Australian-based Socceroos are set to quickly shrug off the disappointment of their World Cup exit and immediately return to A-League Men action.
Eight Isuzu UTE players were a part of the Socceroos’ squad in Qatar: Melbourne City trio Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren and Marco Tilio, Adelaide star Craig Goodwin, Central Coast’s Garang Kuol, Jason Cummings and Danny Vukovic and Sydney FC goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.
The local league played six rounds then took a break for the start of the World Cup but will restart this week.
Last-minute inclusion Tilio and back-up goalkeepers Vukovic and Redmayne didn’t play any minutes at the tournament but the other five players all featured as starters or off the bench.
The City trio landed in Melbourne on Monday evening, the same night the NSW-based quartet returned, with Goodwin expected to land in Adelaide on Tuesday.
City play Sydney FC away on Saturday night and the club expected all three of their Socceroos to be available for selection, pending medical assessments upon their return.
Leckie, who scored the brilliant matchwinner against Denmark, had the heaviest workload in Qatar.
Goodwin’s Adelaide are due to travel to Brisbane to face the Roar on Friday, which would mean a tight turnaround for the gun left-footer.
Adelaide are expected to plan for Goodwin to travel with their squad to Brisbane but it is unclear how much game time he would play, if at all, after an impressive World Cup.
Central Coast have an A-League Men derby against local rivals Newcastle Jets on Sunday and the club confirmed to AAP that skipper Vukovic and key attackers Kuol and Cummings would be available for selection.
Kuol only has five more games in Mariners colours before his January move to Newcastle United in England.
Having Socceroos players available for the first round after Australia’s World Cup exit would be an important shot in the arm for the ALM.
Goodwin was among those in Qatar to urge further support of the local league.
“We hope that what we have achieved can help grow the game back home,” he told reporters.
“Because the A-League is better than it is perceived. The quality of Australian football is better than it’s perceived.
“It has been that way for a long time but hopefully what we have achieved can put Australian football on the map and help the game grow.”
