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D’Agostino earns national call-up

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Young BRFC striker Nick D’Agostino has earned a call-up to the Australian U23 squad for upcoming 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.

Head Coach Graham Arnold this morning named a 24-player squad, which includes D’Agostino, for a training camp Kuala Lumpur & qualification matches in Phnom Penh against Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, and Korea Republic.

A first place finish in Group H would seal a place at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. Australia would also qualify for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship should the squad finish as one of the four best second-placed teams in qualifying. The fifth-best second-placed team from the 11 groups will also qualify should Thailand ā€“ who have qualified automatically for the tournament as hosts ā€“ finish as either Group K winners or runners-up.

Arnold said that with many Asian nations rapidly improving across the continent, the time spent together ahead of the qualifiers will be critical to Australiaā€™s aim of securing a place at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship ā€“ a tournament that will serve as Asiaā€™s qualification path for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. 

ā€œThe week that we have together in Kuala Lumpur will be vital in preparing us for the challenges that we will face in Phnom Penh, and we certainly appreciate the support of all the clubs that are releasing their players to participate in what is an important tournament for Australia,ā€ Arnold said.

ā€œWhile we are in Malaysia we will develop our key principles of play and focus on how we believe we can successfully navigate Group H and secure our place at next yearā€™s AFC U-23 Championship in Thailand.

ā€œOur three matches in Cambodia represent our first step on the path to next yearā€™s Olympic Games, and everyone involved with our squad is eager to help Australia return to the menā€™s football tournament for the first time since Beijing in 2008,ā€ he said.

D'Agostino

Australian U-23 National Team Squad | 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers | 22-26 March (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Name

Club, Country

Nathaniel ATKINSON

Melbourne City FC, Australia

Keanu BACCUS

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

George BLACKWOOD

Adelaide United, Australia

Jake BRIMMER

Perth Glory FC, Australia

Joseph CHAMPNESS

Newcastle Jets FC, Australia

Nicholas Dā€™AGOSTINO

Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Thomas DENG

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Denis GENREAU

PEC Zwolle, Netherlands

Alex GERSBACH

NAC Breda, Netherlands

Thomas GLOVER (Gk)

Tottenham Hotspur, England

Jordan HOLMES (Gk)

St Mirren, Scotland

John KOUTROUMBIS

Newcastle Jets FC, Australia

Abraham MAJOK

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Daniel MARGUSH (Gk)

Adelaide United, Australia

Riley MCGREE

Melbourne City FC, Australia

Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Aiden Oā€™NEILL

Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia

Sebastian PASQUALI

Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands

Reno PISCOPO

AC Renate, Italy

Harry SOUTTAR

Stoke City, England

Ivan VUJICA

Newcastle Jets FC, Australia

Lachlan WALES

Melbourne City FC, Australia

Pierce WARING

Cerezo Osaka, Japan

Brandon WILSON

Perth Glory FC, Australia

Upcoming Matches | Australian U-23 National Team

Petaling Jaya City FC v Australia U-23 (Friendly)
Date: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Venue: TBC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kick-off: 9.00pm (local); 12.00am +1 (AEDT)

Malaysia U-22 v Australia U-23 (Friendly)
Date: Sunday,17 March 2019
Venue: Shah Alam Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kick-off: 8.45pm (local); 11.45pm (AEDT)

Australia U-23 v Cambodia U-23 (2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualification ā€“ Group H)
Date: Friday, 22 March 2019
Venue: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Kick-off: 6.30pm (local); 10.30pm (AEDT)

Chinese Taipei U-23 v Australia U-23 (2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualification ā€“ Group H)
Date: Sunday, 24 March 2019
Venue: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Kick-off: 3.30pm (local); 7.30pm (AEDT)

Korea Republic U-23 v Australia U-23 (2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualification ā€“ Group H)
Date: Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Venue: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Kick-off: 3.30pm (local); 7.30pm (AEDT)

Hyundai A-League Round 20: Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney, Suncorp Stadium, Friday, 8 March