The unexpected move to bring rookie Painter into the lineup for the crucial match against HLE has drawn mixed reactions from the community. Many fans are even drawing parallels to the Gumayusi-Smash saga that once caused internal turmoil in the team.

The Vietnamese team will have a challenging away trip against Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals on the evening of August 16.

On August 9, Beijing time, the Miami Heat made the biggest move of the offseason by acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Michael Pina of The Ringer believes that this Heat team cannot even make the play-in tournament. In his latest podcast episode, Pina predicted that the Heat will finish as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference next season.

On August 9, Beijing time, in the 2026 CFML Summer Finals, the White Shark team defeated the KZ team 4-3. After falling behind by two games, they fought back tenaciously and ultimately beat KZ in the decisive game to win the first CFML championship in team history. Following the match, White Shark player Shiya was named the FMVP of the 2026 CFML Summer Finals.

In a preseason friendly that concluded on the evening of August 9 Beijing time, Chelsea traveled to Malaysia to face local league powerhouse Johor Darul Ta'zim. The Blues were held to a shock 3-3 draw. [Watch the Premier League on Migu Video] Just 14 minutes into the match, Chelsea fell behind unexpectedly. On a counterattack, Guilherme fired a cross to the far post, where 24-year-old Malaysian international Arif Aiman was on hand to tap home.

The Vietnamese national team is heading into a highly anticipated rematch against Malaysia in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals.

On August 9, Beijing time, a pre-season friendly was held in Seoul, South Korea, where Manchester City overturned Atletico Madrid 3-1 to claim their second straight warm-up victory. Atletico, meanwhile, suffered a second consecutive comeback defeat, having lost 2-1 to Manchester United in a friendly eight days earlier. Just two minutes into the match, an Atletico defensive error nearly gifted a chance to City, but Reijnders' shot from a solo run was blocked by Oblak. In the 8th minute, City had a golden opportunity.

U20 Vietnam played a 0-0 draw with Osaka University of Economics in their first friendly in Japan, kicking off a six-match series of friendlies to prepare for the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to SofaScore's rankings, Vietnam has the most players featured in the Top 10 standout individual performances of the 2026 ASEAN Cup group stage. As many as four Vietnamese players have been recognized, making up nearly half of the list.

Foreword: The S16 season has officially kicked off, and most players are undoubtedly closely following the recent matches. Competition across various regions is extremely fierce, and judging by the current situation, the LCK region still lacks a stable team.