Players from the Isuzu UTE A-League have made a significant impact in Subway Australia Under-23s head coach Tony Vidmar’s selection of 23 players for a pair of international friendlies against South Korea scheduled for next month.
Of the Australian squad set to face South Korea on June 5 and 9, prior to the September qualifiers for the 2025 AFC U23 Asian Cup, an impressive 19 players are affiliated with A-League clubs.
Brisbane Roar’s Sam Klein, who has been in remarkable form with three goals in his last four league matches, has received a call-up, joining other standout talents such as Kealey Adamson from Macarthur Bulls, Western United’s Rhys Bozinovski, Melbourne City goalkeeper Patrick Beach, and Oscar Priestman from Western Sydney Wanderers, all of whom have delivered exceptional performances recently.
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Western United boasts the highest number of selected players in the squad with four, followed closely by Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers, who each have three.
The 19 players chosen from the Isuzu UTE A-League represent nine different clubs, including:
Adelaide United: Ethan Alagich, Ethan Cox, Yaya Dukuly
Brisbane Roar: Samuel Klein
Central Coast Mariners: Nathan Paull
Macarthur Bulls: Kealey Adamson, Alexander Robinson
Melbourne City: Patrick Beach, Alessandro Lopane
Melbourne Victory: Joshua Rawlins, Jordi Valadon
Perth Glory: Kaelan Majekodunmi
Western Sydney Wanderers: Anthony Pantazopoulos, Oscar Priestman, Aidan Simmons
Western United: Rhys Bozinovski, Matthew Grimaldi, Kane Vidmar, Abel Walatee
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“We’ve secured two matches against a very strong nation, offering not just a fantastic development opportunity for these players, but also a chance to showcase their individual talents,” Vidmar stated. “We had some impressive results during the March window, which builds the foundation as we look to incorporate new players into our setup.
“These matches will be our last opportunity to prepare before the Qualifiers in September, making it crucial that we plan, prepare, and perform well ahead of what is a significant first step towards the U23 Asian Cup.”
Match Schedule
Korea Republic U23 vs Subway Australian U23
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Yongin Mireu Stadium, Korea Republic
Kick-off: 7:00pm local / 8:00pm AEST
Korea Republic U23 vs Subway Australian U23
Monday, 9 June 2025
Venue TBC
Kick-off: To Be Confirmed
Australia U23 Squad
| Name | Position | Current Club | Junior Club / Member Federation |
| Kealey ADAMSON | Defender | Macarthur FC, Australia | Lindfield FC / Football NSW |
| Ethan ALAGICH | Midfielder | Adelaide United, Australia | Valley View SC / Football SA |
| Patrick BEACH | Goalkeeper | Melbourne City, Australia | Glenmore Park FC / Football NSW |
| Giuseppe BOVALINA | Defender | Vancouver Whitecaps, Canada | Croydon FC / Football SA |
| Rhys BOZINOVSKI | Midfielder | Western United, Australia | Spring Hills Stallions FC / Football VIC |
| Ethan COX | Goalkeeper | Adelaide United, Australia | Salisbury United FC / Football SA |
| Yaya DUKULY | Forward | Adelaide United, Australia | Para Hills Knights SC / Football SA |
| Matthew GRIMALDI | Forward | Western United, Australia | Watsonia Heights FC / Football VIC |
| Samuel KLEIN | Midfielder | Brisbane Roar, Australia | Gympie Diggers FC / Football QLD |
| Garang KUOL | Forward | Newcastle United, England | Goulburn Valley Suns FC / Football VIC |
| Alessandro LOPANE | Midfielder | Melbourne City, Australia | APIA Leichhardt FC / Football NSW |
| Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI | Defender | Perth Glory, Australia | Carramar Cougars Junior FC / Football West |
| Anthony PANTAZOPOULOS | Defender | Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia | Brunswick City SC / Football VIC |
| Nathan PAULL | Defender | Central Coast Mariners, Australia | Heathcote Waratah FC / Football NSW |
| Ariath PIOL | Forward | Real Salt Lake, United States | Campbelltown City SC / Football SA |
| Oscar PRIESTMAN | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia | Seaforth FC / Football NSW |
| Joshua RAWLINS | Defender | Melbourne Victory, Australia | Dianella Junior SC / Football West |
| Alexander ROBINSON | Goalkeeper | Macarthur FC, Australia | Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC / Football NSW |
| Aidan SIMMONS | Defender | Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia | St George FC / Football NSW |
| Mohamed TOURE | Forward | Randers FC, Denmark | Croydon FC / Football SA |
| Jordi VALADON | Midfielder | Melbourne Victory, Australia | Glen Eira FC / Football VIC |
| Kane VIDMAR | Defender | Western United, Australia | West Torrens Birkalla SC / Football SA |
| Abel WALATEE | Forward | Western United, Australia | North Sunshine Eagles FC / Football VIC |
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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