Robbie Cornthwaite: Round 1’s winners and losers in Qatar race


As the deadline for Graham Arnold’s preliminary World Cup squad looms, Melbourne Victory’s Socceroos contenders are the big winners from the opening round of Isuzu UTE A-League, writes former Australia and A-Leagues defender Robbie Cornthwaite, in his maiden column for KEEPUP. 

With a place at next month’s World Cup on the line, which of our Socceroo hopefuls moved forward in the queue and could be stepping on the plane to Qatar and who could be left waiting on the tarmac?

Round one of the Isuzu UTE A-League was a chance for every Australian player to stake their claim in front of national team coaches on home soil. Like the clubs they represent, some were winners and some were losers, with the clock ticking on the deadline for Graham Arnold’s first preliminary squad.

While I expect the players below to comfortably make the provisional 55-man squad, they aren’t as secure when it comes to a place in the final 26, who’ll get to wear the green and gold at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month. 

I think Socceroos regulars Matthew Leckie and Andrew Redmayne are two who can already book their tickets, while I fear it might be too late for others like Rhyan Grant and Chris Ikonomidis, although the latter’s cameo for Melbourne Victory on Saturday did catch the eye. 

Here’s my verdict on how local contenders went in round one. 

WINNERS

Jamie Maclaren: Melbourne City

Maclaren is most likely to make the squad of anyone on this list and it’s hard to see the striker missing the flight to Qatar barring injury. 

The Golden Boot winner for the past three seasons didn’t waste time opening his account; e just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. In the grand final rematch against Western United, he was johnny-on-the-spot to tap home from close range in the first half but had his season opener chalked off for a foul in the build up. Despite that,  it showed he knows where to be and when. He’s always been able to sniff out a goal. 

In the second half, the most underrated part of his game, his defensive pressure, handed him his first of the season. When Western defender Leo Lacroix hesitated on the ball, he pounced, pinching the ball before calmly dinking it over an onrushing Jamie Young. 

He showed great composure, quality and instinct in the blink of an eye, something the Socceroos will need if they are to take advantage of their limited opportunities at the World Cup. 

He would have had another late on if not for a spectacular Young save, and on another day he could have finished with a hat-trick. Maclaren scores goals. He always has and if he continues to do so, he’ll be in Arnie’s squad, there is no question about that.

Jake Brimmer: Melbourne Victory

Jake Brimmer is my favourite player in the league.

I have said it in the past, and nothing has changed this season; he’s just my type of guy. Brimmer is no nonsense, tough, plays with a purpose and always looks forward. After winning the Jonhny Warren Medal last year, he picked up where he left off in the Big Blue. His ability to get on the shoulder and in behind the opposing midfield demonstrates his football intelligence. In the first half on Saturday night, he was able to find space to not only receive the ball but to turn and face forward, where more often than not he made great decisions and rarely wasted the ball. 

He was the orchestrator for Melbourne Victory and was a constant option in attack. Should he be called upon by his country, you know fitness isn’t going to be an issue.

He’s up against the likes of Connor Metcalfe and Riley McGree for a place in Qatar. It won’t be easy, but I think he has done his chances absolutely no harm with an outstanding start to the new season.

Jake Brimmer tightly marked by Anthony Caceres (right) and Luke Brattan.

Nick D’Agostino: Melbourne Victory

Nick D’Agostino is a proper No.9.

After reaching double figures for the first time last season, it’d be a brave person who backed against him doing it again this time around. His work rate with and without the ball was ridiculous on Saturday night. Pressing from the front, well supported by Brimmer and Co., he showed his mobility, putting pressure on the Sydney back four and hisphysicality imposed himself on the contest, which his high fitness levels made possible. 

He is comfortable with the ball at his feet; he played the role as a focal point perfectly but was just as dangerous on the shoulder of the last defender or chasing the ball in behind with a burst of pace. His becoming an integral member of the biggest club in Australia shows he can handle pressure.

His goal was one of the finest headers you are likely to see. In fact, he’s quickly become one of the most dangerous Australian players aerially, alongside Mitch Duke. 

After forcing his way into the Socceroos back in March, I wouldn’t put it past him again.

Craig Goodwin: Adelaide United

The equation was pretty simple for Craig this week: get game time. 

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the Adelaide United captain this pre-season. Since scoring his penalty in Australia’s World Cup qualifying win against Peru, he’s barely kicked a ball. Adelaide’s sole focus, in partnership with national team medical staff, had been to make sure he was ready to play come round one.

He had no meaningful minutes of any kind in the build up to the season and admitted during the week that it was now time to roll the dice in a bid to take his place in Qatar. To see one of Australia’s most naturally gifted left-sided players come back and get through unscathed can only be a massive plus. With the first hurdle successfully navigated, it’s time to push and make sure he’s on that plane to the World Cup.

