Gia Hung secured Vietnam's third consecutive win of the camp, marking the end of an intensive testing period before the defending Southeast Asian champions shift their focus to retaining the regional crown.

Toughest test of the tour

The final training match, played on July 13 in Incheon, was widely regarded as Vietnam's most demanding assignment of the camp. Gangwon FC, who compete in South Korea's top-flight K League 1, entered the match after holding league leaders FC Seoul to a draw in their previous domestic fixture.

Unlike the earlier friendlies against Siheung FC of K League 3 and Yongin FC from K League 2, Kim Sang Sik fielded a starting lineup featuring most of his first-choice players. The core group remained on the pitch until around the opening 15 minutes of the second half before the coaching staff made wholesale substitutions to continue evaluating backup options.

Vietnam began confidently despite the quality of the opposition. Xuan Son threatened as early as the fifth minute after a swift counterattack, while Do Hoang Hen and Nguyen Hoang Duc also tested the goalkeeper with long-range efforts.

Gangwon FC took the lead in the 14th minute after converting a penalty awarded for a foul inside the box.

Rather than losing composure, Vietnam continued to play on the front foot. Quang Hai nearly equalised in the 21st minute with a curling effort that struck the crossbar.

The breakthrough finally came seven minutes later when Nguyen Tai Loc delivered an inviting cross from the flank for Xuan Son, who finished clinically to level the score.

Squad depth on display

The second half provided another opportunity for Kim Sang Sik to continue assessing his squad. After keeping the starting lineup together for the opening stages, he gradually introduced the remaining players to test different combinations ahead of the tournament.

Vietnam continued creating chances, with Nguyen Ngoc My forcing an excellent save in the 62nd minute with a curling effort.

Three minutes later, the winning goal arrived. Van Do surged down the right wing before delivering a well-weighted pass into the penalty area, where Pham Gia Hung finished calmly to seal a 2-1 victory.

The result completed a clean sweep of three victories during the South Korea training camp and capped nearly three weeks of preparation against opponents of progressively higher quality.

Experiments complete, attention turns to ASEAN Cup

While the perfect record provides an obvious confidence boost, the greatest benefit for Kim Sang Sik lies in the wealth of information gathered throughout the camp.

Over nearly three weeks, the South Korean coach was able to observe his squad under a variety of match situations: controlling games, facing increasingly stronger opponents, responding after conceding, and testing different tactical systems and personnel.

The comeback victory over Gangwon FC also reinforced the team's resilience while allowing the coaching staff to assess both the preferred starting lineup and the depth available on the bench.

With the experimental phase effectively complete, Vietnam now enter the final stage of preparations. The upcoming international friendly against Myanmar will serve less as a trial and more as a full dress rehearsal, allowing Kim Sang Sik to fine-tune his strongest lineup before the ASEAN Cup begins.

Vietnam will leave Incheon on July 14 and return to Hanoi before travelling to Thai Nguyen on July 17. They face Myanmar in an international friendly on July 18 in what is expected to be the final competitive test before launching their campaign to defend the ASEAN Cup title.

Dai Nam - Duy Nguyen