COURTESY RELAY ASA: The Young Socceroos have scored a historic 3-2 win over Brazil at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. The win guarantees Australian top spot in Group C and the Young Socceroos now progress to the knockout round of 16 where they will play a yet to be determined opponent in Sharjah on Tuesday, 9 December.
Forward Anthony Danze (from Perth Glory) scored two goals and midfielder Spase Dilevski scored one as the Young Socceroos raced to a 3-0 lead after 47 minutes. Two goals for the Brazilians in the last 15 minutes ensured a dramatic finish but Australia held on for a deserved victory.
The Young Socceroos outsmarted their opponents in the first half maintaining possession for lengthy periods and defending in numbers when without the ball. The Australians made the most of their opportunities and scored two goals in quick succession during the first half. Both were scored by Danze, the first after 31 minutes and then the second six minutes later.
Wollongong Wolves midfielder Dustin Wells had the first opportunity of the match with a long-range drive that narrowly cleared the crossbar after just 5 minutes.
The game was an open affair right from the kick-off though neither team was able to carve out too many clear-cut chances until a brief period of domination by the Brazilians midway through the half.
Firstly Daniel Carvalho saw his free kick hit from 30 yards take a slight deflection off the wall narrowly clearing the bar and clipping the roof of the net. Then Nathan Coe was twice called into action notably as Kleber forced Nathan Coe into a smart diving save as he shot from the edge of the area.
Just as the Brazilians seemed like they might have been taking the ascendency, the match turned on the half hour mark when the Young Socceroos scored with a goal created out of nothing. A long ball was not able to be headed clear by the Brazilian defenders and Wells first time shot which was going well wide deflected into the path of Anthony Danze. The Perth Glory forward latched onto the loose ball and expertly drilled a shot low and hard into the net from his position inside the right-hand side of the penalty area.
Just six minutes later the Australians doubled their advantage when Alex Brosque, who caused problems all night in his role as main striker, won the ball and started running at the retreating defenders. He held the ball up sufficiently long enough for Wells to be in position to shoot, which he did letting fly from all of 30 yards. The ball cannoned off the post and then the goalkeeper and with the ball spinning towards the goal-line Danze was on hand to ensure the goal was scored.
Brazil immediately responded and Daniel Carvalho again caused problems with his shot from distance going narrowly wide.
Just 90 seconds after the break Spase Dilevski, who had a superb game at right midfield, won the ball in his own half and played it forward to Brosque who again got away from his markers and started dribbling towards the danger area. The Marconi Stallions forward held the ball up before releasing Dilevski on his right who took the ball into the box and despite the 45-degree angle his shot had too much power for the goalkeeper.
From that moment on Brazil attempted to increase the tempo and they spent much of the remainder of the game in the Australian half.
Soon after Australian goalkeeper Coe was called on twice in the space of a minute as he firstly tipped Coelho’s free-kick over the bar and then made a miraculous reflex save from Adailton’s header from 6 yards.
Brazil’s best chance to score came on the hour mark when a deep cross was headed back across goal where Dudu’s header hit the crossbar. Adailton seemed certain to score with the follow-up but, with an open goal gaping and from just 4 yards, the Brazilian captain somehow contrived to put his header wide under pressure from Alex Wilkinson
Brazil continued to lay siege to the Australian goal but the back four of Michael Thwaite, David Tarka, Alex Wilkinson and Wayne Heath were outstanding.
Finally Brazil broke through on 75 minutes when a cross was only half cleared and Juninho picked up the ball and send a spectacular dipping volley into the net from all of 30 yards.
Brosque could have added a fourth as he found space with Brazil pushing forward but on two occasions his shots from edge of the penalty area went the wrong side of the post.
Brazil got their second through Dudu on 87 minutes when he chested the ball down and volleyed home from just inside the area but despite four minutes of injury time, it was the last of the goalmouth action.
The only sour note on the night for the Australians was a caution to Carl Valeri meaning he will be suspended for the next match of the tournament.
Australia will now play a third-placed team from either group A, B or F with the opponent to be determined following the conclusion of the round 1 matches tomorrow (Saturday Australian time). The round of 16 match will be played in Sharjah on Tuesday at 9pm (4am Wednesday AEST).
In the other Group C match played Canada defeated the Czech Republic 1-0.
It is the first time in 8 matches since 1987 that any Australian national team has defeated Brazil at a world championship – a 1-0 win for the (U-16) Joeys – and the first time ever for the Young Socceroos. The Socceroos have defeated Brazil once in 6 encounters – a 1-0 victory at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Media to source media opportunities with players or coach are requested to make contact with the Australian Under 20s media officer in the UAE via ph 0438 623 094 (global roaming) or [email protected]
The Australian Soccer Association website has comprehensive details on the Young Socceroos in it’s ‘quick links’ section, including player profiles, historical information, tournament details, etc. – www.australiansoccer.com.au
Match Details:
Australia 3 (Anthony Danze 31′, 37′, Spase Dilevski 47′)
Brazil 2 (Juninho 75′, Dudu 87′)
Australian Line-up: Nathan Coe, Wayne Heath, Alex Wilkinson, David Tarka, Michael Thwaite, Spase Dilevski (Vince Lia 69′), Dustin Wells, Carl Valeri, Matt McKay, Anthony Danze (Jobe Wheelhouse 76′), Alex Brosque (Scott McDonald 81′)
Subs Not Used: Tom Willis (gk); Steve Pantelidis, Mile Jedinak, Jonathan Richter, Massimo Murdocca, Michael Baird
Yellow Cards: Carl Valeri 49′, Wayne Heath 87′, Nathan Coe 88′
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
Official crowd: 10,000