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Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will dispatch an A-League army to Indonesia for Australia’s Asian Cup qualifier this month, saving his European-based weapons of choice for Japan a fortnight later.
Verbeek confirmed he would name an all A-League side on Monday for the opening 2011 Asian Cup qualifier in Jakarta on January 28.
As well as the chance to get Australia’s Asian Cup campaign off to a flying start, for those who impress there is also the spur of selection for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Japan in Yokohama on February 11 alongside the likes of Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer.
Verbeek said logistics and a wish to avoid conflict with clubs would prevent him bringing back European-based players for the Indonesia match.
But the Dutchman also said he was keen to give the A-League’s best a chance to perform in an atmosphere not dissimilar to the toughest away World Cup tie.
The match is scheduled for Jakarta’s imposing Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which can hold up to 100,000 and will be close to capacity with football-mad Indonesians.
“The A-League players deserve it – I just want to see them in a big international game,” Verbeek told Fox Sports News on Wednesday.
“Playing in front of a 90,000-strong hostile crowd is very different to playing domestically.”
It has added a new edge to this weekend’s round of A-League matches, with Verbeek saying current form would be his priority when selecting players for the match.
“It’s not about what they’ve done in the past. It’s about what they’re doing at the moment.
“I have been here for the past year so I know what they can do.”
Among the most intriguing selections for Verbeek will be how he chooses to structure his strikers.
Melbourne Victory’s Danny Allsopp and Archie Thompson will vie with Central Coast’s Matt Simon, Perth’s Nikita Rukavytsya and Newcastle’s Joel Griffiths for spots.
Simon and Allsopp are the leading Australian marksmen in the A-League this season, with Allsopp having made two Socceroos appearances over the past two years.
Thompson has been a regular Socceroos squad member, Griffiths a fringe-dweller, while in-form Rukavytsya was in last year’s Olyroos squad.
Allsopp is also in great goalscoring form but admits there is no shortage of quality A-League strikers chasing a spot in the Socceroos squad.
“I think I’ve played better, but I seem to be scoring goals at the moment,” Allsopp said.
“I’m into double figures now but we’ll just have to wait and see when the team’s announced.”
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