Adelaide United FC has two players in the Australian U-20 squad for the AFF U-19 Tournament in Vietnam next month.
Adelaide United FC duo Jake Barker-Daish and Paul Izzo will jet off to Vietnam later this month after being selected in the Australian U-20 squad (Qantas Young Socceroos) for the AFF U-19 Tournament 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Barker-Daish, 19, has been a regular figure in the national team-s U-20 setup over the past year, while 17 year old Izzo was the first choice goalkeeper for Australia at last year-s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico.
In a further coup for South Australian football, Reds Youth Team goalkeeper, Nick Munro, who is currently plying his trade with local Super League side Croydon Kings, was named by Qantas Young Socceroos Head Coach Paul Okon as the other gloveman in the squad alongside Izzo.
The Qantas Young Socceroos will line up against IR Iran, Vietnam and Uzbekistan in the competition as part of their preparations for the AFC U-19 Championship which will be held in the United Arab Emirates in November, which will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in Turkey next June/July.
The 20-player squad will depart on August 27 for a four day training camp in Hong Kong before the tournament, which runs from September 2 to September 8.
Izzo and Barker-Daish are expected to rejoin the Reds- squad on September 10 ahead of the 1st Leg of the AFC Champions League Quarter Final against Bunyodkor at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday 19 September.
Okon is keen to use the tournament as another opportunity for his squad to get some much needed international match experience for the campaign to qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
“This will be a very good tournament for us to get a good indication of where we are at in our preparation against opposition that has also qualified for the AFC U-19 Championship,” said Okon.
“The players will also be a lot fitter than at the recent AFC U-22 Championship qualifiers in Indonesia and will be closer to the other team in terms of conditioning.
“This will also be the last occasion that we will be without our overseas based players so it is also an opportunities for the Australia-based players to stake a claim for final selection,” concluded Okon.
Prior to the AFF U-19 tournament, the Qantas Young Socceroos will also play a friendly match against a combined Hong Kong U-21/U-19 National Team on Wednesday 29 August at Mongkok Stadium (Kick-Off 7.30pm local, 9:30pm AEST).
Qantas Young Socceroos Squad – AFF U19 TOURNAMENT 2012, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM, 2 – 8 SEPTEMBER 2012
Terry Antonis (Sydney FC), Jake Barker-Daish (Adelaide United), Josh Brillante (Newcastle Jets), Corey Brown (Brisbane Roar), Reece Caira (Western Sydney Wanderers), Connor Chapman (Newcastle Jets), Mitch Cooper (Newcastle Jets), Ryan Edwards (Reading FC, United Kingdom), Ben Garuccio (AIS), Jason Geria (Brisbane Roar), Hagi Gligor (Sydney FC), Paul Izzo (G/K) (Adelaide United), Jesse Makarounas (Perth Glory), Nick Munro (G/K) (Croydon Kings – SA State League), Luke O-Dea (Bentleigh Greens, Victorian Premier League), Brandon O-Neill (Perth Glory), Daniel Petkovski (Sydney FC), Adam Taggart (Newcastle Jets), Riley Woodcock (Perth Glory), David Vrankovic (Melbourne Heart)
