#AFCAsianCup2019 Matthew Leckie staying with Socceroos

Al Ain: Head coach Graham Arnold has confirmed that Hertha BSC attacker Mathew Leckie will remain with the Australian squad at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 after making great progress on his hamstring injury with the help and guidance of the Socceroos’ medical team over the past 10 days.

Leckie was one of the first players to arrive in camp in the United Arab Emirates, and together with the Socceroos’ medical team and coaching staff, quickly put a plan in place to achieve progress on his injury.

Australia’s staff, led by Arnold, are confident that Leckie will be able to play an important role for the Socceroos at the tournament.

Leckie said: “First and foremost I had to get the scan done to see if there was a chance [to play to the tournament] and once there was I was straight over here and sat down with the physios, with ‘Colesy’ [Phil Coles], and set up a plan going forward. We are working really hard with the training sessions, taking it step by step, not rushing things, and so far the progress has been great.”

“I haven’t really torn a muscle like this in my hamstring, at least this bad, before. So, the process is all new to me. It started off just jogging and seeing how it goes and there’s improvement and the pain is going away.

“We are up to a pretty good [running] speed now, 25 kilometres an hour, a few run throughs and change of direction. It is just taking it day by day and stepping it up with sharper exercises, more speed.”

“I am very thankful that they [the coaching staff] have given me the opportunity. It is a decision that they had to make, and I am sure that it is not an easy one. I am blessed to have the opportunity and I will be giving everything to be back.”

The Socceroos open their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Group B campaign against Jordan at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Sunday.

 

Source : Asian Football Confederation Website

Honduras coach pinpoints Leckie as Australia’s danger man

Honduras coach Jorge Luis Pinto says Mat Leckie is the most important Caltex Socceroo while saying at least three changes will be made for their second leg intercontinental playoff in Sydney on Wednesday.

Pinto addressed a large media contingent on Tuesday in Sydney while battling a sore throat.

When asked what he learnt about Australia from their first leg 0-0 draw with Honduras on Saturday (AEDT) at the Stadio Olimpico Metropolitano, the coach was forthright.

“I’ve seen a lot of videos of the Australia team. Their defence is very organised whether they choose to play or not play a back five we’ll see tomorrow,” he said through a translator.

“Australia attack a lot down the flanks. And [Mat] Leckie is the most important player to the scheme [of the Australians].

“Tomorrow will be a game with a lot of open spaces. So we’ll see who takes advantage of that.”

 

Due to suspension, Hertha Berlin’s Leckie didn’t play in the 0-0 draw with Honduras on Saturday (AEDT) at San Pedro Sula’s Stadio Olimpico Metropolitano.

But the rising star of the German Bundesliga is almost certain to start on Wednesday night in a wide role.

Pinto added there’ll be up to three changes to his starting XI from last Saturday’s match. Striker Alberth Elis and defensive leader and captain Maynor Figueroa are two set to return to the starting XI.

“Figueroa is a great asset with 143 caps for Honduras and been to two World Cups. He projects confidence and security.

“Elis has explosive speed that we can use for this second game.”

Source  :  Football Federation Australia Website

Who’ll start for the Caltex Socceroos against Thailand?

Matthew Ryan;Bailey Wright,Matthew Spiranovic,Milos Degenek ,Alex Gersbach ; Mark Milligan , Massimo Luongo, Aaron Mooy ;Matthew Leckie,Tomi Juric,Jamie Mclaren

Source : Football Federation Australia

Aussies Abroad: Matthew Leckie’s special Bundesliga brace

Caltex Socceroo Mathew Leckie has become an instant hero for new club Hertha Berlin, scoring a brace in their Bundesliga opener against Mitch Langerak’s Vfb Stuttgart overnight.

LECKIE STEALS THE SHOW

After a goalless first half, it took Leckie less than a minute after the restart to get the home crowd of almost 45,000 on their feet.

He sprinted onto Vedad Ibisevic’s header to race free, before cutting inside his defender and curling a stunning effort into the far corner.

The 26-year-old then made the result safe just after the hour mark, in the right place at the right time to rifle home a loose ball from a corner.

“It’s a special moment for me, not just outside of football with my baby just being born,” Leckie told Hertha TV.

“Two goals at the start of my career in Berlin – I’ve never scored two goals in a game in the Bundesliga.

“Football is a crazy, funny game. I think the fresh start in Berlin was exactly what I needed.”

Caltex Socceroos teammate Mitch Langerak was on the bench for Stuttgart.

LECKIE: ‘BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE

The Aussies man-of-the-match display comes just a week after he set up both goals in the club’s 2-0 German Cup win over Hansa Rostock last weekend.

But topping all that was the birth of his first daughter Olivia Valentina.

“I’ll be going straight home to the baby,” said the winger when asked how he’d celebrate his double.

“This week has been one of the best of my life. I’m definitely going to enjoy the next couple of days celebrating the performance.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both Leckie and Langerak are both likely to be named in Ange Postecoglou’s final 23-man squad on Tuesday for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Thailand.

