Key occasions
Opta have furnished us with some stats.
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Australia have scored three targets in every of their two earlier males’s internationals in opposition to Ecuador, choosing up a win and a loss from these two fixtures together with a 3-1 win when these groups met 4 days in the past.
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This might be simply the second time within the final 5 years that Australia have confronted the identical crew in two consecutive males’s internationals; every of the final 3 times it’s occurred the Socceroos have received the second of the 2 video games.
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Ecuador have misplaced their final two males’s internationals in succession after having misplaced solely one in every of their 17 earlier video games as a crew (W6 D10); they’ve not misplaced three straight video games since June 2021.
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Australia have conceded extra pictures at purpose than they’ve made in every of their final 5 males’s internationals after having made a minimum of as many pictures as their opposition in 9 of their 11 video games prior; they have been outshot 10-12 of their final recreation in opposition to Ecuador.
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Awer Mabil (Australia) has scored one purpose in every of his final three begins for the Socceroos in males’s internationals, together with one purpose within the Socceroos’ final recreation in opposition to Ecuador.
Back to Jackson Irvine – he has a tattoo of Lou Reed from the duvet of Transformer on his left arm. I had an extended suppose the opposite day of inking one thing David Bowie associated on my particular person. Maybe the Aladdin Sane lightning bolt (not on my face). Good concept?
It’s been a stunning autumnal day right here in Melbourne so atmospheric situations might be excellent at Marvel Stadium within the metropolis’s docklands. However, we’re into the early rounds of the AFL season (and never lengthy out of the venue getting used for cricket’s Big Bash League) so it’s anybody’s guess how the pitch performs, or what ghostly markings could stay on the turf.
In unrelated information, I’m sporting in some new winter boots tonight, contemporary out of the field. Got to present them a while indoors to mould to your ft earlier than they see fight.
Alex Robertson making his international debut the opposite day offers me a really uncommon alternative to say “I told you so”. Here I’m again in 2020 earmarking the son (and grandson) of a gun for greatness, be it for Australia, England, Scotland, or Peru.
Jackson Irvine will captain Australia for the primary time tonight. The 63rd skipper of the Socceroos, and first real hipster. Here he’s mentioning Nick Cave and Tom Waits inside 30 seconds of a profile.
Ecuador XI
Five modifications for La Tri, together with a revamped entrance three, with Hernán Galindez, William Pacho, Kevin Rodriguez, Alan Franco and Junior Somoza all getting a participation badge.
Australia XI
Loads of modifications from the World Cup-ish XI that began on Saturday. In come Thomas Deng, Connor Metcalfe, Bailey Wright, Brandon Borrello, Riley McGree, and Cameron Devlin, whereas there’s a debut in purpose for Joe Gauci.
It’s truthful to say that is an experimental line-up – and why not? Fans of cohesive champagne football would possibly choose to dip into YouTube highlights of Brazil, circa 1982.
Preamble
Hello all people and welcome to live protection of Australia v Ecuador from Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Kick-off within the second of this international break double header is 7.30 pm AEDT.
Here’s what occurred when these sides drew swords on Saturday.
Here’s some context to the brace of friendlies.
Here’s why tonight might be a glimpse of a shiny future for Australian football.
And, lastly, right here’s why there might be some unfamiliar names on show in inexperienced and gold.
I’ll be again shortly with extra build-up. In the meantime, be happy to ship me an electronic mail or fly a tweet to @JPHowcroft.
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