Socceroos squad named for Costa Rica friendly

Sydney – Socceroos head coach Ange Postecoglou has named his first squad for the friendly match against Costa Rica in Sydney in late November, Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced Wednesday.

Postecoglou Wednesday unveiled a 22-player squad for the international friendly against Costa Rica at Allianz Stadium in Sydney Nov 19 as the Socceroos continue along the road to Brazil, reported Xinhua.

The announcement of the squad has been tempered by the fact that Australia’s greatest ever goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer Tuesday night retired from international football, after he was originally selected in the squad, the FFA said.

Schwarzer, 41, retires as most capped Socceroo player in history, representing Australia in 109 appearances for the national team since his debut in 1993. Postecoglou paid tribute to Schwarzer, saying he has been “a tremendous servant” for the Socceroos.

“He is our most capped Socceroo, has been one of our best performers over a long period of time and he has always remained passionate about playing for Australia,” Postecoglou said.

Coach Postecoglou will work with his squad and staff early next week to prepare for the match against Costa Rica.

“I want to give every Australian player the best opportunity to stake a claim for Brazil and beyond,” he said.