The selection of the Australian national team to face New Zealand has been confirmed and several new players have been selected for the 2022 World Cup.
Australia will face the Whites in two friendlies, on September 22 and 25, which will serve as a celebration of the centenary and farewell to the Australian national team ahead of the World Cup in November.
Australia secured their place in Qatar through qualifying, while New Zealand narrowly missed out on the same path.
With just over two months to go, Arnold has opened the door to a number of new faces to acquire the Socceroos jersey.
MORE: Tom Rogic finds a new club after uncertainty | The Socceroos Centennial Shirt sold out within hours
Australia’s squad to face New Zealand includes new names such as 17-year-old striker Garang Cole, striker Jason Cummings, midfielder Keanu Backus and defender Harrison Delbridge, among others.
“This camp is the last chance we will have to work with the team before the Qatar 2022 World Cup in November, and all players are vying for a place in the final squad that will be announced in early November,” Arnold said.
“With two matches in four days, this camp gives us a unique opportunity to integrate new players who can be selected ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
“I am delighted to see a number of young Australians gaining a lot of experience in Europe and Asia. It is important that we integrate them into the national team environment in order to enhance our skills and assess their capabilities at this level.
“We have followed our players closely since qualifying for the FIFA World Cup and speak with them regularly about this opportunity. I can’t wait to return to camp to work with our group of experienced players and the next generation of rising stars.”
⚽🇦🇺 Cummings and Cole 🇦🇺⚽
Congratulations to Grange Kowal and Jason Cummings on their selection for the Saudi national team squad to face New Zealand at the end of the month!#CCMFC #WontBackDown pic.twitter.com/iJos4etlpL
– Central Coast Mariners (CCMariners) September 14, 2022
Goalkeeper Mitch Langrac also returned to the team after deciding to come out of international retirement.
“I am honored and honored to have the opportunity to represent the Australian national team again. The past few years have been difficult for all of us,” said Langerac.
“When I made the decision to retire, we were in the midst of strict lockdowns in Japan and at the time faced with the prospect of spending months away from my wife and young children, so I had to make the difficult decision to move away from international football for my family.
“I am grateful for another chance, it was difficult to watch the team from afar and I was very happy for everyone when we qualified for the FIFA World Cup and I am looking forward to it. Join my teammates in Brisbane.”
The national team’s first friendly match against New Zealand will be played at Suncorp Stadium on September 22nd. Former coach Guus Hiddink is also expected to return to the sidelines for Australia.
Arnold confirmed that he would name different teams for each friendly match, so that most players would have the opportunity to play for a few minutes.
Both centre-backs Harry Soutar and Kei Rules are also without injuries but are expected to recover in time for the World Cup.
List of New Zealand friendly football matches
| player | club | player | club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch Langrac | Nagoya Grampus | Andrew Redmayne | Sydney FC. |
| Matty Ryan | FC Copenhagen | Nathaniel Atkinson | hearts |
| Aziz Bahish | Dundee United | Harrison Delbridge | Incheon United |
| Milos Degenek | Columbus Crowe | Thomas Ding | pyrex niigata |
| Fran Karagic | Brescia | Trent Sainsbury’s | Al Wakra |
| Ryan dynasty | St. Mirren | Billy Wright | Sunderland |
| Joel King | Odense | Keanu Backus | St. Mirren |
| Cameron Devlin | hearts | Therese Francois | HNK Gorica |
| Dennis Genero | Toulouse | I find your hurricane | Hellas Verona |
| Jackson Irvine | St. Pauli | Riley McGarry | Middlesbrough |
| Conor Metcalfe | St. Pauli | Aaron Moy | Celtic |
| Jason Cummings | Central Coast Mariners | Martin Boyle | Hibernian |
| Garang Kol | Central Coast Mariners | Matthew Leakey | Melbourne |
| Ower Mabel | CF . Cadiz | Adam Taggart | Cerezo Osaka |
| Marco Tellio | Melbourne | Mitchell Duke | Fajiano Okayama |
| Jimmy McLaren | Melbourne |
New Zealand national football team friendly matches in Australia
| player | club | player | club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Wood | Newcastle United | Winston Read | does not depend on |
| Kyle Adams | Loyalty San Diego | Joe Bell | Brondby |
| Michael Boxall | Minnesota United | Liberato Cacas | Empoli |
| Andre Dejong | Royal Am | Matt Garbet | Turin |
| Alex Griff | St. Mirren | Cam Howison | Auckland city |
| religion tunes | Newcastle Jets | only Elijah | AC Horses |
| Calum Makwat | Helsingor | ben old | Wellington Phoenix |
| Alex Poulsen | Wellington Phoenix | Tim Payne | Wellington Phoenix |
| first sail | Wellington Phoenix | Ben Win | Wellington Phoenix |
| Nando’s Bignaker | Sligo Rovers | Storm Ro | Central Coast Mariners |
| Marco Stamenek | FC Copenhagen | Bill Tuiluma | Portland Timbers |
| Michael Wood | Kyoto Sanga | Declan Win | Detroit |
Australia vs New Zealand latest results head to head
| Date | consequences | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 5 July 2011 | Australia 3-0 New Zealand | friendly |
| May 24, 2010 | Australia 2-1 New Zealand | friendly |
| June 9, 2005 | Australia 1-1 New Zealand | friendly |
| May 29, 2004 | Australia 1-0 New Zealand | Qualification for the World Cup |
| July 14, 2002 | New Zealand 1-0 Australia | Oceania Nations Cup |