Day two of the Australian Lebanese Football Association (ALFA) tournament for 2024 kicked off at Ador Reserve, Rockdale on September 19. The finals and closing ceremony were held on September 20 and included Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism Mark Buttigieg as well as Bayside Councilor Joe Awada in attendance. The second day saw some excellent football played despite showers persisting throughout the day, with rain not stopping any action. Day three, however, saw clear skies during the Grand Final and closing ceremony.

Game One: Palestine v Egypt

The first game of day two saw Egypt and Palestine battle it out in a tight contest, with both teams’ defence kicking into action early. In the first half, Palestine had several opportunities to score but missed, with one shot flying over the crossbar. Despite the first half providing many chances, the Palestinians couldn’t convert. Eventually, Palestine scored a goal into the bottom left corner, making the score 1-0.

Moreover, they had a good chance to make it 2-0, however, the Lebanese stopped a shot from going into the back of the net. Towards the end of the second half, the Egyptian defence stopped many likely shots despite Palestine clearly dominating and increasing their margin with another goal, making it 2-0. An own goal by Egypt made it 3-0, further adding disappointment for the Egyptians.

The second half began in a tight tussle, and Egypt continued to apply pressure on Palestine, while Egypt’s midfield struggled to cope with the pressure implemented by Palestine. The Egyptians had many chances to score their first goal of the game but wasted their opportunities. The end of the second half saw the Palestinians miss easy shots but ultimately finish the game winning 4-0, proving too dominant for Egypt, who couldn’t pass through Palestine’s strong defence and midfield throughout the game.

After the game, the Palestinian coach Hassan Reda emphasized the need for a game plan and credited his captain. “Last week’s performance, me and the captain, we discussed what we need to do. We watched a couple of their games, and we had a game plan, so we’ve been working on it all week with the captain, and the captain had a couple of theories. We needed to overload the middle, correct space out wide, which we did very well,” Reda pointed out.

Game Two: Brazil v Qatar

Game two began in a tight contest, with Qatar’s midfield starting the game strongly and Brazil unable to press and stop their midfield. Qatar opened their scoring with a long-range goal, making it 1-0. Brazil had a chance to score in the first half but kept blowing their opportunities. A shot attempted by Brazil hit the crossbar, keeping Qatar’s one-goal lead safe, although Brazil kept pressing forward, adding pressure to Qatar’s defence. Brazil eventually levelled the score, leaving both teams at 1-1 at half-time.

The second half began with good defence from both teams. Brazil had a chance to make it 2-1 but wasted their opportunity. Qatar also had chances but blew them, and late in the second half, Qatar had a chance to go ahead, but the shot hit the post. On the edge of full-time, both teams struggled to score. A penalty just before full-time saw Brazil score from inside their penalty box; however, the goal was disallowed as the referees pointed out that it was touched before going in, leading to tempers flaring among the Brazilian team towards the referees. However, Brazil scored another goal, winning the match 2-1.

Game Three: Australia v Lebanon

Game three began with a tight tussle, and both teams challenged each other, with a dangerous tackle by the Aussies giving the Lebanese a chance to open the scoring; however, they couldn’t convert. The Lebanese kept pressing Australia’s midfield and defence, and the first half encountered many turnovers. Australia scored first, making the score 1-0 and managed to get it in the back of the net again, but it was deemed no goal. Both teams had chances to score but, like most teams, wasted them. Lebanon’s defence was in full swing in the first half, stopping likely goals from being converted by Australia. The Australians took a narrow 1-0 lead into half-time.

The second half saw many shots attempted by Australia, stopped by Lebanon, who also struggled to get past the well-structured Australian defence. Australia had a chance to extend the margin, but the shot hit the post. Shot after shot came firing from Australia; however, Lebanon’s goalkeeper kept his composure, preventing them from scoring. Lebanon had a great opportunity to level the score late in the second half, but a shot hit the woodwork and ricocheted. On the edge of full-time, Australia made it 2-0, making a comeback for Lebanon unlikely, but a dangerous tackle led to Lebanon scoring a penalty, making the score 2-1. The Aussies, who were dominant for the majority of the match, held on to win by one point.

