New race in the Vietnamese national team's goal
The fact that coach Kim Sang-sik did not call up Nguyen Dinh Trieu - the best goalkeeper of ASEAN Cup 2024 and the absence of Nguyen Filip (busy playing for Hanoi Police Club) made the Vietnamese team enter ASEAN Cup 2026 with a new look in the goalkeeper position.
Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam returns to the national team after a long absence, Patrik Le Giang makes his first appearance after completing naturalization procedures, while Trung Kien continues to be considered a successor.
If two years ago, the debate revolved around whether Nguyen Filip or Dinh Trieu were worthy to start, this time, the focus shifted to Van Lam and Patrik Le Giang. Both have good experience and form, but each person possesses their own advantages.
According to former goalkeeper Duong Hong Son, these are all the best choices of Vietnamese football at the present time.
Regarding the goalkeeper position of the national team, these are the best people in Vietnamese football today. Most importantly, Dang Van Lam is experienced, has fought with the team in many tournaments and has very impressive achievements.
Meanwhile, Patrik Le Giang has shown his talent and bravery in the V.League and has been a stopper of Ho Chi Minh City Police in recent times. He is a face worthy of being given a chance.
Trung Kien is also a promising young goalkeeper, full of talent in Vietnamese football. He may be young but in the future will be a formidable goalkeeper to compete with his seniors".
Who's at the main gate?
According to former goalkeeper Duong Hong Son, what happened at the Korean training camp shows that Dang Van Lam is gaining an advantage in the competition for a starting spot.
The goalkeeper born in 1993 not only has international playing experience but also has good coordination with the Vietnamese national team's defense after many years wearing the national team jersey.
The 2008 AFF Cup champion believes that the communication factor between the goalkeeper and the defenders plays a very important role, especially in short-term tournaments.
The most important thing for a goalkeeper is working with the defense, having to communicate regularly with defensive players. This is Dang Van Lam's advantage. He has played with Vietnamese defenders a lot. Through tournaments, Van Lam has more experience and more solid communication for the Vietnamese defense," former national team player Hong Son emphasized.
However, he also appreciates Patrik Le Giang after what this goalkeeper has shown in the V.League. In addition, Trung Kien is considered a plan for the future as he is gradually accumulating experience in the national team.
With 3 quality options, coach Kim Sang-sik has more options for the stopper position of the Vietnamese team in the journey to defend the championship at the ASEAN Cup 2026.
