This week Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) is recognising the achievements of professional players by composing ‘Teams of the Decade’ across Australia’s domestic competitions and national teams.
So far, the PFA has revealed All-Australian A-League and W-League teams, with the Matildas and Socceroos Teams of the Decade to come.
On Friday, the PFA revealed the A-League ‘International’ Team of the Decade, composed of all the non-Australian international players in the league, including foreign players and New Zealand internationals.
Kiwi Michael McGlinchey is the ‘International’ player with the most appearances in the A-League, with 209 appearances. He joins Spanish-Australian midfielder Isaias (158 appearances) and Argentine-Australian Marcelo Carrusca (129) in the midfield three.
The front three consists of three of the most recognisable A-League forwards, with Brisbane Roar’s German legend Thomas Broich (181), the decade’s Golden Boot winner, Besart Berisha (195 appearances, 121 goals) and Kiwi Kosta Barbarouses (186).
The team’s back four consists of Iraqi left-back Ali Abbas (128), Ben Sigmund (150), Italian-Australian Iacopo La Rocca (108) and Storm Roux (141). Roux is an anomaly in the squad given he is an Australian national but represents New Zealand in international football.
Completing the starting XI is Kiwi goalkeeper Glen Moss with 189 appearances, ahead of his fellow countryman Mark Paston (49) who makes the bench as backup stopper.
Brazilian Henrique (164), New Zealander Shane Smeltz (133), Dutchman Roly Bonevacia (126), Irish striker Andy Keogh (122) and Fijian Roy Krishna (122).
The five line-ups recognise the incredible contribution players have made to their clubs and Australian football between 2010-2019 and cover two A-League teams (All-Australian and International) and the W-League, Matildas and Socceroos.
Each team has been selected based on the number of appearances players have accrued for their club*, conforming to the dominant formation of the decade (1-4-3-3), while also acknowledging the exploits of the top goal-scorers in the domestic competitions and for the national teams.
The PFA has based the composition of each team on the information provided by the Aussie Footballers web archive, created and maintained by recently appointed Research & Insights Manager, Tony Persoglia. The online player archive tracks player appearances since the inception of the W-League and A-League and also includes the number of appearances of national team players from the modern era.
The teams comprise eleven players with three forwards, three midfielders, four defenders and a goalkeeper, and includes the player with the highest number of goals scored within that decade occupying their respective position within that formation. The bench is comprised of six substitutes, including the second-highest capped goalkeeper and five outfield players.
*While two rounds remain in the A-League and W-League before the beginning of New Year, there will likely be no impact on the overall composition of the teams selected.
