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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."
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Young Socceroos book U20 World Cup place after worldie
Australia's young soccer stars are celebrating a huge double prize in China after a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Iraq not only booked them a place in the Under-20 Asian Cup semi-finals but also ensured they'll play in the U20 World Cup later this year. In a game of stunning goals in Shenzhen on Saturday, the crowning moment for the Young Socceroos came with a belting 75th minute volley from Melbourne Victory's Alex Badolato that sealed a terrific quarter-final triumph in which they'd twice had to battle back from a goal behind. The victory, which sparked huge celebrations among Trevor Morgan's enterprising young team in the Baoan Sports Centre Stadium, ensures the Aussie teenagers will face either Japan or Iran in the semi-finals on Wednesday. ABSOLUTE SCENES AT THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE! 🎉WE'RE OFF TO CHILE! 🥳#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 But most importabtly, the win also seals their spot at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September and October, the first time Australia have competed in the global showpiece since 2013. Yet it didn't start well for the Young Socceroos when Amoori Faisal put the Iraqis ahead with a superb curling strike on the quarter-hour after the Aussies had been caught in possession in midfield. Within seven minutes, though, Adelaide United prospect Luka Jovanovic delivered an astonishing riposte, earning a free-kick about 30 metres out and then trying his luck with a thunderbolt set-piece strike that caught Iraq keeper Wisam Ali napping. Luka Jovanovic dispatches a wonderful free-kick 🎯🎥 @10FootballAU #YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 But the Iraqis went back ahead in the 26th minute when Mustafa Qabeel latched on to fine lofted through ball from Layth Mahmood, outpaced Sebastian Esposito, then turned the same Australian defender inside out again before firing home. Iraq had their chances to increase their lead but Karrar Jaafar's volleyed effort was blocked by Paul Okon-Engstler and after Musa Toure had missed a headed chance for Australia, the equaliser came just a few minutes later after the half-hour mark when Iraq failed to clear Okon-Engstler's cross. That left Badolato to set up Panagiotis Kikianis for a curling right-footed finish that any central defender would have been proud of. Steven Hall, once the youngest goalkeeper in A-League Men history at Adelaide and now at Premier League Brighton, did his bit with a couple of key saves, one from Muslim Mousa's header. WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE HIT TO GIVE THE #YOUNGSOCCEROOS THE LEAD! 🚀Alex Badolato take a bow. 😮🎥 @10FootballAU #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 Then just two minutes later, Mousa's headed clearance at the other end only fell kindly for Badolato, the Victory midfielder who's just signed on loan from Western Sydney, and his thunderous volley from just outside the box ripped into the net for the most spectacular of winners.
