Tom Rogic misses out on Socceroos squad to face NZ – as coach Graham Arnold names seven debutants
>
Star midfielder Tom Rogic was the glaring omission in the Socceroos squad after Graham Arnold named seven debutants to take on New Zealand.
Rogic, 29, recently joined West Bromwich Albion in the Championship in England.
Not being selected in the 31-man roster will only lead to speculation that Rogic will not play at the World Cup in Qatar in November.
He did not appear in World Cup qualifiers against the UAE and Peru for personal reasons.
Goalkeeper Mitch Langerak has made a backflip after his international retirement and will join the national team for the first game in Brisbane on September 22.
Langerak, 34, was named in a squad made up of seven newcomers, including Central Coast Mariners teen Garang Kuol.
Australia also plays against the All Whites on September 25 in Auckland.
Star midfielder Tom Rogic was the glaring omission in the Socceroos squad after Graham Arnold named seven debutants to take on New Zealand
Rogic, 29, recently joined West Bromwich Albion in the Championship in England
Central Coast Mariners teen Garang Kuol (pictured center) is included in the Socceroos squad for the first time
The friendlies are Australia’s last games before a 26-man squad is selected for the World Cup in Qatar.
Japan-based Langerak, an eight-time champion and a member of Australia’s 2014 World Cup squad, retired from international football last May amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I made the decision to retire, we were in the midst of a strict lockdown in Japan,” Langerak said on Wednesday.
At the time, I was faced with the prospect of being away from my wife and young children for months, so I had to make the hard decision to give up international football.
‘I am grateful for another chance. It was hard to watch the team from a distance.’
The Mariners’ 17-year-old sensation, Kuol, is one of the newcomers to the roster, along with his A-League Men’s teammate Jason Cummings, who was born in Scotland but is eligible to play for Australia.
Goalkeeper Mitch Langerak has made a backflip during his international retirement and will join the roster in Brisbane
Tokyo 2020 Olympic team members Keanu Baccus, Cameron Devlin, Ryan Strain and Tyrese Francois, as well as Korea-based defender Harrison Delbridge, are also joining a Socceroos squad for the first time.
Tokyo Olympian Thomas Deng rejoins the Socceroos roster for the first time since 2018.
Adelaide United captain Craig Goodwin, Scotland-based defender Kye Rowles and Nick D’Agostino were overlooked.
Arnold said he was casting his net wide before arranging a 26-man squad for the World Cup to be named on November 13.
“This camp offers us a unique opportunity to bring in some new players who can push for roster ahead of the World Cup,” he said.
“The incentive couldn’t be greater.”
The Socceroos will play at the World Cup against France (November 23), Tunisia (November 26) and Denmark (December 1).
Squad of Australia: Mathew Ryan (Captain), Nathaniel Atkinson, Keanu Baccus, Aziz Behich, Martin Boyle, Jason Cummings, Harrison Delbridge, Milos Degenek, Thomas Deng, Cameron Devlin, Mitch Duke, Tyrese Francois, Denis Genreau, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irivine, Fran Karacic Joel King, Garang Kuol, Mitch Langerak, Mathew Leckie, Awer Mabil, Jamie Maclaren, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Aaron Mooy, Andrew Redmayne, Trent Sainsbury, Ryan Strain, Adam Taggart, Marco Tilio, Bailey Wright.