Former goalkeeper Duong Hong Son: 'Nguyen Manh needs to try harder'

Currently, the preliminary list of the Vietnam national team participating in the King Cup 2019 friendly tournament in Thailand is about to be revealed. The goalkeeper position has a series of players who play well and maintain their form such as Dang Van Lam (Muangthong United - Thailand), Tran Nguyen Manh (SLNA), Nguyen Van Toan (Hai Phong), Nguyen Van Cong (Hanoi) or Nguyen Van Hoang (Saigon).

The most interesting case is goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung, the hero of Vietnamese football at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, whose performance is being questioned because he does not often play for Hanoi FC.

AFF Cup 2008 Champion - Goalkeeper Duong Hong Son commented: "In my opinion, King Cup is a friendly tournament with training purposes and one of the goals of Vietnamese football this year is SEA Games. Therefore, if we set the goal of conquering this tournament or the goal of winning or losing with Thailand, it is unreasonable."

Goalkeeper Duong Hong Son - young coach of Hanoi Club. Photo: Phuc Nghia

“In the goalkeeper position, Nguyen Van Toan is playing very well and consistently. He is a typical example, a young factor who deserves to be given the opportunity to prepare the force for the SEA Games at the end of the year. I am very impressed with this young goalkeeper,” said the coach from Nghe An.

Regarding two familiar cases in the Vietnamese national team's goal, Bui Tien Dung and Dang Van Lam, Duong Hong Son shared: "Dang Van Lam is the most certain case in the national team, he is playing well, maintaining his form and holding the number 1 position at Muangthong United. Van Lam also understands more about Thai football, which is very good for us. Bui Tien Dung will be at a disadvantage because he rarely plays for Hanoi FC, with a goalkeeper who rarely plays, it will greatly affect his form."

Another goalkeeper who is making an impression is Tran Nguyen Manh of SLNA with 8 clean sheets at SLNA. However, Nguyen Manh’s senior does not think that he will be called back to the national team by Coach Park.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam is in a good position to start in the upcoming tournament. Photo: VFF

Coach Duong Hong Son said: Nguyen Manh still plays well, but he has just returned from injury and personally I think Nguyen Manh needs to try harder. The V.League currently has many good goalkeepers like Tuan Manh of Khanh Hoa. Although his team is not ranked high, Tuan Manh alone still maintains his form.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam will be the number 1 goalkeeper of the upcoming Vietnam National Team. For the 2nd or 3rd positions, I think Van Toan or other young goalkeepers like Van Hoang of Saigon need to be given the opportunity so that we will have more choices in the future.

Goalkeeper Van Cong also played well at Hanoi FC but was not lucky with the national team. All decisions depend on the decision of the Vietnam National Team's coaching board and the goal we set for the upcoming tournament is for SEA Games 30 or to defeat other teams to improve our position on the FIFA rankings", Duong Hong Son concluded./.

Famous player Duong Hong Son: "Van Duc will surpass Cong Vinh"

(Baonghean.vn) - The goalkeeper who won the Vietnam Golden Ball said that Phan Van Duc will go even further in the near future and is completely capable of overcoming Cong Vinh's shadow.