Hot football news afternoon 9/7: Vietnam national team wins second match in South Korea

Coach Kim Sang-sik gradually reveals the "golden formula" helping Vietnam win consecutively ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Championship, while the 2026 World Cup and the transfer market also see noteworthy developments.

Coach Kim Sang-sik gradually unveils the "golden formula"

The 6-0 victory over Siheung not only builds momentum for Vietnam but also demonstrates that Coach Kim Sang-sik is steadily perfecting the "golden formula" aiming to defend the 2026 ASEAN Championship title. The South Korean coach experimented for the first time with a trio of Brazilian-origin players—Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, and Tai Loc—while implementing various tactical approaches. As Hoang Hen, Hai Long, Dinh Bac, and Viet Cuong shone in attack, the possession-based and dominant style of play was also effectively executed.

Additionally, Coach Kim is said to have prepared counter-attacking defensive options to face strong opponents like Indonesia, thereby making Vietnam more flexible and unpredictable in their journey to defend the Southeast Asian crown.

Vietnam national team wins second match in South Korea

Vietnam continues to perform positively during their training camp in South Korea by defeating Yongin FC 2-1 in their second friendly. Against a higher-quality opponent than Siheung FC, Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad faced pressure but secured victory thanks to goals from Hai Long and Nguyen Xuan Son. More important than the result, the match helped the coaching staff better assess tactical execution, inter-line cohesion, and the players' composure under pressure.

This is a crucial warm-up before the final friendly against Gangwon FC on July 13, a dress rehearsal before Vietnam returns to prepare for the 2026 ASEAN Cup title defense campaign.

Merino sends a strong message

After scoring the decisive goal that helped Spain defeat Portugal to reach the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, Mikel Merino drew attention with a confident statement: "No team is superior to Spain". The Arsenal midfielder affirmed that all opponents are tough and La Roja focuses only on each match. This remark follows Lamine Yamal's message about confidence without complacency under Coach Luis de la Fuente.

With a modern possession-based style, Spain has kept clean sheets in all five matches of the tournament so far, while neutralizing stars like Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo. Although finishing needs improvement, La Roja is showing the resilience and stability to become a strong contender for the 2026 World Cup title.

Norway's national team forced to change hotel before match against England

Just days before the 2026 World Cup quarter-final against England, Norway unexpectedly left the hotel arranged by FIFA to move to new accommodation. According to Norwegian media, the original hotel was next to a construction site, adjacent to a main road, lacked privacy, and some rooms had cigarette smoke, mold, and poor hygiene. Team manager Truls Daehli stated the decision was made to provide the best environment for the squad ahead of the most important match of the tournament.

FIFA supported the hotel transfer and continued covering accommodation, security, and travel costs, while the Norwegian Football Federation only paid the difference due to the higher price of the new hotel.

Yamal openly "woos" Alvarez

Lamine Yamal continues to stir the transfer market by publicly expressing his desire for Julian Alvarez to join Barcelona. The 18-year-old talent insists the Argentine striker is the type of player suited to Blaugrana's style and emphasizes that the entire team is ready to welcome him at Camp Nou.

This is the second time Yamal has spoken out to invite the World Cup winner, amid rumors of a rift between Alvarez and Coach Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid. However, the deal still faces a major obstacle as Barcelona cannot yet meet Atletico's transfer fee demands. Nevertheless, the determination from Yamal and the Catalan club's leadership is making Alvarez's future one of the most notable talking points of the summer transfer window.

Football news highlights

Hong Linh Ha Tinh offers trial opportunities to three overseas Vietnamese players—Hong Lac Luong Thanh, Ian Mai, and Kalvin Luong—to increase squad depth ahead of the 2026/27 V-League. Meanwhile, South Korea's U23 team announced their squad for the 2026 Asian Games, featuring four players who participated in the World Cup and nine players currently playing in Europe, showing their determination to defend the gold medal.

At the 2026 World Cup, Belgium continues to tense up with FIFA over objections to training pitch quality before their quarter-final against Spain. In Serie A, Ruben Amorim admitted regret for not having the chance to say goodbye to Manchester United fans during his AC Milan unveiling.

In the transfer market, Manchester United are close to signing Andrey Santos but missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni, Arsenal are accelerating their pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes, and Tottenham refused to let Guglielmo Vicario join Juventus on loan.