Squad Notes: The potential debutants and returning players for Mexico clash
As Head Coach Graham Arnold announced his latest Subway Socceroos squad for next Sunday’s (AEST) international friendly against Mexico in Dallas, we discuss some of the main talking points.
The Subway Socceroos will be back in action for the first time since June when they face El Tri in Dallas’ AT&T Stadium on September 10 at 12pm AEST.
Arnold’s side will face another stern test against the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup winners, who are currently ranked 12th in the world.
The match will provide another opportunity for players to impress and build a case for selection ahead of Australia's FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers in November and upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023TM campaign early next year.
Arnold has largely named a strong, experienced side, mixed in with a few youngsters looking to make their senior international debuts.
Read on to find out more about the squad set to assemble in the United States in the coming days.
READ MORE: Talking Points: Graham Arnold's squad for Mexico match
READ MORE: Our History vs Mexico
READ MORE: How to watch: Mexico vs Australia
Maiden call-ups
Three players have been called up to the Subway Socceroos for the first time. Sam Silvera has hit the ground running after joining Championship side Middlesbrough from Central Coast Mariners during the offseason. The 22-year-old winger has scored one goal and provided two assists in six appearances for Boro. He also played for the Subway Olyroos back in 2019.
Centre-back and occasional left-back Cameron Burgess has been a regular for Ipswich Town in the last few years. Since the club’s promotion to Championship, 27-year-old has played every minute this season. Burgess was born in Scotland but emigrated to Perth with his parents when he was 11 before joining Fulham United’s academy in 2011. Burgess has also previously represented Australia at the U20 and U23 levels.
Having established himself as the starting goalkeeper for Charlton Athletic, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, has been rewarded with a first senior call-up by Arnold. The 24-year-old was part of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics squad but was behind Tom Glover. The shot-stopper will now get the opportunity to work under Goalkeeping Coach John Crawley and train alongside Maty Ryan and indeed Glover.
Potential debutants
While the aforementioned Silvera, Burgess and Maynard-Brewer, could be in line to debut, two existing players in the squad could also appear for the inaugural time.
Alessandro Circati and Tom Glover were both unused substitutes for the Argentina match back in June and will get the chance again to fulfill a lifelong dream. Nineteen-year-old Circati has continued to impress in defence at Parma in Serie B, already starting and playing three 90 minute games across the league and Coppa Italia.
Meanwhile, Glover, who like Silvera joined Riverside Stadium in the European summer, has played two matches in the EFL League Cup.
Returning Subway Socceroos
Several players return to the fray having missed the June window. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 TM heroes Jackson Irvine, Milos Degenek, and Aziz Behich all return after enjoying a well-earned break following a long and arduous 2022/23 campaign.
Meanwhile, Martin Boyle is back and could feature for the national team for the first time in almost a year after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament. The 30-year-old’s his last cap occurred against New Zealand in Brisbane, a year to the day later this month. The forward has made a bright start from an individual perspective with Hibernian, scoring four goals in eight matches in all competitions.
Striker Nick D’Agostino has earned a recall thanks to his consistent form in Norway with Viking FK. The 25-year-old, who was last in the squad for that famous FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 TM qualifying penalty shootout win over Peru, has two caps for his country since debuting in March 2022. This season with Viking D’Agostino has a total of four goals and six assists in 24 games.
International Friendly
Mexico vs Australia
Date: Sunday, 10 September 2023
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Time: 12:00pm AEST, (9:00pm Saturday, 9 September local time)
Broadcast: Live on Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+