NSW Metro clinched places in both the Under 15 and Under 16 Girls' Finals in front of a full house at the Home of the Matildas during an exhilarating day of matches in Melbourne.
As the sun finally broke through the clouds, perfect conditions illuminated the fiercely competitive matches that uncovered the Grand Finalists for the 2024 National Youth Championships Girls' Tournament
Away from the Semi-Finals on the main field, Placement Semi-Finals and Group Matches continued the trend of exciting matches witnessed all week, with tense penalty shootouts and long-range screamers managing to draw eyes away from the main field.
The National Youth Championships 2024 Girls' Tournament will come to close tomorrow, Monday (7 July), featuring the Under 15 and Under 16s Age Group Grand Finals, third-place play-offs, and the closing ceremony.
Contenders for National Championships Confirmed
After five days of action and a combined 60 matches across both Age Groups, only four teams remain in contention to be crowned National Champions.
In the Under 15s Age Group, it's a case of unmovable object meets unstoppable object when the undefeated NSW Metro face the undefeated Queensland Maroon. The cross-state rivalry adds another layer to the match which is sure to ignite plenty of passion between the players.
The Under 15s Final will take place at 12:00pm AEST, tomorrow, Monday 7 July on Field 1 at the Home of the Matildas.
In the Under 16s Age Group, the powerful NSW Metro side will come up against a Northern NSW buoyed with confidence having grown throughout the competition into serious contenders. NSW Metro are yet to taste defeat or even concede a goal, but it's Northern NSW who have been the biggest movers of the tournament, fighting back from two losses in the group stage to reach the final.
The Under 16s Final will follow the Under 15s Final at 1.30pm AEST on Field 1.
If you can't make it to the Home of the Matildas - where entry is free - make sure to tune in via Kommunity TV as all Finals will feature live commentary.
Goals hard to find in tense Under 15s tussles
NSW Metro secured their spot in the 2024 National Youth Championships Under 15s Final by defeating Northern NSW in a tense penalty shootout.
Despite a goalless draw in regular time, NSW Metro dominated the match, creating numerous chances but were unable to break through Northern NSW's resilient defence, led by an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Caoimhe Bray.
The decisive moment came in the penalty shootout, where NSW Metro held their nerve to win 4-2, converting all their penalties to clinch victory and advance to the Final.
The goals continued to be elusive in the second Under 15s Semi-Final between Victoria Blue and Queensland Maroon.
The sides were unable to break the deadlock until midway through the second half when both teams struck the ball into the back of the net within 90 seconds of each other, to once again leave the scores locked at 1-1.
However, it was Queensland Maroon who would eventually prevail, 2-1, with captain Arabella Ryan ecstatic following the win and putting the result down to the comradery within the side.
"It's an incredible feeling, the girls deserve it a lot," Ryan said.
"We've worked so hard, the atmosphere around camp has been really good and we just really wanted it.
"It was an extremely stressful match, but I believe in my girls, so we just did what we do normally, and it worked."
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David v Goliath battle locked in
Northern NSW have pulled off a stunning victory over Victoria, netting five goals to rocket themselves into the Under 16 National Youth Championships Girls' Final.
The 5-1 victory over Victoria was highlighted by a hattrick from striker Kealah Boldery and some rock-solid counter defence.
Victoria struck first establishing a 1-0 lead and maintained control across the opening period. However, once Northern NSW found their feet, they continued to find the goals and continued to grow the lead and move further out of reach of the Victorians.
Northern NSW captain Laura Knipe was prepared for a challenging encounter but credits having an additional player, the crowd, to helping them get the win.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game because we knew how Victoria play, and that they are tough opponents," Knipe said.
"The crowd we had down here (in Melbourne) was absolutely amazing. The Under 15s were supporting us and all our friends and family, so it's just an amazing feeling at the moment."
The Emerging Jets representative also claimed some redemption after falling short in the 2023 tournament.
"Last year we got knocked out at this stage so it's so much better to be able to play in the Final," Knipe said.
"We've definitely grown a lot closer over this tournament and have grown into a better team. I can't wait for tomorrow."
The final match of the day cemented NSW Metro's title as the team to beat in the Under 16 Age Group as they defeated Queensland Maroon, 5-0.
The attacking powerhouses from NSW used the Semi-Finals as an opportunity to flex their muscles, which included a hat-trick from striker Tiana Fuller.
It ends a strong tournament from Queensland Maroon who finished second in Group B and eliminated their counterparts Queensland Silver in the Quarter Final.
More on the 2024 National Youth Championships:
CLICK HERE to view the Official National Youth Championships 2024 Girls' Tournament Digital Program with Fixtures
CLICK HERE to watch* the National Youth Championships 2024 Girls' Tournament thanks to Kommunity TV (*subscription required)
CLICK HERE to view the live tables and results
