2 tall goalkeepers of U.23 Vietnam become 'spider men': Who is happier than coach Kim!

The impressive performance of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and Cao Van Binh in round 2 of V-League brought positive signals to coach Kim Sang-sik of U.23 Vietnam.

2 U.23 Vietnam goalkeepers shine together

Vietnamese youth football is witnessing the rise of many young goalkeepers. Among them, two goalkeepers who both wear the U.23 Vietnam jersey are outstanding, named Tran Trung Kien (HAGL) and Cao Van Binh (SLNA). Both played extremely well in this round, helping their home teams gain the first important points.

Young goalkeeper Trung Kien helps HAGL leave Hanoi stadium with a clean sheet

PHOTO: MINH TU

At Hang Day Stadium, HAGL faced the runner-up Hanoi with a seemingly impossible task: to win points to escape the bottom of the table. In the opening match, HAGL showed their immaturity when they lost 0-3 to Becamex TP.HCM at home. In the match against Hanoi FC, the team from the mountain town could only counterattack in the first half, before retreating to defend to snatch a draw.

Besides the resilient defensive play, HAGL returned home with a clean sheet (0-0 draw) thanks to the brilliance of goalkeeper Trung Kien. The 1.9 m tall goalkeeper blocked at least 4 clear scoring opportunities for Hanoi FC. Notably, he flew to block a curling shot from foreign player Luiz Fernando, stopping Xuan Tu's header from only 7 m away in the first half.

In the second half, Trung Kien continued to be the "wall" with his timely rush to solve Xuan Tu's face-off. Or at the end of the match, a slight touch of Trung Kien's hand created an opportunity for center-back Jairo Rodrigues to clear the ball on the goal line after a header by Hai Long.

Coach Le Quang Trai praised: "HAGL took to the field with a squad of young players, Trung Kien is one of them. Today he played wonderfully, extremely well. This was his best match yet."

Trung Kien's brilliant performance

PHOTO: MINH TU

At Vinh Stadium, goalkeeper Van Binh also had a memorable day with reasonable moves, even though he had to face "terrible" strikers like Marlos Brenner or Kyle Hudlin. Notably, Van Binh's lightning-fast save from Hudlin's close-range header in the 55th minute was worthy of being in the top 2 best saves of round 2.

Thanks to the brilliance of the "spider-man" born in 2005, SLNA came from behind to defeat the reigning champion Nam Dinh with a score of 2-1. It is not too much to say that Vinh Stadium has a good relationship with good goalkeepers, when from the time of Nguyen Manh to Van Viet, Van Binh, SLNA has never lacked good goalkeepers.

"Cao Van Binh is a very potential goalkeeper. In addition to his ability, he also has a good height (1.83 m). If he gets to play and practice a lot, Van Binh will be a good goalkeeper," SLNA coach Phan Nhu Thuat praised his student.

The time of young goalkeepers

While senior goalkeepers like Nguyen Filip and Nguyen Dinh Trieu are about to enter their twilight years, juniors like Trung Kien, Van Binh and Van Viet are all maturing to enter the stage of competing for positions.

The saying “no pressure, no diamonds” is especially true for goalkeepers. In a position that requires a high level of courage and tenacity, in addition to professional qualities, goalkeepers need to be put through the “furnace” of pressure to truly reach their potential.

The fact that Trung Kien (HAGL) and Van Binh (SLNA) both play for teams competing for relegation is sometimes... a good thing. Playing in mid-level teams means the goalkeepers have more opportunities to shine and become more prominent. It may be a bit early to judge, however, the young goalkeepers will be a solid foundation for HAGL and SLNA to fight for survival in the V-League this season.

As the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games approach, the goalkeepers’ consistent form is a prerequisite for coach Kim Sang-sik to confidently build his squad. The rear must be strong for the frontline to flourish.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/2-thu-mon-cao-keu-cua-u23-viet-nam-hoa-nguoi-nhen-ai-vui-bang-thay-kim-185250824055948693.htm