V.League has better goalkeepers than Van Lam and Dinh Trieu

The goalkeeper position of the Vietnam national team is creating trust with Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Dinh Trieu and the successor is Nguyen Van Viet. However, if looking at the statistics in V.League, it can be seen that the national team is completely confident with the goalkeeper position for at least the next 5 years.

Tran Trung Kien (middle) is currently the number 1 goalkeeper of U23 Vietnam.

Be patient with Trung Kien

Many opinions say that coach Kim Sang-sik should soon give Tran Trung Kien a chance in the national team, instead of just focusing on the task with U23 Vietnam towards SEA Games 33 in Thailand. Considering his current form, Trung Kien is possessing parameters that are superior to all three seniors.

After 10 matches as a starter for HAGL, the 2003-born goalkeeper has made 42 saves, higher than Dinh Trieu (40 saves/11 matches), Van Lam (35 saves/11 matches) and Van Viet (14 saves/9 matches). This number clearly reflects the stability and good reflexes of the 1.91 m tall goalkeeper.

However, Trung Kien still has room for improvement. His successful aerial combat rate is only 33.3%, much lower than his seniors - Dinh Trieu and Van Lam (both 100%), Van Viet (50%). This is a noteworthy parameter, because the ability to control space and predict high balls is always a vital factor at the national team level.

Pushing a young goalkeeper into a role that is too big is always a “double-edged sword”. Success will open a new era, but just a small mistake can cause the development process to stagnate. Therefore, being patient with Trung Kien is a way to protect a promising young talent.

The surprising name

However, Trung Kien is not the goalkeeper with the best performance in V.League this season. Tran Minh Toan of Becamex TP.HCM is the one who owns the almost perfect statistics. He currently has the most saves in the league with 43 times, surpassing the entire group of national team goalkeepers.

In other indicators, Minh Toan also showed his comprehensiveness. The accurate long pass rate reached 72.8%, significantly higher than the highest person, Van Viet (61.5%) of the team. The ability to successfully fight in the air 85.7% helps Toan become a modern goalkeeper, knowing how to play with his feet, handle high situations and enter and exit appropriately.

The goalkeeper was born in 1996, 1.86 m tall, and was a member of the U19 and U23 Vietnam teams in the 2014-2015 period, the generation of Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Truong. In 2023, Minh Toan was called up to the national team by coach Philippe Troussier but has not had a chance to play.

Over the past 3 seasons, Minh Toan has been the number 1 goalkeeper of Becamex TP.HCM, gradually perfecting his skill set to maintain stable performance.

Tran Minh Toan quietly improves himself at Becamex Ho Chi Minh City.

5 years of peace of mind

The statistics are not only a comparison of performance, but also a positive signal for the national team. The competition for the goalkeeper position is really hot, and coach Kim Sang-sik has more than one reliable choice.

Dang Van Lam and Nguyen Dinh Trieu are still stable names, but the rise of Minh Toan, Trung Kien or Van Viet shows that the depth of the force is being expanded. That is the foundation for the Vietnamese team to aim for major tournaments with long-term peace of mind.

If Trung Kien and Van Viet are “reserves” for the future, then Minh Toan could be a “late bloomer”, just like Dinh Trieu rose from perseverance. Regardless of who is given the opportunity, the goalposts of the Vietnamese national team have at least found the answer for the next 5 years.

Source: https://znews.vn/vleague-co-thu-mon-hay-hon-van-lam-dinh-trieu-post1602636.html