The 2023/24 season might be over, but it’s been a busy period for our A-League Women and A-League Men stars on international duty.
From Young Socceroos to senior national teams, we had a number of players in action during the May-June international window.
We wrap up all the action in one place with International City.
Caputo nets brace for Young Socceroos
City youngsters Max Caputo and Zane Schreiber joined Australia’s U20 team for a tour of South America, facing Uruguay and Chile in Montevideo, La Calera and Santiago.
Both Caputo and Schreiber were named in the starting XI ahead of the Young Socceroos opener with Uruguay at the Complejo Uruguay Celeste in Montevideo.
Caputo extended his strong form from the A-League Men’s season, with City’s Rising Star winner netting two goals against Uruguay in the Young Socceroos 3-3 draw. The match ended in defeat for Australia following a 4-3 penalty shootout loss.
City’s striker curled in a beautiful effort for his opener from the edge of the area, before using his poacher’s instinct to net his second a few minutes later.
Caputo and Schreiber were both starters in the final match of the tour, with the Young Socceroos suffering a 2-1 defeat to Chile.
Lecks, Aziz and Socceroos take part in World Cup qualifiers
Aziz Behich made a second-half appearance in Australia’s 2-0 win over Bangladesh, before both he and Mathew Leckie were named in Graham Arnold’s starting XI as the Socceroos defeated Palestine 5-0 to wrap up this round of their qualifying campaign.
Behich earned a very early penalty for the Socceroos against Palestine when he was fouled in the box by Yaser Hamed – Kusini Yengi stepped up to take the penalty, making it 1-0 within the first four minutes in Perth.
Behich, Leckie and the Socceroos would prove too strong on home soil, as a brace from Yengi accompanied by goals to Adam Taggart, Martin Boyle and Nestroy Irankunda saw Arnold’s side finish the match with a 5-0 victory.
Behich and Leckie were joined in the Socceroos squad by City Academy products Connor Metcalfe and Jordan Bos.
Six Premiership winners represent Australia U23 in Sweden
A-League Women’s Premiers Plate winners Daniela Galic, Leah Davidson, Laura Hughes, Naomi Chinnama, Bryleeh Henry and Leticia McKenna represented Australia’s U23 team in Växjö, Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament.
It was a tough tournament for Australia who went down 3-0 in their opener to hosts, Sweden, before suffering a 3-0 defeat to European giants, Germany.
The final match of the tournament saw Australia defeat Poland 5-3 on penalties after playing out a 2-2 draw during regulation time.
Football Ferns take on World Cup quarter-finalists Japan
City Captain, Rebekah Stott, and recently departed striker, Hannah Wilkinson, travelled to Murcia, Spain, to take on FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finalists, Japan, in a two-game series as preparations for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics continue.
Stott played 90 minutes in the first match and Wilkinson came on at half-time as the Ferns suffered a 2-0 loss to Japan. Both players missed the second match with minor injury niggles as the Ferns went down 4-1.
Three young guns named in Joeys squad
City young guns Jayden Necovski, Jonty Benfield and Besian Kutleshi have been named in the Joeys squad for the upcoming 2024 ASEAN U-16 Boys’ Championship held in Surakarta, Indonesia from 21 June – 4 July.
Australia has been drawn in Group C for the tournament, alongside Malaysia, Thailand and Timor-Leste, with all three Group Stage fixtures to be played at the Sriwedari Stadium.
Match Details
Thailand v Joeys
Date: Sunday, 23 June 2024
Kick-off: 3.00pm local/ 6.00pm AEST
Venue: Sriwedari Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia
Joeys v Malaysia
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Kick-off: 3.00pm local/ 6.00pm AEST
Venue: Sriwedari Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia
Timor-Leste v Joeys
Date: Saturday, 29 June 2024
Kick-off: 3.00pm local/ 6.00pm AEST
Venue: Sriwedari Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia
Joeys & Young Socceroos AFC Asian Cup 2025 Qualification path confirmed
The Joeys and Young Socceroos have both learned of their respective AFC Asian Cup 2025 paths following the U17 and U20 draws at AFC House, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday 13 June.
The Joeys are in Group G with Indonesia, Kuwait and Northern Mariana Islands, with the Young Socceroos set to take on Afghanistan, Macau, Palestine and Saudi Arabia in Group D.
Qualifiers for the AFC U17 Asian Cup – to be held in Saudi Arabia – will take place across Asia between October 19 and 27 and feature 43 teams, who will be divided into 10 groups – seven of four teams and three of five teams.
The Young Socceroos will take part in their qualifiers between September 21 and 29 in a preliminary stage that features 45 teams, also divided into 10 groups – five of four teams and five of five teams.
Young Matildas World Cup group confirmed
The Young Matildas group for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024 has also been confirmed.
The Young Matildas will open their World Cup account against hosts Colombia, before facing Mexico and Cameroon in Group A.
City’s Daniela Galic, Naomi Chinnama, Tijan McKenna, and the Young Matildas qualified for the tournament when they secured the Bronze Medal at the U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024 earlier this year.
Match Details
Colombia v Australia
Date: Saturday, 31 August 2024 / Thursday, 1 September 2024 (AUS)
Kick-off: 6.00pm (local) / 9.00am (AEST)
Venue: Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Mexico v Australia
Date: Tuesday, 3 September 2024 / Wednesday, 4 September 2024 (AUS)
Kick-off: 5.00pm (local) / 8.00am (AEST)
Venue: Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Australia v Cameroon
Date: Friday, 6 September 2024 / Saturday, 7 September 2024 (AUS)
Kick-off: 8.00pm (local) / 11.00am (AEST)
Venue: Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
