The Young Socceroos have won the Weifang Cup overnight after recording a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan, finishing the tournament one point ahead of hosts China.
Australia won four of their five matches with their only defeat against China who scored a late winner from the penalty spot.
The match, again played in stifling heat and humidity, was a fairly lacklustre affair with little in the way of goal scoring opportunities.
While Australia had the better of play for the much of the game, Uzbekistan often looked dangerous on the counter, especially early in the match.
Despite its importance, Mullen’s goal will not be remembered for its execution, the ball deflecting off his back into the goal after a goalmouth scramble following an Ante Cicak free kick.
“I’m very pleased with the performance of the team throughout the tournament especially considering the conditions which were challenging to say the least,” said Young Socceroos coach Steve O’Connor.
“We had some excellent results against some quality opposition, with our only loss in the five matches coming against the host nation after a somewhat controversial penalty.
“The conditions were extremely difficult with temperatures reaching the high 30’s and it has shown the boys they need to be prepared mentally as well as physically.
“Overall it was a very valuable experience and a great opportunity to play against good opposition in a different environment.”
The tournament is the first international outing for the current generation of Young Socceroos. Qualification for the 2009 FIFA World Youth Cup will commence in October with the first stage of qualifying to be followed next year by the AFC U-19 Championship.
Match Details
Australia 1 (Matt Mullen 31’)
Uzbekistan 0
Australian line-up: Andrew Redmayne (gk), Luke De Vere, Sebastian Ryall, James Holland, Matt Mullen, Isaka Cernak-Okanya, Tahj Minniecon (James Brown 60’), Dane Milovanovic (Richard Greer 83’), Milos Lujic (Jason Hoffman 70’), Ante Cicak (Alex Sunasky 78’), Daniel Mullen (Matthew Theodore 62’)
Cautions: Nil
The match, again played in stifling heat and humidity, was a fairly lacklustre affair with little in the way of goal scoring opportunities.
While Australia had the better of play for the much of the game, Uzbekistan often looked dangerous on the counter, especially early in the match.
Despite its importance, Mullen’s goal will not be remembered for its execution, the ball deflecting off his back into the goal after a goalmouth scramble following an Ante Cicak free kick.
“I’m very pleased with the performance of the team throughout the tournament especially considering the conditions which were challenging to say the least,” said Young Socceroos coach Steve O’Connor.
“We had some excellent results against some quality opposition, with our only loss in the five matches coming against the host nation after a somewhat controversial penalty.
“The conditions were extremely difficult with temperatures reaching the high 30’s and it has shown the boys they need to be prepared mentally as well as physically.
“Overall it was a very valuable experience and a great opportunity to play against good opposition in a different environment.”
The tournament is the first international outing for the current generation of Young Socceroos. Qualification for the 2009 FIFA World Youth Cup will commence in October with the first stage of qualifying to be followed next year by the AFC U-19 Championship.
Match Details
Australia 1 (Matt Mullen 31’)
Uzbekistan 0
Australian line-up: Andrew Redmayne (gk), Luke De Vere, Sebastian Ryall, James Holland, Matt Mullen, Isaka Cernak-Okanya, Tahj Minniecon (James Brown 60’), Dane Milovanovic (Richard Greer 83’), Milos Lujic (Jason Hoffman 70’), Ante Cicak (Alex Sunasky 78’), Daniel Mullen (Matthew Theodore 62’)
Cautions: Nil
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