On the evening of March 29, the Vietnam team played against Japan at Saitama Stadium. This is the last match of coach Park Hang-seo and his team in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia.
In the final minutes of the match, when the score was 1-1, goalkeeper Nguyen Manh was injured and could not continue the match. Coach Park Hang-seo decided to put Van Lam on the field for the remaining time. The overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper played solidly and made no mistakes in his short time on the field.
This is the first time Van Lam has returned and played for the national team after more than 6 months of treatment for a shoulder injury. He suffered an shoulder injury on September 13, 2021 while training with Cerezo Osaka in Japan. He then had to undergo surgery and took 4 months to heal.
Van Lam's most recent match in the national team was against Australia at My Dinh Stadium in September 2021. He played in the starting lineup and lost only one goal in the match. The Vietnamese team lost 0-1 in that match.
The 1-1 draw at Saitama Stadium was the second time the Vietnamese team won points in the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia. Coach Park Hang-seo and his team ended the final qualifying round with a record of 4 points after 1 win, 1 draw and 8 losses.
