In the first friendly match of their training camp in South Korea, Vietnam’s national team secured a 2-0 victory against Ulsan Citizen FC, a team from K-League 3, on the morning of November 27. The match was held at the Gyeongju Stadium, which features artificial turf and a smart dome designed to regulate temperature, helping minimize the impact of the cold weather in South Korea.
The players were unfamiliar with the early match timing, but they had prepared for it with four previous morning training sessions to gradually adapt. Coach Kim Sang-sik strategically arranged this friendly against one of the weaker opponents, Ulsan Citizen, to help his players get used to the training rhythm and match conditions. Ulsan Citizen recently concluded their K-League 3 season on November 16, finishing 12th out of 16 teams with 34 points, scoring 30 goals and conceding 43.
Vietnam fielded a 3-4-3 formation, which switched to a 4-3-3 at times. The defense featured goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu, center-backs Nguyen Thanh Binh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, and Do Duy Manh, who was returning from an injury. The midfield included Nguyen Hoang Duc, new call-up Doan Ngoc Tan, wingers Khuat Van Khang and Truong Tien Anh, while the forward trio consisted of Nguyen Hai Long, Bui Vi Hao, and Nguyen Tien Linh, who wore the captain’s armband.
Vietnam took around 25 minutes to find their rhythm, creating some chances. In the 45th minute, Tien Linh capitalized on a chance in the box to open the scoring. In the second half, Coach Kim rotated his squad. In the 80th minute, substitute Pham Tuan Hai sealed the win with a goal following a cross from the right wing.
Vietnam’s four players, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Nguyen Dinh Bac, and Vu Van Thanh, who had been training separately for the first two days due to injury recovery, were all fit and participated in the regular training. However, Coach Kim only used Van Thanh in the second half of the match. The Ha Noi FC defender scored late in the game, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
After this match, Vietnam will face Daegu FC on November 28 and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on December 1. Both of these teams are currently busy with the K-League 1 relegation play-offs and the AFC Champions League Two, so they are likely to field reserve players.
This training camp is part of Vietnam’s preparation for the ASEAN Cup 2024. In the group stage, Vietnam will face Laos away on December 9, Indonesia at home on December 15, the Philippines away on December 18, and Myanmar at home on December 21. The team’s goal for this year is to reach the final.
Starting this year, the AFF Cup will be renamed the ASEAN Cup, which will run from December 8, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The 10 participating teams are divided into two groups, playing two home and two away matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. In this round, the matches will be played in a home-and-away format, but the away goals rule will not apply.
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