Latest news with #AlexBadolato
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Socceroos playmaker Daniel Arzani could be set for a move to Hungary
Hungary looms as a potential destination for Socceroos playmaker Daniel Arzani, while Australian under-20 star Alex Badolato is wanted by the Newcastle Jets. Arzani, who has spent the past two seasons with Melbourne Victory, had recently been linked with a move to Scottish Premiership club Hearts. However, the 2026 FIFA World Cup hopeful is also now in the sights of at least one Hungarian first division club. Arzani was part of the 26-man Socceroos squad that sealed World Cup qualification with wins in the past nine days over Japan and Saudi Arabia. He came off the bench in Australia's 1-0 victory over Japan in Perth, but wasn't in the 23-man match-day squad for the Socceroos' 2-1 win over the Saudis in Jeddah. Meanwhile, Badolato, who was a teammate of Arzani at the Victory for the latter stages of the 2024-25 A-League season after joining the Melbourne club on loan from Western Sydney Wanderers, could again be on the move. It's understood a player swap of sorts between Newcastle and Western Sydney could take place that would result in Badolato – who was player of the tournament at this year's AFC Under-20 Asian Cup won by Australia – joining the Jets to play under recently appointed coach, former Socceroos captain Mark Milligan. 'There is nothing signed yet, but he (Badolato) is definitely a player that is being floated around,' Milligan said. 'After the year he had with the Young Socceroos, he's a player that's of interest to us, but there are also a number of other players in that category that we're looking at.' Milligan would not confirm the expected arrival of Max Burgess, saying the 30-year-old midfielder – who wasn't offered a new contract with Sydney FC after spending four seasons with the Sky Blues – was yet to sign a deal with the Jets. The Jets announced this week that Japanese winger Kota Mizunuma had signed a new one-year deal with Newcastle. 'It was very important to myself and the club that we have a player of Kota's experience,' Milligan said. Milligan said that his plans for next season also included Clayton Taylor, despite the 21-year-old winger having twice requested a release from his Jets contract in recent weeks. 'If I don't have an environment where players want to be and players want to get better and continue to grow, the I'm doing something wrong,' Milligan said. 'At the moment, I'm preparing for pre-season with Clayton.' Meanwhile, former Jets, Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners left-back James McGarry is hoping to join Brisbane Roar in a bid to kickstart his bid for selection in New Zealand's squad for next year's World Cup. Negotiations are continuing between McGarry's current club, Scottish outfit Aberdeen, and the Roar, but it's expected the 27-year-old defender – who spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Greek club Athens Kallithea – will soon be confirmed as a Brisbane player. Elsewhere, 20-year-old forward Arion Sulemani has left A-League champions Melbourne City to join Perth Glory on a two-year deal. 'The main reason I wanted this move was to get consistent game time,' said Sulemani, who made eight A-League appearances for City – four as a starter – in the club's successful 2024-25 campaign.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Young Socceroos book U20 World Cup place after worldie
Australia's young soccer stars are celebrating a huge double prize in China after a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Iraq not only booked them a place in the Under-20 Asian Cup semi-finals but also ensured they'll play in the U20 World Cup later this year. In a game of stunning goals in Shenzhen on Saturday, the crowning moment for the Young Socceroos came with a belting 75th minute volley from Melbourne Victory's Alex Badolato that sealed a terrific quarter-final triumph in which they'd twice had to battle back from a goal behind. The victory, which sparked huge celebrations among Trevor Morgan's enterprising young team in the Baoan Sports Centre Stadium, ensures the Aussie teenagers will face either Japan or Iran in the semi-finals on Wednesday. ABSOLUTE SCENES AT THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE! 🎉WE'RE OFF TO CHILE! 