EXCLUSIVE: Olyroos camp set for Spain next month

It is understood Gombau, the former Adelaide United mentor, will hold the under-23 camp in his native Spain during the March 20-28 FIFA international window.

Gombau held a training camp involving 26 A-League players on the Central Coast in January in place of the controversial tour of Hong Kong, which was cancelled after backlash from A-League coaches over losing their players.

Barnsley’s Australian defender Callum Elder, Tottenham goalkeeper Tom Glover and Oldham midfielder Aiden O’Neill are among those selected to join Gombau for the camp.

Elder, who signed with Premier League champions Leicester City in 2013, was loaned to Championship outfit Barnsley last month for the remainder of the season.

The 22-year-old has earned just one national cap, having played with the under-20's side in 2013, so is excited to be back in the green and gold and is determined to impress Gombau.

“I’ve been in contact with the FFA and Josep Gombau the manager,” Elder said.

“It’s definitely something I will take with both hands and look to be involved in as international football is a big goal of mine. I’m looking forward to working with him and for the national team.

“I’m just working hard to progress each season to play at the highest level I can and achieve international caps at the highest level,” he said.


Gombau handed the Olyroos reign

Ex-Adelaide United boss Josep Gombau has joined Ange Postecoglou’s national coaching staff and been appointed coach of Australia's U-23 side.

The fullback, who has previously been on loan at Brentford and Peterborough, has so far made two appearances for the Tykes.

He was on the bench for Barnsley's 1-1 draw with Aaron Mooy's Huddersfield on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

“It’s all happened quite quickly, signing for Barnsley from Brentford,” Elder admits.

“I took the opportunity to come to Barnsley, they’re in a good position in the league. I was looking forward to being part of the squad for the run in to the rest of the season and hopefully getting into the playoffs.

Elder’s loan at Brentford last year was cut short because of a knee injury. But the left back said he “feels good now”.

“The next step is to try and build up my match fitness as soon as I can," he said.

"I’m just taking each week in my stride and trying to improve my game here at Barnsley.”


http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/02/24/exclusive-olyroos-camp-set-spain-next-month

Happy to see Elder and O'Neill brought into the system. Looking forward to the full squad announce!

I'm not sure of the full squad, but a number are playing regular HAL football I think.

We really need an underage group to perform well.

 Now that Blackwwod has been benched at SFC, I'm not sure of any young central strikers scoring regularly in pro football.

Sure do.  It'll certainly help validate your existence and your incessant blathering about body position, triangling and the NC.

Do you know when when the full squad will be announced?

Nope - but I'd like to know!

I've got a positive feeling about this group, lots have a decent amount of a-league experience for their age.

I know we have a number of under 23s playing regular HAL senior football, bu tI'm not sure who is what age?

We desperately need a few young players clinical around goal and who get into effective scoring positions.

Our under age youth teams results since we joined Asia in 2006 have seen mixed results, but in the last few years especially last year when all our youth teams didn't even get though the groups stages in their respective AFC qualies. Huge alarm bells.

Could Gombau buck the trend? Only time will tell he has a huge task in his hands with a small talent pool.

Thank god the European based players will get a go, the aussie based players simply haven't been playing well enough in this age group. 

With all the Aussies in Eruope there should be a decent number of players who get called up. Don't think any Aussie based players will, they had a camp a few weeks back. 

Hopefully there's a striker will stand out, maybe Yeboah will finally put up his hand up. Blackwood really shouldn't ever get picked for national team squads anymore.  When he's our first choice striker we have massive problems. 

What's the point in having 22 year olds in an Olyroos (under 23) team, when the next Olympics is not for 3 years? Or am I missing something here?

To provide a false sense of achievement at one of the underage groups. 

Could it be something to do with the AFC Under-23 Championship, that runs much earlier? We've encountered this with previous Olyroos generations, early into their cycle.

The AFC under-23 championships are to be held in China from the 9-27th of January 2018. Qualification starts in July with the qualification groups being drawn on the 17th of March.

Players born on or after the 1st of January 1995 are eligible to play in the AFC under-23 championships. 

Overseas players that meet that requirement include Kalik, Deni Juric, Ikonomidis, Mabil, Glover, Lyden, Elder, Gethin Jones, Beadling, Burgess, Piscopo, Armenakas, Mauk, Deng, Gersbach, Curran and O'Neill. 

Would love to see Pasquali involved in the squad.

Not quite sure where all those Aussies playing overseas ply their trade?

I bet Brisbane Roar can't wait to lose 2-3 first team players to this. On the upside they will at least be used to the jet lag.

The FFA treat the HAL like a feeder competition for their national sides. enough said.

It doesn't worry me that they do.

It gives a chance for squaddies to play some HAL minutes.

For Roar, Jason Pepper was shown as being inept against Muanghtong. Caletti demonstrated he was another class when he replaced him.

Has he been playing?

Thanks Gruen. Hmm yeah the selections do seem to be orientated towards the shorter-term, with that tournament. The Tokyo 2020 Generation are those born on or after the 1st of January 1997 and that's the generation of Daniel De Silva. Trent Buhagiar, Brandon Wilson, Riley McGree, Daniel Arzani, George Mells, John Koutroumbis, Joe Caletti, Daniel Margush and others who will be sourced locally. De Silva, Alex Gersbach, Aiden O'Neill, Thomas Deng, Reno Piscopo, Panos Armenakas, Jake Brimmer, Anthony Kalik, Deni Juric, Tom Glover and others amongst the qualifying talents overseas.

That's not good enough for a Senior Competition that wants to be taken seriously.