Vietnam 4-0 Myanmar Highlights: Bright Spots from Naturalized Stars; Positive Dress Rehearsal for ASEAN Cup 2026

The promising display from naturalized players was among the highlights that undoubtedly satisfied Coach Kim Sang Sik in Vietnam's 4-0 victory over Myanmar in the friendly match before the ASEAN Cup 2026.

Bright spots from the naturalized stars

Facing Myanmar, Coach Kim Sang Sik deployed three Brazilian-born stars up front: Hoàng Hên, Xuân Son, and Tài Lộc, along with goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang between the posts.

Patrick Lê Giang had a very relaxed match as Myanmar focused mainly on defense for most of the game. On the rare occasions they launched attacks or counterattacks, they failed to finish or their shots were not accurate enough.

Up front, Xuân Son, Tài Lộc, and Hoàng Hên all had a good match. Tài Lộc made his debut; although he didn't score or assist, he played energetically on the left flank, moved well, and connected effectively with Văn Hậu, Xuân Son, and other teammates.

It was Tài Lộc who contributed to the opening goal for Vietnam when the ball from his foot rebounded to Xuân Son, allowing the Nam Định striker to shoot with his right foot from the edge of the box to open the scoring for the red-shirted team.

Xuân Son's goal-scoring shot reassured Vietnamese fans, not only because he still knows how to shine at the right moment, but also because it had been quite a while since they saw him score with his foot after his previous headed goals.

Hoàng Hên was the one who passed the ball from the right flank to Tài Lộc in the box, which then led to the goal-scoring opportunity for Xuân Son. In the 59th minute, Hoàng Hên himself put his name on the scoreboard with a powerful low shot using the inside of his left foot from about 20 meters, scoring his first goal for Vietnam and the team's third against Myanmar.

Although it was only a friendly, Myanmar played quite aggressively and committed many fouls. However, they could not avoid a heavy defeat as Vietnam launched diverse attacks from the center to the wings, with ground balls and aerial balls, from set pieces and open play. The positive performances of Tài Lộc, Hoàng Hên, and Xuân Son surely pleased Coach Kim Sang Sik as we prepare for the opening match of the ASEAN Cup 2026 on July 24th.

Defense not yet solid

Although mainly focused on defense, Myanmar still had some situations where they exploited gaps between Vietnam's center-backs and full-backs, creating quite dangerous moments.

In this match, Văn Hậu (left) and Trương Tiến Anh (right) pushed up frequently and did not coordinate well enough with the wide-center-backs Nhật Minh and Xuân Mạnh. This is a concern for Coach Kim Sang Sik.

Myanmar is not a team with high technical quality, nor do they have any truly quality attacking players. Perhaps because of that, our defenders sometimes appeared quite complacent. This must not be repeated when Vietnam officially starts their campaign in the upcoming ASEAN Cup.

A positive dress rehearsal for the ASEAN Cup 2026

The easy 4-0 win over Myanmar provides positive psychological momentum for Vietnam before entering the ASEAN Cup 2026.

We controlled the ball and coordinated smoothly and comfortably, deploying many approaches to the opponent's goal, with quite diverse finishing. The four goals scored were an inevitable result of the pressure Vietnam created.

Although the opponent was not of equal caliber and Vietnam's defensive ability remains untested, this was still a performance that brings much hope for Vietnam before the ASEAN Cup kicks off.