The Subway Young Socceroos have provided a dominant display to kick-start their 2024 ASEAN U-19 Championship campaign defeating Laos 6-0 on a hot afternoon in Surabaya.
Coach Trevor Morgan was forced into a late change to his squad just days before the first match, with Peter Antoniou ruled out due to injury on the eve of the tournament, replaced by Luke Vickery.
Australia showed their class early in the group tie with Tiago Quintal’s mazy run through the opposition’s midfield finished expertly in the 16th minute, with Quintal sliding the ball to his forward partner Arion Sulemani for the opening goal.
It was the captain of the side however, that pulled the strings within the midfield, with Western Sydney Wanderers’ Marcus Younis nabbing an assist just ten minutes after the first goal, his cross from the right sideline finding the feet of Sulemani once again, who tapped home for a first half brace.
However, Younis would score his first just before half-time, swivelling past his midfield marker on the edge of the penalty box, before powering the ball with his right foot toward the opposite corner of the goal.
The Laotian side emerged in the second half with an aim to close down space for the Australian players in attacking areas, forcing coach Morgan to utilise his attacking substitutes with thirty minutes remaining, to help break open the opposition’s low-defensive block.
The decision to bring on Memeti, Randazzo, and Najdovski changed the speed of the match immediately, with the Young Socceroos progressing the ball into the Laos box at a sharper speed, with captain Younis becoming the benefactor, tapping home his second in the 73rd minute following a goal-line scramble.
Substitute Jake Najdovski stole the show late on, with two goals in two minutes, the first coming in the 89th after a calm far-post finish ending a dart-like run that found it’s way past three opposition defenders. The second was scored via a long-range effort that was shot from the right-side of the penalty box, hard and low, past the outstretched hand of the Laotian goalkeeper.
The Subway Young Socceroos finish Matchday One on top of Group B, following a draw in the other Group B clash between Vietnam and Myanmar. Focus now turns to Sunday evening’s clash against Vietnam, with a victory perhaps securing top-spot with a game in hand, depending on other results.
Laos U-19: 0
Australia U-19: 6 (Sulemani 16′ 25′, Younis 45+3′ 73′, Najdovski 89′ 90′)
Date: Thursday 18th July 2024
Venue: Gelora 10th November Stadium, Surabaya, Indonesia
Australia U-19: 12. Dylan Peraic-Cullen (GK), 5. Zac De Jesus (2. Ben Van Dorssen 64′), 6. Ryley Hollingdale, 7. Marcus Younis (c) (16. Zane Helweh 74′), 8. Fabian Talladira, 9. Arion Sulemani (17. Jake Najdovski 64′), 10. Tiago Quintal (19. Medin Memeti 64′), 14. Tyler Williams, 21. Adam Bugarija (15. Oliver Randazzo 64′), 22. Dylan Leonard, 23. Jesse Hoey
Unused Substitutes: 1. Max Vartuli (GK), 18. Daniel Graskoski (GK), 3. Lucas Herrington, 4. Pearson Kasawaya, 11. Kavian Rahmani, 20. Xavier Stella
MATCH DETAILS:
Laos 0:6 Subway Young Socceroos
Thursday, 18 July 2024
Gelora 10 November Stadium, Surabaya
Subway Young Socceroos v Vietnam
Sunday, 21 July 2024
Gelora 10 November Stadium, Surabaya
Kick-off: 3.00pm local / 6.00pm AEST
Myanmar v Subway Young Socceroos
Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Gelora 10 November Stadium, Surabaya
Kick-off: 3.00pm local / 6.00pm AEST
