This weekend in Socceroos Abroad, Ajdin Hrustic grabbed his first goal since his return to football, and there were some big clean sheets in the battle for promotion in England’s leagues.
Hearts’ Aussies were instrumental in helping the side get past title-chasing Celtic, while there were goals elsewhere across the world.
Subway Socceroos
Ajdin Hrustic (cap #589) scored his first goal for Heracles FC dispatching a curling left footed strike into the corner for the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with 10-man Almere City in Eredivisie on Monday morning. The midfielder has been a prominent feature since signing for the Dutch top-flight outfit and was the most fouled player on Monday.
Cameron Burgess (cap #633) helped keep a clean sheet for Ipswich Town as the EFL Championship promotion chasers moved within three points of Leicester City on Sunday. The side downed Plymouth Argyle 2-0, with Burgess winning five of six aerial duels in the heart of defence. Massimo Luongo (cap #575) missed the match for Ipswich through injury.
Gethin Jones (cap #639) played all of Bolton Wanderers' 2-0 win over Cambridge United on Sunday, helping keep a clean sheet and completing 86 of his 96 pass attempts. Bolton move level on points with Derby County in the second automatic promotion place, setting up a thrilling last few games of the EFL League One season.
In the Scottish Premiership, Kye Rowles (cap #622) and Olyroo Calem Nieuwenhof started Hearts’ 2-0 win against Celtic on Sunday night. Nieuwenhof picked up an assist and the club Man of the Match award, and Cameron Devlin (cap #625) came on in the 79th minute, while Nathaniel Atkinson (cap #620) remained an unused substitute. The result sees Hearts solidify third and move 13 points behind Celtic in the place above.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/JamTarts/status/1764296934909464952
Lewis Miller (cap #635) and Martin Boyle (cap #599) started for Hibernian as the team moved back up into a championship playoff spot in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday. The side downed Ross County 2-0 as Miller played 84 minutes for the hosts and Boyle got through 74 minutes. Olyroo Nectarios Triantis came on in the 84th minute for Hibs.
Mathew Ryan (cap #555) put in a strong performance in between the sticks for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie as the side drew 1-1 with Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday morning. The Socceroos captain made five saves to preserve a point.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/AZAlkmaar/status/1764040830057120143
Jackson Irvine (cap #568) and Connor Metcalfe (cap #611) started St Pauli’s 3-1 loss to Schalke 04 on Saturday morning. Irvine played a full match while Metcalfe played an hour, a result that saw the side’s lead cut to five points at the top of the 2. Bundesliga.
AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 squad member John Iredale scored Wehen Wiesbaden’s third in their 3-0 win over Elversberg on Sunday night in 2. Bundesliga.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/beINSPORTS_AUS/status/1764374473828933924
In Serie B, Alessandro Circati (cap #637) started Parma’s 3-1 win over Ternana on Sunday, winning six of eight aerial duels in another impressive showing from the young defender.
In Belgium’s First Division A, Jordan Bos (cap #632) was the standout for Westerlo on Saturday morning despite the side going down 1-0 to Sporting Charleroi.
Elsewhere in Belgium, Aiden O’Neill (cap #629) played 52 minutes of Standard Liege’s 4-2 win over Gent on Sunday, before being withdrawn with injury.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Standard_RSCL/status/1764031514164047937
Harry Souttar (cap #606) made the bench for Leicester City as the EFL Championship leaders lost 2-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers on Sunday morning.
Also in the competition, Riley McGree (cap #609) was replaced by Samuel Silvera (cap #634) after 83 minutes of Middlesbrough’s 2-0 defeat to Stoke City on Sunday. Tom Glover sat on the bench for the team.
Kusini Yengi (cap #638) was subbed on in the 88th minute of Portsmouth’s 2-1 win over Oxford United in the EFL League One on Sunday.
Ryan McGowan (cap #546) played a full game for St Johnstone in their 1-1 draw with Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
In Scotland’s League One, Dylan McGowan (cap #590) played a full game and helped keep a clean sheet for Hamilton Academical in their 5-0 drubbing of Kelty Hearts on Sunday morning.
In Eredivisie, Garang Kuol (cap #627) remained on the bench for FC Volendam as they were beaten 5-2 by NEC Nijmegen on Saturday morning.
Further, Jason Davidson (cap #545) played a full game for Eupen, with the side losing 1-0 to Anderlecht on Monday.
James Holland (cap #508) played from the 86th minute for Austria Wien as they downed BW Linz 2-1 on Monday morning in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Dimitri Petratos (cap #593) and Jason Cummings (cap #626) grabbed a goal each for Mohun Bagan SG in their 3-0 victory over Jamshedpur on Saturday in the Indian Super League. The pair have combined for more than half of Mohun’s goals this season.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/mohunbagansg/status/1763590200163492299
Mitchell Langerak (cap #566) and Mitchell Duke (cap #559) went head-to-head in J. League on Saturday afternoon. Langerak started in goal for Nagoya Grampus, who went down 1-0 to Duke’s Machida Zelvia, with the striker coming on in the 74th minute for the winning side.
Also in Japan’s top flight, Thomas Deng (cap #598) played a full game for Albirex Niigata as they lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka on Saturday night.
In Thai League 1, Kenny Dougall (cap #608) played another full match for Buriram United as they came from two goals down to beat Bangkok United on Sunday night.
In Major League Soccer, Brad Smith (cap #575) came on in the 68th minute of Houston’s 2-1 defeat to New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon.
Subway Olyroos
As stated earlier, Calem Nieuwenhof played 79 minutes for Hearts as they stunned reigning Scottish champions Celtic on Sunday. The midfielder picked up the assist for the hosts’ second goal while also completing all of his dribbles, earning him the Man of the Match.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/JamTarts/status/1764344392142246006
In Eerste Divisie, Adrian Segecic played from the 80th minute of FC Dordrecht’s 3-1 win over MVV Maastricht on Saturday morning.
As mentioned, Nectarios Triantis was subbed in the 84th minute to help see out Hibernian’s 2-0 win over Ross Country on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.
Tyrese Francois came on in the 57th minute of Vejle Boldklub’s 1-1 draw with Brondby IF on Monday morning. The side conceded an 88th-minute goal which leaves the team in second last in the Danish Superligaen.
Nicholas Bilokapic remained on the bench for Peterborough United as they defeated Exeter 2-1 on Sunday in EFL League One.
Louis D'Arrigo should be in action tomorrow morning at 4:00 am (AEDT) when Lechia Gdansk host Resovia Rzeszow in the Polish I Liga.