FIFA World Cup: Australian team revealed
Whatever you think of Graham Arnold’s World Cup squad, he can’t be accused of playing favourites — just ask his son-in-law who will be watching from home.
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Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has made no apologies for his brutal World Cup selection policy – admitting he’s been agonising for months over the toughest calls, which on Tuesday included the stunning axing of son-in-law Trent Sainsbury.
Sainsbury, a no-nonsense defender, former Socceroos captain and veteran of 58 national appearances, was one of four shock omissions from the 26-man squad announced that Arnold believes will silence critics at this year’s World Cup.
He was joined on the outer by veteran keeper Mitch Langerak, striker Adam Taggart and Australia’s man of mystery, Tom Rogic, all of whom fell on the wrong side of the brutal selection calls.
In their place is a youthful group, boasting 17 World Cup debutants and a host of rising talents, including 18-year-old bolter Garang Kuol, who Arnold is ready to place his trust in.
But that didn’t make the phone calls, that delivered either agony or ecstasy for the recipient, any easier for Arnold – with the coach explaining the tough calls outweighed the good for him this weekend.
“It hasn’t just been the last few days – it’s been the last four months,” Arnold explained.
“Ever since the (qualifying win over) Peru it’s been tiring. It’s been hard.
“I’ve had to make a lot of phone calls to disappoint people, which is very difficult.”
Perhaps none more so than to Sainsbury, who was omitted to open up spots for the fit-again central defensive pairing of Harry Souttar (ACL) and Kye Rowles, who will be backed up by Milos Degenek and young guns Bailey Wright and Thomas Deng.
“Obviously it was a very, very difficult decision,” Arnold said.
“It’s a tough decision to make, but they are decisions I believe are going to make the team and the nation proud.”
GOALKEEPER CONUNDRUM
The snubbing of Langerak – who had been the presumed back-up to captain Mat Ryan in goals – caused a ripple around Australian football after he was wooed out of international retirement, only to be displaced by Danny Vukovic and Andrew Redmayne on the flight to Doha.
All three selected goalkeepers have a strong bond with Arnold and his trusted goalkeeper coach John Crawley – prompting former Socceroo Tommy Oar to slam the selections.
“It’s an absolute wind up. Takes jobs for the boys to a whole new level,” Oar wrote on Twitter.
“ (Langerak has) been one of our best performing players consistently for the last 5 years and is one of the best blokes you’ll meet, respected by everyone.”
Arnold defended the call, and pointed to Crawley’s bold suggestion to bring on Redmayne in the Peru penalty shootout – which ultimately delivered Australia’s World Cup berth, and the ‘Grey Wiggle’ moniker – as reason to trust in his support staff.
“We make that decision together. I’m not an expert in goalkeeping and we’ve got a great goalkeeping coach in John Crawley who has a process and studies these goalkeepers and understands them enormously,” Arnold said.
“I’ve got to trust that process with John Crawley. I trusted John Crawley when we played Peru with that substitution and I’ve got to trust again those type of decisions.”
ROGIC NOT PUNISHED FOR SNUB
Arnold insisted the call to leave Rogic out was not in response to the 29-year-old mysteriously making himself unavailable for Australia’s final qualifiers for reasons that remain unexplained, and more to do with a lake of game time since leaving Celtic nearly six months ago.
“We need some flexibility and some players that are fit and ready and I just felt at this moment in time it was a decision to make on the playing side of it,” he said.
“I can only pick two players in each position … I’d have loved to be able to pick 50 players, but we’ve gone for Ajdin Hrustic and Riley McGree in that area.”
Australia opens their World Cup campaign against Group D favourites France on November 22 in Doha, before matches against Tunisia and Denmark.
BOMBSHELL CALLS IN ARNOLD’S QATAR SQUAD
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold dropped a series of bombshells – and called on the country’s most exciting prospect while leaving out the man of mystery Tom Rogic – before landing on the 26-man squad he believes will silence critics at this year’s World Cup.
It was heartbreak and ecstasy for Socceroos hopefuls around the world on Tuesday as Arnold made the tough calls from his base in Doha, with the stunning omissions of goalkeeper Mitch Langerak, defender Trent Sainsbury and veteran striker Adam Taggart.
They were offset by the inclusion of boom bolter Garang Kuol, cult hero Jason Cummings and young midfielder Keanu Baccus.
Mercurial midfielder Rogic joined Sainsbury, Langerak and Taggart in being the squad’s hardluck stories.
The 29-year-old made himself unavailable for Australia’s crucial qualifier against Peru in June for reasons that remain unexplained, and despite a recent move to West Bromwich Albion, it appears he left his run too late.
For 18-year-old Kuol, selection is the culmination of an extraordinary 12 months in which the youngster burst on to the scene before securing a monster contract with Premier League giants Newcastle and now an incredible World Cup berth.
Even six months ago it would’ve appeared fanciful, but the Central Coast starlet’s incredible rise – including a star role in an electrifying cameo on Socceroos debut against New Zealand – saw him demand selection.
