A-League soccer, 2022: Jets young gun Archie Goodwin out to strike on international stage

The 17-year-old striker is the Jets' youngest ever A-League player and youngest to score a goal.

Now he has ticked another box. Goodwin has been selected in the Young Socceroos squad to play a four-team tournament in Spain.

The striker flies out on Thursday and will take on Morocco (September 22), Chile (September 24) and England (September 27).

"It is a crazy feeling," Goodwin told the Newcastle Herald on Tuesday. "I was in the Australian under-17s then COVID happened and I missed out.

"Thankfully I have been selected in the 20s because it has always been a dream to put the Australian jersey on."

Inclusion in the tournament in Spain was organised after Australia withdrew from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers in Basra, Iraq, on travel advice from the Australian Government.

The AFC has since confirmed that the qualifying group will no longer be hosted by Iraq during the September FIFA window, with further updates pending.

"That was unfortunate but our safety comes first," Goodwin said. "I'm grateful that I get another opportunity.

"England and Chile are two massive football nations. It should be a great experience to play against some of the best talents in my age group. I'm keen to rip in.

"There are a couple of England players who are in the Premier League. No names that everyone would know, but a few who have played a couple of games. It will be good to match up against them."

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Goodwin is one of six forwards in the 24-man squad but the only out-and-out No.9.

He will head to Spain in career-best shape after getting through his first full A-League pre-season.

"I still haven't missed a session," said Goodwin, whose previous two pre-seasons have been hindered by injury setbacks to his growing body. "My body is holding up really well. I'm reaching goals I didn't think I could reach - metres per minute and my distance in training is up there. It is a lot better than last season and I'm getting through it without any pain. I'm keeping up with the older boys in the gym sessions. I have built a good base and am doing really well."

Meanwhile, Dwight Yorke is just two wins away from his first trophy as a head coach, but the former Manchester United star doesn't want Macarthur's journey to title success to be about him.

If the Bulls beat Victorian NPL outfit Oakleigh Cannons at Jack Edwards Reserve in Melbourne on Wednesday evening, they will secure a spot in the final against Sydney United.

"This is not just about me," Yorke said.

Macarthur will start as heavy favourites on Wednesday night against their semi-professional opponents.

But Sydney United's 3-2 semi-final win over Brisbane Roar on Sunday and Oakleigh's 2-1 quarter-final win over Sydney FC earlier in the tournament proved how often upsets can occur in this competition.

"You see the beauty of the Cup, where you see the underdogs in the game really surprise the team who on paper is supposed to win the game," Yorke told reporters.

Yorke won plenty of titles as a player, including the treble at Manchester United in 1999.

The Australia Cup crown might pale in comparison to that triumph, but it would represent the perfect start to Yorke's coaching career.

However, the 50-year-old, who brought a bang to the A-League when he played for Sydney FC in 2005/06, doesn't want the focus to be on him.

"This is not just about me," Yorke said. "I've been very lucky to be given a chance to be the manager of this football club. "I want to embrace it as the manager, but I'm very lucky I've got a great group of players and backroom staff. It's really made my transition easy.

"There's still a lot of hard work here to be done, we are focused on trying to establish this club, and the only way you're going to do that is by winning things and raising the standard and the mentality in and around the place."

Macarthur will start as heavy favourites on Wednesday night against their semi-professional opponents.

But Sydney United's 3-2 semi-final win over Brisbane Roar on Sunday and Oakleigh's 2-1 quarter-final win over Sydney FC earlier in the tournament proved how often upsets can occur in this competition.

"You see the beauty of the Cup, where you see the underdogs in the game really surprise the team who on paper is supposed to win the game," Yorke told reporters.

"The players have all watched it and observed what it s going on, and realise if we don't go there with the right mentality and the right approach ... you're never going to win.

"Those games we saw with Oakleigh and Sydney and Brisbane Roar and Sydney United, it's a stark reminder of the difficulties (we could have) if we don't prepare correctly for it."