The Qantas Socceroos will be on show on Tuesday evening, but the emerging quality of the Hyundai A-League will also be put under the microscope.
The Qantas Socceroos will be on show on Tuesday evening, but the emerging quality of the Hyundai A-League will also be put under the microscope.
Seven current Hyundai A-League players have been included in Holger Osieck-s 26-man squad for next week-s clash against Japan - additionally, 12 other squad members have played in the Hyundai A-League previously.
Perhaps, the national team is relying on Australia-s domestic flagship more than it ever has since the competition-s inception and the players concerned are eager to show they-re up to task.
“I think it-s a fantastic opportunity for the other Hyundai A-League boys to be involved in the squad,” said Perth Glory defender Michael Thwaite, who started Australia-s last outing at home to Oman.
“The next step is to try and cement a spot regularly within the squad and also trying to get in that starting eleven.
“There-s a lot of capable players out there and a lot that didn-t get selected, so we need to make the most of this camp and definitely for the next three games.”
Certainly on the club front, the recent progression of the Central Coast Mariners to the AFC Champions League-s Round of 16 was testament to the Hyundai A-League-s incremental improvement in recent times.
Off the field, more fans are engaged with the Hyundai A-League than ever before and its hero players may yet be the ones that take Qantas Socceroos to Brazil.
“If you look through the AFC Champions League we-ve performed very well,” said Adelaide United midfielder Dario Vidosic, who was part of the Reds- progression to the quarterfinals of the 2012 AFC Champions League.
“We (Adelaide United) had a good record where we beat (J.League clubs) Gamba Osaka twice and we beat Nagoya Grampus.
“We played against very good opposition and to win those three games and to knock out a team such as Nagoya, it just proves that the J.League is not too far in a scale of difference of ability and skill and all those sorts of levels.
“This is just another level now on top against the Japanese national team.”
The Qantas Socceroos- FIFA World Cup qualification campaign continues on Tuesday, 4 June at Saitama Stadium, where they will meet the challenge of Japan. Kick off is at 7.30pm local time (8.30pm AEST).
The Qantas Socceroos face Jordan in Melbourne on Tuesday, 11 June 2013, kick-Off 7.00pm (local time). Click here to buy tickets
They then face Iraq in Sydney on Tuesday 18 June, 2013, kick off 7.30pm (local time). Click here to buy tickets