Latest news with #AFCU20
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asian Cup hero Hall felt like he'd been a movie star
Steven Hall, courageous hero of the Young Socceroos' landmark Under-20 Asian Cup triumph, has been left feeling as if his emotional story had been lifted straight out of a movie. The 20-year-old joined a distinguished list of goalkeeping shoot-out heroes like Mark Schwarzer, Andrew Redmayne and Mackenzie Arnold when he made the instinctive one-handed save that won Australia its first major soccer trophy in a decade since Ange Postecoglou's 2015 senior Asian Cup winners. The dizzying moment in Shenzhen against Saudi Arabia prompted Hall to rush to a pitchside camera and brandish the message on his glove which read "for you grandad" in honour of his grandfather who'd died just a week earlier back home. Steven ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶ Wall🧤🧱😏A moment forever etched into Australian football folklore 📂#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 1, 2025 Reflecting on Sunday after a night of celebration in China, Hall still sounded incredulous as he said: "It was just a dream come true. "That's what you dream as when you're a goalkeeper, like being in a tournament, in a final, and you save the winning penalty. It was literally like a movie, like you just couldn't script it. Just really, really happy." Looking back on his emotionally difficult week, Hall, who was the youngest-ever A-League goalie at 16 for Adelaide United before he made a move to English Premier League Brighton, felt the experience had only strengthened him. "Because what I went through throughout the tournament, it was really hard on me, but I look back at it and I say to myself 'if I can get through this, I can get through anything'," he explained. "It was a tough week, but everyone in the group got around me, they're great lads, and they supported me throughout every game. "And I knew my grandad was watching me every game. He was with me in the goal. I'm just really, really happy to get the win for him." Shootout heroics from a 20-year-old Aussie with iconic hair? We've seen this before. 🤩 #YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #Socceroos — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 2, 2025 His great moment came with the Young Socceroos leading 5-4 in the shootout, with no penalties missed, when Saudi Arabia's Bassam Hazazi stepped up as their fifth taker. "He was the only player out of the five that I didn't have my notes written down. So I just kind of went off instinct," explained Hall. "As he was running up, I had that gut feeling that he was going to go to my right, so I held as long as I can before diving, and when I did, I saw the ball coming sort of behind me, so I thought I'd over-dived. "But I gave it a good left hand, and when I saw it hadn't gone in, I was just like so happy, man. Just a great feeling!" Hall was hailed by the team coach Trevor Morgan. "Stevie's done it before, so we were expecting it to be honest. I knew he would make a save. "He had a tough week, and that's one of the things you have to do as a young professional footballer, manage yourself to perform when you've got other things to deal with. I had full confidence in him." Next stop for Hall, a popular moustachioed and mulleted figure at Brighton, is trying to battle his way into the Premier League outfit's senior team, but he's already got an eye on the Young Socceroos' bid for further glory in the Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September and October. "The win here gives great confidence to everyone," he said. "Coming into this tournament, we weren't favourites, people doubting us, hadn't qualified for the World Cup in years, but I think it shows the rest of the teams in the World Cup that Australia is a good team. "We know that what we can do now we've won this, so it gives great confidence for the lads going into the World Cup."
