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Young Socceroos thrashed by Spain

6th August, 2011
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The Young Socceroos were handed a football lesson by Spain this morning, going down 5-1 at the U-20 World Cup and heading home with a solitary point from the campaign.

Spain killed off the contest within the opening minute. They were 4-0 up after only 18 minutes in a breathless display, catching out the Young Socceroos who seemed lost playing an unfamiliar 4-4-2 system.

Kerem Bulut – man of the match for the Young Socceroos – pulled one back in the 27th minute, but Spain responded immediately and scored all five of their goals within the opening 31 minutes.

The heavy defeat will put the spotlight on the development of Australian football and pressure on coach Jan Versleijen.

For commentary of this morning’s game, see the comments below.

Preview:

It’s do or die for the Young Socceroos at the U-20 World Cup, as only a win against Spain will guarantee progression out of Group C. Join us from 8am AEST for live blog and score updates.

The Young Socceroos currently sit on one point following their 1-1 opening game draw with Ecuador. They couldn’t back it up and fell to a 2-3 defeat to Costa Rica, which saw some woeful defending from the boys in green and gold.

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Ben Kantarovski is suspended for this clash, with the captain’s armband handed to goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.

A win will guarantee the Young Socceroos’ progression in the tournament, while a draw could also be enough if Ecuador doesn’t defeat Costa Rica in the other match.

“We are feeling quite confident because it is actually a clear task,” said Young Socceroos coach Jan Versleijen.

“You have to win, there is nothing in between, and that makes the assignment that little bit more easy to do. Not easy on the field. But it is clear for everybody and the players understand it.”

Spain has coasted in the group with a 4-1 win over Costa Rica and 2-0 against Ecuador.

What can the Young Socceroos muster? Join us to find out in the comments section below.

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