By the time you read this, Ange Postecoglou’s Socceroos will be a team of the past, and Bert Van Marwijk’s Socceroos will have been unveiled in this morning’s first of this week’s two international friendlies beginning in snowy Oslo against Norway, and followed just four days later in London against Columbia.

The Socceroos’ opponents Norway and Columbia were chosen partly on the assumption that they would provide contrasting styles similar to what the Socceroos will encounter in their group matches in Russia at the World Cup where their opponents include a Scandinavian team Denmark, a South American opponent Peru, as well as group favourites France.

In these two friendlies, coach Van Marwijk will gain first-hand knowledge of how the players perform under his game play, which of the players can adapt quickest to the way he wants the team to play, to the formation and game plan he wants the players to understand.

The match against Norway which kicked off 4.00 am AEST this morning, will have shown whether or not Van Marwijk, as most expected, abandoned the three-player defence favoured by predecessor Postecoglou and opted instead for a four-player defence in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Going into this match, the Socceroos were ranked 37 in the world, compared to Norway’s 57th. Norway failed to qualify for Russia 2018 but were still expected to provide a stern test on home soil to an Australian team playing under a new coach.

Following the game in Oslo, the Socceroos’ next friendly on Wednesday morning AEST against 13th ranked Columbia is expected to provide a much sterner test. The Columbian squad boasts several footballers playing at some of the best clubs and top quality leagues in world football, including the Bundesliga, the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

Talented Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez who made such an impact at Brazil 2014, (currently on loan to Bayern Munich), heads the list. He’s sure to test the Socceroos’ defence along with Monaco striker Radamel Falcao and Villareal’s Carlos Bacca. At the other end of the park, the Socceroos’ attack will be trying to find a way through a defence which boasts keeper David Ospina (Arsenal), Christian Zapata (AC Milan), Yerry Mina (Barcelona) and Davinson Sanchez from Spurs.

The Socceroos have yet to defeat Columbia at senior level: in four previous encounters they have drawn once and lost twice, most recently in 2001 when Columbia won 3-2 in Bogota. Much more recently, the Socceroos acquitted themselves impressively when they last played South American opposition in last year’s Confederations Cup against Chile in a game which ended 1-1.

FULL COLOMBIA SQUAD

Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Arsenal/ENG), Camilo Vargas (Deportivo Cali)
Defenders: Cristian Zapata (AC Milan/ITA), Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham/ENG), Jefferson Lerma (Levante/ESP), Yerry Mina (Barcelona/ESP), Johan Mojica (Sporting Gijon/ESP), Bernardo Espinosa (Sporting Gijon/ESP), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Oscar Murillo (Pachuca/MEX), Frank Fabra (Boca Juniors/ARG).
Midfielders: Jose Heriberto Izquierdo (Brighton/ENG), James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich/GER), Carlos Sanchez (Espanyol/ESP), Giovanni Moreno (Shanghai Shenhua/CHN), Mateus Uribe (America/MEX), Wilmar Barrios (Boca Juniors/ARG), Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate/ARG), Abel Aguilar (Deportivo Cali), Victor Cantillo (Junior)
Forwards: Duvan Zapata (Sampdoria/ITA), Carlos Bacca (Villarreal/ESP), Luis Fernando Muriel (Sevilla/ESP), Radamel Falcao (Monaco/FRA), Miguel Borja (Palmeiras/BRA), Yimmi Chara (Junior)

Four of the Socceroos 26 -player squad are in line for a debut in these two friendlies against Norway and Columbia. Attackers Dimi Petratos, Andrew Nabbout, keeper Danny Vukovic and central defender Aleksander Susnjar will be hoping for a first cap and a chance to stake a claim in the final squad for Russia. Feyenoord keeper Brad Jones has also been rewarded with a re-call following a long period of absence from the Socceroos.

Following this week, in the limited time remaining for Van Marwijk to prepare the Socceroos for the World Cup in Russia, the experienced coach and the FFA have opted for a four-week Europe-based intensive training camp beginning in mid-May with two friendlies, rather than the traditional send-off to the World Cup.