In the opening match of the LPBank Cup 2024 at My Dinh Stadium on the evening of September 5, the Vietnamese team lost 0-3 to the Russian team. In particular, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam made mistakes in the first two goals conceded by the home team. Especially in the second goal, this goalkeeper missed the ball, directly leading to the loss.
Van Lam said: "In the second goal, everyone clearly saw that it was my fault. I was very sad because I couldn't help the team in that goal. The Vietnamese team is used to the exciting atmosphere like before, but today it could be because everyone was afraid of the storm so they didn't come to the stadium. I'm really sad, I hope that in the next match, fans will come to the stadium to cheer for the Vietnamese team."
In the press conference room, coach Kim Sang-sik said: "I think Van Lam is under some psychological pressure when facing the Russian team. But I will not share anything more with Van Lam after this match. I think he needs time to calm down and prepare better for the next matches."
Recently, the Vietnamese national team has received the most attention in the goalkeeper position when there are two overseas Vietnamese goalkeepers, Dang Van Lam and Nguyen Filip. Both have affirmed their professional value. The head coach's choices are perhaps based on their recent performance.
The fierce competition for the goalkeeper position also brings some effort and pressure to Van Lam and Nguyen Filip. Many people rate Van Lam higher because of his experience playing for the Vietnam national team. However, maintaining form is also an issue that the coaching staff needs to carefully evaluate.
In the last two matches in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik gave Van Lam the chance to start the match against the Philippines, and Nguyen Filip the match against Iraq. Both have shown different strengths and weaknesses. But before each match, Mr. Kim Sang-sik did not announce who he would choose. All will be known when the official lineup is available.
Before the match against Russia, Mr. Kim Sang-sik did not hesitate to express that he would choose Dang Van Lam as the main goalkeeper. Mr. Kim shared: "Both Lam and Filip are talented goalkeepers, trained and performed well. I know Van Lam grew up in Russia, I will give him a chance in tomorrow's match. Before coming to the press conference, I shared this with Van Lam. Lam said that this was his dream match and thanked him for the opportunity to play, and expressed great determination."
That could also be the pressure that Van Lam faced as Mr. Kim analyzed after the Vietnamese team's loss to the Russian team.
And that's why the question is raised: Does Dang Van Lam have any chance in the match between Vietnam and Thailand?
In fact, it is rare for a coach to replace a goalkeeper based on a mistake in a single match. Because that is a position that needs to maintain stability. Changing the starting goalkeeper only happens in cases of force majeure, or when mistakes happen continuously.
But in the match against Thailand, Nguyen Filip may be the one chosen to start. Because this is a friendly tournament, Mr. Kim also expressed his desire to use all the players he has called up. Therefore, even if Van Lam plays excellently, Nguyen Filip will most likely still be given the opportunity.
Perhaps the decision on which goalkeeper will be the official starter for the ASEAN Cup campaign at the end of the year is still undecided. This may be the time for Mr. Kim Sang-sik to continue his evaluation. Therefore, it is normal for Van Lam to be on the bench for the match between Vietnam and Thailand.