And now he’s been entrusted by Arnold to be Australia’s X-factor off the bench as the biggest bolter in the Qatar touring party – although Cummings ranks alongside him on that front.
“We have worked hard to give younger players an opportunity over the campaign, to expose them to international football, to test them against the best and I’m thrilled with the development and maturity of this group who now get a chance on the biggest stage possible,” Arnold said.
The Edinburgh-born striker, who qualifies through his mother, has enjoyed a career revival since joining the A-League last season and done enough to displace Taggart as Arnold’s third option up front behind Mitchell Duke and Jamie Maclaren.
The inclusion of injury-hit defenders Kye Rowles (foot) and Harry Souttar (ACL), as well as attacking maestro Martin Boyle (knee), is also a major plus for Arnold assuming all three are able to compete.
Though the return of Rowles and Souttar came at the expense of Sainsbury, one of Australia’s most reliable defensive stars since his debut eight years ago.
Of course, Australia are able to make injury-enforced changes up until the FIFA deadline next Tuesday should any player suffer a setback in the next week.
“Over the past four years, 32 players have made their debut for the national team. I want to thank every player who has helped the team over this journey. We have called upon 68 players during the qualifying campaign and every one of them has played a part in getting us here,” said Arnold.
The omission of Taggart and, especially, Langerak has already caused ripples around Australian football.
Langerak is understood to be dumbfounded over his non-selection, after being wooed back from international retirement to join the Socceroos as an unused substitute in the recent friendlies against New Zealand.
Despite strong form for Japanese powerhouse Nagoya Grampus, Langerak was relegated behind Central Coast’s Danny Vukovic and the penalty-shootout hero from Australia’s qualifying win over Peru, Andrew Redmayne.
Former Socceroo Tommy Oar blasted the decision on social media.
“It’s an absolute wind up. Takes jobs for the boys to a whole new level,” Oar wrote on Twitter.
“ (Langerak has) been one of our best performing players consistently for the last 5 years and is one of the best blokes you’ll meet, respected by everyone.”
Australia opens their World Cup campaign against Group D favourites France on November 22 in Doha, before matches against Tunisia and Denmark.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Danny Vukovic, Andrew Redmayne
Defenders: Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Milos Degenek, Aziz Behich, Fran Karacic, Nathaniel Atkinson, Thomas Deng, Bailey Wright, Joel King
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Aaron Mooy, Ajdin Hrustic, Riley McGree, Cameron Devlin, Keanu Baccus
Attackers: Jamie Maclaren, Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil, Garang Kuol, Craig Goodwin, Mitchell Duke, Jason Cummings, Mat Leckie
FORMER SOCCEROO LASHES ARNOLD’S SHOCK CALL
Australia coach Graham Arnold has been accused of taking “jobs for the boys to a new level” by former Socceroo Tommy Oar over some bombshell omissions from the World Cup squad to be announced on Tuesday.
It’s understood experienced goalkeeper Mitch Langerak has missed selection for the Qatar tournament, a move that has left the Japan-based star dumbfounded.
Instead, it is expected to be Sydney FC’s Andrew Redmayne and Central Coast’s Danny Vukovic who are named as back-ups to skipper Mat Ryan when the squad is confirmed by Arnold at 4pm.
Mitch Langerak (48) has kept more clean sheets at club level since the start of 2021 than Maty Ryan, Andrew Redmayne and Danny Vukovic combined (35).
— Jake Rosengarten (@Jakeros95) November 7, 2022
Inexplicable decision.#Socceroos#WorldCup2022
And the decision has rankled many within Australian football, with Oar – a dazzling winger who played 28 times for his country before injuries took their toll – leading the charge.
“It’s an absolute wind up. Takes jobs for the boys to a whole new level,” Oar wrote on Twitter.
“ (Langerak has) been one of our best performing players consistently for the last 5 years and is one of the best blokes you’ll meet, respected by everyone.”
Ryan, Vukavic and Redmayne have all worked under Arnold at club level and have a close relationship with goalkeeping coach John Crawley.
Langerak is unlikely to be the only shock omission from Arnold’s 26-man squad, with veteran striker Adam Taggart also tipped to miss out on the Qatar tournament – while bolters Garang Kuol and Jason Cummings are expected to feature, as well as mercurial midfield star Tom Rogic.
For 18-year-old Kuol, selection would be the culmination of an extraordinary 12 months in which the youngster burst on the scene for Central Coast before securing a monster contract with Premier League giants Newcastle and what would be an incredible World Cup berth.
Even six months ago it would’ve appeared fanciful, but the Central Coast starlet’s incredible rise – including a star role in an electrifying cameo on Socceroos debut against New Zealand – has made him an irresistible selection.
With pace to burn, he could be entrusted by Arnold to be Australia’s X-factor off the bench as the biggest bolter in the Qatar touring party.
Originally published as FIFA World Cup: Australian team revealed
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