Brisbane Roar has named a 19-player extended squad to contest Wednesday’s AFC Champions League qualifier against Thai Premier League club Buriram United.
Brisbane Roar has named a 19-player extended squad to contest Wednesday’s AFC Champions League qualifier against Thai Premier League club Buriram United.
A win would mean Brisbane would qualify for the 2013 edition of the tournament and play against Korean K-League Champions FC Seoul, Japanese J-League runners-up Vegalta Sendai and Chinese Super League runners-up Jiangsu Sainty in Group E.
With a Hyundai A-League away fixture against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium this Sunday, all 20 players and coaching staff will travel to Sydney on Saturday and then straight to Buriram, via Bangkok, on Monday ahead of Wednesday-s qualifier.
Club captain Matt Smith will stay behind, still receiving treatment for a hip injury that has kept him out of action since mid-January.
“We-ve got players who have played all over the world and I think that experience will count for a lot when we come up against a very good Buriram United,” Head Coach Mike Mulvey said.
“Experience is very important but also, desire and enthusiasm is equally important and this squad has that too.”
This is the second time Brisbane has contested the continental competition, with their maiden campaign in 2012 resulting in three draws and three losses in a group that included eventual winners Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea.
If the Roar achieve qualification with a win, their first fixture is away to Vegalta Sendai in Japan on Tuesday, 26 February before hosting FC Seoul two weeks later on Tuesday, 12 March at Brisbane Stadium.
Brisbane Roar extended squad: 1. Michael THEO (gk), 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 4. Matthew JURMAN, 5. Ivan FRANJIC, 7. Besart BERISHA (foreign), 8. Massimo MURDOCCA, 9. Stefan NIJLAND (foreign), 11. Ben HALLORAN, 13. Jade NORTH, 14. Steven LUSTICA, 15. James DONACHIE, 17. Mitch NICHOLS, 18. Luke BRATTAN, 19. Jack HINGERT, 20. Matthew ACTON, 21. James MEYER, 22. Thomas BROICH (foreign), 25. George LAMBADARIDIS, 26. Corey BROWN
Buriram United v Brisbane Roar
New i-Mobile Stadium, Buriram, Thailand
AFC Champions League play-off qualifier
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Kick-off: 6pm local time, 9pm Brisbane time
TV details: Live on Fox Sports 3
