World Cup Qualifying

SEA Players to Watch – National Team Goalkeepers

By: , August 31, 2019 3:08 pm

With World Cup Qualifiers on the horizon, it is time to take a look at each major Southeast Asian nation and their goalkeepers to watch ahead of the upcoming matches.

Thailand

Name: Siwarak Tedsungnoen

Age: 35

Club: Buriram United

Background: A great shot-stopping and penalty shootout king, Siwarak Tedsungnoen is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in modern Thai football history with 6 league titles and 9 more major domestic cups titles to his name.

Reason to Watch: Kawin Thamsatchanan of Belgium side OH Leuven may have been the preferred number one choice for most fans. However, after his King's Cup mistake - which cost Thailand the game - and Siwarak's good club form, the Buriram keeper may have a serious shot to start in goal against Vietnam. Siwarak has yet to miss a single Thai League game for the Thunder Castle this season, keeping 18 clean sheets from 25 matches, helping his side to the top of the table.

Obb Deewajin

Vietnam

Name: Dang Van Lam

Age: 26

Club: Muangthong United

Background: While an academy player, Russian born Dang Van Lam featured for Spartak Moscow and Dinamo Moscow. He returned to Vietnam to play for Hoang Anh Gia Lai. In 2016, he moved to Hai Phong and become the key member of the team that finished second in the V.League. In the same year, he received the first call-up to Vietnamese National Team to play as the reserve keeper in AFF Cup 2016. Two years later, he became Vietnam's first choice, helping the side win the 2018 AFF Cup and reach the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup.

Reason to Watch: Van Lam became the first Vietnamese player to move abroad on a permanent basis when he signed with Muangthong United at the start of the season. Since joining Muangthong, Van Lam has improved a lot, and his weakness at movement have been reduced. He will definitely remain as the first-choice goalkeeper for the national team in the upcoming months.

Tran Tien

Malaysia

Name: Farizal Marlias

Age: 33

Club: Johor Darul Ta'zim

Background: Born in Maran, Pahang, Farizal Marlias started his career with Shazan Muda FC before making a move to Perlis. In 2011, he joined Negeri Sembilan but became second-choice goalkeeper to Mohd Farizal Harun. In 2012 and 2013, he moved to Perak and Selangor. Now, he plays for giants Johor Darul Ta'zim, where he has won 5 Super League titles.

Reason to Watch: Farizal Marlias is an intelligent goalkeeper with excellent positional sense and shot-stopping abilities. He is also known for his calmness and his ability to organize the defense in front of him. His achievements have made him a legend in Malaysian football.

Aiman Nazirmuddin

Philippines

Name: Michael Falkesgaard

Age: 28

Club: Bangkok United

Background: Born to a Danish father and a Filipino mother, Falkesgaard spent the majority of his early years playing in the country of his birth, getting his professional break at Brondby IF. The goalkeeper moved to Thai League side Bangkok United in 2018, and earned a call-up for the Filipino National Team in the same year, having represented Denmark at youth level. Since then, Falkesgaard has established himself arguably the Thai League's best goalkeeper, making it onto Football Tribe's team of the year for the division last season.

Reason to Watch: Falkesgaard is commonly considered to be the understudy to Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who became the first Southeast Asian player to feature regularly in the Premier League last season. However, with the 'number one' unavailable for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Falkesgaard stepped up and performed well for his country in the UAE. He also played instead of Etheridge in recent friendlies. It will be interesting to see whether his form will be rewarded with the number one spot, or whether coach Scott Cooper will return to the tried and trusted hands.

Gian Chansrichawla

Indonesia

Name: Andritany Ardhiyasa

Age: 27

Club: Persija Jakarta

Background: Today, he is the first option in the senior team, but this season he has had a rocky situation with titleholders Persija, who are already battling to move out of the relegation zone. The club's captain, who has good communication and reflexes, is now heading for a new challenge after his long injury.

Reason to Watch: It will be interesting to see if Andritany can rise again from the dark days with his club to be the savior for the national side. The first two home games are important for him, as he didn't Malaysia and Thailand in the 2018 AFF Cup. His presence may give new hope and be the difference for the Garuda.

Steven Danis