Phoenix captain Andrew Durante
Wellington Phoenix captain Andrew Durante holds little
hope that any of his teammates will make the A-League All Stars
team to face English Premier League giants Manchester United in
Sydney next year.
United return to Australia for the first time in 14 years for
a one-off exhibition match on July 20, and have promised to
bring a full-strength squad with superstars including Wayne
Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Rio Ferdinand.
The Sir Alex Ferguson-coached team won't be coming to
Australia for a holiday, with one official vowing they will
be "here to win" and train intensively as part of their
build-up to the 2013/14 Premier League season.
Fans will get to vote on who should be in the side in a
pre-selection process, but Durante isn't optimistic the
Phoenix's best will make the cut.
He singled out English playmaker Paul Ifill and in-form
striker Jeremy Brockie - second in the running for the
A-League's golden boot with seven goals - as two players who
are worthy of the side.
"You've got Brockie and Ifill, two of the most exciting
players in the league," Durante said.
"How many will get picked? Probably none. But those two are
definitely standouts for an All Stars team."
Several A-League players, including Brett Emerton and Archie
Thompson, are likely to be unavailable for the fixture as it
clashes with the Socceroos' East Asian Cup campaign in South
Korea.
Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop
says details on how a coach will be selected have yet to be
finalised, with Ange Postecoglou and Graham Arnold among the
possibilities.
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