2022 Throwback Series: The big moments as Queensland, NSW take out football youth nationals (National Youth Championships (NYC) )

The maroon tide washed over the Football Australia National Youth Championships, so it’s no surprise Queensland dominates our list of the biggest moments from the tournament.

In the first tournament of its kind since 2019, the Football Australia National Youth Championships returned with a bang in 2022.

And it was a maroon wave which stole the show, with Queensland upsetting highly fancied rivals NSW Metro and Victoria to secure both the boys and girls older age group titles.

NSW Metro claimed both younger age group titles defeating Queensland in the grand finals.

KommunityTV was on the sideline to broadcast every game of the tournaments across September, giving football fans an up-close look at the future band of Matildas and Socceroos.

The team has pored over more than 250 hours of footage from the tournament to pick out our top five games across both tournaments.

BOYS’ UNDER 14 GRAND FINAL

In a game fit for any final, Queensland White overcame Western Australia Black in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim the boys’ under 14 title.

Although WA had the best of the opening exchanges, Queensland was the first to score after star striker Oscar Irankeje latched onto a long ball and was brought down by WA’s keeper in the box to earn a penalty in the 18th minute.

Teammate Rafael Texeira Issa Costa duly converted to give his side a 1-0 lead.

WA kept up the pressure in the second half, with Max Naylor slotting a nice left-foot shot past the keeper in the 47th minute to even things up at 1-1.

Although both sides pushed for a winner, the game went to a penalty shootout. With both sides holding a perfect record during the first 10 penalties, it moved to sudden death.

Queensland scored its first sudden-death penalty, however WA fired its sixth shot over the crossbar, which saw Queensland win the shootout six penalties to five and take the under 14s title.

GIRLS’ UNDER 16 – VIC BLUE v NSW METRO

The two powerhouse teams played one of the matches of the tournament early on in group 16A of the girls’ NYC.

With both teams going into the game undefeated, NSW Metro started strongly and Sienna Dale gave her side the lead in the seventh minute when she bundled in a corner.

However the Victorian team worked its way into the contest and forced a number of good saves out of NSW Metro goalkeeper Jasmine Black.

The pressure did eventually show, with Maia Marinkovic putting away a lovely cross from Sienna Techera just two minutes before full time to secure the 1-1 draw and ensure that both teams remained deadlocked on top of the group.

BOYS’ UNDER 15 SEMI-FINAL

Queensland was at it again in the boys’ under 15 semi-final, with Queensland White overcoming a red card, dogged resistance from their opponents and a nerve-racking shootout to beat Victoria Blue.

In a brilliant, seesawing match, the Victorian side came from behind twice while Queensland overcame a red card as the scores were locked at 2-2 late in the match.

Victoria then had a golden chance to claim the game late on, but shot a penalty against the crossbar as the game ended all square.

In the shootout, goalkeeper Baiden Lamb was the hero for Queensland, saving Victoria Blue’s fifth penalty to ensure his side won the shootout 4-3 and progressed to the final.

GIRLS’ UNDER 14 – NSW COUNTRY v NT

It threatened to be one of the biggest boilovers of the tournament but ended up proving to be one of the greatest comebacks on day three of group 14B of the NYC.

In the clash between NSW Country and Northern Territory, the Territorians appeared as though they were about to cause a major upset, going up 2-0 after 22 minutes.

However the NSW side rallied after the break, scoring from a corner in the 39th minute and then equalising three minutes later through a lovely 25-metre strike from Lily Heckenberg.

Just when it appeared as though the NT was going to hold on and spoil the party, NSW Country’s Allyssa Ng Saad dispossessed NT’s defenders, drove into the box, shot against the keeper and then put the rebound away to secure a dramatic 3-2 win.

BOYS’ UNDER 15 – QLD WHITE v TAS

It certainly wasn’t one of the closest games of the tournament but nonetheless one of the most spectacular, with Queensland White’s under 15 team capping off a stunning day one with an 11-2 victory over Tasmania.

Leading 4-2 at halftime, the Queensland team really turned it on in the second half, scoring five goals in a crazy six-minute period.

Forward Rylan Brownlie, the son of former NSL and A-League striker Royce Brownlie, bagged four for himself in the second half rout.

It proved to be a sign of things to come for the Queensland White team, who made it to the grand final where they went down to NSW Metro.