U20 Australia is famous for its strong attack, will try to affirm its dominance against a Saudi Arabia U20 team with a solid defense.
Young Socceroos (official nickname of U20 Australia) of coach Trevor Morgan has scored 15 goals since the beginning of the tournament.
We know Saudi Arabia well, but they are not unfamiliar to us. The two teams met a few months ago in the qualifiers and we know their qualities. Our task in the final is to beat them to win the championship, Morgan said before the match.
For U20 Australia, this is an opportunity for them to continue to rise in the continental arena and win their first championship, since Ange Postecoglou led the national team to win the AFC Asian Cup 2015.
I think the more challenging the game, the better the opponent, the better we understand our players and help them develop. So to be fair, I'm looking forward to the final, Morgan added.
Defender and U20 Australia captain Sebastian Esposito said: The journey we have gone through is very interesting. We are ready for the final match. We know the quality of Saudi Arabia, but we are focused on our performance.
Meanwhile, head coach Marcos Soares of the U20 Saudi Arabia said that his team has become stronger with each match.
We are delighted to be in the final and would like to thank the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for all its efforts to bring us here, he said. U20 Australia is a team that is difficult to beat, we know that because we have met in the qualifiers. However, we will do everything possible to be successful.
We were very worried before the quarter-final against China, but after overcoming that and qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup, the pressure was eased.
U20 Saudi Arabia is aiming for the 4th championship in history, having won the championship in 1986, 1992 and 2018.
Soares added: I believe this will be a match between two teams with contrasting playing styles, one team scoring many goals with strong attack ability and the other team famous for solid defence.
This requires a lot of strategic planning. I hope and believe that we can succeed, but we must be cautious to resist their attack capabilities. At the same time, U20 Saudi Arabia can also play offensively and try to score, if they can do that, it will bring a big advantage".
U20 Saudi Arabia midfielder Rakan Alghamdi agreed with Soares' point of view and believes his team is ready to face U20 Australia.
We knew the game was going to be difficult, but with the help of the coaches, we were well prepared, he said. U20 Australia is a tough opponent, and the final is always a different challenge. We have played against Australia U20 before and know both our weaknesses and strengths, which will help us in this final match.
The final match between U20 Australia and U20 Saudi Arabia will take place at 6:30 p.m. on March 1.
