Goalkeeper Cao Van Binh (SLNA) won the title of Best Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, who is currently playing for Song Lam Nghe An Club, has just been honored as "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament" at the CFA Team China 2025 International Friendly Tournament. This is a worthy reward for his efforts and impressive performance throughout the journey with U22 Vietnam.
Cao Van Binh is one of the four players ofLam River Nghe Anwas called up by coach Dinh Hong Vinh to the U22 Vietnam team to participate in the tournament. Although he was only the second goalkeeper at his home club, when he wore the national team jersey, Van Binh quickly won the trust of the coaching staff. He was the only player in the group of 4 from SLNA to be in the official lineup for all 3 matches of U22 Vietnam in the tournament.
The final match of the tournament took place on March 25, 2025, when U22 Vietnam faced the host team U22 China. Although they could not win the championship after a 1-1 draw, Van Binh still left his mark with a series of important saves, contributing to the home team's encouraging results.
U22 Vietnam entered the "final" match with U22 China with high determination, after two strong draws against U22 Korea (1-1) and U22 Uzbekistan (0-0). Coach Dinh Hong Vinh's team had an early advantage when Quoc Viet opened the scoring in the 31st minute, after a delicate assist from Victor Le.
However, the turning point of the match came in the 68th minute when the referee awarded China U22 a controversial penalty. Aisikaer took advantage of the opportunity to level the score at 1-1. Although the home team was at a disadvantage when they lost a man in the 74th minute due to Zhe Xuan's red card, Vietnam U22 still could not find the decisive goal and had to accept the draw.
With 5 points after 3 matches, U22 China won the championship. U22 Vietnam finished the tournament in third place with 3 points, but the most notable thing was the excellent performance of goalkeeper Cao Van Binh.
Despite missing out on the title, Cao Van Binh was still the brightest spot for U22 Vietnam. He made many miraculous saves, notably blocking Ji Wen's dangerous shot in the 28th minute, helping his team maintain their advantage in the first half.
Van Binh's solidity and sharp reflexes throughout the three matches won over the organizers, helping him receive the title of "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament". This is not only a recognition of Van Binh's talent but also a positive signal for Vietnamese youth football on the journey to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers.
This title could be an important stepping stone for Cao Van Binh towards a bright future in the national team.