World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

[NicCarBel]

Curious to hear more. I only vaguely heard about it, but never in detail!

From memory, that was a time when playing for a youth side meant you were locked in.
Timmy was offered a spot in the Samoan U20s team in.. I think it was an Oceania qualifying tournament, and he used it as a reason to go visit his sick grandmother. Little did he know it locked him to Samoa (until FIFA changed their regs in 2004-ish? to not have youth teams lock in senior players).

Summarised very shortly there, but I remember he did write a bit on it in his book (or Bonita did. Whoever wrote it)

 

[Vieri]

From memory, that was a time when playing for a youth side meant you were locked in.
Timmy was offered a spot in the Samoan U20s team in.. I think it was an Oceania qualifying tournament, and he used it as a reason to go visit his sick grandmother. Little did he know it locked him to Samoa (until FIFA changed their regs in 2004-ish? to not have youth teams lock in senior players).

Yup, he was 15 iirc...

 

[melbcityguy]

From memory, that was a time when playing for a youth side meant you were locked in.
Timmy was offered a spot in the Samoan U20s team in.. I think it was an Oceania qualifying tournament, and he used it as a reason to go visit his sick grandmother. Little did he know it locked him to Samoa (until FIFA changed their regs in 2004-ish? to not have youth teams lock in senior players).

Summarised very shortly there, but I remember he did write a bit on it in his book (or Bonita did. Whoever wrote it)

Wow imagine if he was locked in at Samoa. How it would of effected us would he have been a national hero there?

 

[grazorblade]

We

Wow imagine if he was locked in at Samoa. How it would of effected us would he have been a national hero there?

Probably make 06 and 10 world cups, but dont win a game, with 2022 being even more special i suppose. We probably lose 2015 asian cup and miss the 2014 world cup

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

We

Probably make 06 and 10 world cups, but dont win a game, with 2022 being even more special i suppose. We probably lose 2015 asian cup and miss the 2014 world cup

He was in the squad but did he actually play at the 2015 Asian Cup?

 

[grazorblade]

He was in the squad but did he actually play at the 2015 Asian Cup?

Yep squared 2 key goals including one in a knockout v china

 

[Herringbone]

Does anyone know when the next squad is announced?

 

[NicCarBel]

Does anyone know when the next squad is announced?

I'm going to hazard a guess at Thursday or Friday. I believe last time was a week before the first game.

 

[Quicky]

I'm going to hazard a guess at Thursday or Friday. I believe last time was a week before the first game.

The Friday before the games from memory.

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

Yep squared 2 key goals including one in a knockout v china

That's right, an overhead that would probably get chalked off these days for dangerous play.

 

[JS96]

Squad imminent. It's come around quickly. Not expecting Robertson and will await Cardiff team tonight.

 

[grazorblade]

Squad imminent. It's come around quickly. Not expecting Robertson and will await Cardiff team tonight.

Toure the main name im looking for

 

[JS96]

Toure the main name im looking for

I'm expecting disappointment. Would be so refreshing to get rid of Behich.

 

[Herringbone]

Toure the main name im looking for

Agree - Toure and Balard for me

 

[Quicky]

Squad imminent. It's come around quickly. Not expecting Robertson and will await Cardiff team tonight.

Are Luongo and Bos still injured?

 

[Quicky]

Wasn't the squad announcement a Friday last time?

 

[Decentric]

I'm expecting disappointment. Would be so refreshing to get rid of Behich.

I think he has played well.

 

[JS96]

Are Luongo and Bos still injured?

Both returned to the bench.

 

[JS96]

Wasn't the squad announcement a Friday last time?

Yes. It'll be tomorrow.

 

[JS96]

Press conference streaming at 11:30 tomorrow if I got my time conversions right. 1:30am CET.