A safe anchor point
This wasn't a fluke or a spectacular tournament for goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien. The U23 Southeast Asian Championship and the SEA Games gold medals won by the Vietnamese youth teams previously left a strong mark on the goalkeeping prowess of this goalkeeper, who is over 1.90m tall. Continuing his impressive form at the regional level, Trung Kien stood firm against top-tier Asian opponents. AFC statistics show that Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, and Saudi Arabia unleashed 59 shots at the U23 Vietnam goal, 17 of which were on target, a goal defended by Trung Kien.
Only once was Trung Kien helpless. In the remaining 16 shots, from various positions and circumstances, the goalkeeper made excellent saves. The match against host U23 Saudi Arabia was clear evidence of the 22-year-old goalkeeper's rock-solid performance. The Gulf team fired 26 shots at Trung Kien, but not once did the player, mentored by legend Bae Ji-won, give the opposition a chance to celebrate a goal.
Witnessing his consistent performance over a long period in the Vietnamese youth national team, numerous goalkeepers have praised the "youngest" player. Tran Nguyen Manh, a top V.League goalkeeper, complimented him: "He is young but plays maturely and confidently. If he maintains this form, he will be Vietnam's number one goalkeeper in the near future. Kien possesses many qualities of a top goalkeeper, such as being over 1.9m tall, having long arms, quick reflexes, and accurate situational judgment."
Winning without arrogance. Losing without despair. Trung Kien has shone on numerous occasions with the Vietnam U23 team and HAGL club. But he still maintains a measured attitude, humble demeanor, and a willingness to learn. “I don’t know how many shots I saved from the opponent’s attempts. But I’m happy when I look up at the scoreboard and see that the Vietnam U23 team didn’t concede a goal. The joy of the whole team is also my personal happiness,” Trung Kien confided after reaching the quarterfinals.
Conversely, Kien also experienced a few setbacks while working as a goalkeeping officer. Each time, he would motivate himself to get back on his feet and try even harder.
The untold story
Trung Kien wasn't born into a family with a tradition in football, or sports in general. His father was a driver, and his mother was a marketing employee. The whole family lived in a poor neighborhood in Pleiku. Because they dreamed of a better life, his family wanted him to focus on his studies and find an office job instead of pursuing a career in football, which is often unpredictable. In fact, because of his intense love for football, Trung Kien sometimes neglected his studies. He even received corporal punishment from his father for this.
Witnessing Kien's passion for football and his promising height, Coach Khong Tam Cuong worked hard to convince his family to let him pursue a career in football. However, his journey was not smooth at first. Kien failed the entrance exam at the HAGL JMG Academy. Only through connections and prestige did Coach Khong Tam Cuong manage to get him admitted to the talent class. Seeing Coach Cuong's dedication and the better training and nutrition their son received at HAGL, his parents gradually agreed.
Kien did not disappoint coach Khong Tam Cuong. He developed rapidly in youth leagues, playing for loan teams in Dong Nai and the People's Police before returning to HAGL to become their number one goalkeeper. In 2024, he became a hero for HAGL when he made three consecutive excellent penalty saves, helping the young team from the mountain town win the U21 National Championship for the first time.
Previously, Trung Kien was also named in the squad for the 2018 U15 Southeast Asian Championship, the 2020 U19 Asian Championship qualifiers, the 2024 AFF Cup, the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship finals, and the 33rd SEA Games. Through these tournaments, he has experienced remarkable development to his current level. Notably, in 2019, he spent about a month training in the Netherlands at the prestigious Feyenoord Rotterdam club. Joining Trung Kien for training were center-back Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Nhat Minh, midfielder Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, and striker Nguyen Quoc Viet.
Returning to the journey in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tran Trung Kien has been and continues to be a reliable goalkeeper. Former Vice President in charge of professional affairs of the VFF - Duong Vu Lam - expressed his expectations: “I believe goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and the Vietnam U23 team will replicate the 'Changzhou snow' achievement of 8 years ago. At the same time, I predict that goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien will have a starting spot in the national team in the not too distant future.”
Opposing coach praises
"It must be admitted that the Vietnamese U23 goalkeeper had an absolutely fantastic game today. He was unbelievable in goal. We couldn't beat him. He's a very experienced goalkeeper," said Saudi Arabia U23 coach Luigi Di Biagio. Coach Marcelo Broli of the UAE U23 team – Vietnam's opponent in the quarterfinals – also expressed caution regarding Trung Kien.
“The Vietnam U23 team kept a clean sheet in 2 out of 3 matches at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Their goalkeeper is really good. He made numerous saves from shots by Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. I will have to study him carefully. The long reach and excellent aerial ability thanks to his height of over 1.90m of the Vietnam U23 goalkeeper are truly formidable.”
After the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship concluded, Vietnam U23 goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien was among the top goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in the group stage. The Vietnam U23 goalkeeper had two clean sheets in the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.
Additionally, three other goalkeepers also had two clean sheets in the group stage like Trung Kien: Rui Araki (Japan U23), Mohammad Khalifeh (Iran), and Samandar Muratbaev (Uzbekistan). Meanwhile, goalkeeper Li Hao of China U23 led with three clean sheets.
Although the Japanese U23 team kept a clean sheet in the group stage, Rui Araki only played in two matches, so he is not the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Khalifeh kept two clean sheets, but his team, Iran U23, was eliminated in the group stage. Iran U23 had two 0-0 draws and a 0-1 loss against Lebanon in the final group match, failing to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/phia-sau-nguoi-nhen-tran-trung-kien-i794264/
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