Izzo and Hall... Fucks sake
Two awful, awful footballers.

We're not gonna qualify cos we have our B-team out there. Very frustrating.

broadcaster is ONE World Sports

"Chris Ikonomodis was prevented from joining Australia’s selection by Italian club SS Lazio and has been replaced by Western Sydney Wanderers forward Jaushua Sotirio."

Lazio must really not like a cold bench seat.

Izzo is out and Hall will be third choice so won't play.

Should be more worried that Sotirio will get any sort of game time. He stinks.

Do we even goalkeep?

Definitely gotta be Ryan if we quality, which we won't if the Olyroos opponents get one shot on goal per game.

http://www.oneworldsports.com/

[youtube]ioHz1PP-3Hc[/youtube]

Should pick our best shotstopper for this level so IMO should be Langerak

who?

I'm now 99% sure our matches will be shown on Al Kass, just saw an advert.

Just a heads up guys - The Winner and Runner-Up of our Group (D), will face the Runner-Up and Winner of Group C. Given this, we have this evening/early tomorrow (Thurs) evening a game that may be worth watching, of interest to us: South Korea v Uzbekistan? The other Group C fixture on this evening is Iraq v Yemen and that may be worth a gander too - it will surely be between the Uzbeks and Iraq as to who finishes Runner Up. We're hoping to place top two in our group ofcourse, but if we do aswell as we hope then we'll likely be facing those opponents, rather than SK who will be fancied to win their group and a much more daunting task to face for our Olympic qualification?

Edited by GloryPerth: 13/1/2016 03:54:14 AM

Syria v Iran on bet365

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/01/13/amini-tips-olyroos-fire-without-magnificent-seven

Gee seven, that's most oft the line-up! Let's hope it's worth it - they push onto more senior football this season and next and while the Olyroos absent their talents scrape through. Then this squad with the absent talents uplifting them for the Olympics, will hopefully give the Rio a good shake later this year!

Make that eight with de silva

ALKASS is the Host broadcaster. You can see it on ALKASS 2 HD.. not sure of links (i've got it live & free on the dish)

Olyroos midfielder Mustafa Amini is convinced Australia can compensate for the loss of seven key squad members and book their passage to Rio 2016 this month at the AFC Under-23 Championship in Doha.
By David Lewis
13 JAN 2016 - 9:41 PM UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO
   
0


The refusal of clubs of across Europe to release the players has raised question marks over whether those remaining at coach Aurelio Vidmar’s disposal possess the quality to finish among the top three nations at the 16 team tournament, and seal qualification for the Olympic Games in Brazil.

It’s a natural conclusion to draw when you lose the likes like Jackson Irvine (Ross County), Brad Smith (Liverpool), Kenneth Dougall (Sparta Rotterdam), Ryan Williams (Barnsley), Milos Degenek (1860 Munich), Awer Mabil (Midtjylland), and just this week SS Lazio’s Chris Ikonomides, who has joined Serie B side Salernitana on loan until the end of the season.

However, Amini - a key man for the Olyroos at the best of times and even more so now - isn’t letting anything dim his focus on negotiating the group stage against UAE, Vietnam and Jordan, and journeying deep into the tournament.

With the opening game against UAE in Doha in the early hours of Friday morning, Amini said: “When we look at the players we still have available, there’s a lot of quality there and there’s togetherness in the team and determination to perform when it matters most, which is now.

Amini, is overcoming a bour of gastro and hopes to start against UAE, added: “There’s been quite a bit if chopping and changing with the squad anyway over the past months and the results have been up and down at times, but this is where we need to show what we have learned and I think we’re going to do well.

“Of course, it’s never so great to be without players but this is still a good group. We have goalscorers in Jamie Maclaren and Adam Taggart and there’s creativity in midfield from Terry Antonis, and of course I will need to play my part, just like the rest of the boys.

“We know the pressure is on and there isn’t much margin for error, but we’re totally up for it.”

The top two teams from the four groups qualify for the quarter-finals, with the two semi-final winners and the third-placed play-off victor all heading to Rio.

“Getting to Olympics in Brazil is like going to the World Cup and we know what it means," added Amini, who has captained the side at various times over the past 12 months. "It’s a huge prize on offer to us.

