Subject: U20 Australia NT Discussion

A bit of history for your interest:
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The ages & from who's sports academy the Season 11 U20 team originated from.

The team has come from a small number of sports academies (only 8 teams)... with 24 of 29 players coming from our top 4 teams showing the importance of them to Australia!!

x10 from Colah Creek
x7 from Trueblue United
x4 from Beta's F.C
x3 from Prestige
x2 from Parramatta Power FC
x1 from Barbalicious
x1 from doggies†
x1 from Clan Mcleod†

In the forwards we have:
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18y Luke Burton - originally from Trueblue United
20y William Goode - originally from Beta's F.C
20y Ben Stone - originally from Colah Creek
19y Declan Watkins - originally from Beta's F.C
18y Martin Balks - originally from Trueblue United

In the midfield we have:
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20y Jack Berry - originally from Colah Creek
20y Zachary Downing - originally from Beta's F.C
20y Mitchell Matheson - originally from doggies†
19y Christopher Cullinane - originally from Colah Creek
20y Jackson York - originally from Colah Creek
18y Jordan Mullen - originally from Trueblue United
18y Dawson Stanton - originally from Parramatta Power FC
18y Noah Brown - originally from Colah Creek
20y Julian Rapmund - originally from Prestige
18y Derek Ross - originally from Trueblue United
18y Stephen Little - originally from Barbalicious

In the defense we have:
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20y Declan Gray - originally from Trueblue United
20y Flynn Ayres - originally from Parramatta Power FC
20y Xavier Thompson - originally from Beta's F.C
19y John Lowe - originally from Colah Creek
18y Morgan McCarron - originally from Colah Creek
20y Owen Swansson - originally from Colah Creek
18y Thomas Powell - originally from Colah Creek
18y Chris Oxenham - originally from Prestige
20y Peyton Reardon - originally from Trueblue United
19y Gregory Lonergan - originally from Prestige

In the goal we have:
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19y Trey Denney - originally from Colah Creek
20y Peter Robinson - originally from Clan Mcleod†
18y Emanuel Frendon - originally from Trueblue United

Hello from Romania!
I see that my player Sebastian Judd is no longer in the U20 NT... far from me to question the decision and please excuse me if I leave the wrong impression, but I have a player well trained, with bigger scores and a rating of 17. Should I raise a certain speciality or he has an OR too low for NT? I tried to maintain the right proportions between attributes for a wing midfielder, hope I'm not wrong.

Thanks for the feedback,

In total, I did remove 1 forward, 1 midfielder & 2 defenders mainly because of the talent coming up from the U17's which currently outrated those older players (I added 4 18y midfield players).

Your training is perfect btw, Sebastian probably was the one I probably umm'd and arr'd as we have now 4 side midfielders ahead of him and he could only play right. He was in the team last year but I didn't play him......but in saying all that I may have been a bit skimpy with the number of side-midfielders in the squad and short-sighted in dropping him as he is a 19 year old and will likely need him in the squad next year.

We've got room (30 now) - so back in he goes, can't promise him a competitive match this season but will see

I was planning to add a few more to the squad after we play a few more friendlies, as a look to see who is developing well outside of the initial squad.

PS: you are not wrong

Thank you, I was hoping for this response

Evening all,

First hit out for the Aussie U20 team this season was against Scotland U20 last weekend. Australia went down 2-0 - mainly due to us playing Very Low intensity vs Scotland playing Very High intensity in the friendly, and us replacing half the team at half-time for trialing.

However we got to see the team that will likely be the core of U20 this season. It is a superior team to last season with improvements across the field.

Compared to last season:
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Forwards are ~2% better
Midfielders are ~8% better
Defenders are ~24% better
Goalie is equivalent

This weekend we play a friendly vs Kazakhstan U20.

Until next time,
This is U20!

Evening all,

An U20 report on the last two games tonight - yep been busy.

Game 2 of the season vs Kazakstan U20 was the biggest win ever for this team winning 4-0. Two goals in the first half, and 2 in the 2nd half with half the team replaced.

Game 3 of the season vs India U20 yesterday was not so good, with a 1-0 loss, but we were playing Very Low to their Normal. It was a good goal-keeping games all the same with a total 9 shots on target by them, and we only had 40% possession.

Both game 4 & 5 this season will be against Norway in a home/away friendly series. This weekend won't be our strongest team as all remaining players in the squad will get their opportunity to play. However my secret tactics to have a whole new team in the following match should spring a the necessary surprise to win. After this weekend, we'll get the A-Team on consistently to get that chemistry up.

My dilemma at the moment is whether to play Declan Gray at Side Defender (our best there) or Central Defender (how he is being trained). As we have Flynn Ayres & Xavier Thompson in CD - spoilt for choice in Defense this season and I'd like to use all 3 as much as possible. Will see this weekend Gray's ratings in CD this weekend, as I have played him LD until now.

Midfield seems to be our weakest line this season so should be quite a tactical season when we hit the qualifiers.

Until next time
This is U20!

Evening all,

Two matches to report this week after the Home and Away friendly series vs Norway U20.

In the first home match Australia U20 went down 3-0. Australia fielded a weaker team with all the remaining U20 players now being given at least one game in trials. This team struggled with just 41% possession vs Norway.

