Vietnamese goalkeeper Dang Van Lam was officially unveiled as a new player for the J1 League club Cerezo Osaka on April 18, a fortnight after his arrival in Japan as a foreign expert.
The announcement took place during the halftime break in the J1 League match between Cerezo Osaka and Urawa Red Diamonds at Yanmar Stadium Nagai.
Wearing the No. 1 jersey, the Vietnamese goalie was introduced to fans alongside Australian forward Adam Taggart (No. 9).
Vietnamese goalkeeper Dang Van Lam is unveiled for J1 League club Cerezo Osaka on April 18. |
“Hello everyone, I’m Dang Van Lam, a goalkeeper from Vietnam. I’m really happy and excited to be here for the first time. I will strive to play well and contribute to the club,” Lam said.
Lam tasted joy with the new team on the day as Cerezo Osaka beat Urawa Red Diamonds 1-0 thanks to defender Yusuke Maruhashi’s 66th-minute goal. The victory lifted Cerezo Osaka to fourth in the J1 League table with 20 points after 12 rounds.
In the near future, the club will compete in the AFC Champions League. To get a regular place in the Osaka squad, the 28-year-old keeper will have to prove his ability and compete against other keepers such as Kim Jin-hyeon from the Republic of Korea and Japanese goalie Kenya Matsui.
Lam will become the fourth Vietnamese player to play in Japan, after Le Cong Vinh (2013), Nguyen Tuan Anh (2016) and Nguyen Cong Phuong (2016), who played for J2 League clubs Consadole Sapporo, Yokohama FC and Mito Hollyhock, respectively.
Dang Van Lam is currently a key pillar in Park Hang-seo’s Vietnamese squad. He made significant contributions to Vietnam’s journey to winning the AFF Cup 2018 crown, qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup quarter-finals, and has spearheaded the side to their current lead in Group G of the ongoing 2022 World Cup AFC qualifiers.
Source: NDO