Australian national team coach Graham Arnold suggested it’s time for Riley McGree to step up to the Socceroos despite ban
Australia coach Graham Arnold believes Riley McGree can step up into the Socceroos squad despite his current suspension.
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Graham Arnold suggested Riley McGree must focus on becoming a Socceroo after a national teams ban cost him the Australian U-23s captaincy and a berth in the current Olympic Games qualifying squad.
Socceroos and Olyroos boss Arnold on Monday named Adelaide United’s teenage sensation Al Hassan Toure as the only Red on international duty for most of January.
“Riley is injured (knee) anyway and he probably wouldn’t have been able to come to this tournament,’’ Arnold said.
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“Those things happen in life and Riley has just got to get back on the pitch, work hard and then the next focus for him is probably the Socceroos.”
Arnold said qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008 may guarantee up to seven players could become Socceroos regulars, claiming research since Barcelona ‘92 where Australia finished fourth backed that fact.
McGree is uncapped but was an unused substitute for two Socceroos FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the United Arab Emirates and Iraq in March 2017.
McGree was in November banned from international duty until April Fools’ Day.
Three of his Olyroos teammates Melbourne City’s Nathaniel Atkinson and Lachie Wales, and Perth Glory’s Brandon Wilson were suspended from the national teams until August 10 – after the Tokyo Games.
Football Federation Australia revealed it had acted on a complaint made by a woman in April after an Olyroos tournament and a night out in Cambodia in March.
At the time of breaching FFA’s code of conduct, McGree was on loan from Club Brugge to Melbourne City before the Belgian club sold him back to Adelaide United in July where he signed a three-year deal.
He was in flying form until December 1 scoring six A-League and three FFA Cup goals from attacking midfield before injury hit.
Adelaide’s recent form slump – three losses in four matches – has coincided with McGree’s absence.
And with Toure bound for duty in Thailand, Arnold laughed off suggestions calling for him to award the ex Croydon Kings NPL attacker a Socceroos cap not long after the striker made an impact in 2019.
“Toure has a lot of talent and a good future ahead of him,’’ Arnold said.
“Obviously he is playing every week in Adelaide, it’s normal for kids to be a little bit inconsistent at times and maybe we have seen that the last half month.
“But this is a great opportunity, a great journey for Al Hassan to join us and I look forward to great things in Thailand from him.”
Toure scored on his international debut for the Olyroos in a 5-1 win over China in Chongqing last month after he was also wooed by Liberia – the birthplace of his parents.
He rose to prominence during this year’s FFA Cup where he scored on debut in a 5-2 win over Melbourne Knights away before scoring five goals including one in the final – a 4-0 win over Melbourne City.
He scored his second A-league goal on Friday in a 3-2 loss to Western Sydney at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Australia is in Group A facing Iraq, Thailand and Bahrain in Thailand with the top three nations of the 16 teams qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Australia U-23s squad
A-League based: Keanu Baccus (Western Sydney), Trent Buhagiar (Sydney), Nicholas D’Agostino (Perth Glory), Thomas Deng (Melbourne Victory), Denis Genreau (Melbourne City), Thomas Glover (Melbourne City), Thomas Heward- Belle (Sydney FC), Connor Metcalfe (Melbourne City), Tass Mouroukoutas (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ramy Najjarine (Melbourne City), Aiden O’Neill (Brisbane Roar), Connor O’Toole (Brisbane Roar), Reno Piscopo (Wellington Phoenix), Al Hassan Toure (Adelaide United).
Internationally based: Daniel Bouman (Cambuur, Netherlands), Gabriel Cleur (Alessandria, Italy), Zach Duncan (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Ben Folami (Ipswich Town), Alex Gersbach (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Jordan Holmes (Ebbsfleet United, England), Jacob Italiano (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany), Joshua Laws (Fortuna Dusseldorf II, Germany), Dylan Ryan (Willem II Tilburg, Netherlands).
AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020
January 8: Iraq U-23 v Australia U-23 at Thammasat Stadium, Pathum Thani, Thailand
Kick-off: 8.45pm (CSDT)
January 11: Australia U-23 v Thailand U-23 at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
Kick-off: 11.45pm (CSDT)
January 15: Australia U-23 v Bahrain U-23 at Thammasat Stadium, Pathum Thani, Thailand
Kick-off: 11.45pm