Tara Murray
Just weeks out from the Tokyo Olympics, Western United’s Lachlan Wales wasn’t in the Australian Olyroos squad.
Named as a train on player, he thought his chances of playing in the green and gold were over.
An increase in numbers to the squad, steamrolled him into the squad and saw a whirlwind couple of weeks with him starting in all three of the Olyroos’ Olympic matches.
Wales said it had been a crazy few months.
“I was selected as a train on player for the games,” he said.
“There were three players selected.
“There were so many great players in the age group and with squad sizes they picked players with more versatility.
“We were told there was a high possibility that the squad could be extended and I was hoping it would change.
“On the flight over there, Graham Arnold said, ‘you’re in’.”
With a shot at getting some playing minutes, Wales pushed himself in the lead up training sessions and games.
While he was one of the last picked for the team, he entered the tournament as one of the Olyroos most experienced.
Wales was given his chance in the warm up games against New Zealand and he took it.
“It was an unreal three weeks before the tournament started,” he said.
“I knew there was an incentive to train really hard as I could play.
“We had two training games against New Zealand. During game one they decided we didn’t have enough speed up front and they put me in.
“They then started me in the second game. It was such a small thing, but two weeks before I wasn’t playing and then I was in the starting line up.”
Wales would start all three of the Olyroos pool games, but it would be the first game that would stick in the mind of Aussie fans.
Wales scored in the opening match as the Aussies won 2-0 against Argentina.
“It was a great lead up play from the other boys,” he said.
“I was lucky enough to score and everything fell into place for me and no one can take that away from me.”
The Olyroos failed to progress to the next stage. Wales said they were proud of the their performances.
“We were in the group which was called the group of death,” he said. “We looked at it like the group of dreams.
“We won one game. We were 10 minutes away from a draw with Spain and that would have been enough to get us through.”
Wales is currently in hotel quarantine having returned from Japan. He will quickly be back to work for United, ahead of his second season with the club.
Wales said he was excited by the prospect of being coached by John Alosi, a former Socceroo star.
“As a kid growing up I remember the moment he sunk the penalty to get into the world cup and then scored against Japan.
“It’s exciting for me. I’ll be picking him apart and trying to learn as much as I can and show it on the pitch this season.”
