3 minute read
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has labelled September's friendly matches against New Zealand as the last chance for players to impress ahead of the World Cup.
September's friendly matches against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand have been labelled the last chance for players to impress Socceroos coach Graham Arnold before the World Cup.
Football Australia announced on Tuesday it will host the All Whites at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on September 22 as part of the Socceroos' preparations for November's World Cup in Qatar.
The clash with New Zealand, which will also be used to mark 100 years since Australia's first men's international match, will come three days before Australia travel to Auckland to face the same opponent at Eden Park on September 25.
Arnold says no-one should be in any doubt about the importance of both fixtures.
"There's three main parts to this," Arnold told AAP.
"The first is that it's a hundred-year celebration for the Socceroos and that's an amazing thing for the players to be a part of.
"The second thing is it gives the fans - and I'm appealing to all the Queensland fans and fans across the country to get Suncorp for a farewell game, to say goodbye to the boys and show their great support.
"The third thing is there's no such thing as friendlies, especially against a rival such as New Zealand. It's up to the players and it's an opportunity for the players ... their last chance to show me what they've got.
"If someone comes out and stars in those games, well then there's a good chance they'll be selected."
The match will be the first time the Socceroos have played a game in Brisbane since a 1-1 draw with South Korea in the first home game of Arnold's tenure back in November 2018.
Australia begin their campaign in Qatar against world champions France on November 23 with further group stage matches against Tunisia and Denmark.
Tuesday's announcement also included confirmation the Matildas will play a match at the venue, against Canada on September 3.
Tony Gustavsson's team have already announced they will play the Olympic gold medallists in Sydney on September 6.
