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Van Lam is one of the Vietnamese players who played well in the semi-final first leg once morest Indonesia. Photo: Minh Chien. |
“We had a busy schedule and had to play away in the last match. The atmosphere at Bung Karno was great. I felt the pressure from the crowd. The important thing is that Vietnam did not concede a goal,” Van Lam shared on the AFF Cup homepage following a 0-0 draw with Indonesia in the first leg of the AFF Cup semi-final on January 6.
“Our defense played well in the first half. However, unfortunately the team might not score. We will try to score in the second leg. The defenders helped Vietnam keep a clean sheet. We I had a good game,” the 29-year-old goalkeeper added.
Van Lam is the bright spot of the Vietnamese team in the semi-final first leg when consecutively neutralizing the shots of Indonesian players. AFF Cup homepage statistics Van Lam spent 405 minutes playing without conceding a goal. This goalkeeper broke his own record at the 2018 AFF Cup. After 5 matches, Vietnam has the best defense in the tournament.
On January 5, Indonesia’s Bola newspaper identified Van Lam as the best goalkeeper in this year’s tournament. This sports page commented: “Vietnam’s defense performed well thanks to Dang Van Lam’s certainty. The 29-year-old goalkeeper kept a clean sheet throughout the group stage and made 10 saves. Although he is not always the main player, being able to practice abroad helps Van Lam a lot. Not surprisingly, he is considered the best goalkeeper in this tournament.”
As planned on January 7, the team will take a flight to Tan Son Nhat airport (HCMC) at 18:00 before connecting and arriving at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) at 22:15. When returning home, the Vietnamese team had just over a day to prepare for the match once morest Indonesia on January 9.