“This isn’t the finished product of Joe Gauci.”
In goalkeeping terms, the 22-year-old is still a baby. But, the future is now with the Adelaide United shot-stopper, who has catapulted himself into the Socceroos conversation with a string of heroic Isuzu UTE A-League performances.
Look no further than last week’s game at Coopers Stadium.
Dubbed ‘The Great Wall of Gauci’, he produced two unbelievable match-winning saves to thwart Macarthur FC in Adelaide’s 1-0 win – firstly a diving save to deny Matt Millar before somehow scrambling to thwart Ulises Davila on the goal line.
“You gotta earn your luck and that shows a lot about his attitude, never-say-die attitude. You need that as a goalkeeper because things happen and sometimes they fall in your favour,” legendary former Denmark international Thomas Sorensen told KEEPUP.
“You can see he is in a good place. He has [Eugene] Galekovic there. You can’t really have a better mentor, someone who has played at the highest level and won the A-League. He knows what it’s all about.
“You can see he is playing with more and more confidence. He is dominant in the area, which I love.
You can always improve things but he’s definitely on a trajectory that could potentially take him abroad at some point and into involvement with the Socceroos.
Socceroos, New Zealand or Malta?
Gauci is flourishing under the guidance of A-Leagues legend Eugene Galekovic, the current Reds goalkeeping coach.
But amid the Socceroos talk, Gauci is also eligible to represent trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand and European nation Malta at international level.
Gauci – who has Maltese roots – played football on the remote island of Waiheke in New Zealand, where he spent a period of his childhood before eventually returning to the city of his birth – Adelaide.
A product of South Australian club West Torrens Birkalla, he’s already been called into the national orbit by Socceroos boss Graham Arnold – who drafted Gauci into camp for two FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifiers last year.
Gauci is yet to make a senior Australia appearance, but is it time for the Socceroos to cap him?
“He can definitely push to be in the mix,” former Melbourne City goalkeeper Sorensen said. “There’s still a step up. It’s one thing is playing in the A-League Men, another thing is playing at a World Cup stage. The pressure is bigger, the quality is also a step up.
“I’m always of the belief you have to earn the right. You can’t just hand out caps left, right and centre. It depends on what Graham Arnold [or Socceroos coach] wants.
“Maty Ryan, he has found his place in Holland. He should be, if all goes well, he should still be five, six or seven years the number one. But do you then go (Andrew) Redmayne, (Danny) Vukovic, is it time to bring in potentially one or maybe two? There is Tom Glover, Ashley Maynard-Brewer at Charlton.
“I think he is definitely in that mix of being considered as that next young goalkeeper. But I’m of the belief he can still improve. So this isn’t the finished product of Joe Gauci.
He can add more layers and that will put him in good stead. He is getting match experience at a very, very good level in the A-League. As a young keeper, that’s all you want.
“He shouldn’t rush off to go abroad yet. Earn your stripes here and keep learning, and then when the right chance comes, then potentially yes.
“But if he wants to play for New Zealand, there’s nothing you can do if that’s where his heart lies. We see it with [Cristian] Volpato who is in Italy and they’ve been trying to get him but if he dreams of playing for Italy…
“Joe Gauci might say ‘okay, it might be a shorter route to a World Cup or to play for a country if I go to New Zealand’. But I hope his heart lies with Australia and he has the patience to make that dream come true for the Socceroos.”
Who comes in for Australia’s next World Cup cycle
Arnold and the Socceroos defied the odds to reach the last 16 of last year’s World Cup in Qatar, but the goalkeeping department could be an area that is rejuvenated.
While captain Ryan is the undisputed number one and earning regular game time at new club AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, the two other positions in the squad may be up for grabs.
Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic and Sydney FC’s Andrew Redmayne joined Ryan in Qatar, but the former will be 41 when the next World Cup rolls around, while the latter is only three years younger.
A 101-cap international for Denmark, Sorensen was asked to put on his manager’s hat and pick the two goalkeepers to back-up Ryan in the Socceroos squad.
“You still need experience,” Sorensen insisted. “It seems Arnold is very happy and has a history with Redmayne.
“If he feels the quality is there and he can step in like he showed in that qualifier against Peru, you would probably keep him and bring in the third goalkeeper as a young keeper.
“And potentially in a friendly, give them some minutes and just have a look. Just bring them in for a camp because there you can really see how they fit in, what’s their attitude and there you have the best players so you can actually gauge where they are at quality-wise.
That would be a great way forward. Who he brings in, again I think Tom Glover has really stepped up this season.
“I thought he had a drop of form last season. He came off the boil a little bit. This season he has been really strong. He is a little bit older, so that would be a judgement call. Do you go for the 22-year-old or the 25-year-old, or do you go for someone like [Charlton and Olyroos keeper] Maynard-Brewer, who has played in League One in England. Played against Manchester United.
There is a choice to be made there. It shouldn’t discourage any of them, whoever is chosen first. You just plod on and with Joe, he is on a great trajectory.
“He is getting plenty of work and that’s also good because you learn from your mistakes. You learn from being under pressure, from having to make decisions. That’s where the experience slowly sets itself. He is on a good path and that’s what he needs to focus on.
“I’m sure Galekovic is good at keeping him grounded, and having a plan and a path. Having things they’re working on and strengthening. He is still young. Physically, mentally and technically there’s always things you can improve on.”
