27 December 2009

Pim Verbeek, the head coach of Australia’s football team, has hinted heavily that any player wanting to make it into his 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup finals will need to be playing club football at a decent level in Europe between January and the summer.

“On May 11, I will pick a 30-man squad, then on June 1, I will name the final 23,” he has said. “Until that time, every player has a chance to show himself. If they think they will be selected if they go to the beach, it’s their decision. If their decision is to stay here, good. If they want to go to Europe it is up to them. I am not going to say anything any more about it.”

Ray Gatt in The Australian muses on the situation where aspirant Socceroos wanting to go to South Africa will need to hop off to better leagues, and pronto, to nurture their  WC2010 hopes.