From controversy to convincing performance
In mid-2024, Mr. Kim Sang-sik officially became the head coach of the Vietnamese national team. The list of goalkeepers suggested for monitoring from the national team (VFF) room for the Korean coach includes 2 potential names: Nguyen Filip and Dang Van Lam.
Mr. Kim Sang-sik used the above 2 faces in the first matches leading the Vietnamese national team. At ASEAN Cup 2024, Dang Van Lam unfortunately relapsed from injury while preparing for the tournament. At that time, fans were turning to Nguyen Filip and believed that this goalkeeper would take the starting spot in the Southeast Asian tournament. However, with the advice of assistant Lee Won-jae - who has participated in the World Cup 4 times with the Korean national team, coach Kim Sang-sik decided to choose goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu.
The goalkeeper born in 1991 started in 6 matches at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Nguyen Filip only made 2 appearances. Domestic and regional newspapers once spent a lot of ink to find out the question of why Mr. Kim gave the opportunity to a domestic goalkeeper, instead of choosing a goalkeeper who grew up from the Czech Republic.
It was not until the tournament closed that Mr. Kim shared: "For Dinh Trieu and Filip, these are both great goalkeepers. Filip is a person with good expertise, but in this tournament, I consider the advantage of Vietnamese communication and Dinh Trieu actually has better communication skills. I have discussed with the goalkeeper coach about using goalkeepers.
This is considered a courageous decision by Mr. Kim Sang-sik and assistant Lee Won-jae when it brought about results. The Vietnamese team won the tournament, Dinh Trieu received the title of Best Goalkeeper of the tournament. From the debate, fans agreed with the team's coaching staff's choice. For Nguyen Filip personally, fans also saw him smile comfortably when celebrating the championship in Thailand.
Respecting colleagues
At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship at the beginning of the year, Tran Trung Kien was the number 1 goalkeeper of Vietnam U23 and his good performance for most of the campaign was not surprising. Previously, the young face who grew up from Hoang Anh Gia Lai also appeared at ASEAN Cup 2024, the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship finals and SEA Games 33.
However, in the third-place match, number 2 goalkeeper Cao Van Binh reappeared. In fact, from the semi-finals against U23 China, Tran Trung Kien had physical problems. Therefore, after consulting with assistant Lee Won-jae and the team of doctors, Mr. Kim decided to choose Van Binh in the starting lineup. In the only match to start in the continental arena, the goalkeeper from Nghe An played very well when he had a series of saves against the quality strikers of U23 Korea.
Cao Van Binh's most memorable mark is his ability to save penalties to determine the winner. At that time, he turned to the coaching cabin to receive instructions from coach Lee Won-jae and senior Trung Kien: "Just be decisive, be confident and save". Later, Van Binh recounted that Mr. Lee Won-jae had prepared a bottle of water for him with the finishing habits of many Korean players. That was the fulcrum for the 21-year-old goalkeeper to be more solid.
At ASEAN Cup 2026, the Vietnamese national team no longer rotates goalkeepers. Coach Kim Sang-sik has absolute trust in Le Giang Patrik, even though he is just a newcomer to the Vietnamese national team. Behind that decision is the respect that Mr. Kim has for his colleague Lee Won-jae.
If Le Giang Patrik hadn't stood in the goal or wasn't the number 1 goalkeeper, perhaps we would have conceded 3 goals.It was his presence that the team could stop him.Coach Lee Won-jae once joked that even if Ronaldo or Messi came here and shot, Patrik would not flinch," Mr. Kim Sang-sik praised Le Giang when he kept a clean sheet in the first leg final against Thailand.
Just that word from his close assistant, coach Kim Sang-sik could have confidently entrusted the goalkeeper of the Vietnamese national team to the Vietnamese-born goalkeeper born in 1992.
