- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Injured Socceroos striker John Aloisi plans to hit the ground running for Sydney FC in the upcoming A-League season to ensure his involvement in September’s final round of World Cup qualifiers.
Aloisi, 32, is currently recovering from off-season knee surgery and will play no part in Australia’s remaining three qualifiers this month.
A win in Sunday morning’s match against Iraq in Dubai will ensure Australia progresses to the final round of Asian qualification.
And Aloisi, who left Central Coast in March to join Sydney FC on a two-year deal, hopes to hit form immediately when the A-League begins on August 15 to prove his worth to Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek.
“It depends on fitness of course, playing well for Sydney and whether Pim wants me back in the Socceroos,” Aloisi said today of his prospects for the September matches.
“But hopefully if I’m doing well with Sydney FC I’m sure that I’ll be in the national team and hopefully in the next stage.
“This stage will be over end of June and the next stage (September) … I’ll be involved in them, hopefully.
“(Verbeek) knows that there’s no use in being 50 per cent fit and playing (at the moment), you have to be 100 per cent and he wants to see me 100 per cent.”
Aloisi has resumed light training but is still unable to do any ball work.
He said it had been frustrating watching the Socceroos play but was pleased the campaign for South Africa 2010 was on track.
“I was watching the game the other day and you start to get itchy feet that you want to be out there and playing for your national team,” Aloisi said.
“It is hard to watch but the boys are doing well.
“I can’t wait to start training again and kicking the ball around with the boys.
“I’m not able to train fully … but each week I’m progressing and it’s getting better and better.”
Aloisi, best known for scoring the decisive penalty-kick that put the Socceroos into the 2006 World Cup, predicted Sunday’s game would be Australia’s toughest assignment so far in this campaign.
“I know that the other day (1-0 win over Iraq in Brisbane on Sunday) was a hard game… it’s going to be an even tougher game this weekend with the conditions but we’ve got boys with strong characters and they’ll get through it alright.”
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.