The 'hero' of the Binh Dinh team.

In the Ho Chi Minh City regional play-offs, goalkeeper Mai Quoc Dat etched his name into the hearts of the fans. He was the true 'hero' who protected the dream of the Quy Nhon University team.

CONFIDENT ON THE 11M SPOT

When the dramatic play-off match between Quy Nhon University and the College of Foreign Trade Economics had to be decided by a tense penalty shootout, all eyes were on the goal. In that fateful shootout, goalkeeper Mai Quoc Dat of Quy Nhon University proved why he was entrusted with the captain's armband. With extraordinary composure, the civil engineering student successfully saved two shots from the opposing team, contributing to his team's emotional 4-3 victory. Revealing his secret to neutralizing the opposing team's shots, the 2001-born goalkeeper shared: "I watch the players' foot movements and predict which direction they will shoot. The secret is to carefully observe the opponent's supporting leg and eye direction. Besides that, I've practiced a lot of penalty kicks before, so I'm very confident whenever my team goes into a penalty shootout."

Goalkeeper Mai Quoc Dat became the hero, helping Quy Nhon University team secure a spot in the finals.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Notably, this is not the first time goalkeeper Mai Quoc Dat has made a significant contribution to helping Quy Nhon University team qualify for the national finals. In the 2025 season, when the team from Binh Dinh competed in the South Central - Central Highlands regional qualifiers, "Spider-Man" Mai Quoc Dat did the same thing in a decisive play-off match. The 25-year-old goalkeeper made two diving saves from Nha Trang University's strikers, helping Quy Nhon University team secure a spot in Ho Chi Minh City.

THE COURAGE OF A TEAM PLAYING AWAY FROM HOME

The ticket to the finals in Nha Trang wasn't a matter of luck, but the result of a convincing and resilient journey. Despite playing away from home and facing pressure from the home crowd and fans, Coach Thai Binh Thuan's team proved that the spirit of the martial arts land is not easily subdued. That journey is written in numbers that speak for themselves. In the group stage, Quy Nhon University won all three matches against tough opponents: Saigon University, Saigon International University, and Saigon Polytechnic College. In the play-off match, the representative of Central Vietnam's student football team "came back from the brink of defeat." They conceded a goal in the 3rd minute and were trailing for almost the entire match. But it was in this adversity that the resilience of the Quy Nhon University players exploded, with A Lam Ky's equalizer in the final minutes, before goalkeeper Mai Quoc Dat sealed the victory from the penalty spot.

Quy Nhon University arrived in Ho Chi Minh City as a "newcomer" in the regional qualifiers, but they confidently secured a ticket to the finals. Mai Quoc Dat is determined to give his all with his teammates in Nha Trang next March. He said: "Last season, Quy Nhon University reached the quarterfinals at Ton Duc Thang University. This year, we want to do even better." Coach Thai Binh Thuan emphasized: "The goal of Quy Nhon University is to advance beyond the group stage and strive to go further than last season. After the Lunar New Year, we will begin thorough preparation."

 

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-hung-cua-doi-bong-dat-vo-185260126223443068.htm