Unreal goalkeeping, promotion winning goals and an AFC Cup win: Australians around the globe team of the week
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
The Socceroos will go into the East Asian Cup without Josh Kennedy after the striker’s Japanese club refused to release him.
Kennedy was in a provisional squad named for the four-nation round-robin tournament which starts on Saturday in South Korea.
But Football Federation Australia confirmed on Friday night J-League club Nagoya Grampus refused to grant Kennedy permission to play for the Socceroos in the eight-day tournament.
Nagoya are entitled to do so, as the tournament is not held on FIFA-sanctioned dates.
However other J-League clubs have released players for the tournament, including all 23 members of the Japanese national team.
The Socceroos open their tournament on Saturday night against South Korea.
Australia’s final 23-man squad contains 19 A-League players, and four from Asian clubs.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck said this week the Kennedy stand-off so infuriated him and Australian officials that the team considered withdrawing from the tournament.
Australia play Japan next Thursday and their final match will be against China on July 28.
It is a tournament in which fringe players will get their chance to push for World Cup selection.
Japan will be without stars Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda, who gave Australia plenty of problems in their 1-1 World Cup qualifier draw last month.
South Korea will be without Bayer Leverkusen striker Son Heung-Min and English Premier League midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng.
With no Lucas Neill, Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill and company, Archie Thompson, Matt McKay, Jade North and Mark Milligan are the four most experienced Socceroos in the squad.
McKay, who has been playing left-back in first-choice Socceroos squads, is likely to be shifted to his regular midfield role for the Korea clash.
Newcastle youngster Craig Goodwin is tipped to come in at left-back for his international debut.
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.
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
Socceroo Cameron Burgess has put Ipswich within touching distance of the Premier League after a 2-1 win over Coventry in the English Championship. Kieffer…
Who stood out from the Australians both here and overseas in a busy week of the world game? Goalkeeper - Mathew Ryan- 3-0 win…
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.