In the return away match Australia U20 were victorious 3-1 over Norway U20, with the top team now back on the paddock. It was a match where we took our chances, despite only have 46% possession. So the cunning tactics of playing different team bamboozled Norway U20, or was just luck

The team will now play Iran in another Home-Away friendly series before we head into World Cup qualifiers.

Looking to win these next two - we should on paper.

The team continues to improve thanks to you guys training them well - looking at player ratings this team is so much stronger than last year.

Until next time
This is U20!

Morning All

Well we finished off the series of friendlies with a 3-0, and then a 2-0 win over Iran U20, a result fully expected.

And now we are off and running in the U20 World Cup qualifiers again, with a 3-0 victory over Israel last night. Not really a victory, as it was a Forfeit win as they didn't put a team up.

But that will help as we challenge to get ahead of Israel, Chile & Ireland is our group to qualify.

Other group results from last night:
Bosnia won 5-0 over Ireland,
France won 4-0 over Croatia, &
Chile won 5-0 over Algeria

Next week, we're up against Algeria and hoping to win again.

Until next time
This is U20!

Evening All

Australia U20 is off to a flying start this season in the World Cup qualifying with more wins. Including the friendlies, that's 6 wins in a row for the team (helping our U20 international ranking up to 43rd)

Match 1: reported above was a 3-0 win over Israel.

Match 2: Australia U20 vs Algeria U20
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In the 2nd match of this season's World Cup qualifying it was a great 1-0 win vs Algeria, a match last season we drew 0-0. And to make it all the more exciting, it was a 93rd minute strike by Luke Burton to seal the win.

Match 3: Australia U20 vs Chile U20
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Last weekend in our 3rd match Australia U20 enjoyed a superb 3-0 win over Chile U20, to move ahead of Chile on the table also.

2 goals by William Goode & 1 goal again by Luke Burton. That win has certainly helped our GF:GA record too which will be important.

With 4 matches to go (against the 3 strongest teams in our group + Ireland) we're currently in a qualifying position in 4th place, but will still likely need more points to qualify.

It's likely to be Australia & Chile battling for that final spot (both Australia & Chile have the same 4 teams in the remaining rounds), however Ireland have an easy run home of matches and I expect them to come right back into the reckoning.

Very happy with the campaign this season though, wish us luck against France this weekend!

Group 7 of U20 World Cup Qualifying is this now:
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1st - Bosnia on 24 points
2nd - Croatia on 23 points
3rd - France on 19 points
4th - Australia on 14 points (Go Aussie!)
5th - Chile on 11 points
6th - Israel on 8 points
7th - Ireland on 7 points
8th - Algeria on 5 points

Tournament table link: (GROUP 7 is us)
soccer.powerplaymanager.c...

Very good results. Keep going. Calendar is good for You so Aussie have very big chance for qualify

Evening All,

Weekend is over and the Australia U20 are still undefeated after a straight-from-the-top-drawer draw vs France U20 1-1!!

Tactics were in play with a defensive team starting as we were big underdogs, and in the 3rd minute France scored! Blow those tactics!!! But we picked ourselves up, and in the last 25 minutes replaced a defender with a forward, and 4 minutes after we had the equaliser! Fantastic goal by a defender after all those tactics! I'll just say genius tactics!

It was great to get a draw this season in the away match after last season's 2-0 loss at home, but other results in the group did not go our way...

Chile beat Bosnia 2-1 in an upset win, Bosnia's first loss (we are 1point ahead of Chille still thanks our result, but we didn't need that upset).
Algeria beat Ireland 2-1 in another upset, and Croatia beat Israel 5-0, so it will now officially be Chile and Australia fighting it out for the last qualifying spot.

We're up against top of our group Croatia next week.

Until next time
This is U20

Well, sometimes good things happen and u certainly helping it

Afternoon all,

Well what an exciting that match last night was: Australia U20 vs Croatia U20 (who are top of the table).

In the 15th minute, bang, we're down 1-0, in the 22nd minute, thwack, we're down 2-0.... then Ka-Boom!!! Our very own William Goode scores!!!!!! Still down 2-1 at half-time, but not out of it.

A couple of substitutions at half-time with our Goalie's swapping, and our Left Midfielder also being replaced, and in a goal felt around the world (no word could describe it) our Defender Flynn Ayres scores for the 2nd time in two matches!! It's 2-all and the underdogs are celebrating.

Battling out the match with our 43% possession, the team manager cracks open another beer, William Goode is given a huge cheer as he is replaced in the 75th minute by CF Luke Burton!

The clock hits the 90th minute, the home crowd is calling for the whistle to sound, 21 metres out the Captain, Jack Berry is penalised, free kick to Croatia. In the last play of the day, the kick is taken, it hits the wall, and is deflected off an Australian player and ..... sigh..... they score in the last play of the match.... 3-2 win to Croatia, but a splendid effort by our boys.

The close score proved to be crucial as in other matches, Chile U20 drew with Ireland U20 0-0... this now sees Australia still 4th on the table, equal in points with Chile, also equal on GF:GA, but an extra win puts us in front on the table.

Next week we're up against Ireland, before the final qualifier vs Bosnia.

Link to match:
soccer.powerplaymanager.c...

Forgot to sign-off...

Until next time
This is U20!

Awesome game
I'd like to see You at the finals especially in Poland.

NT coaches can vote for our candidacy:
soccer.powerplaymanager.c...