Joe Gauci’s Return to the Socceroos Camp
Joe Gauci is in contention for a spot in the World Cup squad after being invited to a Socceroos training camp in Florida. He will join rival goalkeeper Patrick Beach as part of a group of 10 new players added to national team boss Tony Popovic’s squad, announced on Monday.
Gauci, currently on loan at Port Vale from Aston Villa, had previously started matches under Popovic’s first coaching window but fell out of favor behind captain Mat Ryan and Paul Izzo. The 25-year-old last appeared in a Socceroos squad in October, serving as an unused substitute in friendlies against Canada and the US.
Despite this, Gauci’s impressive performances helped English League One side Port Vale reach the FA Cup quarter-finals against Chelsea in April. These efforts have convinced Popovic to keep the door open for his return.
However, Gauci faces strong competition from Beach, who has recently overtaken him in the pecking order. Beach earned his first cap in a 1-0 loss to Venezuela last November. The 22-year-old is heading to Florida after Melbourne City was eliminated 1-1 (7-6) by Auckland FC in the elimination final last weekend.
Aziz Behich, Beach’s teammate at Melbourne City, will also be in attendance. Alongside him are promising young talents Mohamed Toure and Nestory Irankunda. However, Marcus Younis, a 20-year-old City phenomenon, was not included in Monday’s announcement.
Daniel Bennie and Raphael Borges Rodrigues, both from the Young Socceroos, received their first senior national team call-ups. Bennie, who plays for Queens Park Rangers, and Rodrigues, currently on loan at Wigan Athletic from Coventry City, will also join the camp.
More players are expected to join the camp over the coming weeks, with 2022 World Cup heroes Harry Souttar and Mathew Leckie already present in Florida.
The Socceroos will face Mexico in a friendly match in Los Angeles on May 31, which will be the last game before Popovic selects his final squad on June 1. After that, the team will move to their Bay Area base.
Socceroos Training Squad
- Aziz Behich
- Patrick Beach
- Adjin Hrustic
- Cameron Burgess
- Mohamed Toure
- Nestory Irankunda
- Daniel Bennie
- Raphael Borges Rodrigues
- Alex Robertson
Joe Gauci
Announced last week: Harry Souttar, Hayden Matthews, Anthony Caceres, Mitch Duke, Brandon Borrello, Nick D’Agostino, Nishan Velupillay, Mathew Leckie
