The Subway Socceroos will play in Adelaide for the first time since 2017 when they host China PR at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, 10 October 2024.
It will be the third match for the Socceroos in Round Three AFC Asian Qualifiers™ for the FIFA World Cup™.
Head Coach Graham Arnold said it is going to be an exciting match for the Socceroos and a great chance for some South Australian players to play in front of their home fans.
Speaking from Adelaide Oval, he stated: “It's been a long time since the Socceroos have been here… It's going to be very exciting.
“We have quite a number of boys that are a part of the Socceroos at the moment and have a big role to play in the team and it will be a very, very special night for them playing in front of families and friends here on a fantastic oval here at Adelaide Oval.”
Joe Gauci, Paul Izzo, Nestory Irankunda, Kusini Yengi, Ryan Strain, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Riley McGree and Craig Goodwin are just some of the recent Socceroos players who were born in or played for Adelaide United.
Arnold said the city and Adelaide United have played a pivotal role in shaping a large part of the current Socceroos squad, and this match will be a way of giving back to the community.
“We've got, as I said, quite a contingent of players that that are doing very, very well overseas after coming from South Australian football, and they're developing players for us very, very well,” he said.
“The energy that that brings to those boys to give them that lifetime dream of playing in their own state and in front of their families and mates is fantastic.”
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Socceroos squad has a large Adelaide contingent, as Arnold explains the player development in South Australia is very strong.
“I think their development that they're doing here is fantastic, it’s giving kids a chance, Carl Veart (Adelaide United boss) is doing a fantastic job,” he said.
“South Australian football, as I said, is developing players very, very well and it's helping us a lot.”
Speaking on the China match, and the Round Three AFC Asian Qualifiers™, Arnold has said the goal is to win the group. Simple as that.
“The expectation is direct qualification and to top of group and we don't go just trying to get the top two or top three, it's about winning the group,” he said.
“For me as a coach, my expectations are very, very high and when you look at the players individually, we've now got players playing in the Premier League, 1. Bundesliga, and some players playing in the Serie A in Italy, so come on we’re doing well, and we will do well.”
Arnold finished by saying this match in Adelaide will also act as an opportunity to inspire the next generation of footballers in South Australia.
“When you play in these types of stadiums and you play in these types of states, that inspires the kids that come out and watch, and they then dream of becoming a Socceroo,” he said.
“That's what the boys are there for, that's what I'm here for, to inspire the next generation and make the nation proud - it's not my team, it’s the nations team and it's going to be great to see a lot of young kids here at the game.”
Ticket information for Adelaide: Tickets for this match start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $29 Adult, and $58 Family, with a Football Account Pre-Sale at 10.00am ACST on Friday, 19 July 2024 and General Public On-Sale at 2.00pm ACST Monday, 22 July 2024 via Ticketek.
$2 (plus GST) from every ticket sold will be donated to the CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas, Australia's CP national teams for male and female footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms from a stroke.
Football Account is the official account for football fans in Australia. Football Account provides access to exclusive content, special offers and discounts including access to ticket pre-sales, discounts to Australian National Team matches, and exclusive merchandise offers. Fans can register their account here.
The Subway Socceroos’ AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 will be broadcast live thanks to Football Australia’s broadcast partner, 10 Paramount.
Match Details
Subway Socceroos v China PR
Thursday, 10 October 2024
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Kick-off: 7:30pm ACDT / 8:00pm AEDT
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $29 Adult, and $58 Family. Tickets from Ticketek.
Football Account Pre-Sale: 10.00am ACST on Friday, 19 July 2024.
General Public On-Sale: 2.00pm ACST Monday, 22 July 2024.
Broadcast: 10 Paramount