Two of our most promising goalkeepers are experiencing mixed emotions at the moment, while another felt the pain of being knocked out of the FA Cup.
Here’s a closer look at three of our upcoming Socceroos’ domestic fortunes from the UK and Europe.
Mat Ryan – Valencia (LEFT ON THE BENCH FOR A DEAD RUBBER)
So the first leg of the Copa del Rey didn’t go to plan for Ryan, getting the start and giving up a not so lucky seven goals. For the incredibly important second leg back at the Estadio de Mestalla the margin proved to be too much for the home side to overcome, only managing a 1-1 draw. Ryan was left on the bench which can be taken a few different ways, either it was good for his confidence to not go through that again, or maybe he was being punished for letting in seven goals. Another way to look at it is possibly Gary Neville wasn’t quite sure how to handle it and just flipped a coin.
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Mitch Langerak – VFB Stuttgart (RETURN FROM INJURY)
Better late than never to give Australia’s goalkeeping stocks a boost, the 27-year-old finally made it onto the pitch for his new German side. Unfortunately, it was in a German Cup loss to his former side in Dortmund which really proves you can’t have it all. He did manage a very nice save from ace striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to keep the score at 2-1 for the time being. Admittedly it was never going to be an easy return to senior team action but it’s good for the Socceroos to see another young keeper getting a chance. After all, if the team draws a World Cup group like 2010, they may have to play a second keeper to help with the barrage of shots from Germany.
Brad Smith – Liverpool (KNOCKED OUT OF FA CUP)
Fast becoming a favourite of Jurgen Klopp, Smith was in the team once more for the FA Cup replay at West Ham. This result has been discussed ad nauseam in the past two days, but as any non-Liverpool fan will tell you, it’s always fun to rehash someone else’s pain. Fox Sports Football reporter Daniel Garb highlighted the positive attacking play of Smith, unfortunately his target up front was Christian Benteke, so you can imagine how that wound up. With mere seconds left of stoppage time, West Ham managed to grab the win off a well placed free-kick to end Liverpool’s cup run – there’s always the league right?
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