The Australian team coach, Jarrod Galbraith Marten, spoke about implementing a similar tactic to what they used last week. “We did adapt a similar tactic. We knew that it would be a tougher game, and actually, the pace that Lebanon showed and their willingness to attack down the channels meant that we kinda did have to adapt and look to counter that, try to slow the game down, and play to our strengths,” Marten said.

Game Four: Palestine v Brazil

The last game saw Palestine and Brazil battle it out for a spot in the final, with Brazil scoring first, making the score 1-0. However, not long after, Palestine managed to level, making it 1-1. The first half was a tight tussle, with turnovers keeping both teams busy. Palestine had a chance to get ahead but instead wasted opportunities, with both teams heading into half-time with scores level.

The second half started with a tight tussle and turnovers occurring consistently. A tap-in shot increased the margin for Palestine, making it 2-1. Strong defence by Palestine blocked likely shots from being converted by Brazil. Furthermore, an offside call was overturned, leading to heated arguments. Brazil levelled the score late in the second half, making it 2-2.

Grand Final: Australia v Palestine

The first half began as a tight contest, with Palestine passing forward effectively, putting pressure on Australia’s defence. However, Palestine had many chances but wasted them by kicking too high. Chances kept coming in the first half, but they kept blowing them away. An offside call blew a real chance for Palestine to open the scoring, but they scored a chip shot shortly after, making it 1-0.

A second goal was looking likely for Palestine, but Australia’s goalkeeper kept his composure, stopping the shot. Eventually, Australia levelled the score, making it 1-1. They had a great opportunity to get another goal and take the lead, but the shot hit the frame of the goal. Palestine also had a chance to go ahead after they were awarded a free kick, but it went wide. Australia’s defence stepped up when needed, stopping two likely shots from Palestine but couldn’t stop a second goal from going through, putting Palestine in front, 2-1. A third goal looked likely; however, Australia’s luck was on their side as Palestine’s shot hit the crossbar, denying their third goal. Australia was able to level the score, making it 2-2 after a long-range curve shot.

Barely a minute after Australia levelled the score, Palestine managed to go ahead again, making the margin 3-2 and took the lead into half-time. With stakes high, both teams started the second half in a tight tussle, with Australia wasting many chances. Palestine increased the margin to 4-2, putting Australia under pressure. Tempers flared from the Palestinians in the second half due to a referee’s call. The score margin increased to 5-2, making a comeback by Australia unlikely. Despite being behind on the scoreboard, Australia’s defence still fought on. A dangerous tackle by Palestine led to a free kick in the penalty box for Australia, which they converted, making it 5-3. Palestine further increased the margin, making it 6-3 with full-time approaching. Australia managed to convert another shot, making it 7-4.

Palestine nailed another shot into the back of the net, making it 8-4 before Australia got one back through some rebounds in the penalty area, making it 8-5. Palestine ended Australia’s hopes with a goal, making it 9-5, and had a chance to get a tenth goal but were unlucky as the shot went wide. Full-time saw Palestine win 9-5, although Australia challenged them throughout the 90 minutes of play, and the game was mostly an even contest. Palestinian coach Hassan Reda reflected on the team’s Grand Final win over Australia, attributing it to the strength the Palestinians have shown. “We saw how our people in Palestine are fighting every single day. It was important for us to bring that and put it on the field and unite as one,” Reda emphasized.

Conclusion

Overall, days two and three brought exciting football, particularly the high-scoring thriller Grand Final, which saw Palestine emerge victorious against a skilful Australian side. Furthermore, it featured a simple but effective closing ceremony in which both Palestine and Australia received medals, with Palestine lifting the trophy in glory.