Latest news with #JacksonIrvine
CNA
5 days ago
- General
- CNA
Popovic wants win over 'best team in Asia' in quest for World Cup berth
Australia coach Tony Popovic is eyeing victory over Japan on Thursday to not only boost his side's World Cup qualification hopes but further improve the Socceroos' prospects of becoming the strongest team in the Asian confederation. The Australians face Hajime Moriyasu's much-changed squad in Perth knowing a win would take them to the verge of securing a ticket for next year's 48-team finals in North America as runners-up in Group C behind the already-qualified Japanese. "A win is something that we're pushing towards," said Popovic, who led his team to a 1-1 draw when the sides last met in October. "We feel confident we can show an improved performance from what we did in Japan, albeit that was a very good one. "We'll have to be at our best to beat the best team in Asia. That's where we want to get to and to be the best we have to beat the best and they clearly are." The Japanese confirmed their ticket for the finals in March and, as a result, head coach Moriyasu has named a squad featuring eight uncapped players for the trip to Perth. While Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo have been included in the 27-player line, the Japanese are missing key players such as Kaoru Mitoma, Hidemasa Morita and Ayase Ueda. Australia go into the game in second place in the group, three points ahead of Saudi Arabia with two games remaining, although Popovic will be without goal-scoring midfielder Jackson Irvine, who is sidelined after foot surgery. "It's not their best squad, I wonder what that will look like because when we played them in Japan they had their starting 11 all playing in Europe," Popovic said. "We can see that they have a mixture of J-League players and European based players in their squad. We haven't beaten them often and I'm sure they'll be strong regardless of who they play."
Reuters
5 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Popovic wants win over 'best team in Asia' in quest for World Cup berth
June 1 (Reuters) - Australia coach Tony Popovic is eyeing victory over Japan on Thursday to not only boost his side's World Cup qualification hopes but further improve the Socceroos' prospects of becoming the strongest team in the Asian confederation. The Australians face Hajime Moriyasu's much-changed squad in Perth knowing a win would take them to the verge of securing a ticket for next year's 48-team finals in North America as runners-up in Group C behind the already-qualified Japanese. "A win is something that we're pushing towards," said Popovic, who led his team to a 1-1 draw when the sides last met in October. "We feel confident we can show an improved performance from what we did in Japan, albeit that was a very good one. "We'll have to be at our best to beat the best team in Asia. That's where we want to get to and to be the best we have to beat the best and they clearly are." The Japanese confirmed their ticket for the finals in March and, as a result, head coach Moriyasu has named a squad featuring eight uncapped players for the trip to Perth. While Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo have been included in the 27-player line, the Japanese are missing key players such as Kaoru Mitoma, Hidemasa Morita and Ayase Ueda. Australia go into the game in second place in the group, three points ahead of Saudi Arabia with two games remaining, although Popovic will be without goal-scoring midfielder Jackson Irvine, who is sidelined after foot surgery. "It's not their best squad, I wonder what that will look like because when we played them in Japan they had their starting 11 all playing in Europe," Popovic said. "We can see that they have a mixture of J-League players and European based players in their squad. We haven't beaten them often and I'm sure they'll be strong regardless of who they play."
The Advertiser
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Emerging talent wants to fill Socceroo's big shoes
When a foot injury cruelly ended Jackson Irvine's season for club and country, it sent a shock wave through Australian football. It also pricked up the ears of every midfielder jostling for a Socceroos berth. NAC Breda midfielder Max Balard knows there is an opportunity open in midfield for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Called up to Tony Popovic's training camp in Abu Dhabi, he is determined to take it. "Jacko has been immense for the national team for many years now and to see him go down was unfortunate, for sure, because you never want to see any players go down," Balard said. "You want our country to have our best players ready to play and he's been incredible. "I definitely understand that there's an opportunity, and I'm working hard every day to make sure that I put my best foot forward and show what I can do to the coaches. "I'm really, really excited for this opportunity. Who knows what can happen? Of course, football is a crazy sport, but I'm doing my best out here and just making sure that I'm working hard and fit to go." Balard, a different profile of defensive midfielder to Irvine, has taken on feedback from his first call-up last year, when he was in camp for two games, but didn't take the field. "It's really made me much more comfortable this second camp," he said. "I'm really looking forward to showing that I am a player that deserves to be here and I'm ready to play." Former Central Coast Mariners star Balard has become a fixture at NAC Breda, and is learning Dutch while playing in the Eredivisie. "The speed of the game in the Netherlands is a lot quicker than what I had experienced in Australia, and thankfully, I was at a club where they gave me my opportunity to play," he said. "It's just helped me improve my game even more both physically and technically." Balard plays against Dutch internationals every week and is determined to keep taking his game up a gear in Europe. "Previously, there