In the Bundesliga, Leckie’s Hertha travel to play heavyweights Borussia Dortmund, while Langerak’s Stuttgart are at home to Mainz.

Source  :  Football Federation Australia

Caltex Socceroos: club form update

A month out from their crucial World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Thailand, we track the club progress of some of the overseas-based Caltex Socceroos.

Tomi Juric (Luzern, Switzerland)

The 2017/18 Swiss Super League season is already underway, and Juric started with a bang, scoring in his side’s very first game, a 1-0 win over Lugano.

Tommy Rogic (Celtic, Scotland)

The Scottish giants have won through to European Champions League play-off round with a 1-0 aggregate win over Norway’s Rosenborg. Rogic played a full part in the first leg and came off the bench in the second.

Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town, England)

Newly-promoted Huddersfield open their English Premier League campaign away at Crystal Palace next Sunday, and have warmed up with friendlies against Italian club Udinese and German outfit VfB Stuttgart.

Milos Degenek (Yokohama, Japan)

The Caltex Socceroos defender played a full 90 minutes in his side’s latest J-League encounter, a 2-2 draw with Shimizu.

Mat Ryan (Brighton and Hove Albion, England)

The Caltex Socceroos number one played a full part in his new side’s friendly against Spanish side Girona as they build towards a blockbuster Premier League opener against Manchester City next weekend.

Aziz Behich (Bursaspor, Turkey)

The energetic left-back has caught the eye of Turkish giants Galatasaray who are reportedly keen on signing him ahead of the new Super Lig season starting next weekend.

Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa, England)

The Caltex Socceroos skipper is still battling the groin injury that ruled him out of June’s Confederations Cup and won’t be fit to start the Championship season with Villa this weekend.

Trent Sainsbury (Jiangsu Suning, China)

With his loan spell at Inter Milan over, the Caltex Socceroos defender has returned to China, but hasn’t featured for his club with speculation of a number of offers for his services.

Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin, Germany)

The Caltex Socceroos attacker joined Hertha at the start of July and debuted for his new side last weekend.

Source  :  Football Federation Australia

Matthew Leckie urges Caltex Socceroos to be ruthless

With their tournament future on the line, the Caltex Socceroos are committed to achieving an elusive FIFA Confederations Cup victory against Chile.

Australia meet the South America champions in Moscow on Monday morning, knowing only a win will keep them alive at the tournament.

TURNING ONE POINT INTO THREE

“We’ve competed in both games and could have got a result in both,” Caltex Socceroos attacker Mathew Leckie told FFA TV.

“We’ve shown a strong mentality after falling behind in both games.

“We’ll do the same against Chile.

“We’ll go out there and give everything, take a step forward rather than back and see where it takes us.

“If we can play our game and be a little bit more clinical, we can definitely get a result,” he said.

We share the spoils in an entertaining game. All to play for against Chile. @Socceroos @FIFAcom #gosocceroos #CMRvAUS 1-1 ⚽️🇦🇺

— Mal Impiombato (@MalImpiombato) June 22, 2017

ONLY A WIN WILL DO

In the Caltex Socceroos’ favour is the fact their destiny still rests in their own hands.

A two-goal victory will see the through to the semi-finals, regardless of what happens between Germany and Cameroon in Sochi.

“It’s clear we need to win now with a couple of goals,” said Leckie.

“It’s definitely not going to be easy but all we can do is go out there and take the game to the opposition like we always do.

“During those dominant periods – which I’m pretty confident will occur again – we need to take our chances.

“In those vital moments, we also need to concentrate and be a bit more desperate in defence to not concede,” he added.

ROOS LOOK TO REST AND RECOVER

Leckie has played every minute of Australia’s two matches in Russia.

Mathew #Leckie starts for the @Socceroos🇦🇺 against @DFB_Team_EN in the #ConfedCup this evening. Have a good one, Leck! #hahohe https://t.co/kXP622S2gY

— Hertha BSC English (@HerthaBSC_EN) June 19, 2017

And the German-based flier is starting to feel the effects of the short turnaround between matches.

“Right now I’m very fatigued and pretty sore,” admitted Leckie.

“But that’s the way it is in these types of tournaments.

“Every team is in the same boat.

“We’ll work hard to recover and we have a great team behind the scenes that can get us into good shape again and raring to go for the next game,” he said.

 

Source  :  Football Federation Australia

Matthew Leckie’s German lessons vital in Confederations Cup opener

Mat Leckie says the Caltex Socceroos are drawing inspiration from their last meeting with Germany ahead of the Confeds Cup.

Wednesday, 14 June 2017 –

Jason Pine @pineyzb

The Caltex Socceroos are drawing inspiration from their last meeting with Germany ahead of their Confederations Cup opener (Tue 1am AEST) against the world champions, says Hertha Berlin’s Aussie flyer Mat Leckie.

And the Green and Gold believe they can go one better than the 2-2 draw in Kaiserslautern two years ago, when a late Lukas Podolski equaliser spared German blushes after Mile Jedinak’s superb free kick and James Troisi’s header gave Ange’s men the advantage.

