Song Lam Nghe An goalkeeper's mark on the list of nominees for outstanding young player in 2023

From reserve goalkeeper to number 1 goalkeeper

The 2023 season witnessed the miraculous rise of goalkeeper Van Viet. From a third reserve goalkeeper at Song Lam Nghe An, he has worked hard to practice, constantly learning and gaining experience from his teammates to wait for the day he can step onto the V.League field. The seriousness and eagerness of the goalkeeper born in 2002 has gradually won the trust of the coaching staff. Van Viet was given the opportunity to start in the match of round 8 of V.League 2023, but in the next match, when Song Lam Nghe An faced the host Cong An Hanoi, Van Viet really made the experts stunned by his talent in controlling the goal. Although in the match with the team of the Capital's armed forces, Song Lam Nghe An did not get the desired result, Van Viet personally left a strong impression in the eyes of the audience. The young goalkeeper played with courage, was sharp in judging situations, with miraculous saves.

That performance brought Van Viet "to the clouds" and became the number 1 goalkeeper at Nghe An Club. In the 2023 season, the Tan Ky player played a total of 810 minutes with a not-so-high clean sheet rate, 11 goals conceded/9 matches. However, the times the opponent scored were all unavoidable situations. Therefore, if looking at the whole picture, Van Viet is considered one of the most impressive players of Song Lam Nghe An in the 2023 season.

Goalkeeper Van Viet shared: “I am grateful for always receiving the trust from the coaching staff and colleagues at Song Lam Nghe An. The teachers have given me the opportunity to show myself and I will try my best to practice and compete to respond to the trust of the coaches and the expectations of the home team fans.”

Shine at the national team levels

With his brilliant performance at the club level, Van Viet quickly caught the eye of coach Troussier. At the FIFA Days in June, he was included in the list of the Vietnamese national team by the French strategist. However, Van Viet was only known to the Vietnamese audience and recognized for his talent when he joined the U23 Vietnam team to compete in the U23 Asia qualifiers. At this tournament, Van Viet was the number 1 goalkeeper of the Golden Star team. In the first match, U23 Vietnam faced U23 Guam at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho).

In this match, coach Philippe Troussier's students created an overwhelming game and won the final score with a score of 6-0 against the visiting team U23 Guam. With an opponent of low level, goalkeeper Van Viet did not have many opportunities to show his ability to control the goal.

However, in the match against U23 Yemen, Van Viet had the opportunity to prove his talent. In this second match, the opponent showed a fast playing style, with the ability to attack in a variety of ways. In the 31st minute, the opponent had the opportunity to escape to face Van Viet. Yemen's number 21 launched a dangerous shot, but this goalkeeper had good judgment and reflexes to save U23 Vietnam from a clear loss.

Not stopping there, in the 46th minute, Van Viet continued to possess the ability to reflect "light" to successfully neutralize the powerful volley of the U23 Yemen striker. It must be affirmed that in the 1-0 victory of U23 Vietnam against Yemen, there was a great contribution from the goalkeeper of Song Lam Nghe An.

With his talent and stable performance, Van Viet continued to be called by coach Troussier to join the national team to participate in the matches of the FIFA Days last September. However, with the large shadow of Van Lam, Nguyen Manh, the goalkeeper born in 2002, still needs more time to accumulate experience, waiting for the opportunity to officially stand in the goal of the Vietnamese team.

Van Viet shared: “I am a young goalkeeper so I need to try to learn more from my seniors. The road ahead is still full of hardships, I will try to practice and compete well every time I have the opportunity to play. I myself was quite surprised and happy to know that I was on the nomination list for the best young male player of the year category. This will be the motivation for me to continue to nurture my dream on the path I have chosen.”