Brisbane Roar duo Matt McKay and Ivan Franjic are one step closer to representing Australia at this year’s FIFA World Cup after their selection in Ange Postecoglou’s provisional 30-player Socceroos squad.
Brisbane Roar duo Matt McKay and Ivan Franjic are one step closer to representing Australia at this year-s FIFA World Cup after their selection in Ange Postecoglou-s provisional 30-player Socceroos squad.
McKay and Franjic both played under Postecoglou during his time at the Queensland club and are two of 10 Hyundai A-League players named in the squad to face Spain, Netherlands and Chile at the tournament, which kicks off on June 12.
“We-re excited to announce the preliminary 30-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup,” Postecoglou said.
“We-ve selected a squad we believe will represent the people of Australia with pride on the biggest stage in world sport.
“The squad has been selected with form and fitness as key indicators as well as having one eye on the future.
“We face a formidable challenge in Brazil but it is also a big opportunity and we head to the World Cup with no barriers as we look to write a new chapter in our rich football history.”
The squad will begin arriving in Australia tomorrow for a pre-World Cup Camp in Gosford and Sydney before flying to Brazil on May 28.
Postecoglou will trim the squad to 27 after the Socceroos play South Africa, presented by NAB, on Monday 26 May at ANZ Stadium in Sydney with the final 23-man squad to be named on 2 June.
GOALKEEPERS
Mark BIRIGHITTI (Newcastle Jets FC, AUSTRALIA)
Eugene GALEKOVIC (Adelaide United FC, AUSTRALIA)
Mitchell LANGERAK (B.V. Borussia 09 Dortmund, GERMANY)
Mat RYAN (Club Brugge KV, BELGIUM)
DEFENDERS
Jason DAVIDSON (SC Heracles Almelo, NETHERLANDS)
Ivan FRANJIC (Brisbane Roar FC, AUSTRALIA)
Curtis GOOD (Dundee United FC, SCOTLAND)
Ryan McGOWAN (Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, CHINA)
Matthew SPIRANOVIC (Western Sydney Wanderers FC, AUSTRALIA)
Alex WILKINSON (Jeonbuk Hyundai FC, KOREA REPUBLIC)
Luke WILKSHIRE (FK Dinamo Moscow, RUSSIA)
Bailey WRIGHT (Preston North End FC, ENGLAND)
MIDFIELDERS
Oliver BOZANIC (FC Luzern, SWITZERLAND)
Mark BRESCIANO (Al Gharafa, QATAR)
Joshua BRILLANTE (Newcastle Jets FC, AUSTRALIA)
James HOLLAND (FK Austria Vienna, AUSTRIA)
Mile JEDINAK (Crystal Palace FC, ENGLAND)
Massimo LUONGO (Swindon Town FC, ENGLAND)
Matthew McKAY (Brisbane ROAR FC, AUSTRALIA)
Mark MILLIGAN (Melbourne Victory FC, AUSTRALIA)
Tommy OAR (FC Utrecht, NETHERLANDS)
Tommy ROGIC (Melbourne Victory FC, AUSTRALIA)
Adam SAROTA (FC Utrecht, NETHERLANDS)
James TROISI (Melbourne Victory FC, AUSTRALIA)
Dario VIDOSIC (FC Sion, SWITZERLAND)
FORWARDS
Tim CAHILL (New York Red Bulls, USA)
Ben HALLORAN (Fortuna Dusseldorf, GERMANY)
Josh KENNEDY (Nagoya Grampus 8, JAPAN)
Matthew LECKIE (FSV Frankfurt 1899, GERMANY)
Adam TAGGART (Newcastle Jets FC, AUSTRALIA)
PRE WORLD CUP WARM UP MATCHES – TRAINING GAMES
Monday 26 May
Socceroos v South Africa, presented by NAB
ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park NSW
Kick off: 7.30pm (AEST)
Gates open: 5.30pm
Monday 2 June
Training game v Parana Clube (Curitiba-based second division club)
Estadio Engenheiro Araripe (Socceroos training base)
1pm start
Friday 6 June
Socceroos v Croatia
Pituacu Stadium, Salvador
Kick off: 8pm
