Town duo Cameron Burgess and Massimo Luongo added to their international caps as Australia thrashed Bangladesh 7-0 in a second-round Asian World Cup qualifier in Melbourne this morning, the midfielder missing a late penalty.
Burgess, 28, started and played the full 90 minutes as he won his third cap, while Luongo, 31, took his total to 45.
However, the former Sheffield Wednesday man missed out on an opportunity to add to his six international goals when he saw an 89th-minute penalty saved, his fourth miss out of four from the spot for the Socceroos.
Melbourne City's Jamie Maclaren scored a hat-trick, Mitch Duke, who plays for Machida Zelvia in Japan, two and Leicester's Harry Souttar and Brandon Borrello of West Sydney Wanderers one each.
Australia are in action again on Tuesday when they take on Palestine in Kuwait. The World Cup second round doubles as the qualification stage for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia.
The Socceroos play the Bangladeshis, Palestinians and Lebanon home and away in a round robin format between now and June 2024.
The group winners and runners-up qualify for the next stage of World Cup qualification and for the AFC Asian Cup finals.
Burgess and Luongo’s involvement with the Socceroos increases the likelihood that they will be named in the Australia party for next year’s AFC Asian Cup, which takes place in Qatar from January 12th to February 10th and would see them miss up to five Town Championship matches depending on their side’s progress.