All four youth Hungarian national football teams reach Euro elite round
Hungarian men’s U17 and U19 teams have joined their female counterparts in qualifying for the elite rounds of their European Championships this year.
Over the last two seasons our youth national teams had achieved something we’d never done before, namely all four of the sides qualifying from their European Championship first-round groups in autumn and reaching the Elite-round stage the following spring. Now, the age groups born in 2000 and 2002 have achieved the same feat, both female teams progressing in 2nd spot and both male squads qualifying as group winners, which now means all four youth-level national teams will represent Hungary in the springtime Elite rounds for the third year in a row.
The boys’ group victories are particularly impressive given that some of the teams they finished above are theoretically currently ranked above them.
For example, Sándor Preisinger’s U17 squad beat Serbia and Romania to the top spot, while Antal Németh’s U19 side qualified while remaining unbeaten against the likes of Austria and Slovenia. The seven points gained as group winners means this team will be drawn with one other group winner and two 2nd-placed teams from other groups in the Elite-round draw which will take place on 6th December.
Elsewhere, Dorottya Schumi’s U17 team didn’t look too promising in their warm-up matches but they later improved to the extent that they defeated Bosnia and group hosts Macedonia before putting on a battling display against an impressive and victorious France team.
Meanwhile, Sándor Turtóczki’s U19 squad did what they needed to do in prevailing against Moldova and Macedonia, rendering their final group match – a heavy defeat against a world-class Finland side – meaningless.
The women’s Elite-round draws will take place on 23rd November.
Our youth-level national-team results in European Championship 1st-round groups this autumn:
Women’s U17s:
Bosnia 0-1 Hungary
Macedonia 1-4 Hungary
France 3-1 Hungary
Women’s U19s:
Hungary 6-0 Moldova
Hungary 9-0 Macedonia
Hungary 0-7 Finland
Men’s U17s:
Hungary 0-0 Romania
Hungary 3-0 Lithuania
Hungary 1-0 Serbia
Men’s U19s:
Hungary 2-1 Slovenia
Hungary 0-0 Kozovo
Hungary 2-1 Austria
Photo: MLSZ.hu
Source: mlsz.hu – press release