Arab News
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Penalty heartbreak for Saudi Arabia in U-20 Asian final
SHENCHEN, CHINA: There was heartbreak for Saudi Arabia in the final of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup on Saturday as they lost a penalty shootout 5-4 to Australia. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Saudi Arabia's shot-stopper Hamed Yousef is the #AFCU20 Best Goalkeeper! — #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) March 1, 2025 Australia took the lead in the 24th minute. Saudi Arabia failed to deal with a free-kick on the left and the ball fell to Agosti just outside the area. He swung a foot and his low shot ended up in the bottom corner. Saudi keeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti got a hand to the ball and probably should have kept it out. Just when it looked as if the Green Falcons were going to in at the break behind, they had the ball in the net — though only just. Nawaf Al-Ghulaimish crossed from the right and Haji headed into the arms of goalkeeper Hall, who was standing behind the goal line. After a lengthy VAR check to ascertain whether the whole of the ball had crossed the line, the goal was given. The second half was open with both teams pushing for a win. After 56 minutes there was a major scramble in the Saudi Arabian area. Al-Shanqiti made a smart reaction save from a botched clearance by Awad Aman, then Daniel Bennie had two shots blocked before Alexander Badolato pulled his effort just wide. Not long after Saad Haqawi's low shot from the left was saved. There were more opportunities, but the stalemate remained and the final went into extra time. Those 30 minutes carried on in the same vein before the referee blew his whistle to end two hours of football and signal a penalty shootout, the second in a row for Saudi Arabia, who defeated South Korea on penalties in the semi-final. As in that match, Saudi Arabia's opponents took the first kick. Unlike South Korea, Australia converted, and went on to score each of their penalties. Thamer Al-Khaibri coolly leveled with Saudi Arabia's first. Farhah Al-Shamrani scored to make it 2-2. Ali Al-Mahdawi slotted home the third. Saleh Barnawi made it 4-4. Then the pressure was on Hazazi to level again and take the shootout into sudden death. But his effort was saved and Australia took the title.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hall the hero as Young Socceroos win the U20 Asian Cup
The Young Socceroos have battled their way to glory in the Under-20 Asian Cup, beating Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout in the final on a breakthrough day for Australian soccer in China. Led by inspirational player-of-the-tournament Alex Badolato and inspired at the death by the goalkeeping of Steven Hall, the national team, made up largely of teenagers, became the first Australian side to lift the continent's junior crown in the tournament's 66-year history. Coach Trevor Morgan's side were probably the superior team over an engrossing two hours in Shenzhen's Baoan Sports Centre on Saturday night, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw over the 90 minutes before extra-time couldn't separate the sides. Lifting the #AFCU20 trophy for the first time 🏆What a moment for our #YoungSocceroos 🥹🎥 @10FootballAU#AUSvKSA — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 1, 2025 In the shootout, though, the Australian teens kept their nerve best converting all their five spot kicks confidently before Hall proved their hero of the hour, saving the last of the Saudi Arabian penalties from a crestfallen Bassam Hazazi to seal a 5-4 win. Amid ecstatic scenes of celebration, it meant the Young Socceroos become the first Australia team to win a major tournament since Ange Postecoglou guided the senior men's outfit to the 2015 Asian Cup title. It put the seal on a remarkable tournament for the Australian youngsters, most of whom play in the A-League Men, as they won all six of their matches, scoring 16 goals, while also booking a place in the Under-20 World Cup later in Chile later this year. Steven Hall, that is all 🧤The moment the #YoungSocceroos became #AFCU20 Champions 💚💛🎥 @10FootballAU #AUSvKSA — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 1, 2025 For Hall, once the youngest goalie ever to appear in the A-League Men who only turned 20 in January, it was a special night which had looked, initially, as if it might prove a heartbreaking one as he was culpable for the Saudis' equaliser in first-half stoppage time. With the Young Socceroos leading 1-0 through Louis Agosti's 24th minute volley, the Saudis levelled when Talal Haji's rocket header was bulleted straight at Hall, who had already retreated behind his own goalline when he made the save. Hall looked a picture of misery when, after a lengthy deliberation by VAR, it was ruled the keeper who's now plying his trade with Brighton in the Premier League had made the stop behind the line. But it was Hall's only blemish as he made a couple of key saves even before he went low to his right and stuck up his left-hand instinctively to thwart Hazazi in the shootout and send his teammates into delirium. Louis Agosti's volley gives the #YoungSocceroos the lead in the #AFCU20 Final!!! 