The Tackle: A-League clubs key in U20 Asian Cup success, Botic stakes further claim
A-League clubs deserve credit for shaping future Socceroos after young stars won the U20 Asian Cup, while leaving a young striker out of the next squad seems “near impossible.” More in The Tackle with Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde.
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A-League clubs deserve credit for shaping future Socceroos after young stars won the U20 Asian Cup, while leaving a young striker out of the next squad seems “near impossible.”
More in The Tackle with Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde.
YOUNG GUNS TAKE CENTRE STAGE
A-League clubs deserve plenty of credit for the success of the Young Socceroos at the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup.
For the first time in history, Australia is the king of under-20 football in Asia after beating Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout to win Saturday night’s final.
It was the crowning achievement from a tournament in which the Australians had already accomplished their goal of qualifying for this year’s AFC Under-20 World Cup by reaching the semi-finals.
But that wasn’t enough for the Young Socceroos, who weren’t going to be stopped in their quest for continental glory.
A host of the Young Socceroos – including Under-20 Asian Cup player of the tournament Alex Badolato, Lucas Herrington, Luka Jovanovic, Panagiotis Kikianis, Meden Memeti. Johnny Yull and Tiago Quintal – have gained valuable experience this season playing in the A-League.
The benefits of this are set to also extend to the senior national team – the Socceroos – in the future, and that’s great news for Australian football.
LATE GOAL COULD LEAD TO REDS REVIVAL
It would have been a travesty had Adelaide United not got something out of Saturday’s clash against Auckland FC at Go Media Stadium.
Playing away from home against the best team in the competition, the Reds fought hard to twice come back from two goals behind but that still seemed it wasn’t going to be enough when Hiroki Sakai put Auckland 4-3 ahead in stoppage time.
Staring down the barrel of a third successive defeat, Adelaide needed to respond, and the South Australians did with a last-gasp equaliser from Dutch defender Bart Vriends.
While it wasn’t the win they would have been hoping for, the Reds will take a lot of heart from their fightback, and it might lead to a form revival right when it matters most at the business end of the season.
Still safely perched in the top six, the Reds have a real chance to push for a top-two spot in the next two weeks with home games against last-placed Brisbane Roar and a Macarthur FC team that is on the slide
However, if Adelaide is to return to winning ways, a change of goalkeeper might be necessary.
Ethan Cox had another game to forget in Auckland, and with previous first-choice gloveman James Delianov now fully fit again, there is no need to keep him on the bench any longer.
NOAH’S A GOER
Noah Botic is making a near-impossible case for Socceroos coach Tony Popovic to leave him out of Australia’s squad for this month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China.
The Western United marksman is in hot form, having scored seven goals in his past seven matches, including one in his side’s 3-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford on Friday night.
Botic, 23, now has 10 goals for the season, which has him leading the race for the Golden Boot.
Such form is going to be hard for Popovic to ignore.
“It has been a dream of mine (to play for the Socceroos) since I was 10-years-old, but at the moment all I’m focusing on is playing for Western United,” Botic told Paramount Plus after his team’s win over the Mariners.
United coach and Socceroos legend John Aloisi rightfully urged Botic to remain patient when it came to his national team ambitions.
“If he doesn’t get selected in this (upcoming international) window, he shouldn’t be upset,” Aloisi said.
“He will be a Socceroo – there’s no doubt about it. One day he will be a Socceroo, whether it’s this window of the following.”
CLASSY COSTA
Douglas Costa is running into some great form, and that’s great news for a Sydney FC side that needs the Brazilian star at his best in the closing months of the season.
Former Juventus and Bayern Munich winger Costa was clearly the best player on the field in Sydney’s 2-0 weekend win over Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
The Sky Blues’ patience with Costa when he was suffering from a hamstring injury seems to be paying off.
And with Sydney still alive in both the A-League and AFC Champions League Two competition, Costa looms as the Sky Blues’ trump card.
BULLS BUILDING
On-field results might not currently be going Macarthur’s way, but off the park, the Bulls are making strides.
The club has been promised an $8 million grant should the Liberal Party win this year’s Federal election to help with the construction of a centre of excellence at Camden in Sydney’s south-west.
Macarthur officials are also confident of receiving the grant from Labor if there isn’t a change of government following the election.
The $30 million facility, which the Bulls are planning to be completed in time for the 2027-28 season, will include four fields, including a synthetic pitch, and become the training base of the club’s A-League team,
It will also house the Bulls’ NPL boys and girls program, and the club’s administration staff.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
(4-3-3): Patrick Beach (Melbourne City); Tate Russell (Western United), Dylan Leonard (Western United), Alex Grant (Sydney FC), Kasey Bos (Melbourne Victory); Aydan Hammond (Western Sydney Wanderers), Zach Clough (Adelaide United), Henry Hore (Brisbane Roar); Douglas Costa (Sydney FC), Guillermo May (Auckland FC), Marco Tilio (Melbourne City). Coach: Ufuk Talay (Sydney FC)
Player of the week: Douglas Costa (Sydney FC)
Originally published as The Tackle: A-League clubs key in U20 Asian Cup success, Botic stakes further claim
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