| Event | 2023–24 A-League Men | ||||||
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| Date | 24 May 2024 | ||||||
| Venue | Marvel Stadium,Melbourne, Australia | ||||||
←2022 | |||||||
The2024 A-Leagues All Stars Men game was the fourth edition of theA-Leagues All Stars Game, and the first since the2022 Game. It was held atMarvel Stadium inMelbourne on 24 May 2024 against English clubNewcastle United as part ofGlobal Football Week Melbourne.
In March 2024, theA-Leagues announced that the A-League All Stars Men would playNewcastle United atMarvel Stadium inMelbourne on 24 May 2024 as part ofGlobal Football Week Melbourne – shortly ahead of the2024 A-League Men Grand Final.[1] In addition, anA-Leagues All Stars Women game would be held for the first time, againstArsenal, immediately after the men's game at the same venue.[2] Newcastle would also playTottenham Hotspur at theMelbourne Cricket Ground in a friendly two days before the All Stars game.[3] The official kit partner was announced to beKappa.[4]
TheA-League All Stars Men squad initially consisted of 23 to 26 players, as selected by the coaching staff, before being finalised to a 21 player squad.[5] Only a maximum of four players per club could be chosen.[5]Nestory Irankunda andDaniel Penha were announced to be the first two players to be selected in the squad as voted by fans.[4][6] On 14 May 2024,Patrick Kisnorbo was namedhead coach of the A-League All Stars Men, withRobert Stanton andMark Milligan as assistant coaches andMichael Theo as goalkeeping coach.[7]
A 13-player preliminary squad selected by Kisnorbo was announced on 15 May. Penha withdrew for personal reasons.[8] Following theseason's semi-finals on 20 May, Kisnorbo added eight players fromSydney FC andWellington Phoenix to finalise a 21-player squad for the match.[9] Around the same day,Newcastle United's head coachEddie Howe announced a 29-player squad for the matches againstTottenham Hotspur and the A-League Men All Stars.[10]Garang Kuol featured as the only Australian player for Newcastle from their2023–24 season.[11]
Before the match, Howe renamed the starting line-up from their match against Tottenham to consist ofunder-21s players.Kieran Trippier was named on the bench as the only over-21 player in the match squad after a majority of first-team players were withdrawn.[12] Kuol made his unofficial starting debut for Newcastle in the match.[13] None of the players named for the English side had registered aPremier League start prior to the match.[14]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| A-Leagues All Stars Men | 8–0 |  Newcastle United |
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| Report |
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The men's game was heavily criticised for the schedule of the event which resortedNewcastle United to field a team of players from theiryouth academy after the club's first-team players were withdrawn for international duty. The average age of the match squad was 19.5 years old, excluding goalkeeperMark Gillespie.[15]Eddie Howe noted that it was not possible for his side to field the first-team players due to travel, risk of injuries, and the recent conclusion of the2023–24 Premier League.[16] Newcastle reportedly travelled 16,914km (10,510m) fromHeathrow Airport to play inMelbourne, three days after their2023–24 season finished.Kieran Trippier andAlan Shearer criticised the date of the friendlies which placed near to the2024 Copa América andUEFA Euro in June 2024.[17][18] For fans, the match was deemed to be disrespectful to the A-League and local supporters for fielding a weaker side than anticipated.[19] Newcastle were reported to have received a seven-figure sum from the matches.[14]
After concerns were raised about player welfare,The Football Association opened about a rule change that would prohibit overseas friendlies after a season was completed. English clubs are also obligated to give players a five-week rest following that period. TheAustralian Professional Leagues (APL) were reported to be aware of these concerns.[20] The match was the first win for theA-League Men in anA-Leagues All Stars Game after losing in the matches toManchester United,Juventus andBarcelona. The crowd was confirmed to be 42,000 spectators in total after the women's match.[21] Despite the absence of first-team players, Howe said the match was a great experience for the younger players going against experienced opposition.[22] All Stars head coachPatrick Kisnorbo praised his sides' hunger and dominance during the match although understood Howe's decision prior. Kisnorbo also suggested for future matches to be between an Asian side rather than a European opposition to solve scheduling issues.[23]
