Markus Suarez, the coach of the Saudi Arabian youth national football team, expressed pride in his players despite their loss in the final of the Asian Championship among players under 20. The Australian team defeated the Saudi Arabian team 5:4 on penalties after a 1:1 draw in regular and additional time on Saturday. This allowed the Australians to become champions of the tournament for the first time since they finished second in 2010. Saudi Arabia won the title three times in the past, in 1986, 1992, and 2018. Suarez said after the match: "I’m proud of my team, we did an excellent job, we managed to outplay the Australian team, but the victory in the end was left to them in the penalty shootout. Both teams were equal, and we could have won, but unfortunately, luck was not on our side." The coach of the Saudi Arabian national team emphasized that the Australian players have outstanding skills, six of whom play in Europe, so they managed to control the game at certain moments of the match. "We can’t complain about anything, I’m proud of my players, and now we look forward to getting ready for the World Championship," he added. Suarez concluded his remarks by stating: "Right now, the players need to rest, then we’ll return to work in June in preparation for the World Championship, and we’ll do everything possible to succeed there." The teams from Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Korea, and Japan have qualified for the World Championship among youth teams, which is set to take place later this year in Chile.
