A-Leagues pair help lead Joeys to back-to-back wins at U16 tournament

The Subway Joeys preserved their 100% record at the Hohhot U16 Tournament after edging Saudi Arabia 2-1.

Sydney FC’s Corey Da Cruz and Macarthur Bulls youngster Henrique Oliviera were on target as Australia made it two wins from two matches in China, where they defeated Vietnam 2-1 in the country’s opener.

With an eye on November’s AFC Under-17 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Joeys are taking part in a round-robin format tournament in China, where 19 of the 23-player squad are based in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

On Friday, Western United’s Besian Kutleshi captained the Joeys in an XI that also included Da Cruz, Western Sydney Wanderers trio Johnny Pavlovic, Georgio Hassarati and Akol Akon, William Kengni (Western United), Kade Kerry (Brisbane Roar) and Oliver O’Carroll (Melbourne City), while Henrique came off the bench.

Against Saudi Arabia, Da Cruz struck in the 25th minute before Henrique found the back of the net 13 minutes from the end.

Brad Maloney’s Joeys will face hosts China on Sunday.