Socceroos Hoping For 'A Night To Remember' In First Home Game In 763 Days

It's been a while since the Socceroos played on home turf.

To be exact, the last time the team took to the field in Australia was against Nepal in Canberra way back in October of 2019.

Then, of course, Covid happened.

Now, some 763 days later, the Socceroos are gearing up to take on Saudi Arabia in front of a buzzing home crowd full of fans who haven't seen their favourite players in the flesh in, well, years.

"It's special because we're obviously representing the country and all those people watching it there are supporting us to get a result," forward Mathew Leckie said.

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"It doesn't matter where you play, whether it's club or country, having home advantage or the fans behind, it always gives you that extra boost and also puts a lot of pressure on the away side.

"It's definitely an advantage that we've missed out on for a very long time. It's been so long that we want to make sure we have a good game and a great performance and cheer up the people that have gone through a tough time over the past couple of years, and also not being able to watch us live for a very long time."

As it stands, the Saudis are top of the World Cup qualifying group with the Socceroos hot on their heals.

A win tomorrow night changes all that though.

Socceroos

A huge three points at CommBank Stadium would see the Aussies overtake Sudi Arabia and clinch top spot, putting us one step closer to a fifth consecutive World Cup appearance.

"It's a huge boost for us boys," Leckie added.

"Home advantage is massive and the boys always get up for it when the fans behind us. It's been so long and it's a special moment.

"We'll make it a night to remember."

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But toppling the Saudis will be no easy feat.

The team is currently undefeated in their World Cup qualifying campaign and could pose this young Socceroos side some threats going forward.

But a player who has donned the green and gold jersey for almost a decade now knows just how much of a morale boost you get from playing in front the passionate Socceroos fans.

"Yeah it's a huge game, obviously they're above us right now and three points would be huge to get us right back up there," Leckie said.

"We always have some strong games against Saudi Arabia the last few times we've met with them you know, they're very consistent and a good team now over the past few years and it's definitely not going to be an easy match.

"I think if we can come in and play as good as we can and being at home playing in front of our fans, I think we'll put on a great performance."

Topics: Football News, Football, World Cup, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry