Aussies Abroad - The June/july Update
The Australian export of soccer talent has again been in full swing in the off-season, as we update our Aussies Abroad in action over June and July 2001.
The biggest domestic mover has been South Melbourne's Simon Colosimo, with his move to English first division club Manchester City, while the biggest overseas move comes from John Aloisi (p
The Australian export of soccer talent has again been in full swing in the off-season, as we update our Aussies Abroad in action over June and July 2001.
The biggest domestic mover has been South Melbourne's Simon Colosimo, with his move to English first division club Manchester City, while the biggest overseas move comes from John Aloisi, (pictured left) who is set to call the Spanish Primera Liga home next season.
The LG Socceroo striker, who had an up-and-down season with English premier league clubside Coventry City last season, will be looking to improve his on-field time with new club Athletico Osasuna.
Colosimo meantime has made his long awaited move overseas, and will join LG Socceroo team-mate Danny Tiatto at Manchester City, as the club looks to return to the Premier League.
Also on the move is Wollongong Wolves midfielder Scott Chipperfield, who has moved over to Swiss club FC Basel on a 4-year deal .. Basel is also the home of Ivan Ergic.
The Norwegian League will also be boasting another Australian shortly, in the form of Kasey Wehrman … the LG Socceroo has signed a 3-year deal with Moss, and becomes the third Australian playing in the Tippeliga, joining compatriots Clayton Zane (Lillestrom) and Chad Gibson (Bodo/Glimt).
Also bolstering the ranks in the Swedish League is Chay Hews, with his move to IF Sylvia … Hews becomes the second Australian in the Swedish league, on the heels of LG Socceroo Luke Casserly (AIK Solna) … Casserly incidentally has had an action packed June and July, involved in League and Inter-Toto cup action with his clubside, as well as becoming a father for the first time this month.
LG Socceroo striker Archie Thompson is also now on the export lists … the former Marconi Stallions striker is now calling Belgian first division side Lierse home … Thompson has signed a four year deal with the former club of another striker in Joe Spiteri.
Meantime Mark Viduka has reportedly pledged even further loyalty to Leeds United, the big LG Socceroo striker seemingly set to sign a new five-year deal with the English Premier League side.
Leeds meantime is apparently still in the hunt for Feyenoord midfielder Brett Emerton, with fellow premier league clubs Arsenal and Liverpool also reportedly in the chase.
And currently without a club, although those days will be numbered, is LG Socceroo defender Tony Popovic, who recently finished up with J-league side Sanfrecce Hiroshima after five years with the club .. Popovic has been linked with clubs in England, Spain and France.
On the move back is LG Young Socceroo Mark Byrnes, who has returned to Parramatta Power after a four month stint with Austrian club-side Salzburg … also returning home is former LG Joey Brad Groves, who will settle with Parramatta Power, after a 2 year stint with Leeds United.
On the actual playing field, Inter-Toto cup action has taken priority, with Ned Zelic & 1860 Munich, Luke Casserly & AIK Solna, and Ivan Ergic & FC Basel all through to the third round of the competition … exiting from the first round were Chris Coyne, Mark Robertson & Dundee.
In the European domestic leagues, Clayton Zane has hit the top of the Norwegian goal-scorers tally, putting away 3 more goals in the two games since his return from Confederations Cup/World Cup qualifier duty, his tally for the season now standing at 10.
The big striker netted two over the weekend in Lillestrom's 5-0 victory over Bryne, which also put the Oslo-based club at the top of the Tippeliga.
And in Singapore, the Geylang United trio of Alex Duric, Brian Bothwell and Nebojsa Vukosavljevic continue to pound the net, as the S-League hits the half-way mark.
The trio have accounted for more than half of Geylang's goals over the last 6 weeks, Duric taking his tally for the season to 17, Bothwell to 14, and eight goals to Vukosavljevic over the period pushing him to 11 for the season … Geylang is currently sitting in second position on the league ladder.
Meantime the S-League has also seen a lot of Australian comings and goings, with Vlado Zoric (Home United), Josip Kozic (Balestier Central) and Hrvoje Matkovic (Home United) all imported, while George Kulcsar (Home United) and Alioune Ndiaye (Gombak United) have both left the League.
For a full update on all the comings and goings of the past six weeks, as well as a look at the limited on-field action, please visit the Aussies Abroad section, from the main drop-down menu.
The next update on August 13, will see Aussies Abroad resume its full coverage.