Six Cup spots open, says Arnold
GRAHAM Arnold may not always be jolly, but he has six gifts this festive season.
The Socceroos coach has revealed half a dozen spots are still up for grabs for Australia’s Asian Cup defence in January.
Arnold is expected to name his squad for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates in three weeks. And he laid down a challenge for the contenders to make one final push.
“I was very happy with what I saw in the two games against South Korea and Lebanon. There’s still six spots up for grabs,” Arnold said yesterday.
“It’s a matter of these three weeks, the players showing what their qualities are.”
Pressed on which areas Ar- nold was undecided on, he said: “Every department, there’s one position available in every department.
“Players who are in form, who are ready, and who have shown the experience in the past that they step up for major competitions.”
It comes just in time for Arnold’s first major test in his second crack at the role,
Socceroos hopefuls have just a handful of matches to impress. The likes of Tomi Juric, Trent Sainsbury, and Jamie Maclaren were glued to the bench for their respective overseas clubs on the weekend.
It could open the door for several A-League players, including Craig Goodwin, Chris Ikonomidis, Josh Risdon and Rhyan Grant.