It was a great day three for the Gold Fields WA State Boys sides with the U16s and U15s each winning two games at the 2023 National Youth Championships in Sydney.
The WA U15s are in strong contention to secure a place in the semi-finals at Valentine Park.
Gareth Navan’s side won both of their matches and remain unbeaten with four victories and one draw from their opening five fixtures.
They sit top of Group B with NSW Metro White. The first-placed team in each group and the best-placed runner-up progress to the last four, with the final to be held on Friday 6 October.
The final games of the group stages are tomorrow.
The WA U15s won today’s opener against Queensland Maroon 2-1 thanks to goals from Perth Glory’s Oliver Evans and Max Naylor.
Naylor then extended his run of scoring in every match with a hat-trick as the West Aussies defeated Victoria White 5-0. Hayden Bramley of Glory and Perth RedStar duo Hudson Burn and Tyler Nyabinde netted the others.
It was also a good day for the U16s with head coach Andy Ord guiding his side to 1-0 wins over Queensland Maroon and Victoria White.
Theo Leeming (RedStar) got the winner against Queensland while it was Noah Ieraci (Glory) who struck to defeat the Vics.
Today’s results made it three wins from five for the WA U16s.
Only a few group stage matches remain on Thursday, as the competition now enters the Championship stage with semis just around the corner.
With scorching heat on Tuesday and rainy, windy conditions today, Sydney has made things difficult for this year’s crop of NYC participants.
While the challenging conditions might not be ideal, Australia U17 Men’s National Team Head Coach Brad Maloney said they give players the opportunity to show what they are made of on the national stage.
“Every state and territory has got its sprinkle of high-quality players and they're all very competitive,” Maloney said.
“The intensity and the quality of the matches has been really good despite the extreme weather that we've had over the last couple of days, so I think the commitment and the determination by everybody's been excellent.”
As the Subway Joeys enter a new cycle, Maloney has been keeping his eyes peeled from the stands ahead of future camps and tournaments.
Having the opportunity to gather the best and brightest in one venue is invaluable for Maloney and his team.
“I've really enjoyed being out here and looking at the talent that's across the country,” he said.
“It's good to bring them all together in a centralised location for a week-long tournament and have a good look at what everybody's got from each state and territory. It’s really positive and exactly what we need when we're looking at national team selection.
The National Youth Championships also offer the perfect opportunity for National Team coaches to speak with Member Federation Coaches to share knowledge and make sure the pathways are staying as clear as possible.
“I'm in regular contact with the Technical Directors and coaches from each Member Federation and communicating with them about how their programs are going and what players are coming through.
“For me and my staff to be able to attend and observe all matches across the five days is perfect, and it enables us to build upon that network within the football community which will support our national youth teams moving forward.”