#110 - Socceroos Asian Cup preparation, Mohamed Toure on the mark & hot prospects back in the A-League

00:00

57:42

With just 12 days until the Socceroos face Brazil in Townsville, we look at the players making their case for Tony Popovic’s squad and ask who has done enough to earn a place against the Selecao.

The Socceroos’ November friendlies against Qatar and Jordan are also confirmed, while we react to the Young Socceroos’ Asian Cup qualification disappointment and look ahead to the Olyroos’ Olympic preparations, including their October clash with Korea Republic in Gosford.

Gianni Stensness makes Champions League debut

A huge milestone for Gianni Stensness, who becomes the first Australian to feature in the UEFA Champions League since Milos Degenek in 2023. Stensness played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart but produced an impressive individual performance with eight clearances, four recoveries and a 75% duel success rate.

Nestory Irankunda was an unused substitute as Sporting made an impressive start with a 3-1 win over Galatasaray.

Aussies Abroad

There was plenty to discuss across the major European leagues:

Lucas Herrington continues to earn opportunities in the Premier League for Hull City, including a full 90 minutes against Sunderland.
Alex Robertson continues to impress for Cardiff City as they search for their first win of the Championship season.
Mohamed Toure scored inside the first minute for Birmingham in a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Middlesbrough.
Kealey Adamson impressed for QPR, completing 96% of his passes in a 0-0 draw with Charlton.
Connor Metcalfe starred for St Pauli in a 1-0 win over Wolfsburg, earning Man of the Match honours.
Mat Ryan saved a penalty and kept a clean sheet in Spain, making 10 saves in a 0-0 draw.
Marco Tilio came off the bench to assist as Rapid Vienna won 3-0 and continued their excellent start to the Austrian season.
Charli Grant provided an assist for Malmö in Sweden, while Remy Siemsen helped Rosengård climb out of the relegation zone.
Kaitlyn Torpey backed up another strong performance for Newcastle and continues to strengthen her case for the Matildas.
Sam Kerr assisted as Gotham bounced back with a 2-1 NWSL win.
Alana Murphy scored for Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the WSL 2 season.
Harry Souttar played the full match as Leicester won a seven-goal thriller against Stockport.

We also run through the latest performances from Australians in England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, MLS and the NWSL.

Transfers & Australian Football

There’s movement in the transfer market, with James Overy completing his move to Sydney FC, Mohamed Toure joining Macarthur FC, and reports that Colorado have signed Sydney FC youngster Akol Akon.

In Australia, Melbourne Victory defeated Sydney FC 2-0 to book their place in the Australia Cup final.

The Week’s Talking Points

We discuss whether Mohamed Toure is pushing himself into the Socceroos conversation, how important Kaitlyn Torpeycould be for the Matildas, and what Gianni Stensness’ Champions League debut means for his international prospects.

There’s also discussion around Cristian Volpato’s injury and reported positive second sample, the latest developments involving Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, and the performances of Australia’s next generation around the world.

Team of the Week

Our Team of the Week features:

Mat Ryan; Kaitlyn Torpey, Gianni Stensness, Harry Souttar, Charli Grant; Alex Robertson, Alana Murphy; Marco Tilio, Connor Metcalfe, Keegan Jelacic; Mohamed Toure.

Bench: Sam Kerr.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

IG: @theaussiegame | FB: @theaussiegame | Threads: @theaussiegame | BlueSky: @aussiegame.bsky.social | X: @the_aussie_game