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With the heat firmly on both FIFA and the FFA over the past couple of weeks, the news that Holger Osieck will soon name a 50 man preliminary squad for next month’s Asian Cup has somewhat snuck up on us. While the outrageously large initial selection will ultimately have to be whittled down to the official 23 man list by December 28, in the meantime it’ll be a cast of thousands.
Little wonder then the German has been traversing the nation, from one A-League game to another, building his list.
In a way though, the selection of such a large provisional squad will give the locals a sense of where they stand under the new manager, and, even if most don’t make the final cut, it’ll at least be nice to know they are in the frame.
How many A-Leaguers eventually get in Osieck’s final 23 will likely depend on the availability of some of the European-based men, but in the meantime, here’s a list of the locals that should be thereabouts:
North Queensland Fury; David Williams, with his movement and shooting ability, is an obvious choice, but another who should be right in the mix is Gareth Edds, your archetypical box-to-box midfielder. Others that have caught the eye include Isaka Cernak and Osama Malik, but this selection might have come a little too early for both.
Perth Glory; Sadly, not much to choose from here. Scott Neville has been the pick, but isn’t even remotely ready for this level.
Sydney FC; After the heights of last season, it goes from bad to worse for the defending champions, with Alex Brosque likely to be the only player in contention, and should be in the mix even for the final 23. I made no secret of the fact I felt he should have been at the World Cup, and little has changed.
Melbourne Heart; Like Edds at the Fury, Nick Kalmar has really come from nowhere to be in contention for a central midfield spot. He has great feet, a positive attitude and gets into the box, both in general play and at set pieces. While he won’t make the final 23, he should be rewarded with a spot in the 50.
There’s little else to enthuse about at the Heart, but you’d imagine Michael Beauchamp would be in the 50 based on his World Cup efforts. Simon Colosimo and Matt Thompson would be lucky to make it on current form.
Wellington Phoenix; While Ricki Herbert has chopped and changed him between central defence and right back since he arrived, you’d suggest Jade North will at least be in the 50 given his previous efforts in green and gold.
Sadly, his skipper, Andrew Durante, who would have been a shoe-in if the 50 was selected earlier in the season, has gone off the boil of late.
Newcastle Jets; this is a team trending in the right direction, and, if Osieck has been watching closely, he will have noticed that the spine of this side have been instrumental in their recent success. No-one has been more influential than Nikolai Topor-Stanley, but others that should be right in the frame, at least for the 50, are Ljubo Milicevic, Kasey Wehrman, Ben Kantarovski and Ruben Zadkovich.
Another who has had a stellar campaign is Ben Kennedy, but he has fierce competition between the sticks.
Melbourne Victory; while they have been cold for most of the campaign, there have been recent signs the Victory are heating up, especially with Robbie Kruse and Archie Thompson striking up a pacey partnership.
Both should be right in the frame for the initial selection, with Thompson the most likely for the final 23. Michael Petkovic has done some great things of late, and wouldn’t be out of place in the 50.
Central Coast Mariners; if you’re looking for a couple of bolters for the 50, and possibly beyond, then keep an eye on left sided Mariners pair Joshua Rose and Oliver Bozanic.
Rose, with his marauding runs, offers an option in a problem area, while Bozanic has perhaps the neatest left peg in the league. Elsewhere, Rostyn Griffiths has developed markedly this season and might just sneak in, while there’s an argument to take someone like Mustafa Amini for the experience given he will feature for the Young Socceroos next year.
Gold Coast United; Jason Culina should be the first A-Leaguer picked in the final 23, while Michael Thwaite and Zenon Caravella should at least make the 50.
Dino Djulbic has had a stellar campaign but is likely to be crowded out, while Joel Porter’s injuries are likely to count against him.
Adelaide United; Earlier in the season it looked like Mathew Leckie would be a shoe-in for the final 23, but his knee injury means Osieck has to look elsewhere. While a trio of foreigners, in Cassio, Sergio van Dijk and Marcos Flores have been among Adelaide’s best, you wouldn’t discount the selection of two veteran Aussies, Paul Reid and Lucas Pantelis, in the 50. Both have been terrific.
Meanwhile, the exemplary Eugene Galekovic should be one of the three keepers in the final squad.
Brisbane Roar; If Joshua Rose is a bolter at left-back, then Ivan Franjic should also come into contention on the other side after an outstanding season. He featured in my team of the season so far. So too did Matt McKay, who should really be pressing for the final 23.
With the Roar dishing up such flowing football, it would only be natural they have a bevy of players on the initial 50, with Luke DeVere, Erik Paartalu and Mitch Nichols worthy of nomination. Another who might be is Michael Theoklitos.
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