The Socceroos passing their World Cup selection auditions in the A-League Men

Joshua Thomas

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The Socceroos passing their World Cup selection auditions in the A-League Men image

Time is quickly running out for Australians hoping to earn a place in the Socceroos squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

Players in the A-League Men have had even less time to impress with the competition only beginning in early October. 

After four rounds of the 2022/23 season, a number of World Cup hopefuls have done their hopes of selection no harm with some strong performances. 

The Sporting News looks at those that have impressed and those still with work to do. 

MORE: Socceroos World Cup schedule | How to watch the World Cup in Australia

Jason Cummings

After scoring on his Socceroos debut against New Zealand in late September, Cummings has continued to shine at club level.

In Central Coast Mariners' first game of the new season, the striker scored a goal and had a bicycle effort ruled out. 

Cummings failed to fire in a 2-1 loss to Perth Glory but bounced back over the weekend against Western United as he scored a goal and claimed two assists as he led an impressive comeback win. 

The 27-year-old's latest performance has underlined why fans want him at the 2022 World Cup with his build-up play just as impressive as his goal-scoring ability. 

Garang Kuol

Another Mariners star who has had even less time to catch the eye in the A-League Men. 

Kuol has only made two appearances in the competition this season after going away with Australia's U20's side. 

But the 18-year-old has never needed long to stand out and did just that over the weekend against Western United as he showed off his skills in setting up the Mariners' first goal.

Despite his lack of first-team experience, Kuol looms as a wildcard worth bringing to Qatar and continues to show how hard he is to handle in the final third. 

Craig Goodwin

After falling slightly out of the Socceroos picture through injury, Goodwin has made a strong case for his return with Adelaide United so far this season. 

The 30-year-old scored in the Reds 2-1 win over Perth Glory on Sunday and has picked up a further two assists this campaign. 

Goodwin's set-piece ability is second to none and it could be very handy for Australia in Qatar. 

Jamie Maclaren

Last season's Golden Boot winner is once again leading the A-League Men for goals.

Maclaren has five goals from his first four league games in 2022/23 to ensure he's as sharp as ever in the final third. 

While three of those goals have come from the penalty spot, having a striker that is full of confidence at a World Cup is hard to overlook.

Players that need to do more

Young attackers Marco Tilio and Daniel Arzani have shown signs they could be worth taking to Qatar over the past month. 

Both have scored a goal in the ALM this season but have struggled to perform consistently to date. 

With the likes of Kuol and Cummings firing, Tilio and Arzani need to standout regularly over the next fortnight if they are to make the World Cup squad. 

Tilio featured in the most recent Socceroos camp so may stand more of a chance than Arzani at this stage. 

Australia coach Graham Arnold will have to name his final 26-player squad for Qatar by November 14 - here are the players we currently expect to make the cut. 

Joshua Thomas

Joshua Thomas Photo

Josh has been covering sport for nearly a decade now having fallen in love with football at a young age. A UTS graduate, Josh has previously worked for GOAL and now covers football closely for The Sporting News.