Australia secured their first-ever AFC U20 Asian Cup title with a dramatic victory over Saudi Arabia in the final held at the Baoan Sports Centre Stadium in Shenzhen.
The thrilling encounter ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, with Australia emerging victorious 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout.
The match started with Saudi Arabia creating an early opportunity in the third minute. Hussain Al Raqwani displayed quick thinking and set up Talal Haji for a shot on goal, but Australian goalkeeper Steven Hall reacted swiftly to make a crucial save.
Australia responded in the ninth minute when Alex Badolato delivered a lofted pass into the box for Louis Agosti. However, Saudi defender Saleh Barnawi made a timely interception to deny the chance.
Saudi Arabia missed another golden opportunity in the 13th minute when Haji fired his shot over the crossbar after receiving a well-placed pass from Amar Al Yuhaybi. The missed chances kept the match evenly balanced, with both teams looking to seize control.
As the game progressed, Australia began to assert themselves and took the lead in the 24th minute. Badolato sent a cross into the box, which was deflected towards Agosti.
The forward struck a powerful shot from outside the area, beating Saudi goalkeeper Hamed Yousef and finding the bottom-left corner of the net.
Australia continued to press for a second goal, but Saudi Arabia remained resilient. Defender Farhah Al Shamrani made a crucial clearance off the line to deny Paul Okon from doubling the lead.
Just before the end of the first half, Saudi Arabia found an equaliser in dramatic fashion.
Haji made up for his earlier miss by meeting Nawaf Al Ghulaimish’s cross with a well-placed header. Although Hall initially seemed to have stopped it, a VAR review confirmed that the ball had crossed the line, making it 1-1 at the break.
The second half saw both teams pushing for a decisive goal. Saudi Arabia created promising chances through Haji and Haqawi, but Hall made key saves, while some poor finishing let them down. Australia, too, struggled to find the back of the net despite a determined attacking effort.
Extra time produced few clear-cut chances as fatigue set in, leading to the match being decided by penalties. The shootout proved to be a test of nerves, with both teams converting their attempts until Hall stepped up as the hero. He saved Bassam Hazazi’s spot-kick, securing a historic triumph for Australia.
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