The Subway Young Socceroos have announced their squad for the Marbella Week of Football, a friendly tournament that will see them take on some of the best U-19 teams in Europe. The Australian team will face France, Netherlands and Denmark at the Marbella Football Centre, a world-class facility that has hosted many top national and club teams.
A strong squad with local and overseas talent
The 23-player squad selected by head coach Trevor Morgan features 16 players from the Isuzu UTE A-League Men, as well as seven players from overseas clubs. Among the local representatives are Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham, who has scored four goals in five games this season, Adelaide United midfielder Luka Jovanovic, who has impressed with his creativity and vision, and Western Sydney Wanderers forward Marcus Younis, who has netted three goals in four appearances.
The overseas contingent includes Liam Bonetig, a defender from Scottish giants Celtic FC, Matteo Mazzone, a midfielder from German powerhouse Eintracht Frankfurt, and Rhys Youlley, a midfielder from Belgian side K.V.C. Westerlo. Morgan has also included two players from the Subway Joeys squad that competed in the recent AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023™: goalkeeper Anthony Pavlesic from FC Bayern Munich and midfielder Bailey O’Neil from Adelaide United FC.
A challenging schedule against top-level opposition
The Subway Young Socceroos will face three tough opponents in the Marbella Week of Football, which will be held from October 9 to October 18. The first match will be against France on October 12, followed by Netherlands on October 14 and Denmark on October 17. All three teams have qualified for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2023, which will be held in Romania next summer.
Morgan said that the tournament will be a valuable opportunity for his players to test themselves against high-quality opposition and to develop their skills and cohesion as a group. He said that he was looking forward to seeing how his squad would respond to the challenges and to working with them at the Marbella Football Centre, one of the most highly regarded facilities in Europe.
A stepping stone for future success
The Marbella Week of Football is part of the Subway Young Socceroos’ preparation for the AFC U-19 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2023™, which will be held in October next year. The top four teams from that tournament will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Indonesia 2023™, which will be held in May and June.
The Subway Young Socceroos have a proud history of producing talented players who have gone on to represent the senior national team, such as Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Aaron Mooy. The current squad will be hoping to follow in their footsteps and to make their mark on the international stage.
