CENTRAL Coast Mariners striker Dylan Macallister might have zoomed into calculations to make his long-awaited Socceroos debut in the opening Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia at the end of the month, but he admits he faces a "nervous" wait before coach Pim Verbeek announces his squad on Monday.
Verbeek is expected to name a 24-man squad for the match in Jakarta on January 28 and with the selection to be drawn exclusively from the A-League, Macallister remains quietly confident about his chances. The 26-year-old former youth international drifted out of representative calculations during five years of mixed success in Norway, but returned home this season and is now within touching distance of a green and gold shirt.
"It's going to be a nervous few days," Macallister said. "Getting into the Socceroos was a big part of the reason for coming back, I was basically out of sight and out of mind in Norway. I've been pretty happy with what I've done, things have happened pretty quickly since I got into the team. To be honest, I've been taken aback how well everything has gone.
"Obviously, I've had a lot of good press, which is always nice, but at the end of the day the person who has to be impressed is Pim. Against Queensland at the weekend, I saw him walking around the stadium, it's hard not to notice when he's at the game. It was playing on my mind I bit, but in a way it puts the fire in your belly, it makes you want to play well, so it helps your game. I've been waiting for this chance for a long time and I'll be disappointed if I miss out. I'm just hoping I've done enough to get my chance."
Verbeek will not be present during Monday's unveiling of the squad, nor will he be on the sidelines in Jakarta as he serves the first game of a three-match ban which has been held over since he was sent off in the semi-finals of the 2007 Asian Cup, when he was in charge of South Korea. But Verbeek and his assistants, Henk Duut and Graham Arnold, have been regular spectators during the past month of the A-League. It's likely table-toppers Adelaide United will enjoy the biggest representation with Eugene Galekovic, Travis Dodd, Robert Cornthwaite, Scott Jamieson, Paul Reid and perhaps Sasa Ognenovski all in contention.
With Wellington Phoenix utility Jon McKain staking a strong claim for a Socceroos recall, Sydney FC could be the only club without a player in the squad.
While the Socceroos open their campaign in Jakarta - where the 90,000-capacity Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is expected to be sold out - Indonesia kick off their attempt to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar when they play Oman on Monday. Verbeek will also have to rely on a home-based squad for Australia's next qualifier, against Kuwait on March 5, which is likely to be played at Skilled Stadium on the Gold Coast.
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