Australia is producing some real quality in their youth system at the moment - the A League is doing them wonders as a nation. Reinforces why a second team here is so important.
almost 3 years ago· edited almost 3 years ago· History
MetalLegNZ
Australia is producing some real quality in their youth system at the moment - the A League is doing them wonders as a nation. Reinforces why a second team here is so important.
Plus a National 2nd Division (NSD) for Australia itself. Not all 17 yr olds like Irankunda will be good enough for the ALM straight away.
My 26 yr old Peruvian nephew plays senior mens footy for Kawana FC on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. About 2 levels below the QLD NPL. Their starting 11, typically has five 18 year olds. All of whom went through a local high school, that has their own football inhouse academy. One of the 18 year olds has just returned from a few months at Fleetwood Town in the UK, and has trial offers in the UAE & at Macarthur Bulls. Two of the other 18 yr olds at season end are off to US Colleges.
The Sunshine Coast has made the final 26 team selection process for new NSD. They are not confident but there is plenty of young local talent around keen on a crack at a higher level.
almost 3 years ago· edited almost 3 years ago· History
MetalLegNZ
Australia is producing some real quality in their youth system at the moment - the A League is doing them wonders as a nation. Reinforces why a second team here is so important.
Also it takes significantly more refugees than NZ. That seems to me to be a factor in some the wunderkinds of late! Certainly for the Kuols and Irakunda for starters.
Don't know if I agree with the above - yes they are refugees, but all their schooling football wise has been in the Australia system.
That been said, I am in the camp that some people/players are genetically just made for sport and have a natural advantage (they still need to have the drive). One of the reasons I would love to see more Maaori play footy - untapped potential.
almost 3 years ago· edited almost 3 years ago· History
MetalLegNZ
Don't know if I agree with the above - yes they are refugees, but all their schooling football wise has been in the Australia system.
That been said, I am in the camp that some people/players are genetically just made for sport and have a natural advantage (they still need to have the drive). One of the reasons I would love to see more Maaori play footy - untapped potential.
Perhaps genetically (I’m on the fence here for the moment), but certainly culturally. Some cultures just love football 25/7 and that definitely helps!
But it has to be something if you look at the Kuol boys, Mabil and Irakunda for starters, are all from refugee backgrounds. Whatever the reason, you begin to think that must be a factor.
I actually wanted Aussie to make the U17. They have a lot of talent coming through which we get to see in the A League and it brings more attention to the comp, and therefore kiwi players as well.
Subway Socceroos Head Coach, Graham Arnold was pleased to have locked in another high-quality fixture for his side, in a deliberate strategy to prepare against top ranked opposition.
“Following on from Qatar, we’ve been able to secure matches against teams ranked one (Argy), four (England) and 14 (Mexico) in the world,” Arnold said.
11 groups in this qualification tournament. The group winners + the 4 best runners up will qualify to the AFC U23 Asian Cup proper in Qatar to determine who qualifies for France (3½ spots) as the 4th ranked side will have to face Guinea in an AFC/CAF playoff to get to Paris.
Good effort against the world 13th ranked Mexicans. Would have been a mostly Mexico fan crowd too in Texas. Hopefully NZF can find some CONCACAF opponents to play this WC cycle with an eye on conditions there in 2026.
Atkinson & Rowles both started, with Devlin an unused sub. Mcgarry will face all 3 when Aberdeen travel to Hearts this weekend.
Australia, along with this morning's host Tajikistan qualify for next year's AFC U23 Asian Cup in Qatar. The top 3 in that competition qualify for Paris, while 4th place gets to playoff against African side Guinea.
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
53 cap Socceroo Tom Rogic retires from the professional game.
Tom Rogic has announced his retirement from football.
Easily Australia’s most naturally talented footballer of the past 15 yrs & also the most intriguing. He goes some way to explaining why here. Good on him. 16 trophies with @CelticFC & a big part of the @Socceroos for a decade pic.twitter.com/RwZjICcEeb
Been to 2 World Cups, won an Asian Cup - but has never played in trhe EPL after 12 years in the UK around The Championship & L1. Sat on the bench for Spurs once. So at age 31, and Ipswich 2nd in The Championship understandable I guess to focus on his club football.
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
No Scrappy Doo. Michael Fitzgerald's team mate Thomas Deng earns a recall. Stamenic's team mate Milos Degenek dropped. Keanu Baccus who's with Greive at St Mirren also in there. Patrick Yazbek is with Joe Bell at Viking.
Fornaroli gets a recall. 4 players from ALM. Edit - don't think John Iredale (born Sydney) is any relation to Jack Iredale (born Scotland & raised NZ/Perth, Aussie). Jack Iredale misses out on the Socceroos yet again, but a Bolton team mate defender Gethin Jones (switched allegiance from Wales) gets his first Australia call up.
📋 Off to Saudi Arabia! ✈️🇸🇦#Olyroos’ Head Coach Tony Vidmar has named an extended 26-man squad for the fifth edition of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U-23 Championship – Saudi Arabia 2024.
