SEVEN uncapped players fly out today in the 20-man Olyroos squad for the one-off friendly between Australia and Mexico in San Francisco on Sunday.
To see the Olyroos training yesterday...
"A lot of young players have shone in the last few months of the Hyundai A-League and this will provide an excellent opportunity for them to show me what they can do at international level," said coach Graham Arnold.
"This will be a great chance for some new faces to test themselves against a different type of football."
Newcastle Jets trio James Holland, Tarek Elrich, and Jason Hoffman will be hoping to make their debut for the team, as will Hyundai A-League Grand Final counterparts Matt Simon and Nigel Boogaard from the Central Coast Mariners.
Perth Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya is also selected after previously featuring in the squad for the decisive home qualifier against Iraq last November.
Goalkeeping duo Tando Velaphi of Perth Glory, and Justin Pasfield of NSW club Wollongong Wolves, are set to battle it out for the number one jersey.
The squad contains just two overseas based players in former Melbourne Victory defender Adrian Leijer of English Premier League club Fulham, and striker David Williams based at Danish-club Brondby.
The 20-man squad travelling to San Francisco is:
Nigel Boogaard (Central Coast Mariners), Leigh Broxham (Melbourne Victory), Nathan Burns (Adelaide United), Billy Celeski (Melbourne Victory), Robert Cornthwaite (Adelaide United), Adam D’Apuzzo (Newcastle Jets), Bruce Djite (Adelaide United), Tarek Elrich (Newcastle Jets), Troy Hearfield (Newcastle Jets), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets), James Holland (Newcastle Jets), Adrian Leijer (Fulham, England), Justin Pasfield (Wollongong Wolves, NSW), Nikita Rukavytsya (Perth Glory), Sebastian Ryall (Melbourne Victory), Matt Simon (Central Coast Mariners), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Perth Glory), Tando Velaphi (Perth Glory), David Williams (Brondby, Denmark), Ruben Zadkovich (Sydney FC)
Among the absentees are captain Mark Milligan who has a quadricep injury, and Newcastle Jets' Hyundai A-League Grand Final hero Mark Bridge who will miss the match with a hamstring injury.
Also missing are Danny Vukovic who has been stood down from national team duty pending an appeal for the suspension arising from the Hyundai A-League Grand Final, Stuart Musialik, Tahj Minniecon and Michael Zullo.
The match will mark the first formal outing for the team since qualifying last November following an arduous 14-match campaign.
Local authorities are predicting a crowd of around 40,000 for the match which will be played at McAfee Coliseum at Oakland on Sunday 2 March, 2pm kick-off local time (Monday 3 March, 9am AEDST).
To see the Olyroos training yesterday...
"A lot of young players have shone in the last few months of the Hyundai A-League and this will provide an excellent opportunity for them to show me what they can do at international level," said coach Graham Arnold.
"This will be a great chance for some new faces to test themselves against a different type of football."
Newcastle Jets trio James Holland, Tarek Elrich, and Jason Hoffman will be hoping to make their debut for the team, as will Hyundai A-League Grand Final counterparts Matt Simon and Nigel Boogaard from the Central Coast Mariners.
Perth Glory striker Nikita Rukavytsya is also selected after previously featuring in the squad for the decisive home qualifier against Iraq last November.
Goalkeeping duo Tando Velaphi of Perth Glory, and Justin Pasfield of NSW club Wollongong Wolves, are set to battle it out for the number one jersey.
The squad contains just two overseas based players in former Melbourne Victory defender Adrian Leijer of English Premier League club Fulham, and striker David Williams based at Danish-club Brondby.
The 20-man squad travelling to San Francisco is:
Nigel Boogaard (Central Coast Mariners), Leigh Broxham (Melbourne Victory), Nathan Burns (Adelaide United), Billy Celeski (Melbourne Victory), Robert Cornthwaite (Adelaide United), Adam D’Apuzzo (Newcastle Jets), Bruce Djite (Adelaide United), Tarek Elrich (Newcastle Jets), Troy Hearfield (Newcastle Jets), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets), James Holland (Newcastle Jets), Adrian Leijer (Fulham, England), Justin Pasfield (Wollongong Wolves, NSW), Nikita Rukavytsya (Perth Glory), Sebastian Ryall (Melbourne Victory), Matt Simon (Central Coast Mariners), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Perth Glory), Tando Velaphi (Perth Glory), David Williams (Brondby, Denmark), Ruben Zadkovich (Sydney FC)
Among the absentees are captain Mark Milligan who has a quadricep injury, and Newcastle Jets' Hyundai A-League Grand Final hero Mark Bridge who will miss the match with a hamstring injury.
Also missing are Danny Vukovic who has been stood down from national team duty pending an appeal for the suspension arising from the Hyundai A-League Grand Final, Stuart Musialik, Tahj Minniecon and Michael Zullo.
The match will mark the first formal outing for the team since qualifying last November following an arduous 14-match campaign.
Local authorities are predicting a crowd of around 40,000 for the match which will be played at McAfee Coliseum at Oakland on Sunday 2 March, 2pm kick-off local time (Monday 3 March, 9am AEDST).
To see the Olyroos training yesterday...
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