Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar has told national boss Pim Verbeek he ‘shouldn’t look any further than Eugene Galekovic’ when it comes time to choose a third goalkeeper for the 2010 World Cup campaign.
Galekovic turned in another superlative performance in the Reds’ 1-0 loss to Sydney on Sunday night, his acrobatic display preventing at least three goals and no doubt impressing Verbeek, who watched from the stands.
The Adelaide custodian will fight it out with Tando Velaphi and Danny Vukovic for the goalkeeper’s shirt for the Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait on January 6 – the winner of that three-way shoot-out gaining a massive leg-up ahead of World Cup selection.
Mark Schwarzer will go to South Africa as the Socceroos’ first-choice keeper with Adam Federici his likely back-up.
The jostling for the deputy position behind those two is intense.
But according to Vidmar, Verbeek has an easy choice to make.
“Pim shouldn’t look any further than Eugene Galekovic, I’ve said that for a number of weeks, a couple of months,” Vidmar declared.
“He has been super consistent for two-and-a-half years so Pim shouldn’t really look any further that Eugene Galekovic, in my opinion, to take to the World Cup.”
Galekovic won’t chase a loan deal overseas to improve his chance of making the World Cup squad, instead opting to play on with the Reds in their Asian Champions League campaign.
“To make a World Cup is a big thing and I will have a chat with Pim, but I don’t think he will have too may problems with me playing the Asian Champions League,” Galekovic said.
Asked where he saw himself in the goalkeepers’ pecking order, the modest Adelaide shot-stopper replied: “There is still a long way to go. You’ve got a lot of keepers playing in Europe, in the Championship, that are vying for that third spot as well.”
“If we start doing well I’ve got a good chance because the Champions League is a lot better than the A-League, but in the end I’ve got to worry about myself and the team and trying to climb the ladder.”
And climbing the ladder is not beyond the Reds, insists Vidmar, despite going into 2010 in last position on the Hyundai A-League table.
The South Australians are five points outside the top six with seven rounds to play.
“We’ve got to keep plugging away,” Vidmar said.
“I don’t think mathematically we’re out of the picture. With a loss (to Sydney) it’s made it a little bit more difficult, but we’ve still got to believe that we can make the finals.”
