Vietnam face big test at FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026: Kim's time puzzle

With less than two weeks before the opening match at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, coach Kim Sang-sik still cannot have his strongest squad. Seven CAHN players – including Quang Hai, Dinh Bac, Nguyen Filip – will have only a few days with the national team before departing for Indonesia. Every formation is a lie – until the ball rolls. Unlike previous ASEAN Cup cycles, when Kim had ideal preparation time, this time he has about two weeks in theory, but in reality many key players will have only 5-6 days. The reason comes from CAHN's congested schedule: the police club must play in the Champions League Elite against Osaka on September 15, followed by a V-League match against Dong Nai on September 20. This makes tactical integration difficult, especially when the national team still has unresolved technical issues from the ASEAN Cup 2026. The biggest challenge is not tactical design but execution time. Kim's pressing system and positional play require high coordination, but with only a few training sessions together, coordination will suffer. I see clear risks in set-piece patterns and coordinated pressing. Based on my experience following matches, when key players arrive late, coaches often have to simplify tactics, shifting to a more direct approach instead of complex possession play. This may reduce Vietnam's attacking sharpness but could improve defensive solidity. Additionally, the fitness gap between CAHN players who just played continental football and the rest is another unknown. Tactics are not on the board. They are in the space between two players. But there is a contrarian view: the late arrival of CAHN players may not be entirely a disadvantage. They have played together at club level, understand each other better, and can connect faster with new teammates. Moreover, time pressure may force coach Kim to be creative, finding solutions he wouldn't consider under ideal conditions. I watched it three times. The third time, I saw what VAR never catches: the mental readiness of a doubted collective. The match against the Philippines on September 26 will be the real test. If Vietnam passes with a convincing performance, it will signal that Kim is not only good when he has ample time. If not, questions about his flexibility will resurface. Football waits for no one, but it always rewards those who adapt.