Young Socceroos' U-20 Asian Cup Win Signals Bright Future for Aussie Football

Author: Mali Seward

The Young Socceroos have battled their way to their first Under-20 World Cup Final victory against Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout final on a historic day for Australian soccer.

The Young Socceroos became the first Aussie side to lift the trophy in the tournament's 66-year history, with the win coming in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEDT). Led by Player of the Tournament Alex Badolato and star new goalkeeper Steven Hall, the Aussies clinched the victory at the death in a 5-4 penalty shootout. Coach Trevor Morgan's team was arguably the better side after a hard-fought 90 minutes; however, the game ended 1-1, and with no goals during extra time, the final had to be decided by a penalty shootout.
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The Australians kept their nerve during the shootout, converting all five penalties before Hall became the hero with an all-time save off Saudi Arabia’s final penalty taker, Bassam Hazazi. (Pictured below)

The win capped off an incredible tournament for the Australian youngsters, who won all six of their matches, scoring 16 goals in the process. With a dominant 2-0 win over Japan in the semi-final, the Young Socceroos advanced to the final, where they went on to secure a historic victory against Saudi Arabia. This marked Australia’s first major trophy since Ange Postecoglou's Socceroos won the Asian Cup 10 years ago in 2015.

Sixteen of the 23-player squad play in the A-League, four of whom represent Perth Glory. Teammates Adam Bugarija, Zach Lisolajski, and Jaylan Pearman were selected for the 23-man squad, representing their WA-based team with pride. Zach Lisolajski was the standout player from Glory, starting in the 11-man lineup against Saudi Arabia. The defender played his heart out in the final, contributing to the young side's victory. The other seven players from the squad play in Europe or England for their club football.

The young side was notably missing Nestory Irankunda, Australia’s best U20 prospect, who recently joined Swiss club Grasshoppers, where he earned Player of the Month during February. Grasshoppers is where German league leaders Bayern Munich sent him on loan for the remainder of this season to give him game time in preparation for his return to Munich.

So, what does this win mean for the future of Australian football?
While it’s still early days, this victory shows the promising direction Australian football is heading in. Many of the young Aussie prospects are already securing overseas contracts, with Paul Okon Jr. at Benfica being a prime example, signalling a bright future is certainly on the horizon for Australian football and its overseas success in the coming years. With the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile in September and October, the Young Socceroos will now turn their focus to having a successful campaign on the world stage.

This is a team capable of going to a World Cup with a realistic chance of winning it, so why not get excited about a future World Cup win for this Aussie side?