Australia to play Argentina, Uruguay

AFP - 2 February 2007 13:24

Uruguay´s Carlos Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Australia´s Jason Culina during a World Cup playoff match in 2005. Football Federation Australia has said the Socceroos will play South American giants Argentina and Uruguay in June in a final tournament before the Asian Cup.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia will play South American giants Argentina and Uruguay at home in June in a final hit-out before the Asian Cup, Football Federation Australia has said.

The Australians will play Uruguay at the Sydney Olympic stadium on June 2 followed four days later by an international with two-time World Cup champions Argentina in Melbourne, FFA said.

Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany when they defeated Uruguay in a penalty shootout here in November 2005.

Uruguay knocked Australia out of the 2002 World Cup when they won 3-1 on aggregate.

The 95,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground will stage the match against the world´s third-ranked Argentina on June 6.

The matches will act as Australia´s final warm-up before they play their Asian Cup group opener against Oman in Bangkok on July 8.

Uruguay and Argentina will use the friendlies as a lead-up to the Copa America to determine South America´s champion nation from June 26 to July 15.

Australia reached the second round of last year´s World Cup where they went out to a disputed last-minute penalty by eventual champions Italy.

"The profile of the team has gone up enormously and the attitude of the team (at the World Cup) has demanded respect around the world," FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said Friday.

"When you talk to coaches and officials around the world, they were highly impressed by our performance at the World Cup."

Both Uruguay and Argentina are expected to bring full-strength sides and can expect the same from Australia, Buckley said.

Both matches are scheduled for the European off-season, clearing the way for influential Socceroos Harry Kewell, Lucas Neill and Mark Viduka to play if fit.

But Buckley said the European-based players would be given time off after their domestic seasons ended before coming into camp.

"We´ll make sure they have an an appropriate rest period prior to the matches and also prior to the Asian Cup, but we fully expect we´ll have a full-strength team here," Buckley said.

Australia also have a friendly international against Denmark in London on February 6.