Australia's Tim Cahill will play at a fourth World Cup after being chosen in Bert van Marwik's final 23-man squad. Murad Sezer / Reuters
Australia's Tim Cahill will play at a fourth World Cup after being chosen in Bert van Marwik's final 23-man squad. Murad Sezer / Reuters
Australia's Tim Cahill will play at a fourth World Cup after being chosen in Bert van Marwik's final 23-man squad. Murad Sezer / Reuters
Australia's Tim Cahill will play at a fourth World Cup after being chosen in Bert van Marwik's final 23-man squad. Murad Sezer / Reuters

Melbourne City forward Arzani and veterans Cahill and Milligan make cut for Australia World Cup squad


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Melbourne City forward Daniel Arzani made the cut alongside veterans Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan as Bert van Marwijk finalised his 23-man Australia squad for this month's World Cup.

Arzani, 19, enjoyed a breakout season as Melbourne finished third in the A-League, their highest placing since becoming part of the City Football Group in January 2014.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the City Football Group as well as its flagship club Manchester City, said in an interview last month that they were beginning to see a return on their investment in youth at the Victoria club and that Arzani would do "great" in Russia.

Arzani is joined in the Socceroos squad by veteran goalscorer Tim Cahill, who looks set to play in a fourth World Cup finals at the age of 38 after being included in Van Marwijk's final 23.

The totemic forward made the cut along with 32-year-old defensive midfielder Milligan, the former Baniyas player who now plies his club trade in Saudi Arabia, who is also included in the Socceroos squad for a fourth successive tournament even if he never got on to the pitch in Germany in 2006.

Croatian-born fullback Fran Karacic, a surprise selection in Van Marwijk's initial squad who has never been to Australia, Australia-based midfielders Josh Brillante and James Troisi and striker Nikita Rukavytsya were the players omitted.

There was a place for Tomi Juric, who has been struggling with a knee injury, and for the player brought in as late cover for the Luzern striker, Jamie Maclaren.

"Every step of the selection process has been difficult because the players have all given everything to make the final selection," Van Marwijk said from the team's training camp in Turkey.

"I believe this group of players can do Australia proud at the world’s biggest football tournament if we continue to work collectively and intensively over the next two weeks and into the competition."

The Socceroos play one final warm-up match against Hungary in Budapest next weekend before heading to Russia where they meet France in their first Group C match in Kazan on June 16.

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Read more on World Cup 2018:

Predictions: Winners, losers, top-scorers and players to watch

In pictures: The World Cup 2018 stadiums in Russia as seen from space

Absentee XI: Icardi, Morata, Nainggolan and others cut from their World Cup squads

In pictures: All 12 Russia 2018 World Cup stadiums

Etisalat offers first Fifa World Cup viewing deals

Lowdown: Where to watch 2018 Fifa World Cup matches in Abu Dhabi and kick-off times

Lowdown: Where to watch 2018 Fifa World Cup matches in Dubai and kick-off times

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Squad:

Goalkeepers - Mat Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Danny Vukovic (Genk, Belgium), Brad Jones (Feyenoord, Netherlands)

Defenders - Aziz Behich (Bursaspor, Turkey), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos, Japan), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Bluewings, South Korea), James Meredith (Millwall, England), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney), Trent Sainsbury (Grasshoppers Zurich, Switzerland)

Midfielders - Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa, England), Jackson Irvine (Hull City, England), Robbie Kruse (Bochum, Germany), Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers, England), Mark Milligan (Al Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town, England), Tom Rogic (Celtic, Scotland).

Forwards - Tim Cahill (Millwall, England), Tomi Juric (FC Luzern, Switzerland), Matthew Leckie (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Andrew Nabbout (Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets), Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City), Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian, Scotland).

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

RESULTS

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)

5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi

7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar

The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars