In the training session to prepare for the match against Malaysia, the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang Sik summoned 3 goalkeepers to the Vietnam national team , including: Nguyen Filip, Dinh Trieu and Trung Kien.

Among these 3 goalkeepers, the competition for the starting position is a private story between Nguyen Filip and Dinh Trieu, while Kien Trung continues to join the national team to learn and gain experience.

At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Nguyen Filip only started 2/8 matches, while Dinh Trieu "kept the goal" for 6 matches. That was the tournament where the goalkeeper of Hai Phong Club reached the peak of his career, contributing greatly to the "Golden Star Warriors" winning the championship, and he personally won the award for best goalkeeper. After that, Dinh Trieu continued to be the number 1 choice in the match against Laos in March this year, while Nguyen Filip withdrew for family reasons.

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Nguyen Filip will be a "supporting actor" at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Photo: SN

However, the competition for the No. 1 position in the Vietnamese national team's goal is different now. With his excellent performance in the V-League and especially in the second leg of the 2024/25 Southeast Asian Club Cup final, Nguyen Filip has scored points with coach Kim Sang Sik.

In the match against Buriram United, Nguyen Filip was truly "possessed". He had nearly 10 saves for CAHN against Buriram players' tricky shots. Not to mention in the penalty shootout, the goalkeeper born in 1992 had 2 successful saves.

Nguyen Filip's performance deserves a 10 in the second leg of the regional tournament final. In a broader view, the 33-year-old goalkeeper has helped CAHN go undefeated in 7 consecutive matches in the V-League.

Compared to Dinh Trieu, who is struggling with injuries after the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Filip has affirmed his class as a goalkeeper playing in Europe, giving him a good chance of regaining his starting position in the Vietnam team in the upcoming match against Malaysia.

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Nguyen Filip is in very good form. Photo: CAHN

After the Vietnam national team gathered at the end of May, Dinh Trieu only practiced with the national team, while Nguyen Filip still had 2 make-up matches in the V-League with CAHN, which means he was always "hot". The problem for the goalkeeper with Vietnamese-Czech blood is still the language barrier, making it difficult to connect with teammates on the field.

Nguyen Filip and Dinh Trieu each have their own strengths and are both top-class goalkeepers. Coach Kim Sang Sik will definitely need a lot of advice from goalkeeping coach Lee Woon Jae before making a decision.

But clearly, not using Nguyen Filip at this time is a waste and more or less makes the CAHN goalkeeper lose motivation to strive. The number 1 position in the Vietnamese team's goal for Filip is commensurate with his current form.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nguyen-filip-lay-suat-bat-chinh-tran-viet-nam-vs-malaysia-2404253.html