Socceroos secure warm-up with second World Cup co-host
Having already secured a two-match series against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in September and a clash with another co-host in Canada on Friday October 10 (Saturday AEST), the Socceroos will face Mauricio Pochettino's side in Colorado four days later.
It will be the first clash between the two since the Socceroos, who recently moved up two places to 24th in the world rankings, were beaten 3-1 in the final warm-up match before their 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.
"Another important match for our preparation that quickly follows our fixture against Canada," Socceroos coach Tony Popovic said.
"When looking at our schedule following direct qualification, we identified travelling to North America as a high priority. Our results over the last 10 months have now given us the chance to play matches against two of the tournament hosts, an opportunity we intend to make the most of.
"The United States are another strong opponent and a great test for our squad. There will be much to take from our experience in this camp, and we're looking forward to the challenge."
Popovic, who wore the green and gold 58 times as a player, including at Germany 2006, remains unbeaten as Socceroos boss after eight matches in charge.
Taking over from Graham Arnold last September, Popovic has enjoyed five wins and three draws - highlighted by crucial wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The US are currently ranked 15th in world and earlier this month were beaten 2-1 by Mexico, the third of next year's co-hosts, in the Concacaf Gold Cup final.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
FIFA reveal date for first release of World Cup tickets
Fans can order tickets for next year's World Cup from September 10, football's world governing body FIFA has announced. The first ordering window of several ticket-selling phases, and initial ballot for tickets, will begin that day. At that stage only the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, know when and where their group matches will be - but not their opposition. The full group stage fixture list will be discovered when the draw is made at the beginning of December. FIFA has not yet announced when and where the ceremony will take place. Based on previous events tickets sold before the draw are likely to be both venue-specific (without knowing the teams involved in matches) and team-specific (before knowing where and when a team such as the Socceroos will play). National associations are also likely to have a batch of tickets to sell. Australia, having qualified by beating Saudi Arabia in June, will be competing at the finals for the seventh time, To be in with a chance of buying tickets for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, interested parties must create a FIFA ID on the federation's website. Some 6.5 million visitors are expected at the World Cup. With 48 teams and 104 matches in three countries, it is the biggest edition to date. Demand, especially for the matches involving top teams or the important knock-out round matches, will most likely exceed supply. Some tickets have already been allocated. For example, FIFA offered combined tickets for the Club World Cup and the World Cup, no doubt to boost the sometimes sluggish sales for the recent team tournament in the US. FIFA have not yet revealed whether they will use the dynamic pricing model utilised in the Club World Cup.
The Age
10 hours ago
- The Age
‘Talent's not enough': Popovic's warning to Irankunda as Bayern Munich exit looms
Nestory Irankunda's impending move to Watford has won a glowing endorsement from Socceroos coach Tony Popovic, who is hopeful it can provide a springboard for the Australian wunderkind to earn his way back into the national team for next year's World Cup. But Popovic's backing comes with a warning, and one that should be ringing in the ears of the 19-year-old as he nears the exit at Bayern Munich after just one year on the club's books: 'Talent's not enough. It's never been enough, and it never will be enough.' Irankunda has reportedly agreed terms on a four-year contract with English Championship club Watford, who are prepared to pay a fee of $5.3 million (€3 million) for a full transfer from Bayern Munich. The five-cap Socceroo will depart having not played in a competitive game for the club, after spending the first part of the 2024-25 season playing for their reserves in Germany's regional leagues and then a mixed six-month stint on loan at Swiss club Grasshoppers. Though it appears to be the end of the road for the former Adelaide United ace at Bayern, he could yet find his way back to the Bundesliga champions if his career takes off in England. The deal is said to include not only a 50 per cent sell-on fee, but a clause that would enable them to buy him back at an agreed price in the future, which means they will remain directly interested in his progress. Watford last played in the Premier League three years ago and have been a mid-table club in the Championship since. Adelaide United, meanwhile, will net 10 per cent of the profit Bayern made on Irankunda, negotiated as part of his transfer to Germany; if the reported figures are accurate, that could equate to about $400,000. 'I don't know if that's definitely done yet, but if it is, wonderful,' Popovic said when asked about the transfer on Tuesday. 'If it's not, hopefully that's something that comes through for Nestory. I'm sure they've done their due diligence in terms of where he would fit in that squad and what plans they have with him as a young player. Hopefully, that will help him grow and take his game to another level. The World Cup's 12 months away, so it's exciting news.'
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Talent's not enough': Popovic's warning to Irankunda as Bayern Munich exit looms
Nestory Irankunda's impending move to Watford has won a glowing endorsement from Socceroos coach Tony Popovic, who is hopeful it can provide a springboard for the Australian wunderkind to earn his way back into the national team for next year's World Cup. But Popovic's backing comes with a warning, and one that should be ringing in the ears of the 19-year-old as he nears the exit at Bayern Munich after just one year on the club's books: 'Talent's not enough. It's never been enough, and it never will be enough.' Irankunda has reportedly agreed terms on a four-year contract with English Championship club Watford, who are prepared to pay a fee of $5.3 million (€3 million) for a full transfer from Bayern Munich. The five-cap Socceroo will depart having not played in a competitive game for the club, after spending the first part of the 2024-25 season playing for their reserves in Germany's regional leagues and then a mixed six-month stint on loan at Swiss club Grasshoppers. Though it appears to be the end of the road for the former Adelaide United ace at Bayern, he could yet find his way back to the Bundesliga champions if his career takes off in England. The deal is said to include not only a 50 per cent sell-on fee, but a clause that would enable them to buy him back at an agreed price in the future, which means they will remain directly interested in his progress. Watford last played in the Premier League three years ago and have been a mid-table club in the Championship since. Adelaide United, meanwhile, will net 10 per cent of the profit Bayern made on Irankunda, negotiated as part of his transfer to Germany; if the reported figures are accurate, that could equate to about $400,000. 'I don't know if that's definitely done yet, but if it is, wonderful,' Popovic said when asked about the transfer on Tuesday. 'If it's not, hopefully that's something that comes through for Nestory. I'm sure they've done their due diligence in terms of where he would fit in that squad and what plans they have with him as a young player. Hopefully, that will help him grow and take his game to another level. The World Cup's 12 months away, so it's exciting news.'
