U.23 Vietnam star Le Viktor should nurture the flame of desire like Dang Van Lam

Vietnam U.23 stars like Le Viktor or Tran Thanh Trung should follow Dang Van Lam - the first overseas Vietnamese player to become a pillar of the Vietnam national team, always burning with the desire to contribute through 3 generations of head coaches.

Le Viktor is the only overseas Vietnamese player joining U.23 Vietnam at SEA Games 33.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Le Viktor: The only overseas Vietnamese player in U.23 Vietnam

SEA Games 33 is very close, the U.23 Vietnam team has finalized the list of 23 official members to participate in SEA Games 33 in Thailand, in which Le Viktor is the only overseas Vietnamese player. Unfortunately, Tran Thanh Trung cannot participate.

But these two young talents can find motivation for themselves in the example of their senior Dang Van Lam - the first overseas Vietnamese star to become a hero with the 2018 AFF Cup championship and a series of continental-level achievements such as the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup, the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup...

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Seven years after being given the starting position at the AFF Cup 2018 by coach Park Hang-seo, Dang Van Lam has had brilliant performances but also had low points due to injuries, poor form or simply not being suitable in the coach's view.

Tran Thanh Trung missed the 33rd SEA Games, waiting for the next congress in Malaysia 2027

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

But after three generations of coaches in the Vietnamese national team, the fact that coach Kim Sang-sik assigned him to be the main goalkeeper in Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on November 19 can be seen as an acknowledgement of Lam "Tay"'s talent and aspiration.

Dang Van Lam: Back like... new!

The match against Laos was the second consecutive time Dang Van Lam started for the Vietnamese team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, after he started to guard the goal against Nepal on October 9, marking his return after a long year of waiting.

At the end of 2024, when the team was preparing for the AFF Cup 2024, Van Lam was called up but an injury caused him to miss the tournament. He was absent from the training sessions in March, June and September 2025, because at that time he was playing for Ninh Binh FC in the first division.

Dang Van Lam started with the Vietnamese team in the 2-0 win in Laos on November 19.

Photo: Thuy An

It was not until the October training session that Dang Van Lam's name returned to the list when the Vietnamese team had 2 matches against Nepal in Ho Chi Minh City. It was not surprising that he seized the opportunity perfectly, with seriousness, concentration, and determination, proving that he was still a reliable stopper as he had been for the past 7 years.

This is not just a simple comeback, but a testament to the enduring character of a goalkeeper who has been a national symbol for many years, always burning with the desire to contribute to the Vietnam national team in all circumstances.

Role model for overseas Vietnamese juniors

Dang Van Lam deserves to be a role model for the Vietnamese overseas who are increasingly returning to their homeland to follow - the story of a talented player who overcame difficult barriers of language, culture and football to become a Vietnamese player from the inside out.

Mr. Kim had a "headache" choosing 23 members of U.23 Vietnam to attend SEA Games 33.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Le Viktor spent a year struggling to get used to the Vietnamese football environment before integrating more quickly in Ha Tinh Club's shirt this season and getting a place in the Vietnam U.23 team heading to the upcoming SEA Games 33.

On the contrary, Tran Thanh Trung is recognized as a bright young talent, but injury and short adaptation time have caused the player born in 2005 to miss the important football tournament that many fans consider to be second only to the AFF Cup.

Looking more broadly, many other overseas Vietnamese players are still struggling to assert their position in Vietnam. Some are future gifts like Lee William (old enough to play for U.23 Vietnam at SEA Games 34), are in "standby mode" like Patrick Le Giang, Ryan Ha, Adou Minh... or have quietly left Vietnam.

Van Lam in the match between Vietnam and Russia at My Dinh Stadium

Photo: Minh Tu

Saying that to see how difficult and arduous the journey of Dang Van Lam, who was only 18 years old, returning home alone, spending many years wandering through a series of clubs before seizing the opportunity at Hai Phong Club, and from there coming to the Vietnam national team was.

The way Van Lam overcame challenges, reaped glory, experienced ups and downs but still kept his desire to contribute intact is an example for the "rising stars" Le Viktor, Tran Thanh Trung, Lee Wiiliam, Nguyen Vadim, Brandon Ly... to look at and stay calm, determining the right mindset for their dream of contributing to U.23 Vietnam and further, the Vietnam national team.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sao-u23-viet-nam-le-viktor-hay-nuoi-duong-ngon-lua-khat-vong-nhu-dang-van-lam-185251130134813929.htm