MATCHING IT WITH THE WORLD CHAMPS

“It was a good game from us,” remembered Australian attacker Matthew Leckie, who’s recently joined Hertha Berlin.

“It’s never easy to play an away game and get a result, especially against a team like [Germany].

“They were world champions and we went there and got a draw and could have really won it.

“We know that when we play well, play our football and do what we do, we can get results against the best.

“That’s something that is very important for us – we believe now and that’s something that maybe at the beginning wasn’t there.

“Every single player in the team now believes that we can go all the way in this tournament,” he declared.

BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE IN OPENER

The first match of the tournament in Russia holds special significance for German-based Leckie who moved from Ingolstadt to Hertha Berlin last month.

“I think all three games are special – it’s always special to play against the best nations in the world, so I’m looking forward to all the games,” said Leckie.

“I’ve played five years in Germany so I’m very familiar with the players.

“I’m excited to get out there and I guess go back to Germany and say we beat them!

“We take each game one by one and Germany are first up so hopefully we can start off well.

“Obviously I’m a bit familiar with the players – who they are and what they do – but you never know what’s coming in a game.

“You can prepare to a certain extent but anything can happen on the day.

“There’s a lot of young players there – they haven’t taken their best team – but a lot of young talent who are going to be very motivated to perform for their nation.

“It’s definitely going to be tough but if we can play to our best and cancel out the small mistakes, we’ve got a chance,” he said.

LECKIE LEARNING NEW LINEUP

Within coach Ange Postecoglou’s re-jigged formation, Leckie’s role has changed slightly.

And the 41-cap Caltex Socceroo is still adjusting to the new landscape.

“It’s obviously a little bit different,” said Leckie.

“I start a little bit deeper but it gives me the opportunity to get into areas where sometimes the pressure isn’t there and I’ve got the game in front of me.

“We’re still working on it – it’s got much better and can only get better,” he said.

 

Source :  Football Federation Australia

Hyundai A-League’s influence on Caltex Socceroos squad – Matthew Leckie

Mat Leckie – Adelaide United can claim to have developed the speedster, who’s one of the most electric strikers in Germany. Just signed with Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin.

 

Source : Football Federation Australia

All square as Matthew Leckie’s Ingolstadt farewell Bundesliga

Mat Leckie on the surge with Ingolstadt in their Bundesliga clash with Schalke.

Saturday, 20 May 2017 –

Staff Writer

Caltex Socceroos attacker Mathew Leckie’s Ingolstadt have ended their time in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw with Schalke overnight.

Already relegated to 2.Bundesliga a week ago, Ingolstadt were hoping to end the campaign with a bang but were unable to find a second-half winner.

Leckie started from the bench and watched as the visitors opened the scoring after just two minutes through Donis Avdijai’s goal before a Pascal Grob penalty restored parity just before the break.

The Socceroos flyer played the last 14 minutes. He’ll soon head to Australia to prepare for next month’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

MAT RYAN

The Caltex Socceroo gloveman has continued his excellent form as his Genk drew 1-1 with Lokeren in Belgium.

Ryan – who played another 90 minutes – saw his side go in front after just four minutes via a Koen Persoons own goal.

But there was nothing the Aussie shot-stopper could do to stop the home side from equalising on 57 minutes, beaten by an excellent finish by Tom De Sutter.

JASON DAVIDSON

Left-back Jason Davidson’s late-season surge has continued with another impressive outing for Groningen in the Netherlands.

Davidson put in another full shift for his side, who were outclassed by A

The Caltex Socceroos tackle Saudi Arabia in a crucial World Cup Qualifer in Adelaide on June 8. Click Here for Tickets

 

Source : Football Federation Australia

Mitch Langerak and Matthew Leckie in German action overnight

A late equaliser has earned Mitch Langerak’s VfB Stuttgart a point in their latest 2. Bundesliga outing.

The Caltex Socceroos goalkeeper played a full 90 minutes in his German side’s away clash with Munich 1860.

Langerak was beaten by a 23rd minute strike by French midfielder Romuald Lacazette.

But Polish defender Marcin Kaminski grabbed an injury time equaliser to earn Stuttgart a point.

It was the fourth draw in five games for Langerak’s side.

VfB Stuttgart remain second on the table, just a point behind leaders Hannover with nine rounds to go.

LECKIE FEATURES LATE IN RELEGATION BATTLE

Fellow Socceroo Matthew Leckie was an 88^th minute substitute as Ingolstadt gained a boost in their battle against relegation from the German top flight.

They’ve had a 3-2 win at fellow strugglers FC Augsburg.

Ingolstadt withstood a late fightback with Augsburg coming back from 3-0 down with fifteen minutes remaining.

Despite the win, Leckie’s side remains second-bottom in the Bundesliga, four points from safety with nine games remaining.

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!! #M60VfB 1:1

— VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) April 5, 2017

Source : Football Federation Australia