Matthew Spiranovic has been selected in the World Cup squad for the Socceroos.
NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic has been selected by Ange Postecoglou for the Socceroos preliminary squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Spiranovic will play in the Wanderers final match of the season tonight against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the AFC Champions League before joining his Socceroos teammates at a pre-World Cup Camp in Gosford and Sydney.
Postecoglou showed his belief in the rapidly improving Hyundai A-League by naming 10 locally-based players with 22 members of the 30-man squad staring their professional career in the A-League.
The squad flies to Brazil on May 28 where they will face defending Champions Spain, 2010 World Cup runners up the Netherlands and South American danger side Chile.
“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.”
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. The final 23-man squad will be named on 2 June.
“We-ve named 30 players for the camp and will leave Australia with 27 before cutting the squad to 23 before the first game but we want all 30 players and the staff to get a meaningful experience out of the camps and World Cup,” Postecoglou said.
“We want the camp to be competitive to make sure the training intensity is as high as possible as players strive to make the final 23 squad but everyone is equally important as we also have one eye on the future.”
Make sure you celebrate Spiranovic-s selection tonight at Parramatta Stadium when the Wanderers take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
Tickets available online and at the gate.
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 (Newcastle United, ENGLAND) 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
