Maty Ryan Omitted from Socceroos Squad for Brazil Friendlies
Maty Ryan has been dumped from the Socceroos squad altogether, as Tony Popovic rips into a new cycle with a bold, youth-heavy group for September’s glamour friendlies against Brazil.
The national captain, fresh from reclaiming form in La Liga with Levante, is the headline omission from Australia’s first squad since the World Cup. He doesn’t even make the 26.
Ryan out, Beach in – and a new face between the posts
Ryan lost his No 1 shirt in Qatar to Patrick Beach, then was thrown into the chaos of the round-of-32 penalty shootout against Egypt in a move that stunned plenty watching on. The keeper later revealed he was only told he might come on as extra time began. Popovic has since insisted the possibility was flagged before kick-off.
Whatever the truth of that communication, the next step is brutally clear. Ryan, 34, is out. In his place, uncapped St Mirren goalkeeper Jacob Chapman is in, joining Beach and Paul Izzo as the three keepers for the clashes in Brisbane on 25 September and Townsville on 28 September.
For a player starting the La Liga season strongly, it is a striking call.
Seven uncapped, one eye on Asia, one on tomorrow
Popovic has turned hard towards the future. Seven uncapped players are named, and the coach made no secret of the direction in a statement.
“We have picked a squad with an eye on the Asian Cup and an eye on the future, and it’s a great opportunity for us to continue growing as a team,” he said, stressing the importance of the limited build-up.
Australia will have only two camps and four matches before he locks in his Asian Cup squad. These two dates with Brazil, the most successful team in Fifa World Cup history, are no soft launch.
Chapman is one of the rookies. So is untried left-back Kasey Bos, younger brother of injured star Jordan Bos, who earns another camp after his first taste of the senior setup. Teen defender Dylan Leonard, 19, also steps in for his first senior involvement.
Further up the pitch, former A-League livewires Marcus Younis (now at Brondby IF) and Eli Adams (Gamba Osaka) finally get their chance in green and gold. Kealey Adamson (QPR) and Yaya Dukuly (NK Celje) round out the group of seven newcomers.
Sixteen members of the 26-man World Cup squad return, giving the camp a spine of experience around the fresh faces.
Injuries, absences and a delicate Volpato backdrop
Not everyone could be there. Star left-back Jordan Bos is sidelined with a knee injury, while central defender Cam Burgess misses out with an achilles problem.
Cristian Volpato is also unavailable due to a hamstring issue. The Sassuolo attacker sits out at a time when off-field matters swirl around him: he was fined last week for driving with cocaine in his system in July. Volpato has maintained his innocence and will contest the charges in court. Popovic is set to speak publicly about the situation for the first time in this camp.
There is better news for Riley McGree and Patrick Yazbek, who both return after missing the World Cup through injury. Alex Robertson has also been recalled, reinforcing the midfield options.
On the flip side, Cameron Devlin, Nishan Velupillay, Mathew Leckie, Ajdin Hrustic, Kai Trewin and Awer Mabil all drop out. Aziz Behich stands alone as the only A-League Men representative in the squad, underlining just how European this group has become.
Popovic underlined the stakes, not just the spectacle.
“We are also very excited to be playing at home for the first time since March in what are two crucial matches for us, against Brazil,” he said. “We will only have two camps and four matches before we select our Asian Cup squad, so these matches are critical for us in preparation for our next major tournament.”
Brazil at home, a captain left behind, seven rookies thrown into the deep end. Popovic has made his move. Now the question is whether this changing of the guard can stand up to the game’s most ruthless benchmark.
Australia squad
- Goalkeepers: Patrick Beach, Jacob Chapman*, Paul Izzo
- Defenders: Kealey Adamson*, Aziz Behich, Kasey Bos*, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Dylan Leonard*, Harry Souttar
- Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Alexander Robertson, Patrick Yazbek
- Forwards: Eli Adams*, Yaya Dukuly*, Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure, Tete Yengi, Marcus Younis*
*Uncapped
