Hrustic ready to contribute in attack for Socceroos against Lebanon

Tim Gibson \\ Photo Credit: Aleksandar Jason/Socceroos 1711337312,1711350889

Ajdin Hrustic says the Subway Socceroos are targeting a more complete attacking performance in their second clash against Lebanon on Tuesday at GIO Stadium.

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Hrustic made Australia’s squad for the March window for the first time since June 2022 following his January move from Hellas Verona in Serie A to Heracles Almelo in the Netherlands.

He has been a consistent feature for the side, helping them move away from the relegation places in the Dutch top flight.

Hrustic said he’s looking to make up for lost time with the Socceroos and is eager to remain fit and available for coach Graham Arnold.

“I did lose a bit of time. But you know how football is. You've got your ups and downs, and I've managed to get myself up and running, and I feel great. I feel good. I feel fit,” he said.

“I'm part of the squad now. I'm going to try to do everything just to keep myself fit, keep myself healthy and do what I can.”

The 27-year-old made his return to Socceroos match action last Thursday night, coming on to replace Jordan Bos late in the first half.

Despite Australia's 2-0 victory that night against Lebanon, Hrustic said the team hopes to step up their in-possession play on Tuesday.

“We've analysed the game, so we saw where we have to improve,” he said.  

“We’ll tidy up our stuff on the ball. I think a few more chances in front of goal and hopefully a few more goals.

“It's the small detail that counts in football and we've touched base on that and I think we’ll improve a lot from last game.

“We trained a tiny bit on that yesterday, and I think we will a little bit more today, so it should be better next game.

“You're playing at home, you want to dominate, you want to control the game and you want to lead from the first to the last whistle.”

Hrustic also said that even though the Socceroos are in a strong position in 2026 World Cup qualifying, they will not be taking it easy on Tuesday.

He said the team are looking forward to playing in Canberra for the first time since 2019 - which is set to be in front of a record crowd.

“Every game is important because we want to finish as high as possible,” Hrustic said. 

“I take it game by game, and I think we as a team and as a nation do as well.

“We had a nice crowd last time [in Canberra], and we've heard that this time around is going to be even better.”

Australia play Lebanon on Tuesday night, with a chance to make it four wins from four matches in World Cup qualifying. 

Lebanon v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $25 Adult, and $50 Family via Ticketek
Broadcast: 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+