Hanoi Police beat Beijing Guoan 2-1 in a crucial match in the AFC Champions League Two group stage on the evening of November 27, but that victory exposed a bigger problem: Nguyen Filip's instability. The goalkeeper born in 1992 became the center of attention not because of his saves, but because of his repeated mistakes against the same opponent.
When a goalkeeper makes the same mistake over and over again, it's no accident. It's a warning.
Nguyen Filip and repeated mistakes
In the 11th minute at Hang Day Stadium, the ball was returned to Filip Nguyen in a non-pressure situation. He had enough time to make a decisive decision.
However, instead of clearing the ball immediately or passing it to the center back, the CAHN goalkeeper hesitated for half a beat and then kicked it straight at Lin Liangming. The ball rolled into the net while the defense was stunned.
A goal conceded from a move that any professional goalkeeper would have to make neat. That mistake not only put CAHN in a difficult position, but also raised questions about Filip Nguyen's confidence and ability to react to pressure.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Filip has been at the center of trouble. In the first leg in China - a 2-2 draw - the goalkeeper also made two errors that led to goals.
The first time, Filip Nguyen handled the shot uncertainly after it was considered by experts to be “not too dangerous”. The next time, he fumbled with his footwork, passing straight to his opponent. Three mistakes against the same opponent, in the same pressing scenario, were enough to confirm that the problem was not random.
Filip is not weak in terms of technique. He has a good training base, stable reflexes and remarkable ability to play long balls. Those qualities help CAHN deploy the ball more diversely than many other Vietnamese teams.
However, Filip Nguyen's biggest weakness is said to be his speed in making decisions. When the opponent approaches, or when the match enters a tense phase, he often loses half a beat. Just one moment of indecision can break down the entire defensive structure - and it has happened many times.
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Filip Nguyen lost his place in the Vietnamese team. |
A goalkeeper playing in the continental arena not only needs steady hands, but also a cool head. The dark moments on November 27 and before showed that Filip Nguyen did not have that composure.
The Chinese teams are known for their direct pressing and speed on the flanks. When they realized that Filip Nguyen was not good at handling the ball under pressure, they immediately focused on exploiting this weakness. And they succeeded in both matches.
Time to test Filip Nguyen's mettle
Filip Nguyen cannot be completely blamed. CAHN also had times when the goalkeeper was in a difficult situation because the ball circulation from the bottom up was not reasonable. The center back dropped back to return the ball at the wrong distance, making the goalkeeper passive when having to make a decision in a short time.
But overall, Filip Nguyen’s mistakes all stemmed from hesitation, something no top goalkeeper is allowed to show in an important match. The 2-1 victory over Beijing was a commendable effort by CAHN. They did not collapse after their mistakes, but instead stood up strongly. However, the way the team handled their mistakes also showed that this team had to work too hard to correct mistakes from the back.
In top football, being able to make a mistake once is luck, being able to make a mistake twice is skill, but luck or skill don't always appear at the right time.
Filip Nguyen needs to change. |
Filip Nguyen needs to change. He needs to increase his decision-making speed, needs to control space better when opponents are close, and needs to become a real support for the defense, not someone who makes his teammates nervous right from the start of the match. The next training sessions must spend more time on return ball situations, high pressing and psychological exercises.
Goalkeepers are the toughest position on the pitch. They can play well for 89 minutes but one mistake in the 90th minute can ruin everything. Filip Nguyen is entering a phase where every move is scrutinized, and at this level, no one has the patience to wait for him to adapt. CAHN needs him to be stronger, more consistent and more mature in every decision.
The win over Beijing Guoan was a morale booster, but it did not cover up the problem at hand: to compete in AFC Champions League Two, CAHN needed a goalkeeper capable of handling the pressure. And now it is time for Filip Nguyen to prove that mistakes do not define him - it is how he overcomes them.
Source: https://znews.vn/chuyen-gi-dang-xay-ra-voi-filip-nguyen-post1606621.html
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