Who is the Vietnamese U23 goalkeeper who was mentioned by VTV and praised profusely by the Saudi Arabian coaching staff?

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien is currently the brightest star after the match against U23 Saudi Arabia thanks to his spectacular saves for U23 Vietnam. Not only was he honored by VTV, the young "spider-man" also received a shower of praise from the international coaching staff.

The 1.90m tall Spider-Man and his "unbelievable" saves.

Tran Trung Kien – the goalkeeper of HAGL club – was the name most frequently mentioned by VTV and sports newspapers after the recent fiery match. Possessing an ideal height of 1.90m, Trung Kien had a brilliant performance, turning the U23 Vietnam goal into an "impenetrable" fortress. In the 51st minute, the entire stadium held its breath as opposing captain Musab Al Juwayr unleashed a thunderous shot, the ball rebounding right into the path of Abdulaziz. In this clear scoring opportunity, Trung Kien's lightning-fast reflexes and long reach denied the opponent a goal, much to the astonishment of tens of thousands of spectators.

Not stopping there, the goalkeeper born in 2003 continued to shine in the 58th and 74th minutes, correcting defensive gaps with his timely positioning and accurate dives. Post-match statistics show that Trung Kien faced tremendous pressure from 26 shots and made at least 7 direct saves. This performance immediately created a sensation online, making Tran Trung Kien a top search term and solidifying his position as a leading candidate for the national team's goalkeeping position in the near future.

Saudi Arabia's coach "takes his hat off" to Vietnam's young talent.

Despite suffering a crushing defeat and being officially eliminated from the tournament, Saudi Arabia U23 coach Luigi Biagio still praised the opponent's fair play, especially their goalkeeper. The Italian strategist admitted: "It must be said that the Vietnam U23 goalkeeper had an absolutely fantastic game today. We tried all our attacking options, but he always maintained extremely high concentration and knew how to slow down the pace of the game when necessary."

Coach Biagio further explained the harsh reality of football, noting that his team completely controlled the game, taking nearly seven times as many shots as their opponents, yet were punished by Vietnam U23's very first shot on target. He emphasized that despite Saudi Arabia's best efforts, Trung Kien's astonishing performance thwarted all of the West Asian team's plans. The effusive praise from a major opponent like Saudi Arabia is the clearest evidence of the class Trung Kien displayed in this historic match.

A perfect nine points and a golden ticket to the quarterfinals.

With a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, the Vietnam U23 team confidently advanced to the quarterfinals with a perfect 9 points and first place in Group A – an unprecedented achievement. Their disciplined play and the brilliant performance of "Spider-Man" Tran Trung Kien have solidified fans' belief in their journey to conquer the continental đỉnh cao.

While their rivals were eliminated from the tournament, the Vietnam U23 team opened a new and promising chapter. The remarkable progress of Trung Kien and the strong team spirit are key to preparing the country's youth football to face even tougher challenges.

Vietnam U23 wins all their matches, but Jordan celebrates emotionally; FIFA issues a shocking statement. Khánh Linh09:56:59 13/01/2026In the early morning of January 13, 2026, Vietnamese football continued to make history when the Vietnam U23 team brilliantly defeated the reigning runner-up, Saudi Arabia U23, with a minimal score of 1-0 in the final group stage match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.