Garang Kuol and Jason Cummings selected in Australia’s World Cup squad but Tom Rogic overlooked
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has named Australia’s World Cup squad, and there are a couple of big omissions.
Teenage sensation Garang Kuol and his Central Coast Mariners teammate Jason Cummings have been included in Australia’s 26-man FIFA World Cup squad, but star playmaker Tom Rogic has missed out.
Rogic has played very little football since leaving Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic in May, and withdrew from the Socceroos’ World Cup playoffs squad in June for undisclosed personal reasons.
There had been speculation he would still be picked for the World Cup, however he hasn’t done enough in his limited minutes for English Championship club West Bromwich Albion to earn selection.
“We gone with (playmakers) Ajdin Hrustic and Riley McGree, and we need some flexibility,” Socceroos coach Graham Arnold.
“We need players who are fit and ready. Tommy’s been absolutely brilliant for Australian football and he will continue tn so, but I have to make those decisions.”
However, Kuol, the 18-year-old attacker who will leave the Mariners in January to join English Premier League club Newcastle, and Scotland-born striker Cummings made it virtually impossible Arnold to leave them out of his World Cup plans.
“Garang has really shown at the Mariners how he can change a game,” Arnold said.
“He’s a player that has absolutely zero fear, He just goes out to and he wants to entertain.”
Apart from Rogic, notable omissions from the squad included in-form goalkeeper Mitch Langerak, defender and former captain Trent Sainsbury and striker Adam Taggart.
“Trent was very understanding of the situation but it’s a decision that is hard to make,” Arnold said.
“It’s been a unique and difficult qualification campaign and we now arrive in Qatar with an exciting squad which will do everything to make Australia proud on the world stage.
“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.”
“The make-up of our team reflects Australia’s multicultural landscape. Our boys come from all over the world, they all have different journeys, but we are united by one jersey.
“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.”
Socceroos squad: Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Andrew Redmayne, Danny Vukovic. Defenders: Harry Souttar, Milos Degenek, Thomas Deng, Bailey Wright, Kye Rowles, Fran Karacic, Nathaniel Atkinson, Aziz Behich, Joel King, Midfielders: Aaron Mooy, Riley McGree, Ajdin Hrustic, Cameron Devlin, Jackson Irvine, Keanu Baccus Attackers: Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil, Jamie Maclaren, Craig Goodwin, Mat Leckie, Jason Cummings, Garang Kuol, Mitchell Duke.
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