Football

Việt Nam’s goalkeeper Trần Thị Kim Thanh Tran stops a penalty by USA’s forward Alex Morgan during the 2023 Women’s World Cup Group E match at Eden Park in Auckland on July 22. AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Trần Thị Kim Thanh is named in top 10 goalkeepers with most saves at the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup, according to the world football governing body.

FIFA on August 21 released lists of statistics of speed, distance, dribbling, passing, saves and others of players during the Australia and New Zealand event.

Thanh was the best player of Việt Nam at the world event where the SEA Games champions were in Group F against powerhouses the US, the Netherlands and Portugal.

The 21-year-old shot-stopper showed her high performance, denying may attempts from world leading strikers in three matches.

FIFA counted that Thanh successfully saved her goal six times including a penalty shootout in the match against the world No 1 the US; six times in the match versus Portugal; and three in the last one with the world No 9 Netherlands.

She is placed No 6 in the list of most saves. The top three are Daniela Solera of Costa Rica with 22 saves, Zecira Musovic of Sweden with 21, Olivia McDaniel of the Philippines and Mackenzie Arnold of Australia with 18.

Earlier, Thanh also won the same honour at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 as she made 27 saves in six matches. 

Thanh and her teammates are in a three-week training course in Hải Phòng for a their Asian Games campaign next month in China.

Việt Nam will play defending champion Japan, Nepal and Bangladesh in Group D, playing from September 22-28 at Wenzhou Olympic Stadium in Hangzhou. VNS