Vietnam team rematch Nepal: Dang Van Lam likely to lose his spot

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam lost points in the match Vietnam won 3-1 against Nepal, and is at risk of having to give up his starting position to his junior Trung Kien in the "return match" between the two teams on October 14.

In the 3-1 victory of the Vietnamese team over Nepal in the first leg of the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup on October 9, Dang Van Lam lost points with coach Kim Sang Sik.

That was the situation that happened at the beginning of the second half, when Pham Xuan Manh returned the ball to Van Lam. The goalkeeper born in 1993 suddenly passed the ball wrong, almost putting the Vietnamese team's goal in danger. Fortunately, the Nepalese player could not take advantage of the opportunity, and Duy Manh promptly cleared the danger.

Although the Vietnamese team did not concede a goal in this situation, the fans were shocked. If the opposing player was a better striker, Van Lam could have paid a heavy price for his carelessness.

Van Lam lost points in the 3-1 win over Nepal. Photo: Huu Ha

After the match, coach Kim Sang Sik commented: "Before the training session, he performed very well at Ninh Binh Club. As for the match against Nepal, it is difficult to evaluate, because the opponent did not create many dangerous shots."

The Korean strategist's assessment does not focus on Van Lam's current professional issues. However, the captain of the Vietnamese team may not be confident if he continues to use the Ninh Binh Club goalkeeper.

Talking to VietNamNet, commentator Quang Tung said: "After the first leg, we can clearly see how the Vietnamese team needs to change. I think the first thing is that the team must use more hungry players in defense, then make adjustments in other areas."

Trung Kien is progressing day by day.

In the current Vietnam national team, young goalkeeper Trung Kien is in good form and is eager to show his ability. After helping U23 Vietnam defend the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship, the HAGL goalkeeper continued to play impressively in the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers.

Experts believe that it is time for coach Kim Sang Sik to give Trung Kien a chance, both to create competition in the Vietnam team and to motivate young players. Against an average opponent like Nepal, it is reasonable for Trung Kien to start as a goalkeeper.

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-tai-dau-nepal-dang-van-lam-de-mat-suat-2451320.html