What We Learned – Socceroos squad announcement

Ange Postecoglou named his squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers and it was hardly a straightforward selection for the national team boss.

Here is what we learned from today’s announcement.

Full-back rotation continues

One thing that has remained constant throughout Postecoglou’s tenure with the national team is his willingness to throw untried players into the fire. The supposed dearth of young talent did not exist and several players have been called in to deepen the pool of players on offer. This squad is no different with the inclusion of young full-backs Jason Geria and Alex Gersbach called up for the first time.

The rotation of this group throughout the campaign suggests a sense of uncertainty with that position – maybe Postecoglou has not settled on his preferred combination. Ivan Franjic, who was projected to be a favourite of Postecoglou from his time in Brisbane, misses out for the time being. Josh Risdon holds his place after impressing in November’s games. Brad Smith from Liverpool may find himself rewarded for his impressive run with Liverpool with a starting berth as well.

Sticking to his guns no matter what

It is not a simple case of experimenting with a dead rubber as has been the case at this stage in the past, with both games carrying significant meaning. The Socceroos’ passage to the next stage of qualifying is close to confirmation, yet getting two wins from these games will make a big difference when it comes to the next round. With FIFA’s ever-wise, all-knowing rankings system determining seeding for the next round, the Socceroos need all the help they can get to ensure a partially protected draw.

So the decision to continue to blood new players is a real show of faith from the boss that these players can hold their own in an important match. Wins over Tajikistan and Jordan could well see Australia as one of the top four ranked teams in Asia in the final stage of qualifying.

Hoping for a Greek goal fest

The recent decision of Apostolos Giannou to declare himself eligible for Socceroos selection has been rewarded almost instantly with his inclusion in this squad. His club record warrants a call-up and the hope will be that he can top the efforts of another prolific striker in Scott McDonald. He could well start either game.

A-League impact

Perhaps the biggest winner of the entire squad selection process was Brisbane Roar, who for the first time in what feels like forever, do not have a player in the squad. Many were calling for the inclusion of Jamie Maclaren, but he lost out to Giannou and John Aloisi will be pretty happy about that. They are also able to keep Matt McKay around, which will be a significant boost to their run to the finals.

Both Melbourne clubs will feel the pinch of national team selection with Geria gone from the Victory, while City will lose Aaron Mooy. Josh Risdon will need to be covered by Perth Glory, which may interrupt their impressive run of form.

Socceroos squad for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers vs Tajikistan and Jordan

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