Maty Ryan’s Socceroos career is not over, coach Tony Popovic insists, despite leaving the national team skipper out of his first squad since the World Cup for this month’s friendlies in Queensland against Brazil.
asserted
Popovic → insist → Brazil
Popovic has made good on his promise to blood more young prospects, naming seven uncapped players in his squad for the two-match series, including Kasey Bos, the brother of injured Socceroos star Jordan, and a handful of other exciting recent A-League exports - many of whom he said were “not ready” for international football, but whose development he hoped would be accelerated by their early exposure.
asserted
he → make → exposure
Among the new faces is 25-year-old goalkeeper Jacob Chapman, who played for NPL NSW clubs Marconi and Sydney United 58 in the early part of his career before signing for English club Huddersfield Town.
asserted
who → play → Town
Now playing for St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, Chapman joins Paul Izzo as the back-up to Patrick Beach, whose status as Australia’s No.1 goalkeeper appears to be entrenched after his sensational World Cup campaign and off-season move to French Ligue 1 outfit Troyes.
asserted
status → play → Troyes
What this means for Ryan, 34, is unclear.
uncertain
means → mean → Ryan
He made his 105th appearance for the Socceroos when Popovic controversially decided to sub him on for Beach for the penalty shootout, which ultimately led to Australia’s World Cup elimination against Egypt in the round of 32 - a move Popovic said last week he did not regret.
asserted
he → make → 32
Popovic said he chose not to select Ryan, who has retained his status as La Liga side Levante’s starting custodian this season, so he could consider other options.
uncertain
he → say → options
“We know what Maty Ryan is to Australian football,” he said.
asserted
he → know → football
“He’s good.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
He’s the ultimate professional ... and that’s why he’s had such a distinguished career.
asserted
he → ’ → career
He’s still available for us, and he’s certainly not out of the picture moving forward.
asserted
he → ’ → picture
“We’d like to have a look at another keeper.
asserted
We → like → keeper
We’ve given a lot of keepers opportunity since we’ve been in charge.
asserted
we → give → charge
Young Jacob Chapman’s another one we follow closely …
asserted
we → ’ → ?
we feel it’s just a chance to have a look at him, get him in our environment, get Frank Juric to work with him, our goalkeeper coach, and then we can see how we progress with that from November.”
asserted
we → feel → November
Teammates still speak with reverence about Ryan, who is five caps away from overtaking Mark Schwarzer as the Socceroos’ most-capped player of all time, but it remains to be seen if he will get the opportunity to break the record.
asserted
he → speak → record
Forwards:
Eli Adams* (Gamba Osaka, Japan), Yaya Dukuly* (NK Celje, Slovenia), Nestory Irankunda (Sporting CP, Portugal), Mohamed Toure (Norwich City, England), Tete Yengi (FC Machida Zelvia, Japan), Marcus Younis* (Brondby IF, Denmark)
* denotes uncapped player
CHANGES FROM WORLD CUP SQUAD
IN: Eli Adams, Kealey Adamson, Kasey Bos, Jacob Chapman, Yaya Dukuly, Dylan Leonard, Riley McGree, Alexander Robertson, Patrick Yazbek, Marcus Younis.
asserted
Adams → denote → SQUAD
He remains entrenched as the team’s permanent captain and spiritual leader, and collected the armband from Harry Souttar, who had been wearing it in his absence, when he was sent on against Egypt - his only on-field involvement of the World Cup.
asserted
he → remain → Cup
Sixteen players from Popovic’s 26-man World Cup squad have been recalled for the upcoming exhibition matches against the five-time world champions.
asserted
players → recall → champions
Among the 10 absentees are some of the few players who were keeping that squad’s average age high, including Melbourne City’s Mathew Leckie and Awer Mabil, and midfielder Ajdin Hrustic, now based in the UAE, all of whom are in their twilight years at international level.
asserted
all → keep → level
Cameron Burgess, Cristian Volpato and Jordan Bos are all injured, and while the latter is irreplaceable, Popovic has the luxury of the closest thing possible to a one-for-one swap for him.
asserted
Popovic → have → him
Kasey Bos, 22, has been loaned out to Dutch top-tier club Excelsior Rotterdam this season, plays in the same position, and offers many of the same strengths.
asserted
Bos → loan → strengths
Other uncapped players include three of the A-League’s most dynamic attackers from last season, Eli Adams, Marcus Younis and Yaya Dukuly, plus former Macarthur FC right-back Kealey Adamson, all of whom have since moved to overseas clubs.
asserted
all → include → clubs
“A lot of these boys, they’ve been rewarded for the hard work they’ve put in to get an opportunity overseas,” Popovic said.
asserted
Popovic → reward → opportunity
“You go through the struggles when you go outside of your comfort zone.
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you → go → zone
You go through the ups and downs: not playing, playing, injuries, and that helps you grow.
asserted
you → go → ups
These players get mentally tougher, they know how to handle the difficult situations in games, and I believe they all deserve an opportunity.
asserted
they → get → opportunity
“They’re not ready right now, but we want to put them in our environment [so] that they can see what’s expected, the standards that we expect, and hopefully when they go back to their clubs, they can try and implement some of the things that we’ve worked on, try and raise their level physically, mentally, technically, and that maybe in November [or] in the Asian Cup, we can see a few of these boys.
asserted
we → ’re → boys
Meanwhile, a trio of players who were unfortunate to miss the World Cup are all back in the mix: Riley McGree and Patrick Yazbek, who were both ruled out through injury, and Alex Robertson, who was contentiously overlooked, but has made a cracking start to the new season with Cardiff City in the English second division.
asserted
who → miss → division
The Socceroos will gather only once more before January’s Asian Cup, with FIFA reforming the international calendar this year by merging the September and October windows into one longer break, aimed at reducing disruption to club football.
asserted
FIFA → gather → football
That gave them the chance to play up to four matches in this window, and Football Australia had looked at doing so but was unable to lock in a suitable opponent.
asserted
Australia → give → opponent
“The season has just begun, and it gives them a chance to go back to their clubs with a 10-day gap before they play again …
asserted
they → begin → gap
it’s a way of supporting the players and the clubs as well that show the commitment and the sacrifice that’s required for the players,” Popovic said.
asserted
Popovic → ’ → players
“Also, the clubs supporting us, we’re giving a little bit back to them as well.
asserted
we → support → them
“
Popovic is grateful for the chance to face a strong Brazilian squad, which includes superstar forwards Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha, plus Paris Saint-German captain Marquinhos, and is coached by the legendary Carlo Ancelotti.
asserted
which → face → Ancelotti
Both games, in Townsville next Friday night and in Brisbane the following Tuesday, are expected to be sold out.
asserted
games → follow → Brisbane
The Aporia
