Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Vitoria: Socceroos head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed the 23 players that will represent Australia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The squad will be captained by midfielder Mile Jedinak with Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano and Mark Milligan becoming the first Australian football players to represent the Socceroos at three World Cup tournaments following the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
The Socceroos squad is made up of three goalkeepers, six defenders, ten midfielders and four strikers with seven of the 23 players currently playing in the Hyundai A-League.
The four unlucky players to miss out on the final squad are Mark Birighitti, Josh Kennedy, Tom Rogic and Luke Wilkshire.
"Every step of the selection process has been difficult because the players have worked very hard since they came into camp but we have had to weigh up form, fitness and squad balance in coming up with the 23 players who will represent Australia at the 2014 World Cup," Postecoglou said.
"We've selected a squad that can do Australia proud and they will walk out onto the pitch for the World Cup in the green and gold shirt and display the characteristics that define our country.
"Our stated aim is to make our country proud, show the world what Australians are made of and test ourselves against the very best football players in the world and this group of players is capable of doing that."
AUSTRALIA'S 23-MAN SQUAD FOR THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP
GOALKEEPERS
Eugene GALEKOVIC (Adelaide United FC, AUSTRALIA)
Mitchell LANGERAK (B.V. Borussia 09 Dortmund, GERMANY)
Mat RYAN (Club Brugge KV, BELGIUM)
DEFENDERS
Jason DAVIDSON (SC Heracles Almelo, NETHERLANDS)
Ivan FRANJIC (Brisbane Roar FC, AUSTRALIA)
Ryan McGOWAN (Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, CHINA)
Matthew SPIRANOVIC (Western Sydney Wanderers FC, AUSTRALIA)
Alex WILKINSON (Jeonbuk Hyundai FC, KOREA REPUBLIC)
Bailey WRIGHT (Preston North End FC, ENGLAND)
MIDFIELDERS
Oliver BOZANIC (FC Luzern, SWITZERLAND)
Mark BRESCIANO (Al Gharafa, QATAR)
James HOLLAND (FK Austria Vienna, AUSTRIA)
Mile JEDINAK (Crystal Palace FC, ENGLAND)
Massimo LUONGO (Swindon Town FC, ENGLAND)
Matthew McKAY (Brisbane ROAR FC, AUSTRALIA)
Mark MILLIGAN (Melbourne Victory FC, AUSTRALIA)
Tommy OAR (FC Utrecht, NETHERLANDS)
James TROISI (Melbourne Victory FC, AUSTRALIA)
Dario VIDOSIC (FC Sion, SWITZERLAND)
FORWARDS
Tim CAHILL (New York Red Bulls, USA)
Ben HALLORAN (Fortuna Dusseldorf, GERMANY)
Matthew LECKIE (FSV Frankfurt 1899, GERMANY)
Adam TAGGART (Newcastle Jets FC, AUSTRALIA)
Photo: AFP