11 May 2010

Tommy Oar the bolter in expanded Socceroos squad

6:48 pm on 11 May 2010

A day after the All Whites squad for next month's football World Cup was named, Australia have announced who they're sending on the plane to South Africa.

Queensland teenager Tommy Oar makes the cut for the Socceroos at this stage after a breakthrough A-League season.

Oar's been named in an expanded 31-man World Cup squad by the coach Pim Verbeek.

The squad, which must be trimmed to 23 by June, is larger than the 27 originally planned due to injury concerns, and includes an extra goalkeeper, Eugene Galekovic, as injury cover.

Socceroos stars Harry Kewell, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton and Vince Grella are among those battling injuries, but all have been named.

New Zealand face Australia at the MCG on Monday the 24th of May.

Australia: Goalkeepers - Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Adam Federici (Reading), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United)

Defenders - Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Craig Moore (unattached), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), David Carney (Twente Enschede), Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Jade North (Tromso), Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira)

Midfielders - Tim Cahill (Everton), Mark Bresciano (Palermo) Vince Grella (Blackburn) Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Jason Culina (Gold Coast), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), Richard Garcia (Hull), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar)

Forwards - Josh Kennedy (Nagoya), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough), Nikita Rukavytsya (Twente Enschede)