Cao Van Binh and the journey to become the number 1 'goalkeeper'

Cao Van Binh is currently the number 1 goalkeeper in the Vietnam U20 team. Photo: Chung Le

The turning point of life

In hamlet 10, Dien Thanh commune, Dien Chau district, if asked about Cao Van Binh, the young people in the village all have the same answer: "He plays soccer very well, he is a penalty box killer."

Cao Van Binh was once known as a famous striker in all the villages in Dien Thanh coastal commune. Recalling that when Binh was only 10 years old, he emerged as a good student and a good soccer player. During his 5 years at Dien Thanh Primary School, the goalkeeper born in 2005 was an excellent student at the school level. Besides, Binh is also a striker with an innate talent for scoring goals. In the soccer tournaments organized by the school, Binh was always a fear for the opposing defense. The Dien Thanh primary school student was the leader who brought his team to victory in tournaments organized by the school and the commune. With that reputation, Binh quickly caught the attention of the coaches of the Center for Culture - Sports and Communication of Dien Chau district. In 2016, Binh was called to the district's children's soccer team to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children's Soccer Tournament.

However, few people know that the turning point in the life of national player Cao Van Binh started from here. Joining the Dien Chau children's football team, Binh played the role of a striker, the team's main goal scorer. But in a training session before the tournament, the goalkeeper of Dien Chau that day did not meet the professional requirements. The coach of Dien Chau decided to let Binh try his hand at this new role.

Cao Van Binh recalled: “The team’s goalkeeper that day did not play well and conceded many goals. It was a pity that I scored a goal for the team but it was so easy for the team to concede a goal, so I went down to try to replace him. At that time, I was only 11 years old, but my physique and appearance were already outstanding compared to my peers. That was also an advantage that helped me easily control the goal.”

Entering the 2016 Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament, in his new role, Binh performed excellently, discouraging many opposing strikers. In addition to his ability to protect his team's goal, the goalkeeper born in 2005 also played a role in effectively switching the state from defense to attack for his team. Thanks to his skillful footwork, Binh always supported his teammates well in coordination, circulating the ball from the home field to the front, disrupting the opposing defense.

However, at the end of that year's tournament, the Dien Chau children's football team, due to a lack of luck, had to stop in the quarter-finals.

Cao Van Binh recalled: “Although the team could not reach the final match, as a goalkeeper, I made a small impression on the audience. From the favorable beginning, I loved the new position even more and gradually became passionate about the task of controlling the goal.”

With his ability to catch the ball with poise, Cao Van Binh caught the eye of scouts from Song Lam Nghe An. His desire to play football made Binh decide to convince his parents to let him go to Vinh to pursue a career in football.

The difficult years in Song Lam Nghe An

When he joined the youth teams of Song Lam Nghe An, Binh was not guided by good goalkeeper coaches. In addition, his fear of the audience was also the reason why the goalkeeper born in 2005 often conceded unnecessary goals. Therefore, from U11 to U15, Binh was only a reserve goalkeeper in the youth teams of Song Lam Nghe An. There was a time when Binh lost confidence in himself and thought about stopping his passion for playing football to return to his hometown to continue studying.

Binh said: “I have thought and hesitated a lot between returning to my hometown or continuing to stay and strive. The teachers were also quite worried about my future, because if I continued to play like this, it would be very difficult to continue to stand firm in the professional football environment. But if I returned, my future would also be very uncertain. I could no longer maintain my ability to study culture as before, and it would be difficult to get into universities. Therefore, I was determined to overcome my weaknesses, to continue pursuing the path of professional football.”

There was a time when Binh lost faith in himself and thought about stopping his passion for playing football. Photo: Chung Le

Luck smiled on Cao Van Binh when U15 Song Lam Nghe An participated in the National U15 Tournament. At that time, the team's main goalkeeper decided to stop training at Song Lam Nghe An to change to another path. Binh became the main goalkeeper of the U15 Song Lam Nghe An team. This was an opportunity for the goalkeeper from Dien Chau to make an impression and regain the trust of professionals.

Career turning point

Cao Van Binh's first matches did not leave much of an impression on the team's coaching staff. The reason was that Binh still lacked confidence when facing the pressure of the stands and the doubts about his expertise from the coaches.

It was not until the match with U15 Viettel that Cao Van Binh really shined. Luckily and it was a turning point for the goalkeeper of U15 Song Lam Nghe An when he was witnessed by the coach of the U17 National Team - Hoang Anh Tuan in the stands. Surprised by Cao Van Binh's excellent saves, passes, and passes, this coach decided to call Binh to the U17 Vietnam team.

Possessing skillful footwork is one of the strengths that helps Cao Van Binh better control the penalty area. Photo: Chung Le

Cao Van Binh shared: “In the match with U17 Viettel, there were very few spectators in the stands and the teachers encouraged me to feel comfortable. That’s why I had an excellent match, saving many obvious goals for U15 Song Lam Nghe An. This is also the reason why the coach of U17 Vietnam called me to the team.”

The door to a bright future for the goalkeeper from Dien Chau started from here. When he joined the national team, Cao Van Binh was directly taught by coach Vo Van Hanh, who used to be an excellent goalkeeper of Song Lam Nghe An. This relationship has made the relationship between teacher and student even closer. Coach Vo Van Hanh is the one who has given Cao Van Binh a lot of professional knowledge, helping the goalkeeper born in 2005 to have remarkable maturity in terms of expertise, thinking and competitive mentality.

Binh is now the number 1 goalkeeper in the Vietnam National Youth Team. In the U17, U19, U20, U23 Vietnam teams, Cao Van Binh has created trust in the eyes of the coaching staff. The marks he has made at the national team levels will be a springboard for Cao Van Binh to develop further in the future.