SOCCEROOS veteran Tim Cahill is part of the squad that will begin the journey to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, included in Ange Postecoglou’s group for the opening World Cup qualifier in Kyrgyzstan on 16 June.
The inclusion of 35-year-old Cahill is the greatest indication yet that Australia’s all-time leading goal scorer is part of the plans for the next World Cup cycle, which would see him head to a fourth World Cup finals should Australia qualify.
There are few surprises in Postecoglou’s first World Cup qualifiers squad, with 19 members of the successful AFC Asian Cup squad included, with no uncapped players or bolters.
It’s a sign that after a tenure that has included plenty of experimentation, Postecoglou has settled on a clear he feels can navigate a qualification campaign.
Hear from Ange Postecoglou from 11am EST in a live stream at the top of the page as he explains his first World Cup qualifying squad.
It means the team that conquered Asia in January’s tournament will be given the first opportunity to guide Australia through the path to qualifying for Russia, in a group that also includes Jordan, Tajikistan and Bangladesh in Group B.
The only changes from the squad that faced Germany and FYR Macedonia in recent friendlies see Aaron Mooy, Adam Federici and Luke Devere drop out, while Asian Cup squad members Matthew Spiranovic and Eugene Galekovic return alongside Cahill.
“This is the start of the next chapter in our journey and we are all excited about what lies ahead over the next two years,” Postecoglou said.
“We’ve been open in our desire to make an impact at the 2018 World Cup but first we need to qualify and that task is immediately in front of us.
“We’ve selected a relatively settled squad made up of the core of players that brought success at the Asian Cup but also the core of players that will take us through to the next World Cup.
“Before we travel to Bishkek for the match against Kyrgyzstan we have a week long camp in Dubai and it is a good opportunity to work hard with the core group of players who have been exposed to international football and the style of football we want to play.
“We’ll work on building a strong base and then over the next two years we can expose more players to the squad as form and fitness warrants selection but those players will come into a settled unit when they get an opportunity.”
The unheralded Kurgyzstan outfit might be ranked 153rd in the world, but Australia has never travelled there, and the away trip to kick-off the campaign represents a trip to unchartered waters.
No Australian football team has ever been to Kyrgyzstan so we have done a lot of research, including a reconnaissance trip to Bishkek, to make sure we are well prepared for what will not be an easy task,” Postecoglou said.
“We go to Bishkek with the utmost respect for Kyrgyzstan and we know that we will have to be at our best to get off to a winning start.”
SOCCEROOS SQUAD
Goalkeepers
Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Mat Ryan (Club Brugge, Belgium)
Defenders
Aziz Behich (Bursaspor, Turkey), Jason Davidson (West Brom, EPL), Tarek Elrich (Adelaide United), Ivan Franjic (unattached), Trent Sainsbury (PEC Zwolle), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai, Korea Republic), Bailey Wright (Preston North End, England)
Midfielders
Oliver Bozanic (FC Luzern, Switzerland), Chris Ikonomidis (Lazio, Italy), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace, EPL), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town, England), Matt McKay (Brisbane), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht, Holland)
Strikers
Nathan Burns (Wellington), Tim Cahill (Shanghai Shenhua, China), Tomi Juric (Western Sydney), Mathew Leckie (FC Ingolstadt, Germany), James Troisi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium)
source:news.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 