Australia U20 Closer to the Quarter Finals of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2023
On March 7, 2023, Australia’s Under 20 team won against Qatar’s U21 team 9-1 at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This way, the Aussie team which is colloquially called the Subway Young Socceroos managed to take one more important step toward the quarter-finals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan. The championship is even more important as it will also establish who will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Indonesia in 2023, which will be held between May 20 and June 11.
The much-anticipated AFC U20 Asian Cup was kickstarted on March 1 and it will end on March 18, leaving room for plenty of heated debates, passionate commentary, and numerous football bets to be placed by fervent fans of the sport. If you are interested in the best Arabic betting site, try ArabicBet for a safe and lucrative football betting experience online.
Close-Range Finishes Contributed to Australia’s Victory
The match had a less-than-perfect headstart for the team from Down Under, as it only took the Subway Young Socceroos two minutes to fall behind Qatar after Nectarios Triantis’s pass to Jack Warshawsky was cleverly intercepted by Moustafa Asar who took advantage of it to score.
Australia’s team regrouped straight away and started to rule the field, retaining possession in the most advanced areas and scoring just 11 minutes after the first goal with the help of Hassan Mohammed Alghareeb who turned in a cross from Rodrigues.
Chris Donnell continued the impressive streak of goals of his team, scoring 22 minutes from the start of the game. Raphael Rodrigues went on to score just three minutes later, barely giving the crowd a chance to recover from cheering for the previous goal. Bernardo was next in line to magically kick the following two goals at minutes 39 and 67. Jonny Yull 76, Gabriel Popovic, Archie Goodwin, and Alex Badolato continue the mesmerizing display of goals that led to a total of 11.
Head Coach Morgan Hopes the Team Can “Continue the Momentum”
At the end of Australia U21’s most important victory at this level, head coach Trevor Morgan expressed his hope that the team will manage to “continue the momentum into the knockout stages.” During the press conference that followed the match, the coach provided his insight on what had happened on the field, explaining that while the team was made of young players who still have a lot to learn, they will try to balance themselves on both wins and losses.
Morgan explained that losing in the first game would have affected their confidence in a different manner, adding that they will need to keep scoring new wins during the tournament. He further explained that losing was no longer an option from that moment on while adding that progressing was an important step for the Australian team for the time being.
Australia first participated in the AUC in 2006. The amazing victory with 11 points against Qatar signals their greatest win to date. Their U19/20 teams scored 4 to 1 against Yemen, 3 to 0 against Iran in the 2010 group stages, and 3-0 against Jordan in 2012 during the quarter-final.
Saudi Arabia Trying to Defend Its Title from 2018
Saudi Arabia is one of the 16 teams that qualified for theAFC which will end on March 18. The team is part of Group D along with Japan with 37 previous participations in the tournament, China with 18 past appearances, and the Kyrgyz Republic with a single past appearance. Saudia Arabia has had 14 previous appearances in the AFC with its most notable finishes recorded during the 1986, 1992, and 2018 championships. This year, the country will try to become the first team to win back-to-back titles similar to Korea during the 2002-2004 championships.
Group A includes Uzbekistan with seven previous appearances, Indonesia with 18 appearances including the quarter-finals in the 2018 edition, Iraq with a total of 17 previous AFC appearances with this year’s participation marking their ninth consecutive appearance, and Syria with 10 appearances. The latter will be once again participating in the tournament after a three-edition hiatus.
Group B will include Qatar with 14 appearances and the best finish during the 2014 championship, Australia with seven participations and the runners-up position in 2010, Vietnam with 19 participations and a fourth position as their best finish in 1961 and 2016, and the Islamic Republic of Iran with 20 previous appearances. Iran’s U19/20 teams took home four Champions titles in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976.
Group C will host Korea with a staggering 28 previous participations from 1959 onwards with 12 Champion titles, Tajikistan with two quarter-finals out of a total of four participations, Jordan with seven previous appearances, and Oman with two appearances.
Final Thoughts
Australia’s Under 21 team’s victory over Qatar’s U21 team is a significant step towards the quarter-finals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan, which will also determine the teams qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Indonesia in 2023. The match showcased an impressive display of goals by Australia’s team, resulting in a final score of 9-1. This exciting tournament is sure to continue to captivate football fans around the world.