Perhaps one of the key ingredients of the so-called “Aussie DNA” is being good at penalty shootouts. After his teammates had netted all five of their spot kicks, Steven Hall became the latest Australian goalkeeper to etch their name into the history books in the U20 Asian Cup final over the weekend, joining the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Andrew Redmayne and Mackenzie Arnold in securing continental glory.
Trevor Morgan’s Young Socceroos had already ensured Australia’s 13-year absence from the U20 World Cup would end before they took the field at Shenzhen’s Bao’an Stadium but what this achievement meant was obvious in the rapturous scenes of celebrations that followed Hall’s save to deny Bassam Hazazi. They were now the princes of Asia – the first junior side to win a continental crown since Australia joined the confederation in 2006.
