Unpredictable position in Vietnam national team
Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnamese team has continuously changed and purified personnel in all lines over the past year. However, no line of defense is as unstable as the goalkeeper position.
When he first took over, Mr. Kim gave Van Lam and Filip 2 of the first 4 matches each. At the AFF Cup, the starting position unexpectedly belonged to Dinh Trieu, who was initially considered only the 2nd or 3rd choice, due to his lack of international experience and his age (33 years old) which is no longer young.
Goalkeeper Trung Kien made his debut for the Vietnamese national team against Nepal.
PHOTO: KHA HOA
In the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team used... 4 goalkeepers in just 4 matches. Dinh Trieu started the match against Laos, Filip showed his talent against Malaysia, Van Lam put on his gloves to play the match against Nepal in the first leg, and Trung Kien played for the team for the first time in the rematch against Nepal in the second leg.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's point of view is hidden in the way he uses people. With 4 goalkeepers rotating around each other in the past year, Mr. Kim is still open for this position. Anyone has a chance to start, if they have good form in V-League and show themselves on the training ground. The Korean strategist does not choose goalkeepers based on reputation. If so, Dinh Trieu or Trung Kien would not have... had their turn.
Dinh Trieu only needs a training session in Korea in November 2024 to convince goalkeeper coach Lee Woon-jae for the number one position at the AFF Cup 2024. Even at that time, Nguyen Filip was superior in every aspect, both in terms of reputation, class (8 years as a main goalkeeper in the Czech Republic, having played in the Europa League), and professional ability.
But, being better is not as good as being more suitable. As for what is suitable, only Mr. Kim and his assistant understand through their own set of rules. Mr. Kim once said, when it comes to the national team, there is no concept of age or experience gap.
Coach Kim Sang-sik is not afraid to trust young players
PHOTO: KHA HOA
Because of that, goalkeeper Trung Kien, although very young (22 years old), has the ability to become number one.
Why is Trung Kien so promising?
The debut in the match against Nepal on October 14 (Vietnam won 1-0) was not just the beginning of a young goalkeeper.
Trung Kien also showed his stature for coach Kim Sang-sik to consider for the number one position. He chose a good position, caught the ball firmly, and had a strong spirit and mentality.
In the last 20 minutes of the match, when Nepal sent the ball into the penalty area, Trung Kien neutralized it all, with his height of 1.91 m and long arms.
Of course, Nepal is not strong enough for Trung Kien to show his full potential. However, his qualities have been recognized by coach Kim Sang-sik from U.23 to the Vietnam national team. That ability does not stop at the number of saves, but also the coolness, steadiness and safety, the core things that define a good goalkeeper.
Trung Kien has courage and "coolness"
PHOTO: KHA HOA
Don’t think that coach Kim Sang-sik will let Trung Kien start as the goalkeeper, because he will soon play with the U.23 Vietnam team in two important youth tournaments. The Vietnamese team is also under pressure to win, requiring Mr. Kim to be careful with every decision.
The goalkeeper born in 2003 was chosen because he deserved it. Just like Dinh Trieu at the AFF Cup 2024, Mr. Kim trusts his students and has a good eye for talent.
Although the journey to become number one is still very long, Trung Kien has enough qualities to become number one: ability, level, starting position at the club, and the unshakable trust of coach Kim.
At the club, HAGL is in decline, but Trung Kien still has his value. The 22-year-old goalkeeper has been diligently saving goals, still excelling in every match, despite having to play in a team that is in extreme decline.
As for U.23 Vietnam, he will participate in the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U.23 Asian Finals. Both tournaments are difficult, but are the perfect launching pad for Trung Kien to build a wall of confidence if he plays well to return to the Vietnam team and compete fairly with his seniors.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-tri-nhan-cam-nhat-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-thoi-cua-thu-mon-cao-191-m-da-den-18525102210530398.htm
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