The 19-year-old nearly 2-meter treasure of HAGL causes Xuan Son to 'power off' and sparks excitement.

Young center-back Dinh Quang Kiet delivered an impressive performance by completely neutralizing Xuan Son, playing a key role in HAGL's seismic upset against Nam Dinh.

HAGL created a major surprise by defeating Nam Dinh FC 2-1, but what caught the experts' attention even more was the performance of young center-back Dinh Quang Kiet. At 19 years old, this player had a memorable match by directly facing Nguyen Xuan Son – a striker currently in very high form in V.League.

Before the match, Xuan Son was considered one of the most dangerous spearheads in the league. He scored 3 goals in the last 2 matches, including a double that helped Vietnam's national team defeat Malaysia 3-1. With a physique of 1.85m, diverse finishing ability, and particularly strong aerial prowess, Xuan Son was expected to continue his explosive form. However, everything changed completely against HAGL, when a young factor unexpectedly became the decisive highlight of the situation.

Dinh Quang Kiet, with an impressive height of 1.95m, demonstrated superiority in one-on-one duels, especially in aerial situations. The young HAGL center-back continuously tracked Xuan Son, minimizing the operating space of this naturalized striker, rendering him nearly unable to utilize his strengths.

The most notable moment came in the 76th minute, when Xuan Son leaped high for a header inside the penalty area. However, Dinh Quang Kiet made an impact that prevented the opposing striker from finishing as intended. Xuan Son immediately demanded a penalty, but after consulting VAR, the referee confirmed no foul. This situation laid an extremely crucial foundation for HAGL's subsequent victory.

Not only Xuan Son, foreign players from other clubs like Geovane or Lucao also faced difficulties when confronting Quang Kiet. They nearly couldn't make a difference in live play and could only score from set situations like free kicks or penalties, clearly reflecting the solidity of HAGL's defensive system.

At 19 years old, confidently competing against top V.League strikers is no simple task. However, Dinh Quang Kiet not only managed it but also left a strong impression. With an ideal physique, good positioning ability, and early accumulated experience, he is emerging as a highly promising "iron shield."

If he continues developing correctly, this young center-back could fully become a key element of Vietnam's national team defense in the future. After the impressive display against Nam Dinh, the name Dinh Quang Kiet will certainly receive more attention from coach Kim Sang Sik.