The LG Joeys have qualified for the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, to be played in Trinidad & Tobago in September, beating New Zealand 6-0 in the second and final leg of the Oceania Qualifiers, in Auckland today.
The Australians took a 3-0 victory from the first leg in Canberra last Wednesday into the game, and were untroubled, taking the tie 9-0 on aggregate.
New Zealand's fortunes got off to the worst possible start with an own goal in the 14th minute, and the home side was down 2-0 at half-time after Anthony Danze slid the ball home from a Fred Agius cross, 6 minutes before the break.
Striker Matthew Engele scored the first of his two goals in the 56th minute, Matthew Hunter added Australia's fourth in the 70th, Terry Smith made it 5-0 just four minutes later, and Engele wrapped it up, driving his shot into the back of the net from a Carl Valeri through ball, in the 78th minute.
"The boys played very well, we really had to battle in the first half because obviously New Zealand was trying to dominate the play, but almost from the moment the first goal was on the board, we took control of the game," said coach Ange Postecoglou from Auckland after the match.
"The whole team did a really good job, and I was really pleased with the four new boys in the line-up, Matt Engele did well up front, and as I said yesterday, they all had something to prove, and they did.
"Overall, we were more positive in front of goal, we took our chances, we were a little more aggressive, and today's performance was a more complete one than Wednesday's first leg.
"I'll probably look to bring the boys back into a final preparatory camp in August for the September tournament, after we've finished with the Under-20s." Postecoglou concluded.