It’s now or never.

LOSERS

Daniel Arzani: Macarthur FC

Daniel Arzani is the only player on the losers list who wasn’t included in the last Socceroos camp to take on New Zealand, so he can’t afford to waste time. 

A standout performer in Macarthur’s Australia Cup triumph, Arzani was a big reason why the Bulls were able to secure the first trophy in the club’s history. In the opening exchanges of the final against Sydney United, he was up for it. He was sharp, direct and ran at defenders with speed and trickery, which was a joy to watch. I wrote at the time that I couldn’t wait to watch Daniel week in and week out this season, but on Saturday afternoon in Brisbane he didn’t look the same. Whether it was an Australia Cup hangover or it just wasn’t his day, I’m not sure – but he just wasn’t able to have the same impact. 

To be fair, his teammates didn’t offer a whole lot either, particularly in the opening 45 minutes. Brisbane tried to target him physically, and he went down a little easily at times. He offered very little defensively as the home side continually found space in the wide areas.

In the end, he was substituted with 30 minutes still to play – that’s valuable playing time he can’t afford to miss. Having missed so much football in the past, we should expect some inconsistency as he returns to his best, but with Craig Noone waiting in the wings, he can’t afford to lose his starting spot.

There’s plenty of work to do if he’s any chance of playing in back-to-back World Cups.

Arzani protects the ball from Jack Hingert.

Marco Tilio: Melbourne City

When you’re at Melbourne City, sometimes no matter how good you are, you’ll find yourself down the pecking order. With Andrew Nabbout, Leckie, and Maclaren in City’s front three, you had better be at your absolute best if you want to stake your claim. Like Garang Kuol, I don’t think coming off the bench as an impact player at club level is really all that bad when that’s basically the role you’re auditioning for with the national team. Unfortunately for Marco, he’s already failed an audition in my opinion. 

In the second game against New Zealand last month, he struggled to have any impact, and when he did, he butchered one of the easiest opportunities to score at international level you’re likely to get. 

Coming on for the final 20 minutes against Western on Friday night, he had a chance to ice the game after being played in by Maclaren. He showed all his class, effortlessly gliding past one defender before looking far too relaxed with the finish, allowing Young to save. In the aftermath, Maclaren could be seen grilling the young flyer for not finishing or returning the ball to last season’s Golden Boot winner. Either way, City should have scored and Tilio could have asked another question of the national team coach who was in the crowd.

Tilio contests Lachie Wales for possession.

Garang Kuol: Central Coast Mariners

Despite Kuol signing for Newcastle United in the English Premier League, Mariners boss Nick Montgomery wasn’t ready to change the formula just yet. 

Although the F3 Derby was postponed due to the pre-match downpour, we still saw Montgomery’s line-up, which included the hottest property in Australian football starting from the bench. 

While many were surprised,they shouldn’t have been. At this stage in his career, Kuol is still an impact player and that’s exactly the role he’ll be required to play at the World Cup should he make the team. In every game he has played as a professional footballer up until this point, he’s come off the bench. So why change it now? At 18, he is on the verge of playing at the World Cup, so why ask him to do something different? His best chance of making the team is to continue doing exactly what he’s done.

Although Kuol is on the losers’ list, I do not think him not playing due to the game being called off is that bad. What it does do, though, is slow his momentum and the wave of excitement that’s built around his journey.

The postponement denied him another chance to set the crowd alight and send social media into a frenzy with his name on everyone’s lips.

The kid has earned and deserves everything he’s achieved so far, but it can’t hurt to have headline after headline written about you. It’s hard for Arnie and his staff to ignore.

He’ll now head to Uzbekistan as part of the Australian U20 squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers, where he is sure to get plenty of minutes. 

Jason Cummings: Central Coast Mariners

Like Kuol, there was little Jason Cummings could do on Saturday night as torrential rain ruined any chance of “The Cumdog” grabbing the headlines. But unlike Kuol, Cummings needs goals and needs them quickly. 

With Maclaren and D’Agostino finding the back of the net, he’s already behind the eight ball despite no fault of his own. Whether he scores or not, Arnold will want to take a team to Qatar that is match fit and in the best possible shape.

Cummings has never really had a proper taste of international football and you fear his fitness at that level could ultimately be his downfall when you look at him along with other overseas options like Duke and Taggart. He was named on the bench in the F3 Derby, and reports suggest he was nursing a shoulder injury he picked up during the friendly against New Zealand. While it’s not ideal that he’s carrying a niggle, the extra week off could work in his favour. It’s not too late for Cummings.

Jason Cummings protects the ball from Liberato Cacace on his Socceroos debut.