HAGL's 1.91m tall stopper played brilliantly, helping U.23 Vietnam win the championship.

With outstanding physique and stable performance, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien has contributed greatly to the journey to the Southeast Asian championship of U.23 Vietnam.

U.23 Vietnam has a character who shines brightly even though he doesn't score

When the final whistle blew at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium last night (July 29), not only coach Kim Sang-sik and his team but also millions of Vietnamese fans burst into joy of victory. The Golden Star team has written a new page in Southeast Asian football history with their third consecutive championship. In that halo, the tall figure with the steadfast spirit of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien of HAGL Club stood out.

Tran Trung Kien is confident in high ball situations - PHOTO: NGUYEN KHANG

The goalkeeper born in 2003 had a good tournament, being a reliable stopper in the journey to defend the regional title of U.23 Vietnam. Not only did he have excellent saves in the group stage, Trung Kien also made the audience scream with joy many times because of his excellent reflexes and extremely reasonable ability to enter and exit in the semi-final, especially the final against U.23 Indonesia - a team with a strong and fast attack. With a height of 1.91 m, Tran Trung Kien made his teammates feel more secure in many high ball situations of the team from the archipelago. Robi Darwis's strong throw-ins, which were no different from a free kick, were easily neutralized by the 22-year-old goalkeeper. Not only that, the young goalkeeper of HAGL saved many times when facing the U.23 Indonesia striker.

It can be said that Tran Trung Kien's mature image today is thanks to his home club. The HAGL coaching staff has placed their trust in Trung Kien in the V-League, which is harsh for young players. The goalkeeper born in 2003 has known how to seize opportunities and gradually assert himself in the domestic arena. Every time he plays, Trung Kien shows clear progress. That helps the goalkeeper of the mountain town team catch the eye of coach Kim Sang-sik and has the opportunity to wear the national team jersey. This is also a big turning point in the football career of the 1.91 m tall goalkeeper.

The Vietnamese team won the AFF Cup 2024. In that achievement, although Trung Kien was not the main goalkeeper, this period of time was an extremely valuable asset to help the young goalkeeper of HAGL mature. From then on, Trung Kien wore the U.23 Vietnam shirt with a different mindset. No longer an inexperienced young goalkeeper, he entered the U.23 Southeast Asia 2025 tournament as the leader of the defense system. The U.23 Southeast Asia 2025 championship trophy is a worthy reward for Tran Trung Kien's tireless efforts.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chot-chan-cao-191-m-cua-hagl-giup-u23-viet-nam-len-ngoi-185250730000636077.htm