🚀👏🎥 @10FootballAU#AUSvKSA — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 1, 2025 Australia's Italy-based captain Sebastian Esposito reckoned the setback just before the break never unsettled his side. "We were very confident, we know how good we are, we've had belief in this group for two years," he said. "It's unbelievable, and we can't wait to lift the trophy and go on to the World Cup. We're ready for the World Cup, we're ready for anything!" Coach Morgan had hoped his players would enjoy being in the "shop window" for their continental triumph, and there were several stand-outs, like Danish-based Musa Toure, QPR's exciting winger Daniel Bennie and the outstanding Melbourne City midfielder, Badolato, who caught the eye. The 20-year-old Badolato was voted the tournament's MVP for a series of influential displays, headed by his brilliant goal in the quarter-final win over Iraq.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Toure fuelled by group chat rev-up and trainer promise
A WhatsApp group connecting some of Australia's most-gifted exports and the promise of a pair of trainers has helped Young Socceroos striker Musa Toure hit top form en route to the U20 Asian Cup final. Toure has been on fire for Australia, who meet Saudi Arabia in Saturday's final (10.30pm AEDT) in Shenzhen, China. The 20-year-old scored the opening goal in a 2-0 semi-final win over Japan and played a key role in the lead-up to Jaylan Pearman's winner. It represents Australia's first shot at lifting an Asian trophy at any age group since Socceroos won the senior tournament in 2015. MUSA TOURE OPENS THE SCORING! 🔓WHAT ABOUT THE BUILD-UP! 🔥🎥 @10FootballAU#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvJPN — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 26, 2025 With three goals to his name in the tournament so far, Toure has played a key role in the Young Socceroos' fortunes in qualifying for this year's World Cup in Chile. And he has been able to keep pushing himself further courtesy of a group chat where a litany of Australia's future stars offer each other words of encouragement. "In there, there's Nestory Irankunda, Garang Kuol, Tete Yengi, Rhys Youlley, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Yaya Dukuly, Ariath Piol," Toure told AAP. "(After the Japan win) I went back into the changing room and saw my phone and everyone was jumping in (with comments) saying how happy they were. "To have everyone watching and having those boys supporting me is amazing. "We are always pushing each other and will say, 'Oh, you won't do this'. It gives us the belief to go do new things in the game." Toure has found belief hard to come by in recent months. A move to French side Clermont didn't pan out the way he would have liked but he is hopeful reuniting with older brother Mohamed at Danish top-flight club Randers can bring the best out of him. Mohamed has been following the Young Socceroos' fortunes, promising his younger brother a pair of trainers if he moves ahead of South Korea's Tae-won Kim (four goals) and lands the competition's golden boot award. Musa Toure doesn't make defenders comfortable! #AFCU20 | #AUSvKGZ — #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) February 12, 2025 "Mohamed told me if I become the top goalscorer he'd buy me any trainers I want," said the younger Toure, who has already eyed off a pair of Louis Vuitton sneakers. "I'm one goal off it and I think it can happen. "The win comes first and if the goals come it comes. Mohamed is doing well, his (goal) bonus is crazy." Toure's move to Randers happened while he was away in Young Socceroos camp in China. After Saturday's final, he will have to return to France, empty his apartment, and then relocate to Denmark where he hopes he and his brother can become a devastating duo. "I didn't play with him in the A-League but from juniors and NPL we've been together our whole life," Toure said. "I know what we can do with each other … it's going to be fun to play with him again."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Young Socceroos beat Japan to reach U20 Asian Cup final
The Young Socceroos have reached the final of the Under-20 Asian Cup for the first time in 15 years after the cream of Australia's young footballing talent defeated Japan 2-0 in China. Second-half goals from the outstanding Musa Toure and Jaylan Pearman in Shenzhen's Baoan Sports Centre Stadium on Wednesday were enough to pilot Trevor Morgan's largely teenage side into Saturday's showdown against Saudi Arabia. It's the first time Australia have reached the final of the junior continental championship since it was last held in China in 2010, and the Young Socceroos were beaten 3-2 at the last hurdle by North Korea. OMG! IT'S A PEARLER FROM PEARMAN!!! 😱🔝🗑️🎥 @10FootballAU#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvJPN — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 26, 2025 Morgan's youngsters have won all five of their matches to get there too, a considerable achievement which was capped by them proving the stronger side against a technically adept Japanese team who had defeated them 2-1 in a friendly just three weeks earlier. Saudi Arabia had earlier on Wednesday won their semi-final against South Korea, prevailing in a penalty shootout 3-2 after a goalless draw. Goalkeeper Hamed Al Shanqiti proved the Saudis' hero, saving two spot-kicks in the shootout.