were only a few Australian players playing in Europe, and nowadays, you see, pretty much every transfer window there's another Australian player heading overseas," he said. "There's an abundance of midfielders that are ready to play in Europe. "It just goes to show how hungry the Australian football players are, and how much the sport has grown at grassroots level as well to improve technically at such a level. "I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, but I know as well I've got to stay sharp and keep improving myself, because there's plenty of other players that are knocking at the door as well. "So I'm focusing on myself, making sure I can reach the highest level." When a foot injury cruelly ended Jackson Irvine's season for club and country, it sent a shock wave through Australian football. It also pricked up the ears of every midfielder jostling for a Socceroos berth. NAC Breda midfielder Max Balard knows there is an opportunity open in midfield for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Called up to Tony Popovic's training camp in Abu Dhabi, he is determined to take it. "Jacko has been immense for the national team for many years now and to see him go down was unfortunate, for sure, because you never want to see any players go down," Balard said. "You want our country to have our best players ready to play and he's been incredible. "I definitely understand that there's an opportunity, and I'm working hard every day to make sure that I put my best foot forward and show what I can do to the coaches. "I'm really, really excited for this opportunity. Who knows what can happen? Of course, football is a crazy sport, but I'm doing my best out here and just making sure that I'm working hard and fit to go." Balard, a different profile of defensive midfielder to Irvine, has taken on feedback from his first call-up last year, when he was in camp for two games, but didn't take the field. "It's really made me much more comfortable this second camp," he said. "I'm really looking forward to showing that I am a player that deserves to be here and I'm ready to play." Former Central Coast Mariners star Balard has become a fixture at NAC Breda, and is learning Dutch while playing in the Eredivisie. "The speed of the game in the Netherlands is a lot quicker than what I had experienced in Australia, and thankfully, I was at a club where they gave me my opportunity to play," he said. "It's just helped me improve my game even more both physically and technically." Balard plays against Dutch internationals every week and is determined to keep taking his game up a gear in Europe. "Previously, there were only a few Australian players playing in Europe, and nowadays, you see, pretty much every transfer window there's another Australian player heading overseas," he said. "There's an abundance of midfielders that are ready to play in Europe. "It just goes to show how hungry the Australian football players are, and how much the sport has grown at grassroots level as well to improve technically at such a level. "I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, but I know as well I've got to stay sharp and keep improving myself, because there's plenty of other players that are knocking at the door as well. "So I'm focusing on myself, making sure I can reach the highest level." When a foot injury cruelly ended Jackson Irvine's season for club and country, it sent a shock wave through Australian football. It also pricked up the ears of every midfielder jostling for a Socceroos berth. NAC Breda midfielder Max Balard knows there is an opportunity open in midfield for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Called up to Tony Popovic's training camp in Abu Dhabi, he is determined to take it. "Jacko has been immense for the national team for many years now and to see him go down was unfortunate, for sure, because you never want to see any players go down," Balard said. "You want our country to have our best players ready to play and he's been incredible. "I definitely understand that there's an opportunity, and I'm working hard every day to make sure that I put my best foot forward and show what I can do to the coaches. "I'm really, really excited for this opportunity. Who knows what can happen? Of course, football is a crazy sport, but I'm doing my best out here and just making sure that I'm working hard and fit to go." Balard, a different profile of defensive midfielder to Irvine, has taken on feedback from his first call-up last year, when he was in camp for two games, but didn't take the field. "It's really made me much more comfortable this second camp," he said. "I'm really looking forward to showing that I am a player that deserves to be here and I'm ready to play." Former Central Coast Mariners star Balard has become a fixture at NAC Breda, and is learning Dutch while playing in the Eredivisie. "The speed of the game in the Netherlands is a lot quicker than what I had experienced in Australia, and thankfully, I was at a club where they gave me my opportunity to play," he said. "It's just helped me improve my game even more both physically and technically." Balard plays against Dutch internationals every week and is determined to keep taking his game up a gear in Europe. "Previously, there were only a few Australian players playing in Europe, and nowadays, you see, pretty much every transfer window there's another Australian player heading overseas," he said. "There's an abundance of midfielders that are ready to play in Europe. "It just goes to show how hungry the Australian football players are, and how much the sport has grown at grassroots level as well to improve technically at such a level. "I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, but I know as well I've got to stay sharp and keep improving myself, because there's plenty of other players that are knocking at the door as well. "So I'm focusing on myself, making sure I can reach the highest level."
