"He plays even better than Lee Woon-jae at his peak," Kim Sang-sik also marvels, as mixed-race goalkeeper becomes Vietnam football's "new hero"

*This content was translated by AI.

The biggest driving force behind Vietnam's 2-0 away victory over Thailand in the first leg of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup final under coach Kim Sang-sik was veteran goalkeeper Le Zhang Patrick (34, Cong An Ho Chi Minh City)'s "spectacular saves."

On the 22nd (Korea time), Vietnam secured a scoreless victory despite holding only 34% ball possession and trailing 13-16 in shots during their match against Thailand at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The win was especially significant as it marked the first time in Vietnamese football history that they achieved a two-goal margin away victory against Thailand, even while facing one-sided support from home fans for Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO).

At the center of this performance was goalkeeper Patrick, who blocked all Thai shots throughout the match. Although Vietnam surrendered early control of the game, Patrick's solid defense allowed them to patiently wait for counterattack opportunities. Thanks to consecutive goals by Nguyen Hai Long in the 17th minute and Nguyen Quang Hai in the 24th minute, Vietnam secured a two-goal margin scoreless victory. The fact that goalkeeper Patrick—not Hai Long who scored the winning goal or Quang Hai who scored the decisive goal—was named Man of the Match highlighted just how dazzling his performance was that day.

After the match, coach Kim Sang-sik also offered high praise. According to local Vietnamese reports, during a post-match press conference, Coach Kim stated, "If Patrick hadn't guarded the goal, Vietnam would have conceded at least three goals today." He further added, "His performance today was even more impressive than what Lee Woon-jae showed during his prime when he served as Vietnam's national team coach." Coach Lee Woon-jae is a Korean football legend who protected the goal during South Korea's 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup semi-final myth.

Coach Kim Sang-sik continued, "Patrick's performance today was truly extraordinary. If he had played like this today, even Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) or Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) would have found it difficult to score against him."

Southeast Asian football specialist media outlet ASEAN Football described Patrick as "Spider-Man," stating, "Patrick delivered a world-class performance today. He made three crucial saves on what appeared to be certain Thai scoring opportunities." The outlet further noted, "Vietnam conceded only one goal (in seven matches) during this tournament, and this incredible record owes much to the 'Le Zhang Patrick Wall.' He is the new hero appearing in Vietnam's goal."

Born to a Slovakian mother and Vietnamese father, he passed through Slovakia's Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) before joining the Vietnam A national team starting in June this year. After making his A-match debut against Myanmar last month, he immediately secured a spot as the starting goalkeeper for the Vietnam A national team and continues to play as the starter in this tournament.

Meanwhile, under coach Kim Sang-sik, Vietnam thoroughly defeated Thailand 2-0 today thanks to Patrick's outstanding performance, gaining early advantage in the final series. With this victory, Vietnam has secured a favorable position: even if they lose by one goal in the second leg of the final on the 26th at 10 PM (Vietnam time) at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, they will still win the championship. If Vietnam reaches the top of the tournament, it will be the first time in history that they achieve back-to-back ASEAN Cup titles. Coach Kim Sang-sik will etch his name in Vietnamese football history as the first coach to lead Vietnam to two ASEAN Cup championships, achieving the back-to-back title that former coach Park Hang-seo could not accomplish.

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*This content was translated by AI.