Melbourne City striker Max Caputo found the back of the net twice for the Young Socceroos in their final FIFA U20 World Cup Group Stage fixture against Cuba on Sunday morning (AEDT).
Earning his first start of the tournament, Caputo made an immediate impact – breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute with a composed finish across the keeper after being played through by Manchester United midfielder James Overy.
The 18-year-old doubled his tally five minutes after the restart, reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the box and guiding home a clever outside-of-the-boot strike to extend Australia’s advantage.
Despite Caputo’s brace inspiring a 3-1 victory, it ultimately wasn’t enough for Australia to progress from the group stage, finishing third in Group C after earlier defeats to Argentina and Italy.
Caputo’s performance capped off a memorable moment in Chile, marking his first start of the tournament after substitute appearances in the opening two fixtures.
City teammate Liam Bonetig was an unused substitute across all three matches, but gained valuable experience as part of Trevor Morgan’s Young Socceroos squad.
Both players will now return to Melbourne ahead of City’s A-League Men’s season opener away to the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday 18 October.
Feature Image Credit: FIFA.
