Goalkeeper Cao Văn Bình (SLNA) won the Best Goalkeeper award.
Goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, currently playing for Song Lam Nghe An FC, has been honored as "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament" at the CFA Team China 2025 International Friendly Tournament. This is a well-deserved reward for his efforts and impressive performance throughout his journey with the Vietnam U22 team.
Cao Van Binh is one of the four players ofLam River, Nghe AnVan Binh was called up by coach Dinh Hong Vinh to the Vietnam U22 team to participate in the tournament. Although he was only the second-choice goalkeeper at his club, when he wore the national team jersey, Van Binh quickly gained the trust of the coaching staff. He was the only player among the four from SLNA to be included in the starting lineup in all three matches of the Vietnam U22 team in the tournament.
The final match of the tournament took place on March 25, 2025, when the Vietnam U22 team faced the host team, China U22. Although they couldn't win the championship after a 1-1 draw, Van Binh still left his mark with a series of crucial saves, contributing to his team's encouraging achievement.
The Vietnam U22 team entered the "final" match against China U22 with high determination, after two resilient draws against South Korea U22 (1-1) and Uzbekistan U22 (0-0). Coach Dinh Hong Vinh's team quickly gained an advantage when Quoc Viet opened the scoring in the 31st minute, following a skillful assist from Victor Le.
However, the turning point of the match came in the 68th minute when the referee awarded a controversial penalty to China U22. Aisikaer converted the penalty to equalize the score at 1-1. Despite the home team being at a disadvantage with a red card in the 74th minute for Zhe Xuan, Vietnam U22 were unable to find the winning goal and had to settle for a draw.
With 5 points after 3 matches, the Chinese U22 team won the championship. The Vietnamese U22 team finished in third place with 3 points, but the most noteworthy aspect was the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Cao Văn Bình.
Despite missing out on the championship title, Cao Văn Bình remained the brightest star for the Vietnam U22 team. He made many spectacular saves, most notably blocking Ji Wen's dangerous shot in the 28th minute, helping his team maintain their lead in the first half.
Van Binh's composure and quick reflexes throughout the three matches impressed the organizers, earning him the "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament" award. This is not only a recognition of Van Binh's talent but also a positive sign for Vietnamese youth football in preparation for the SEA Games 33 and the 2026 U23 Asian Qualifiers.
This title could be an important stepping stone for Cao Van Binh towards a bright future in the national team's colors.
