No upcoming games
Future matches are yet to be scheduled
No upcoming games
Future matches are yet to be scheduled

Please update your browser

Unfortunately you cannot view this website on the current version of your browser. Please either update your browser or use an alternative browser.

Jan 20, 2010   |  8:44PM AET

Melbourne Victory names ACL squad

Melbourne Victory names ACL squad

Melbourne Victory has named a 25-man squad for its upcoming AFC Champions League 2010 campaign, promoting six players from its National Youth League side and including injured midfielder Billy Celeski.

Melbourne Victory has named a 25-man squad for its upcoming AFC Champions League 2010 campaign, promoting six players from its National Youth League side and including injured midfielder Billy Celeski.

Aziz Behich and Luke Pilkington, who both recently made their Hyundai A-League debuts, have been elevated alongside fellow Melbourne Victory Youth players Diogo Ferreira, Petar Franjic, Stephen Hatzikostas and goalkeeper Sebastian Mattei, while Celeski could return to action if Melbourne Victory progresses to the Round of 16.

Celeski has made significant progress and begun running again after landing awkwardly and tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during Melbourne Victory’s Round 5 match against Newcastle Jets in September last year.

Scotsman Grant Brebner and Costa Ricans Carlos Hernandez and Marvin Angulo form Melbourne Victory’s allowed quota of three foreign players, with Thai Surat Sukha the club’s additional import from within Asia.

Franjic is the youngest of the squad at 17, while Kevin Muscat will lead the club in its second ACL appearance at 36.

Melbourne Victory Football Operations Manager Gary Cole said the club is looking forward to competing in Asia’s premier club competition, which kicks off against Beijing Guoan in the Chinese capital on February 23.

“2010 is going to be a memorable year for Melbourne Victory as we look forward to the business end of the Hyundai A-League season, the ACL and the opening of the new Melbourne Rectangular Stadium,” Cole said.

“Most clubs competing in the ACL have had to trim their squads to fit within the AFC maximum of 30 players, but we’re in a position where we’ve been able to promote some of our best performing National Youth League players, who have all earned their spots.”

Melbourne Victory will face Beijing, Korea Republic’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Japanese powerhouse Kawasaki Frontale in Group E of the ACL 2010.

Following its opener against Beijing, Melbourne Victory will host Seongnam at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, March 9, before consecutive matches against Kawasaki on March 23 at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium and Wednesday, March 31 at Etihad.

Melbourne Victory will welcome Beijing to Etihad on Wednesday, April 14, followed by a potentially decisive trip to Korea Republic for its final Group Stage match against Seongnam at Tancheon Sports Complex on April 28.

Should Melbourne Victory progress to the Round of 16, the one-off elimination match will be played on Wednesday, May 12.

Ticketing information for Melbourne Victory’s three ACL home games will be released shortly.

Melbourne Victory AFC Champions League 2010 squad: 1.Mitchell LANGERAK (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (c), 3.Mate DUGANDZIC, 5.Surat SUKHA, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 14.Billy CELESKI, 15.Tom PONDELJAK, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Matthew FOSCHINI, 19.Evan BERGER, 20.Glen MOSS (gk), 21.Robbie KRUSE, 22.Nick WARD, 23.Adrian LEIJER, 24.Luke PILKINGTON, 25.Aziz BEHICH, 26.Marvin ANGULO, 27.Stephen HATZIKOSTAS, 28.Diogo FERREIRA, 29.Petar FRANJIC, 30.Sebastian MATTEI (gk)

Match Day 1
Beijing Guoan v Melbourne Victory
Tuesday, February 23, 7.30pm
Beijing Worker’s Stadium, Beijing, China

Match Day 2
Melbourne Victory v Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Tuesday, March 9, 7.30pm
Docklands, Melbourne

Match Day 3
Kawasaki Frontale v Melbourne Victory
Tuesday, March 23, 7pm
Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, Kawasaki, Japan

Match Day 4
Melbourne Victory v Kawasaki Frontale
Wednesday, March 31, 7.30pm
Docklands, Melbourne

Match Day 5
Melbourne Victory v Beijing Guoan
Wednesday, April 14, 7.30pm
Docklands, Melbourne

Match Day 6
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma v Melbourne Victory
Wednesday, April 28, 7pm
Tancheon Sports Complex, Seongnam, Korea Republic