At a press conference yesterday, the AFL unveiled its 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar, and it's full of familiar faces who have sweated it out on Shanghai Tang. Midfielders like Matthew Ryan and Krstic managed to squeeze into the list.
Although there are 16 players in the Australian team who are playing in overseas leagues, there is still a gap between the overall strength and the number of star players compared to previous World Cups. What's more, 17 players on the World Cup roster are making their debut on this world-class stage, and their experience is obviously still lacking.
"The road to the past World Cup qualifiers was bumpy and fortunately we ended up with encouraging results. Now, we will set foot in Qatar with a vibrant team and the players will give their best to bring glory to all those who support us." So said Australia's head coach Arnold.
For Shanghai fans, midfielder Muy is undoubtedly the highlight of memories. The balding 32-year-old midfield commander had a two-year stint at Shanghai Port (formerly Shanghai Port), turning in six goals and partnering Oscar in a striking midfield combination. After leaving China, Mooy moved to Scottish giants Celtic, and although he failed to secure a starting spot in the competitive Scottish Premier League, his consistent performances continued to win Arnold's approval and he is expected to shine at this World Cup.
Another veteran from the Chinese Super League, Sainsbury, a defender who played for Jiangsu, was unfortunate to have a last-minute brush with the list.
Australia's World Cup squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Matthew Ryan (Copenhagen), Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners fc)
Defenders: Nathaniel Atkinson (Riverside Olympic), Behy (Dundee United), Joel King (Odense), Rawls (Midlothian Hearts), Degnecker (Columbus Crew), Souttar (Stoke City) Dunn (Niigata Swans), Bailey Carracci (Sunderland)
MIDFIELD: Keelin Bacchus (St. Mirren), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli), Cameron Devlin (Hearts), Reilly McGrory (Middlesbrough), Krstic (Verona), Mooy (Celtic)
Forwards: Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners) - Duke (Okayama Green Pheasants), Kraigg Goodwin (Adelaide Union) - Kuhl (Central Coast Mariners), Matthew Leckie (Melbourne) - Mabiel, Jamie McLaren (Melbourne City)
