South Korean media: 'The magic of Coach Kim Sang Sik remains intact'

'The magic of "Sik Sama" remains intact!' Coach Kim Sang Sik's Vietnam team has opened wide the door to defending their ASEAN Cup crown after a 3-0 victory over Indonesia.

This is the headline of an article on Sports Chosun, Osen, and FourFourTwo from South Korea.

According to reporter Lee Hyun Seok of Sports Chosun, the Vietnam team under Coach Kim Sang Sik continues to extend their unbeaten streak, thereby brightening hopes of successfully defending the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.

On the evening of August 3 (Korean time), the Vietnam team defeated Indonesia 3-0 at Pakansari Stadium (Bogor) in the third match of the ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup 2026 group stage.

This match was crucial in the race for a semifinal berth, and the Vietnam team secured a convincing victory.

Before this encounter, Vietnam had one win and one draw, while Indonesia had won both of their matches. Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad had crushed Timor-Leste 7-0 but were held to a 0-0 draw by Singapore. Meanwhile, Indonesia had beaten Cambodia 5-1 and Timor-Leste 3-0.

With this win, Vietnam overtook Indonesia to take the top spot in the group. Facing the risk of difficulty in the semifinal race if they lost, Coach Kim Sang Sik's men achieved their goal of securing all three points. After three matches, Vietnam has scored 10 goals and conceded none.

The ASEAN Championship is a biennial tournament that determines the strongest team in Southeast Asia.

Previously known as the Suzuki Cup and the Mitsubishi Cup, it has been renamed the Hyundai Cup this year after Hyundai became the main sponsor. Vietnam is the defending champion, having won the 2024 edition, and is aiming for a second consecutive title in its history.

Before the match, Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized: "This is an important match that determines our chance to reach the semifinals. Even though we are playing away in difficult conditions, we must get three points. The whole team has enough motivation to win."

However, Indonesia was no easy opponent. The archipelago team had held the upper hand in recent encounters and, under the guidance of Coach Patrick Kluivert, had built a squad with many quality naturalized players. Coach John Herdman also stated before the match: "This is a great opportunity for us to take control of the race for the top spot. We are in this tournament to face strong teams at crucial moments."

Right from the kickoff, Vietnam quickly took the lead. In the 6th minute, Nguyen Hoang Duc threaded a pass for Nguyen Van Viet to sprint behind the defense before firing a precise shot into the gap between the goalkeeper and the post, making it 1-0.

In the 15th minute, Hoang Duc again delivered a pass from deep for Nguyen Hai Long to burst into the box. The midfielder calmly slotted the ball into the far corner, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Leading by two goals at halftime, Vietnam maintained their dominance. In the 71st minute, Le Pham Thanh Long played a through ball for Nguyen Xuan Son to receive amid Indonesia's defenders. The striker calmly controlled and fired past the goalkeeper, sealing the 3-0 victory.

This result also extended Vietnam's unbeaten streak to 21 matches at the national team level, with 18 wins and 3 draws under Coach Kim Sang Sik.