The best male footballers from across Australia converged in Wollongong on Tuesday for the opening day of the National Youth Championships 2024 Boys' Tournament.
Perfect conditions on the NSW South Coast greeted the competitors as they gathered for the opening ceremony at WIN Stadium, before lacing up their boots for the first matches of the tournament.
The crowd at WIN Stadium were treated to six thrilling matches which featured 22 goals, while JJ Kelly Park and Ian McLennan Park hosted five matches each before Day One of the tournament drew to a close.
Let the games begin
The picturesque WIN Stadium was the perfect backdrop for the opening ceremony of the National Youth Championships 2024 Boys' Tournament.
Captains and Vice-Captains were presented with their armbands for the tournament, standing side-by-side with their competitors before the matches began.
Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor, Gordon Bradbery welcomed the teams to Wollongong before U17's Men's National Team Head Coach Brad Maloney wished them luck for the tournament and imparted some inspirational messages for the players to consider.
Mixed results for reigning champions
After claiming both the Under 15 and Under 16 Age Groups at the 2023 National Youth Championships Boys' Tournament, Victoria Blue stepped onto the field on Day One with a target painted on their backs.
The Under 15 Victoria Blue side had the honour of kicking off for the first match of the tournament at WIN Stadium against the equally as strong NSW Metro White. It didn't take long for Victoria to prove their worth with a convincing 5-0 victory.
Things didn't go as smoothly for the Under 16 Victoria Blue side however, falling 3-0 to NSW Metro White, lamenting some errors and missed opportunities, according to Head Coach Safi Ayoush.
"Individual mistakes hurt us in the first half. In tournament football, when you concede a goal and you're chasing the score, that's when mistakes creep in," Ayoush said.
"In the second half we improved and got much better, we controlled the match for the second half which was positive to see.
"I think all our boys will be bouncing back very quickly for the second game."
In a tournament featuring the nation's leading emerging talent, Ayoush hopes his sides can forget last year and respect their opposition.
"We're playing the best players from each state so you can't underestimate anyone. We take every game seriously and now we'll take it game by game.
"We try to get away from the pressure and just come here to enjoy ourselves improve and hopefully after that if you get that the results will come.
"Don't forget Argentina lost their first game of the World Cup against Saudi Arabia and then they went on to win the World Cup," said Ayoush.
Goal hungry Capital Football stopped at last minute
Half of WIN Stadium rejoiced while the other half sank in their seats during an enthralling Capital Football and Queensland Maroon Under 16 clash.
With Capital Football ahead 3-2 and only seconds remaining on the clock, Queensland Maroon managed to sneak the ball into the goal in the dying seconds to level the scores and walk away with a 3-all draw.
Despite falling agonisingly short, Capital Football Head Coach Marcial Munoz was immensely proud of his side for putting three goals past one of the stronger sides in the competition.
"This is one of the better teams Capital Football has ever had," Munoz said.
"I think our selection was on the money, the boys put in a massive shift. Queensland (Maroon) looked great and they deserved the draw but I think we did well to really be in the game and compete.
"When you think you have the result but it doesn't go your way, it always stings, but I'm happy with the performance especially from some of our players who really stepped it up."
Capital Football's Under 16 side only managed four goals in the entire 2023 National Youth Championships Boys' Tournament, so to already score three in their first game, has Munoz excited for what's to come.
"We always have an attacking mindset and an attacking philosophy, and that's how we want to keep it.
"We can't always control our opposition so today was a little bit hard for us but we're always looking to attack and score goals," Munoz concluded.
More on the 2024 National Youth Boys' Championships:
CLICK HERE to view the Official National Youth Championships 2024 Boys' Tournament Digital Program with Fixtures
CLICK HERE to watch* the National Youth Championships 2024 Boys' Tournament thanks to Kommunity TV (*subscription required)
CLICK HERE to view the live tables and results
