Practice more for Coach Troussier, ready to compete with Filip Nguyen

Dang Van Lam (number 23) was very focused during the training session on the evening of November 12.

Dang Van Lam was called up to the Vietnam national team in 2015, but under two coaches, Toshiya Miura and Nguyen Huu Thang, he mainly played as a reserve. It was not until coach Park Hang-seo took over the Vietnam national team that this Vietnamese-American goalkeeper gradually proved his ability and officially became the main goalkeeper for the Vietnam national team at the AFF Cup 2018.

Under coach Park Hang-seo, Dang Van Lam has always been trusted as the number 1 goalkeeper of the Vietnamese team thanks to his ability to communicate well with the central defenders, effectively block shots, quick reflexes, courage in 1-on-1 situations and successful penalty situations in the Asian Cup and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers...

When coach Park Hang-seo did not sign a new contract with VFF, the Vietnam national team turned a new page with new coach Philippe Troussier with a series of experiments across all lines. Every name had to accept the challenge, from experienced players like Que Ngoc Hai, Do Hung Dung, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Tien Linh... to younger players.

Coach Troussier is creating positive competition in all positions of the Vietnam national team.

Dang Van Lam is of course not an exception to that rule. When Tran Nguyen Manh, Bui Tan Truong and Nguyen Van Toan are no longer called, he still has to compete with the late bloomer Nguyen Dinh Trieu and the young junior Nguyen Van Viet.

However, Dang Van Lam clearly understands that if he allows himself to be satisfied with the number 1 position in the Vietnam national team when other colleagues are determined to prove themselves, most notably another Vietnamese-American goalkeeper named Filip Nguyen.

After many years of waiting - partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic - Filip Nguyen finally returned to Vietnam to play football for the Hanoi Police Club, helping to complete the very important residency condition to be able to be granted a Vietnamese passport.

The goalkeeper with mixed Vietnamese and Czech blood had high hopes of participating in the FIFA Days this November, but unfortunately the procedures to become a Vietnamese citizen have not been completed yet.

Van Lam kicks the ball in the 1-0 win over Hong Kong team

But that was enough to give a strong warning to Dang Van Lam (born in 1993), when reality showed that Filip Nguyen (1992) was still evaluated by the transfer website Transfermarkt as the highest-valued Vietnamese-origin player currently playing football (950,000 euros), and was voted the best goalkeeper in the Czech Republic national championship in 2019.

Possessing a similar physique and arm span (Filip Nguyen is 1.92 m tall compared to Dang Van Lam's 1.89 m), but Filip Nguyen has a very significant competitive advantage which is the ability to play the ball well with his feet, promising to be suitable for the new playing style standards that Mr. Troussier is applying in the Vietnam team.

Sooner or later, Dang Van Lam will also enter a competitive challenge that promises to be very interesting with Filip Nguyen, two talented goalkeepers of Vietnamese origin, both trained by Eastern European football experts in arenas in 2024 such as the Asian Cup, 2026 World Cup qualifiers, AFF Cup 2024...

But at this moment, at the age of 30, the player who is playing for Binh Dinh Club really wants to show the French coach that he is completely worthy of trust, with 3-5 golden years ahead for goalkeepers.

Van Lam with two young juniors of U.23 Vietnam, Cao Van Binh and Nguyen Van Viet

In fact, over the past time, since Mr. Troussier took over, Dang Van Lam has tried very hard to improve his ability to play football with his feet. He has been very diligent in practicing, from short passes to deploy the ball to the central defenders to long passes to quickly switch to the front line to counterattack.

Dang Van Lam's teammate at Binh Dinh Club, midfielder Cao Van Trien said: "Since coach Troussier officially led the Vietnam team and made new requirements, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam has worked hard to practice a lot more, proactively discussing with goalkeeper coach Nguyen Manh Cuong to adjust the exercises.

Mr. Van Lam wants to add more footwork. He is very determined and diligent, often staying after Binh Dinh Club's training sessions to practice more skills in developing the ball with his feet, regardless of whether he is with a young player or a first team player who wants to practice more.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/dang-van-lam-tap-them-vi-hlv-troussier-san-sang-canh-tranh-voi-filip-nguyen-185231112182018434.htm