Van Lam showed more composure and courage in the match against Iran.

It's undeniable that the Vietnamese national team's defense made mistakes in the match against Iraq. And Van Lam was one of the players who made the most errors.

The former Hai Phong goalkeeper showed a lack of confidence in several moments inside the penalty area. Particularly in the second goal conceded, he failed to proactively rush out to support the Vietnamese national team's central defenders, who were struggling to fend off the opposing striker's threat.

Former national team goalkeeper The Anh was the most insightful and straightforward: "Van Lam has the ideal height and physique to occupy space well. In aerial balls and set pieces, Van Lam can provide more support to the defense if he proactively rushes out."

Van Lam showed significant improvement in the match against Iran. Photo: AFC

However, this changed considerably in the match against Iran. Van Lam had a game that was considered excellent, quite different from the opening match. Not only was he outstanding with his saves, but Van Lam also became more confident and courageous in his rushes out of his goal.

Right at the start of the match, goalkeeper Van Lam made a timely rush out to intercept Azmoun; otherwise, the striker could have opened the scoring early for the West Asian team.

Ten minutes later, Van Lam once again denied Ghoddos a dangerous shot from a comfortable position.

Also in the first half, Lam "Tay" showed his composure by accurately choosing the right spot to clear the ball during a corner kick situation, which has always been a weakness of the Vietnamese national team.

However, perhaps the most impressive moment was Lam's crucial save after Terami of Iran curled a shot from outside the penalty area.

With Duy Mạnh absent, the burden will fall more heavily on Lâm “Tây”'s shoulders in the match against Yemen. Photo: AFC

Despite being one of Vietnam's best players in the match, he only received a 6-point rating from Fox Sport, a leading Asian sports newspaper. He was among the four Vietnamese players with the lowest ratings. The reason is believed to be that Van Lam conceded two goals. However, objectively speaking, given Iran's superior performance, it's perfectly normal for Lam to have to pick the ball out of the net twice.

Duy Mạnh's inability to play in the final match against Yemen due to receiving two yellow cards is certainly a major concern for the Vietnamese national team. However, with Văn Lâm's improved performance, the team will feel more secure knowing that the Hanoi FC center-back will be sidelined for this crucial match against Yemen.