Young Socceroos to face side who ignited Messi's career
Nestory Irankunda could be in line for his first Young Socceroos call-up as Australia's under 20s begin their preparations for their first World Cup in a decade with mouthwatering warm-up friendlies against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Fresh off winning the U20 Asian Cup in China earlier this year, Trevor Morgan's side are expected to receive a baptism of fire when they face Argentina on June 6 and June 9.
Argentina hold the fortunes of their youth national teams dearly and the two home friendlies, just a few months out from September's U20 World Cup in Chile, will likely garner significant interest.
Argentina have won the U20 World Cup a record six times, with Diego Maradona (1979), Lionel Messi (2005) and Sergio Aguero (2007) crowned player of the tournament on the way to lifting the trophy.
"The Argentinian federation, through various contacts we have, showed an interest in hosting us," Morgan told AAP.
"It fits perfectly with what we've tried to do with this group over the whole cycle.
"It's possible to play top teams - we played Chile and Uruguay last year.
"But Argentina's interest would be sparked by playing a team that's going to a World Cup.
"Winning the tournament (the U20 Asian Cup) maybe makes it a touch more interesting for them when they see there's a team that will have some quality about it."
Australia qualified for their first U20 World Cup since 2013, by being crowned Asian champions in March.
The feat - just Australia's third major trophy since joining the Asian confederation in 2006 - was all the more impressive considering Morgan was without some of his most high-profile names.
Irankunda, who has five senior Socceroos caps to his name, didn't make the trip, having just sealed a loan move to Grasshopper in Switzerland from parent club Bayern Munich.
The likes of Rhys Youlley, currently with Belgian side Westerlo, Portsmouth striker Tom Waddingham and PSV Eindhoven winger Marcus Younis also remained with their clubs.
Waddingham and Perth Glory's Zach Lisolajski are likely to miss out due to injury but Morgan is hopeful he will have an all-star cast at his disposal for June's friendlies with Argentina.
"They should all be available with it being a FIFA window, it's not like the Asian Cup where you are asking permission to have players released," Morgan said.
"There is good competition in this team and that's why the team was successful in the Asian Cup.
"We were missing seven or so very good players who normally might have been part of the squad and we were still good enough to win it, so these boys know that there's competition for every spot."
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Can we play tomorrow?': Aussie star geared up for WTC
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As he often does, Smith spent his downtime in his second home of New York. In the 'Big Apple', the 116-Test wonder linked up with a personal trainer that pushed him to his limits. "I feel as strong as I've probably been since maybe 2014," said Smith, who has scored four centuries from his last five Tests. "I feel like my hips are probably as good as they've been in a long time. "I feel like I'm getting a lot lower which I think will benefit me in the slips potentially. "I made sure my bat was away (in New York). "I had my golf clubs out and I was using them a little bit. "I'd normally have a bat laying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting. "But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while and it was good." Smith is certain to bat at No.4 against South Africa in the WTC final at Lord's, even with Cameron Green set to return for his first Test in more than a year. When Green was promoted up the order following David Warner's retirement in January 2024, Smith shifted up to open for four Tests. But Green's serious back injury ahead of last summer meant Smith went back to No.4. Marnus Labuschagne opening with Usman Khawaja, while Green goes in at No.3 is an option selectors are toying with. "I still feel like I could open the batting," Smith said. "I didn't do it fabulously for the four games that I did. "It's a tricky place to bat at the moment. "Anyone that bats in the top four, you could be in inside two overs or an over. "(Labuschagne) has batted three for a long time. "He's been in the first over on a few occasions playing for Australia. He's opened in Shield cricket when he first started ... there's honestly not a huge difference." This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which is broadcasting the World Test Championship final. Not that long ago, putting the bat away for three months would have been unthinkable for Steve Smith. But that is what the star batter did after Australia were eliminated from the Champions Trophy in March, the semi-final ending up being the last game of his ODI career. A meticulous trainer, Smith used to need to hit hundreds of balls in the nets to feel ready to perform. Coming off a golden summer, however, the 36-year-old has taken a minimalist approach to Australia's bid to win consecutive World Test Championship finals. "I feel the first two hits have been really good," a relaxed Smith said in London. "I walked out of my first hit and told 'Ron' (Australia coach Andrew McDonald) straight away, 'can we play tomorrow? I'm ready to go'. "I hadn't hit a ball since I missed a full toss off Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy. "I've hit so many balls over my career, what do they say, it's like riding a bike, I suppose, in a way." As he often does, Smith spent his downtime in his second home of New York. In the 'Big Apple', the 116-Test wonder linked up with a personal trainer that pushed him to his limits. "I feel as strong as I've probably been since maybe 2014," said Smith, who has scored four centuries from his last five Tests. "I feel like my hips are probably as good as they've been in a long time. "I feel like I'm getting a lot lower which I think will benefit me in the slips potentially. "I made sure my bat was away (in New York). "I had my golf clubs out and I was using them a little bit. "I'd normally have a bat laying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting. "But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while and it was good." Smith is certain to bat at No.4 