“Whether I have the arm band or not is not so important because but what matters is playing a leadership role, which is what I try and do in every game anyway.”

After training with his old Central Coast mentors Graham Arnold and fitness guru Andrew Clark at Sydney FC over the past few weeks during the winter break in Denmark, the Randers midfielder is feeling in good shape heading into combat.

“I’ve learned a lot and picked up a lot of confidence this season at Randers," he said. "We are sixth in the table and pushing for a place in Europe and the move from Borussia Dortmund (where he played for the second team) has been a good one for me.

“I have kept myself in good condition with training with Sydney and catching up with Arnie and Clarky, and that’s been a big help going into the tournament, along with our training camp in Dubai.”

Amini has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Randers, and knows that standout performances in Qatar will only enhance his hopes of a long-covetred Socceroos breakthrough.

“Obviously the Olympic team is the focus right now and has been for a fair time now, but there’s always that dream of playing for the Socceroos and hopefully I am getting closer to making it a reality,” he said.





Thought there were some players in here that would degenerate further discussion.

I thought Ryan Williams was a weakness in the games I've seen for the Young Socceroos.

I'm not sure he would be anywhere near the starting eleven.

Irvine and Smith have played quite well for the Senior Socceroos, so will be missed from the squad.

From watching the Young Socceroos Amini did very little work off the ball.

From what I've seen of players prior it could be feasible to play Brillante and O'Neill as screeners and Antonis as attacking mid in a central midfield defensive triangle. O'Neill is strong enough to more than hold his own against players his senior in the very physical HAL.

I would've thought Jacob Melling should've also been in this squad.:?

In this age group there would be few internationals in Asia who can match the ball winning qualities of O'Neill and Melling in midfield .




Edited by Decentric: 14/1/2016 09:14:56 AM

It’s a natural conclusion to draw when you lose the likes like Jackson Irvine (Ross County), Brad Smith (Liverpool), Kenneth Dougall (Sparta Rotterdam), Ryan Williams (Barnsley), Milos Degenek (1860 Munich), Awer Mabil (Midtjylland), and just this week SS Lazio’s Chris Ikonomides, who has joined Serie B side Salernitana on loan until the end of the season.

That's a lot of wingers, cb's and dm's out. Luckily we got good depth when compared to squads over the last 12 years.

-----------Maclaren---Taggart---Borello
-------------------Antonis---Amini
------------------------Brillante
Gersbach---Donachie---Burgess---Geria
--------------------------Izzo

The line up we could have had, if our best players were injury free and available


--------------------------------Duncan-----------------------

Dougall/Galloway---Chapman/Irvine------Good----------Smith

--------------------------Degenek/Brillante-----------------------


------------------Amini/De Silva-----------Antonis--------------


Mabil-------------------McLaren----------------Ikon---


Edited by Barca4life: 14/1/2016 11:53:51 AM

Yeah I think a lot of the bigger sides are missing key players. This is from the previews I have read. Luckily we have some good depth.

Iran who were favourites pre tournamet is missing one of if not the biggest talents in Asia in this age group in Azmoun, the kid who carved up in the Asian Cup. They are apparently missing their three best players. The other one I rate too, plays for AZ Alkmaar has started quite a number of games for them this season.

Meanwhile Japan have been lucky enough to bring their two best foreign based players. Both doing very well for their European Clubs. :roll:

Minamino is a gun.

I wonder if these same clubs would prevent their players from becoming Olympians if we qualify...

In the past two Olympics it was mandatory to release U23 players for the Olympics.

So yeah, they won't be able to prevent the players. It was easier to convince teams in the past though, as the Olympics was on during Pre-Season.

Edited by jonomv: 14/1/2016 12:28:12 PM

I'm pretty sure i read recently this Olympics it is not fifa protected.

Is it true that a underage player can only play in one Olympic games?
strange rule if true

When you compare it to the cluster fuck of 2012, with Hoffman Jesic etc. its night and day

Game eve. Fire the fuck up.

OHHHH MYYYY GODDDDDD YESSSSSSSS!!!!

http://www.socceroos.com.au/article/olyroos-qualifiers-to-be-streamed-live/1itunuind59ct1myc6qaeyh9ul

The full strength team has struggled, without key players i can't see this team doing very well. At this age group all starting players should be established first teamers with their clubs. Only a couple actually are.