Hall the hero as Young Socceroos win the U20 Asian Cup | USAEMALL.com

The Young Socceroos have battled their way to glory in the Under-20 Asian Cup, beating Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout in the final on a breakthrough day for Australian soccer.

Trevor Morgan’s side were probably the superior team over an engrossing two hours in Shenzhen’s Baoan Sports Centre on Saturday night, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw over the 90 minutes before extra-time couldn’t separate the sides.

In the shootout, though, the Australian teens kept their nerve best converting all their five spot kicks while goalkeeper Steve Hall proved their hero of the hour, saving the last of the Saudi Arabian penalties from Bassam Hazazi to seal a 5-4 win.

Amid ecstatic scenes of celebration, the Young Socceroos become the first Australia team to win a major tournament since Ange Postecoglou guided the senior men’s outfit to the 2015 Asian Cup title.

It put the seal on a remarkable tournament for the Australian youngsters, most of whom play in the A-League Men, as they won all six of their matches while also booking a place in the Under-20 World Cup later in Chile later this year.

For Hall, once the youngest goalie ever to appear in the A-League Men who only turned 20 in January, it was a special night which had looked, initially, as if it might prove a heartbreaking one as he was culpable for the Saudis’ equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

With the Young Socceroos leading 1-0 through Louis Agosti’s 24th minute volley, the Saudis levelled when Talal Haji’s rocket header was bulleted straight at Hall, who had already retreated behind his own goalline when he made the save.

Hall looked crestfallen when, after a lengthy deliberation by VAR, it was ruled the keeper who plies his trade with Brighton in the Premier League had made the stop behind the line.

But it was Hall’s only blemish as he made a couple of key saves even before he stuck out his left-hand instinctively to thwart Hazazi in the shootout and send his teammates into delirium.