Caltex Socceroos to watch in Russia

The world game has well and truly commenced, serving up a footballing feast for fans alike. 

Not for editorial use

The world game has well and truly commenced, serving up a footballing feast for fans alike. 

After a rocky qualifying campaign to say the least, there’s no surprise that the Aussies are heavy underdogs to get out of the Group Stage. We’ve had tougher groups in the past, with France, Denmark and Peru joining our boys in Group C.

To get to the Round Of 16 we’re going to need some special performances from some our squad, so here are a handful of Caltex Socceroos worth keeping an eye on during the Cup.

Mathew Ryan / Goalkeeper

After a solid (but perhaps not stunning) season with Brighton Hove & Albion in the English Premier League, Matty Ryan should get the nod to start in goals. France is the Caltex Socceroos first game of the campaign, and let’s not sugar coat it, we’re going to be under the pump. So Matty will need to be at the top of his game against a line-up featuring some of the world’s best including Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé.

New coach Bert van Marwijk has named Brad Jones and Danny Vukovic as the back-up keepers, and he gave all three gloveman game time during the last set of friendlies. But coming of a full EPL season, including ten clean sheets, Matty deserves his spot as the number one.

Trent Sainsbury / Defender

The stalwart of our line, Trent Sainsbury has quickly become the leader of our defence. And it might seem quite incredible if you look at his club form over the past few years. He joined Chinese side Jiangsu Suning in 2016, was then loaned to Inter Milan where he barely played. He was again loaned out this season to Grasshoppers in the Swiss Super League where he managed just nine appearances.

But despite all of this, Sainsbury has been the only consistent starter in our national team defence in the past season or two. And he’ll need to be at his composed best, because we’ll be relying on him to be the vocal leader at the back.

Aaron Mooy / Midfielder

It’s been an amazing rise for the 27-year old in the past 24-months. His assist against Chelsea, in the penultimate game of the 2017/18 EPL season, helping Huddersfield Town avoid relegation in their first season of the top-flight football. He’s the anchor to the Caltex Socceroos side, and will look to control the tempo of the games by getting on the ball as much as possible.

He’s rightly drawn huge praise for his performances this season, with English manager and pundit Harry Redknapp recently saying that Mooy would not be out of place at Barcelona. We’re going to need to make the most of our opportunities in Russia, so Mooy’s passing range and set piece delivery will be vital to getting out of the group.

Massimo Luongo / Midfielder

At the backend of 2017 and start of 2018, Luongo looked likely for a bench role in the national side during the Cup. But a particularly impressive second half of the season for QPR in the English Championship (where he was named player of the season) has Luongo set to start regularly for van Marwijk.

Luongo scored six and assisted three times this season, and his player-of-the-tournament performance during the famous 2015 Asian Cup triumph emphasized that he has the talent to thrive on the international scene. His box-to-box ability will be crucial in both defence and attack.

Tom Rogic / Midfielder

The golden boy of this set of players, Rogic is arguably the most naturally talented and gifted player in the squad. It’s been a remarkable season for the former Central Coast Mariner, claiming a second consecutive Scottish treble with Celtic. He picked up four goals and four assists in the Premiership and was impressive early season in UEFA Champions League qualifying.

It’s been a consistent season for Rogic, which is what will have most Caltex Socceroos fans excited. He of course missed out on selection altogether for Brazil four years ago through injury, so he’ll be looking to finally impress on the world stage. The Canberra-born Rogic has the ability to produce quality out of nowhere, and if he impresses in Russia, there might even be a big club move on the cards.

Mathew Leckie / Forward

The biggest concern of any Caltex Socceroos fan is our lack of firepower up front. Timmy Cahill will bring some big game aura into the dressing room, but we’re looking a little light when it comes to goals. So, an in-form Mat Leckie is a must if we’re to go beyond the Group Stage. With van Marwijk set to bring a more counter attacking feel to this Caltex Socceroos team, Leckie should see plenty of minutes in a more suited advanced role.

It was a strong season for the 27-year old Hertha Berlin winger, with six goals and three assists, helping the German side to a respectable 10th in the Bundesliga. He was also arguably our most consistent player in qualifying, scoring four and assisting four in 19 games. He has the tendency to frustrate at times with his final ball, but we’ll need him to step up and take a bit more responsibility in Russia.

Originally published as Caltex Socceroos to watch in Russia