The defending champions won all three training matches during their camp in South Korea before defeating Myanmar 4-0 in their final international friendly on July 18.

Across four matches, Vietnam scored 14 goals while conceding only two.

An attack with multiple dimensions

Against Myanmar, Kim fielded what appeared to be his strongest available lineup.

Vietnam dominated possession throughout the match, with goals from Nguyen Xuan Son, Xuan Manh, Hoang Hen, and Dinh Bac securing a comfortable victory.

Myanmar rarely threatened, creating only a handful of counterattacks that failed to trouble goalkeeper Patrik.

The performance highlighted one of Vietnam's greatest strengths heading into the tournament: an increasingly versatile attack.

Naturalized forwards Hoang Hen, Tai Loc, and Nguyen Xuan Son, together with established stars Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai, Dinh Bac, and Hai Long, have given Kim Sang Sik multiple attacking combinations.

Following the match, the South Korean coach emphasized that having "many attacking combinations" was the biggest positive from nearly a month of preparation.

Rather than simply identifying his starting lineup, Kim used the South Korea training camp to experiment with different player partnerships and positional adjustments.

Dinh Bac, for example, was deployed in several attacking roles, while newcomers such as Tai Loc and Hoang Hen were given opportunities to develop chemistry with the team's established stars.

The result is a Vietnam side that appears significantly less predictable than in previous tournaments.

Instead of relying on a fixed attacking trio, Kim now has several tactical options depending on the opponent.

Defensive questions remain

Despite the convincing scoreline, the victory over Myanmar was far from flawless.

Myanmar lacked the quality to sustain pressure, but several defensive weaknesses still emerged.

Vietnam's two outside center-backs frequently stepped forward, leaving space behind the defensive line, while wing-backs Doan Van Hau and Tien Anh often pushed high into attacking positions.

Myanmar managed to exploit these spaces on several occasions, particularly late in the first half.

Although the visitors lacked the technical quality to capitalize, stronger opponents such as Thailand, Indonesia, or Malaysia could punish similar defensive lapses.

Another unanswered question remains in goal.

Patrik enjoyed a relatively quiet evening because Myanmar created very few genuine scoring opportunities, leaving little evidence of how Vietnam's first-choice goalkeeper might perform under sustained pressure.

Kim Sang Sik is also expected to continue evaluating the effectiveness of his substitutions and squad rotation once competitive matches begin.

Learning from the final rehearsal

Rather than focusing solely on the 4-0 victory, the coaching staff sees value in the shortcomings exposed during the friendly.

The gaps between midfield and defense, along with moments of positional imbalance during opposition counterattacks, provide important lessons before the tournament begins.

The fact that these issues emerged against a relatively modest opponent gives Vietnam time to address them before facing stronger teams later in the competition.

Journey to Thailand begins

On July 20, Vietnam departed for Chonburi, Thailand, where it will begin its ASEAN Cup campaign.

The team flew from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi to Bangkok before continuing by bus to Chonburi, the venue for its opening match.

Vietnam enters the tournament after an encouraging preparation period but has been forced to deal with several injuries.

Dang Khoa, Ngoc Bao, Khuat Van Khang, and Duy Manh have all been ruled out.

To complete the 26-player squad, Kim Sang Sik called up center-back Gia Bao from CA TP.HCM (HCM City Police FC).

Vietnam will open its title defense against Timor-Leste at 8:30 p.m. on July 24.

The defending champions will later host Singapore on July 31 and Cambodia on August 7 in their remaining home group-stage matches.

After four consecutive victories in preparation, Vietnam arrives at ASEAN Cup 2026 with growing confidence, greater tactical flexibility and one of the tournament's most potent attacks.

Whether that will be enough to retain the title may ultimately depend on how quickly Kim Sang Sik can eliminate the defensive vulnerabilities exposed during the team's final warm-up matches.

Dai Nam - Duy Nguyen