Football Victoria (FV) made the journey to Valentine Sports Park in New South Wales with six teams in tow for the Emerging Socceroos Championships, with hopes of claiming the U15 title for a third-straight year.
FV sent Victoria Blue, Victoria White and Victoria Country teams in both the U15 and U16 age categories, showcasing one of the strongest spreads of talent the state has taken to the tournament.
Victoria narrowly missed out on top honours at this year’s championships, with U15 Blue finishing third and U16 Blue placing fifth, both defeating Queensland sides in play-off matches.
FV Head of Youth Development Steve Mautone explained that despite not claiming the title, he remained “immensely proud” of the performances from the Victorian athletes, and as a member Federation, we have achieved our objectives.
“Our Victorian boys played with pride and commitment throughout the entire week, so we could not have asked for anything more,” he said.
“Although we always want to win titles, these tournaments are also about identification and I have had some very positive conversations with the Football Australia assessors and coaches around the quality of many of the Victorian players.”
This was the first year in recent memory that Victoria sent dedicated Country teams to the Championships, an achievement Mautone was especially proud of.
“There is talent in every corner of our state, and we will continue to improve our scouting processes to ensure every player has the opportunity to impress and be selected so that the best players throughout Victoria are represented on the national stage.”
Victoria’s week was further highlighted by individual recognition, with U16 Victoria Blue goalkeeper Luca Nesci crowned U16 Goalkeeper of the Tournament after an impressive campaign.