The Socceroos return to the pitch for the first time since the 2022 World Cup when they play Ecuador in the first of two friendlies in Australia.
This first match will be played at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Friday, March 24 as the green and gold get a long-awaited homecoming.
Graham Arnold's side captivated the nation late last year when they reached the Round of 16 of the World Cup for just the second time, beating Tunisia and Denmark in the group stages, before losing 2-1 to eventual champions Argentina.
Ecuador also enjoyed a memorable campaign in Qatar beating the hosts 2-0 in the very first match, drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands and losing 2-1 to Senegal which saw them miss out on the knockout stages.
La Tri loom as tough opposition for the Socceroos but a good test of a squad hoping to build on their promising perfomances at the World Cup.
LIVE: Socceroos vs Ecuador score and highlights
What time is Socceroos vs Ecuador kick off?
This first of two friendlies between the Socceroos and Ecuador will take place on Friday, March 24 with the match starting at 8:10 p.m. (AEDT).
Here's how that kick-off time translates across Australia.
| AEDT | AEST | AWST | ACST | ACDT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:10 p.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 7:40 p.m. |
𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 until we face South American opposition once again 👀👊
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) March 17, 2023
🇦🇺 v 🇪🇨
24.03.23 - SYD
28.03.23 - MEL
🎟 - https://t.co/C2lT1wcpOG#AUSvECU #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/iW6rTHhljk
Socceroos vs Ecuador live stream, TV channel
| Date | Time | Match | TV | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, March 24 |
8:10 p.m. AEDT |
Socceroos vs Ecuador |
Network 10 | 10 Play, Paramount+ |
This match will be shown live and free for football fans across Australia.
Live TV coverage will be provided by Network 10 with the match shown on Channel 10 in Sydney and Melbourne but on 10 Bold in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth.
The game will also be live streamed on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Socceroos vs Ecuador lineups, team news
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has named a squad featuring a few new faces for this international window.
Alexander Robertson, Joe Gauci, Jordan Bos, Aiden O’Neill and Nestory Irankunda are among those chasing their international debuts.
Socceroos regulars Martin Boyle, Ajdin Hrustic, Jamie Maclaren, and Mathew Leckie have all been ruled out of the Ecuador matches through injury. Aaron Mooy was originally named in the squad but was ultimately replaced by Ryan Strain due to injury too.
Riley McGree will also miss this first friendly through illness.
Predicted Socceroos starting lineup (4-4-2): Ryan (GK) — Degenek, Souttar, Rowles, Behich — Mabil, Irvine, Devlin, Goodwin — Borrello, Duke
Ecuador will play their first match under new manager Felix Sanchez on Friday with the Spaniard appointed after five years in charge of Qatar.
The South Americans are bringing a strong 24-man squad with them to Australia which includes captain Enner Valencia and Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Sanchez has previously favoured a 5-3-2 formation and has notably named eight defenders for these friendlies.
Predicted Ecuador starting lineup (5-3-2): Dominguez (GK) — Preciado, Hincapie, Torres, Arreaga, Estupinan — Gruezo, Mendez, Franco — Valencia, Estrada
Socceroos vs Ecuador prediction, betting odds
After months between games for both sides, it's hard to know how each will perform back on the pitch.
The Socceroos are ranked 14 places higher than Ecuador in the FIFA rankings and have home-ground advantage on their side.
Ecuador, though, showed their quality in Qatar and will be hoping their players respond positively to the arrival of a new coach.
With another fixture between them in just a few days, both sides may be reluctant to go all out in this one and a draw wouldn't be a bad result for either.
Prediction: 1-1 draw
| Australia win | 2.65 |
|---|---|
| Draw | 3.10 |
| Ecuador win | 2.75 |
| Over/Under 2.5 goals | 2.20/1.58 |
| Both teams to score Y/N | 1.91/1.80 |
*Odds provided by Neds and correct as of March 24, 2023
