- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Senior Socceroos have been given a deadline of this weekend to declare whether they want in or out of Australia’s Olympic Games campaign.
Olyroos coach Graham Arnold will this weekend ring the players he is considering for the three available overage spots in China – among them star striker Harry Kewell – to get a final answer on whether they would be available.
“I’ve told all the Socceroos boys who are on the radar I will contact them all Saturday or Sunday to get final confirmation of yes or no – whether they can come to the Olympics or not,” Arnold said from the Olyroos’ training camp in Darwin today.
“It’s important to me they’re the right people to fit into the team environment, the team culture, that they won’t put a negative on the younger players.
“They have to be better than what I’ve got and strengthen the side considerably.”
Arnold said he would like two overage attacking players and one overage defender to bolster his final 18-man squad.
But availability – or lack of it – is set to play a huge role in how Arnold is able to structure his squad.
Kewell would without doubt be top of Arnold’s wishlist, but he is still trying to secure his club future.
No would-be employer will want to lose Kewell for up to a month around the start of the European season, particularly with the 29-year-old’s recent injury record and the hefty wage bill he will demand from any new club.
Improving attacker Brett Holman was another option, but he looks almost certain to be scratched from the list as he closes in on a transfer from NEC Nijmegen to another Dutch club, AZ Alkmaar.
“We’ve got problems with the overage players who may be changing clubs or going to new clubs – that makes it very difficult,” Arnold said.
“Defensively over the whole campaign we’ve only conceded two goals.
“I am conscious of other nations potentially taking star strikers so pretty much I’d like to take two overage players in the front half of the field and one at the back.”
The Olyroos are in a difficult group, battling reigning Olympic champions Argentina, Serbia and Ivory Coast.
Arnold must submit his 18-man squad to the Australian Olympic Committee by July 4, and will also name four stand-by players who can be called up in case of injury prior to the opening match against Serbia in Shanghai on August 7.
The Olyroos play Chile’s under-23 side tomorrow night in the first of a two-match series in Darwin.
Game two is scheduled for Sunday.
ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION WORLD CUP QUALIFYING DRAW – HOW IT WORKS
(number denotes seeding)
Pot 1: 1 Australia, 2 South Korea
Pot 2: 3 Iran, 4 Japan/Saudi Arabia
Pot 3: 5 Japan/Saudi Arabia, 6 Bahrain
Pot 4: 7 Uzbekistan, 8 North Korea, 9 United Arab Emirates, 10 QatarHOW THE GROUPS WORK
* Two groups of five, each group will have one team from pots one two and three and two teams from pot four.
* All teams play each other home and away.
* Top two teams in each group qualify automatically as Asia’s representatives for 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
* Two third-placed teams play off over two legs. Winner plays Oceania Football Confederation champion for a place at 2010 World Cup finals.TENTATIVE MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day 1: September 6, 2008
Match Day 2: September 10, 2008
Match Day 3: October 15, 2008
Match Day 4: November 19, 2008
Match Day 5: February 11, 2009
Match Day 6: March 28, 2009
Match Day 7: April 1, 2009
Match Day 8: June 6, 2009
Match Day 9: June 10, 2009
Match Day 10: June 17, 2009
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.