Perth Now
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Emerging talent wants to fill Socceroo's big shoes
When a foot injury cruelly ended Jackson Irvine's season for club and country, it sent a shock wave through Australian football. It also pricked up the ears of every midfielder jostling for a Socceroos berth. NAC Breda midfielder Max Balard knows there is an opportunity open in midfield for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Called up to Tony Popovic's training camp in Abu Dhabi, he is determined to take it. "Jacko has been immense for the national team for many years now and to see him go down was unfortunate, for sure, because you never want to see any players go down," Balard said. "You want our country to have our best players ready to play and he's been incredible. "I definitely understand that there's an opportunity, and I'm working hard every day to make sure that I put my best foot forward and show what I can do to the coaches. "I'm really, really excited for this opportunity. Who knows what can happen? Of course, football is a crazy sport, but I'm doing my best out here and just making sure that I'm working hard and fit to go." Balard, a different profile of defensive midfielder to Irvine, has taken on feedback from his first call-up last year, when he was in camp for two games, but didn't take the field. "It's really made me much more comfortable this second camp," he said. "I'm really looking forward to showing that I am a player that deserves to be here and I'm ready to play." Former Central Coast Mariners star Balard has become a fixture at NAC Breda, and is learning Dutch while playing in the Eredivisie. "The speed of the game in the Netherlands is a lot quicker than what I had experienced in Australia, and thankfully, I was at a club where they gave me my opportunity to play," he said. "It's just helped me improve my game even more both physically and technically." Balard plays against Dutch internationals every week and is determined to keep taking his game up a gear in Europe. "Previously, there were only a few Australian players playing in Europe, and nowadays, you see, pretty much every transfer window there's another Australian player heading overseas," he said. "There's an abundance of midfielders that are ready to play in Europe. "It just goes to show how hungry the Australian football players are, and how much the sport has grown at grassroots level as well to improve technically at such a level. "I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, but I know as well I've got to stay sharp and keep improving myself, because there's plenty of other players that are knocking at the door as well. "So I'm focusing on myself, making sure I can reach the highest level."
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Jackson Irvine: Socceroos star slams football bosses for BANNING trans players from the sport after bombshell court decision
Socceroos midfielder Jackson Irvine has publicly slammed the English Football Association's ban on transgender women in women's football, describing the decision as hypocritical. Irvine, 32, who is the captain of German Bundesliga team St Pauli, expressed his frustration with the recent decision from the FA. The ban, announced on May 1, impacts grassroots players who had previously been allowed to participate under the previous policy. The FA made the move after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Irvine reacted to the decision by posting on social media: 'Football deserves better. Our game is for everyone.' He went into more detail about his feelings on the issue this week while appearing on Sky Sports' 'Real Talk' podcast. 'For me, football always felt like the place where we wouldn't be so heavy-handed, especially in the immediate aftermath of what's already a really worrying decision for all trans people and queer people in the country,' he said. 'It was really disappointing - especially from a federation that has supported Rainbow Laces campaigns and has been very clear in their rhetoric about football being for all -to so quickly take that away from a small group of footballers who want to do nothing but enjoy the game that we all love. 'It was really, really disappointing to see that ruling come out.' There has been a huge amount of support for the banned players from within the women's football community - including from stars like Anita Asante, Kerstin Casparji and Katie Startup. But Irvine remains the biggest name in the men's game to publicly say he is against the ban. Asked why that was the case, Irvine replied: 'I still think we've got a long way to go in football, and especially men's football, to feel confident to speak out on any social issues, let alone when it comes to LGBTQ rights and things like that where maybe players don't feel confident or supported to even make those statements themselves.' The footballer went on to say he would like to see more people speak out about the matter. 'The game has taken strides forward,' he said. 'Generationally, we are in a more accepting and open space as footballers as well as in our communities. 'I would like to see more people stand up against when we try to take rights away from our fellow footballers, and try and do everything we can to make sure that everyone who plays our game has a safe and inclusive space to play the game that we all love.' Since the ruling was handed down, the Ultimate Pool Group has updated its policy to ban trans women, having also received a report that pool was a gender-affected sport. Snooker's global governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, is also reviewing its policy. The UK Supreme Court's ruling has been interpreted to mean that transgender women, who are biologically male but identify as women, can be excluded from women-only spaces like toilets and changing rooms. The judges said trans people are still protected from discrimination under equalities legislation, and that this interpretation of the law does not cause disadvantage to the 'potentially vulnerable group'.
