The USA U19 team took victory at the World Championships in Hannover this afternoon after a tough showdown with their Australian rivals in the final.

Having sailed through the group stages of the competition with an unbeaten record and an extraordinary goal average, the team had been the favourites to take gold from the start.

However, the Aussies refused to go down with a fight and pushed back against the Americans with determination and vigour throughout the intense final, keeping team USA on their toes and bringing the game to a fantastic 14-11 final score.

One spectator described the game as “the best U19 final in years”, while many others commented on the extraordinary skill and talent displayed by players on both sides. While the USA took to the podium to claim their much-deserved gold medals, belting out a particularly spectacular rendition of their national anthem, spectators from all over the world sent messages of congratulations to all of the teams.

Team USA’s victory today marks their fourth consecutive U19 World Championship title.

For a full run-down of all the action head over to Lacrosse Magazine’s live blog here.