Getting a ticket to the World Cup squad is what every soccer player dreams of, but for Australia’s hopefuls, it’s been a bit of a bumpy road.
As head coach Ange Postecoglou scouts overseas, local capped players without clubs are getting back into their training, desperate to get on the coach’s radar.
Mark Bresciano made an appearance at Melbourne Heart this week, seeking to boost his fitness before Australia starts playing its pre-cup friendlies.
Bresciano is serving a four-month ban by world football body FIFA over a transfer dispute, ruling him out of competitive matches until March.
He said last month he hoped to find a club to train with that also offered friendly matches, possibly in Italy.
Heart were coy on how long Bresciano would stay training with the club; or whether they are lining up a potential deal for the playmaker when his suspension ends.
Also back in training is Socceroo Sasa Ognenovski, this time playing for Sydney FC.
The 34-year-old had been searching for a club after leaving Qatari outfit Umm-Salal in December, shortly after being axed from Postecoglou’s set-up for
November’s friendly against Costa Rica.
He’s made no secret his decision to come play back home was a calculated one.
“Playing here, I’ll be under his (Postecoglou’s) nose.
“Hopefully I can do enough here to make his decision a lot harder.”
The two are just some of the other prospective Socceroos that have come back home to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Tom Rogic (Melbourne Victory), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers) and Harry Kewell (Melbourne Heart) are all desperate for a call up.
The A-League coaches are loving the extra talent in the clubs, and are relishing the chance that they might have them close to the finals in April.