Vietnamese-Czech goalkeeper struggles with hot weather in Hanoi

Filip started for CAHN in the 0-1 defeat against SHB Da Nang on Sunday, three days after he arrived in Vietnam to sign his contract.

He only had one training session with the teammates before the game.

“The weather caused a lot of difficulties,” Filip said after the match. “It was so hot in the first half I felt uncomfortable. In the second half, I played easier as the sun set.”

Despite having a Vietnamese father, this is only the fifth time that Filip has visited Vietnam. But his three-year contract should give him plenty of time to adapt.

Summer in Vietnam is often a challenge for players from Europe.

Another Vietnamese goalkeeper who used to play in Europe, Dang Van Lam, also struggled with the weather his first year back in Vietnam. Slovenia’s famous Nastja Ceh was another example. He did not perform well with Thanh Hoa FC in 2014 when the league entered summer.

After the defeat, CAHN are still on top of the league as the two clubs behind them, Hanoi FC and Thanh Hoa FC, also lost.

Born to a Vietnamese father and a Czech mother, Filip graduated from Sparta Prague’s youth football academy and played for the club before moving to other domestic clubs like Bydzov, Vlasim, Slova Liberec, and Slovacko.

He was voted the best keeper in the Czech First League in the 2018-19 season.

Nguyen Minh, his father, said staying back in Europe would be better for his son’s career, but he added that Filip has always wanted to play football in Vietnam.