Singapore and Indonesia will shape the ambitions of the Vietnam national team.

The 7-0 win against Timor-Leste served only as a preparation; the true test for Kim Sang-sik's side starts when they welcome Singapore at My Dinh. If they want to maintain their ASEAN supremacy and aspire to compete at the Asian level, Vietnam needs to demonstrate their courage right away.

Looking at the 7-0 scoreline against Timor-Leste, many would think Vietnam is cruising towards the championship. But in reality,the 2026 ASEAN Cupfor Kim Sang-sik and his team has just begun.

Timor-Leste is too weak to be a benchmark. The most positive aspect was only that the attack found inspiration with a hat-trick from Dinh Bac, a brace from Hoang Hen, and goals from Xuan Son and Quang Hai.

From the Singapore match onward, it's a completely different story. The island nation's team is no longer as glamorous as during their dominance of Southeast Asia two decades ago, but Singapore possesses a decent squad under coach Gavin Lee.

Two wins over Cambodia and Timor-Leste were not overwhelming, but enough for Singapore to arrive at My Dinh with the mindset of Group A leaders. More importantly, Singapore also carries the desire to avenge their defeats against Vietnam in recent years. For the visitors, a positive result at My Dinh would not only open the door to the semifinals but also affirm that Singapore football is making a comeback.

That is the first real challenge for Coach Kim Sang-sik. Unlike Timor-Leste, which was willing to trade blows and then quickly collapsed, Singapore is likely to play proactive defense with a low block, tight organization, and wait for counterattacks. That forces Vietnam's forwards to be much more patient in their ball progression.

The pressure on Vietnam is not just about winning; it's also about scoring many goals. Goal difference could decide the top spot in Group A, especially as Indonesia is also displaying formidable strength. Therefore, if given the chance, Vietnam cannot settle for a narrow victory.

Coach Kim Sang-sik needs a convincing win over Singapore while still preserving his squad for the away trip to Indonesia just three days later. A match that drains too much energy or produces additional injuries will disrupt all plans.

Pakansari has long been a "dangerous ground" for Vietnamese football. Indonesia just defeated Cambodia 5-1, but more notably, the archipelago nation has not yet shown its full strength. After taking a 3-0 lead, John Herdman's team deliberately held back before hosting their biggest group opponent.

While Indonesia has more time to study Vietnam, Coach Kim Sang-sik must carefully calculate his squad rotation. He needs to maintain Dinh Bac's scoring touch, sustain Xuan Son's form, ensure the creativity of Quang Hai and Hoang Duc, but at the same time give opportunities to backup players like Tai Loc, Hai Long, or Gia Hung to keep the whole team in a state of readiness.

That is the art of managing a tournament lasting nearly a month. If they reach the final, Vietnam will have to play seven matches in 27 days. No team can conquer the competition with only 11 starting players.

The good news is that Vietnam maintains a very high work rate. After the win over Timor-Leste, the team did not take a break but continued with heavy training to be ready for the upcoming challenges.

In fact, Vietnamese football is currently better funded than most of its Southeast Asian rivals. Many teams in the region do not have their strongest squads. Meanwhile, Vietnam almost has its best available squad after a prolonged preparation period.

Therefore, the pressure to defend the title is even greater. If they want to dream of the Asian Cup with a higher standing, or even further, the World Cup,Vietnamese footballmust first continue to affirm its status as the number one in Southeast Asia. It cannot conquer the continental stage if it loses its advantage at the regional level.