Rising Central Coast Mariners star Garang Kuol scored two goals and notched one assist to emerge as the star of a talent identification match at the Young Socceroos’ training camp in Canberra on Wednesday afternoon.
Australia ‘Dark’ defeated Australia ‘Light’ 5-3 in a game featuring three players from National Premier League clubs and 27 young prospects either signed to Isuzu UTE A-League clubs or rising through ALM youth ranks, at the camp made up of 30 of Australia’s brightest young talents.
Kuol, along with Melbourne City striker Max Caputo, were the standouts for Australia Dark, whilst Kaelen Majekodunmi (Perth Glory), Peter Grozos and Archie Goodwin (both of Newcastle Jets) all scored excellent individual goals down the other end for Australia Light.
Kuol opened the scoring in the fifth minute, before Melbourne City’s Raphael Borges Rodrigues doubled the advantage off an assist from Caputo. Then it was Caputo’s turn to get on the scoresheet, set up by Kuol to put Australia Dark 3-0 ahead on the half-hour mark.
Australia Light struck back through Grozos and Majekodunmi before the break, with the latter’s finish coming off an intercept high up the field which the defender then buried into the back of the net.
Bribsnae Roar’s Nathan Nguyen emerged off the bench to make it 4-2 to Australia Dark in the second half, arriving late in the box to tuck Caputo’s cut-back assist home; Goodwin scored minutes later down the other end with a neat flick through his legs at the front post off a cross from the right flank.
Kuol then proceeded to put the exclamation mark on his performance, driving down the left flank in the 73rd minute, cutting onto his right foot and powering a curling strike into the top-right corner.
RECAP
Australia DARK 5-3 Australia LIGHT
Goals DARK: Garang Kuol 5’, 73’, Raphael Borges Rodrigues 10’, Max Caputo 30’, Nathan Nguyen 56’
Goals LIGHT: Peter Grozos 36’, Kaelen Majekodunmi 40’, Archie Goodwin 58’
KEY MOMENTS
5’) GOAL Kuol (DARK): Caputo’s shot is saved directly into Kuol’s path to tuck home.
10’) GOAL Raphael (DARK): Kuol turns the ball over near the corner flag, and Caputo tees up Raphael for the simple finish.
29’) SAVE Warshawsky: Kuol tries to bend one in from range and Jack Warshawsky pokes the ball out for a corner with a leaping stop.
30’) GOAL Caputo (DARK): Kuol provides the assist in a dominant first-half display by the attacking pair.
36’) GOAL Grozos (LIGHT): Peter Grozos collects the ball on the edge of the box and curls a shot toward goal off his left foot, wrong-footing goalkeeper James Nieuwenhuizen to find the back of the net.
40’) GOAL Majekodunmi (LIGHT): Venturing forward from central defence, Kaelen Majekodunmi intercepts high up the ground and buries a powerful shot into the back of the net.
56’) GOAL Nguyen (DARK): Second-half substitute Nathan Nguyen arrives in the box to meet Caputo’s cut-back from the byline to finish.
58’) GOAL Goodwin (LIGHT): Goodwin scores at the front post with a flick through his legs off a cross from the right flank.
73’) GOAL Kuol (DARK): Kuol is unleashed down the left flank, drives across goal and whips a right-footed shot into the top-right corner. All class.
FULL REPLAY
TEAMS
DARK
Starting XI
1. Jack Warshawsky (Western Sydney Wanderers)
2. Joseph Forde (Perth Glory)
5. Nectarios Triantis (Central Coast Mariners)
4. Anthony Pantazopolous (Oakleigh Cannons)
8. Chris Donnell (Perth Glory)
6. Justin Paolilli (Melbourne City)
10. Alex Badolato (Western Sydney Wanderers)
20. Jonny Yull (Adelaide United)
7. Raphael Borges Rodrigues (Melbourne City)
9. Max Caputo (Melbourne City)
11. Garang Kuol (Central Coast)
Substitutes
18. Lawrence Caruso (Central Coast)
3. Nathan Geyer (Brisbane Roar)
14. Luka Kolic (Melbourne Knights)
15. Nathan Nguyen (Brisbane Roar)
Coach: Tony Vidmar
LIGHT
Starting XI
1. James Nieuwenhuizen (Melbourne City)
2. Ben Van Dorssen (Newscaste Jets)
3. Kaelen Majekodunmi (Perth Glory)
4. Franco Lino (Melbourne Victory)
8. Alessandro Lopane (Western Sydney)
6. Alex Menelaou (Melbourne Victory)
13. Emin Durakovic (Melbourne City)
14. Sam Klein (Brisbane Roar)
11. Jayden Gorman (Perth Glory)
9. Archie Goodwin (Newcastle Jets)
7. Peter Grozos (Newcastle Jets)
Substitutes
12. Alex Robinson (Blacktown City)
2. Kane Vidmar (Adelaide United)
10. Matt George (Perth Glory)
15. Panashe Madanha (Adelaide United)
Coach: Trevor Morgan