🥳#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 But most importabtly, the win also seals their spot at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September and October, the first time Australia have competed in the global showpiece since 2013. Yet it didn't start well for the Young Socceroos when Amoori Faisal put the Iraqis ahead with a superb curling strike on the quarter-hour after the Aussies had been caught in possession in midfield. Within seven minutes, though, Adelaide United prospect Luka Jovanovic delivered an astonishing riposte, earning a free-kick about 30 metres out and then trying his luck with a thunderbolt set-piece strike that caught Iraq keeper Wisam Ali napping. Luka Jovanovic dispatches a wonderful free-kick 🎯🎥 @10FootballAU #YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 But the Iraqis went back ahead in the 26th minute when Mustafa Qabeel latched on to fine lofted through ball from Layth Mahmood, outpaced Sebastian Esposito, then turned the same Australian defender inside out again before firing home. Iraq had their chances to increase their lead but Karrar Jaafar's volleyed effort was blocked by Paul Okon-Engstler and after Musa Toure had missed a headed chance for Australia, the equaliser came just a few minutes later after the half-hour mark when Iraq failed to clear Okon-Engstler's cross. That left Badolato to set up Panagiotis Kikianis for a curling right-footed finish that any central defender would have been proud of. Steven Hall, once the youngest goalkeeper in A-League Men history at Adelaide and now at Premier League Brighton, did his bit with a couple of key saves, one from Muslim Mousa's header. WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE HIT TO GIVE THE #YOUNGSOCCEROOS THE LEAD! 🚀Alex Badolato take a bow. 😮🎥 @10FootballAU #AFCU20 #AUSvIRQ — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) February 22, 2025 Then just two minutes later, Mousa's headed clearance at the other end only fell kindly for Badolato, the Victory midfielder who's just signed on loan from Western Sydney, and his thunderous volley from just outside the box ripped into the net for the most spectacular of winners.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Young Socceroos power into U20 Asian Cup quarter-finals
The Young Socceroos have won their second-straight match in China to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Under-20 Asian Cup and move one win away from a place at the World Cup. Australia's top teenagers proved too good for Qatar at Shenzhen's Youth Football Training Base Centre Stadium on Saturday, coming from behind to win 3-1 with goals from Alex Badolato, Dean Bosnjak and Daniel Bennie. Qatar had gone ahead in the 18th minute through Mohamed Gouda, but Australia hit back swiftly with Josh Inserra providing the cutback for his Melbourne Victory teammate Alex Badolato to finish. An impressive performance boys 🔥💚💛 — Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) February 15, 2025 Dean Bosnjak, one of the five changes to Trevor Morgan's team's line-up following their opening 5-1 win over the Kyrgyz Republic, put them ahead after the break with a header from a Tiago Quintal's corner. Then after an attacking triple-substitution just after the hour mark saw Adam Bugarija, Musa Toure and 18-year-old Bennie introduced by Morgan, it was the English-based QPR winger Bennie who soon thrashed home a blistering 69th minute shot for his second goal of the tournament. Daniel Bennie is on 🔥 at #AFCU20! #QATvAUS — #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) February 15, 2025 "Very happy to be on the scoresheet, the boys were up for this one," said Macarthur's impressive Bosnjak. "Qatar were a decent team and have some quality players. It was a very physical game, and we just proved to be better than them today." Talking of their resilience in fighting from a goal down, he added: "We work well, we stick together. If we make mistake, we back each other and know what we can do." With China winning the other group A match on Saturday 5-2 against the Kyrgyz Republic, both the hosts and Australia ensured they'll be in the quarter-finals. All that's to be decided is who tops the group when the two teams meet in the final group match on Tuesday. By qualifying for the last-eight, the Young Socceroos have matched the achievement of the side that made the quarters in the last U-20 Asian Cup tournament. That team got beaten in a quarter-final penalty shootout by Uzbekistan, who went on to win the event on home soil. If Morgan's side win their last-eight match, it will guarantee they'll be one of the four semi-finalists who'll go to the U-20 World Cup in Chile in September and October. Australia haven't played in that event since 2013.
