Goal frame fluctuates
Under predecessors like Park Hang-seo or Philippe Troussier, the Vietnamese national team's goal, although changing goalkeepers many times, always had one or two key names. The success under Mr. Park was associated with the solid, reliable image of Dang Van Lam. As for coach Troussier, it was Nguyen Filip who brought a European breath and a modern style of play in goal. The coaches always trusted the number 1 goalkeeper position, only changing in case of emergency.
Young goalkeepers like Trung Kien have the opportunity to show themselves.
However, under Mr. Kim Sang-sik, the main goalkeeper position of the Vietnamese team has been held by 3 people in just 7 months. Van Lam and Nguyen Filip took turns in the first 4 matches, then Van Lam was injured, causing the race to be between Nguyen Filip and Nguyen Dinh Trieu in the 2024 AFF Cup. Although Mr. Kim favored Nguyen Filip, assistant Lee Woon-jae (in charge of the goalkeeping coach) preferred Dinh Trieu after the training trip in Korea. As a result, Nguyen Filip played 2 matches, while Dinh Trieu played 6 matches, becoming the best goalkeeper in the 2024 AFF Cup.
After Nguyen Filip withdrew from the March training session to go home to take care of family matters, and Van Lam was not called up, Dinh Trieu was obviously the top candidate for the starting position. The goalkeeper of Hai Phong Club has played 7 matches for the national team, while his juniors such as Nguyen Van Viet, Tran Trung Kien and Trinh Xuan Hoang (recently called up) have never played for the Vietnam national team.
However, Dinh Trieu's back pain may cause him to miss the match against Cambodia (or even the match against Laos). He did not need an MRI scan, and can walk normally, but he is not sure if he will be fit enough to play, as the back is always a sensitive area for goalkeepers.
Dinh Trieu once played the entire match against Quang Nam FC in the V-League despite a head collision, suppressing the pain in his abdomen to play the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final. The goalkeeper born in 1991 has tenacity and a "warrior" spirit, important factors that helped him be highly appreciated by Mr. Lee Woon-jae. However, it is very likely that Mr. Kim Sang-sik will not risk his student's pain.
Race of the goalkeepers
Coach Kim Sang-sik has prepared for Dinh Trieu's case by calling Xuan Hoang to the national team. If Dinh Trieu cannot play, for the first time in history, coach Kim's team will take the field with 3 goalkeepers (both starting and reserve) with a total of 0 matches for the Vietnamese team.
Trung Kien, Van Viet and Xuan Hoang are all regular starters at their clubs, but are a "blank page" in the national team's jersey, with a few times being called up to practice and then leaving. However, the current situation can help at least one of these three goalkeepers step into the light to become number 1.
Trung Kien, although the youngest, has a clear advantage as he was targeted by coach Kim Sang-sik for the starting position at the 33rd SEA Games. Mr. Kim and assistant Lee Woon-jae also agreed to bring Trung Kien to the AFF Cup 2024, so that this goalkeeper can experience the top atmosphere and learn from his seniors to accumulate valuable assets. Although he is a regular goalkeeper for HAGL this season, Trung Kien still needs to play at the national team level to truly mature, because the atmosphere in international tournaments, with the speed of the match and greater pressure than the V-League, is the standard measure to train talent.
However, opportunities are still open for Van Viet and Xuan Hoang. Van Viet used to play for the national team as the third goalkeeper when coach Troussier was still in charge. The SLNA goalkeeper is one of the youngest captains in the V-League, having worn the captain's armband at the club at the age of 21. Van Viet has good reflexes, but has not played well this season. He and SLNA are deep in the relegation race. To break away, Van Viet needs to take advantage of this training session to score points with goalkeeper coach Lee Woon-jae.
As for Xuan Hoang, the goalkeeper of Thanh Hoa Club should refrain from risky moves, like the mistake he made against Borneo Samarinda in the Southeast Asian Cup C1 (causing Thanh Hoa Club to lose). Xuan Hoang is still a capable and confident goalkeeper, but with a coach who prefers a safe and simple playing style like Mr. Kim Sang-sik, taking risks in the goalkeeper position is unacceptable.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-thoi-cua-thu-mon-tre-trung-va-tai-gioi-da-toi-185250314220006499.htm
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