Gat Dinh Bac, Thai media highlights the 'hero' of Vietnam U23

Thailand's Think Curve page has lavishly praised a key player of Vietnam U23 during their journey to the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

A narrow victory over Saudi Arabia not only secured Vietnam U23's place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, but also marked a series of remarkable milestones for the Southeast Asian representative in the tournament. Besides Nguyen Dinh Bac, the player who made the biggest impact with 2 goals in reaching the quarterfinals, another star of Vietnam U23 also attracted significant attention, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien.

According to statistics from the Asian Football Confederation, the goalkeeper born in 2003 made 7 saves against the top shooters of Saudi Arabia. Across all 3 matches, Trung Kien totaled 11 saves, matching Li Hao, the goalkeeper of China U23.

Witnessing Trung Kien's outstanding performance, the Think Curve page from Thailand highly praised the HAGL player, affirming he is the "most crucial factor" for Vietnam U23 in their campaign at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

Think Curve wrote: "One of the key contributors to Vietnam U23's impressive performance, especially defensively, is Tran Trung Kien, the 22-year-old goalkeeper currently playing for HAGL club.

After finishing the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, Trung Kien conceded only one goal. In the 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia, he made 7 crucial saves, rendering the home team's attackers nearly powerless to score..."

Indeed, Trung Kien delivered three outstanding matches helping Vietnam U23's defense hold strong against Asia's top attacking stars. Standing at 1.91m, he dominated aerial duels and handled corners and set pieces with ease.

Additionally, the star from Hung Yen province exhibits a modern style of play with excellent footwork, actively participating in building play from the back and confidently coordinating with defenders under pressure. Most importantly, Trung Kien excelled in spectacular reflex saves, clearly demonstrated in the recent victory over Saudi Arabia.

Following his brilliant display, Trung Kien affirmed he always enters the pitch with a winning mindset, regardless of facing higher-ranked opponents.

The goalkeeper shared: "Every time we step onto the field in this tournament, our goal is to secure three points. Even against the host team, the whole squad gave more than 100% effort to win."

Looking ahead, Trung Kien and his teammates will have three days to rest and train before preparing for the quarterfinal match on January 16. Vietnam U23 will face either Syria or UAE, the two teams competing for second place in Group B.