against South Africa in the WTC final at Lord's, even with Cameron Green set to return for his first Test in more than a year. When Green was promoted up the order following David Warner's retirement in January 2024, Smith shifted up to open for four Tests. But Green's serious back injury ahead of last summer meant Smith went back to No.4. Marnus Labuschagne opening with Usman Khawaja, while Green goes in at No.3 is an option selectors are toying with. "I still feel like I could open the batting," Smith said. "I didn't do it fabulously for the four games that I did. "It's a tricky place to bat at the moment. "Anyone that bats in the top four, you could be in inside two overs or an over. "(Labuschagne) has batted three for a long time. "He's been in the first over on a few occasions playing for Australia. He's opened in Shield cricket when he first started ... there's honestly not a huge difference." This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which is broadcasting the World Test Championship final. Not that long ago, putting the bat away for three months would have been unthinkable for Steve Smith. But that is what the star batter did after Australia were eliminated from the Champions Trophy in March, the semi-final ending up being the last game of his ODI career. A meticulous trainer, Smith used to need to hit hundreds of balls in the nets to feel ready to perform. Coming off a golden summer, however, the 36-year-old has taken a minimalist approach to Australia's bid to win consecutive World Test Championship finals. "I feel the first two hits have been really good," a relaxed Smith said in London. "I walked out of my first hit and told 'Ron' (Australia coach Andrew McDonald) straight away, 'can we play tomorrow? I'm ready to go'. "I hadn't hit a ball since I missed a full toss off Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy. "I've hit so many balls over my career, what do they say, it's like riding a bike, I suppose, in a way." As he often does, Smith spent his downtime in his second home of New York. In the 'Big Apple', the 116-Test wonder linked up with a personal trainer that pushed him to his limits. "I feel as strong as I've probably been since maybe 2014," said Smith, who has scored four centuries from his last five Tests. "I feel like my hips are probably as good as they've been in a long time. "I feel like I'm getting a lot lower which I think will benefit me in the slips potentially. "I made sure my bat was away (in New York). "I had my golf clubs out and I was using them a little bit. "I'd normally have a bat laying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting. "But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while and it was good." Smith is certain to bat at No.4 against South Africa in the WTC final at Lord's, even with Cameron Green set to return for his first Test in more than a year. 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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
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Dutch delight for Scotsman on moving day
Scotland's Connor Syme will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour's KLM Open in Amsterdam after a superb bogey-free 66. The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. Compatriot Richie Ramsay (71) finished the round in a share of third place with Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (73) and Italian Francesco Laporta (69), six shots off the lead and four behind Lagergren. "Obviously there's a bit of a gap at the moment for me and Joakim but with the weather tomorrow it can change so much, so quickly," Syme said. "I would love to do it, hopefully I can play my game tomorrow and I can do it. I'll just try to play one shot at a time and get that mindset from the start, and what will be will be." Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP. Scotland's Connor Syme will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour's KLM Open in Amsterdam after a superb bogey-free 66. The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. Compatriot Richie Ramsay (71) finished the round in a share of third place with Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (73) and Italian Francesco Laporta (69), six shots off the lead and four behind Lagergren. "Obviously there's a bit of a gap at the moment for me and Joakim but with the weather tomorrow it can change so much, so quickly," Syme said. "I would love to do it, hopefully I can play my game tomorrow and I can do it. I'll just try to play one shot at a time and get that mindset from the start, and what will be will be." Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP. Scotland's Connor Syme will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour's KLM Open in Amsterdam after a superb bogey-free 66. The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. Compatriot Richie Ramsay (71) finished the round in a share of third place with Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (73) and Italian Francesco Laporta (69), six shots off the lead and four behind Lagergren. "Obviously there's a bit of a gap at the moment for me and Joakim but with the weather tomorrow it can change so much, so quickly," Syme said. "I would love to do it, hopefully I can play my game tomorrow and I can do it. I'll just try to play one shot at a time and get that mindset from the start, and what will be will be." Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP. Scotland's Connor Syme will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour's KLM Open in Amsterdam after a superb bogey-free 66. The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. Compatriot Richie Ramsay (71) finished the round in a share of third place with Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (73) and Italian Francesco Laporta (69), six shots off the lead and four behind Lagergren. "Obviously there's a bit of a gap at the moment for me and Joakim but with the weather tomorrow it can change so much, so quickly," Syme said. "I would love to do it, hopefully I can play my game tomorrow and I can do it. I'll just try to play one shot at a time and get that mindset from the start, and what will be will be." Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Winless Indian launches into LIV Golf Virginia lead
Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP.
