Keeper battle hots up

Mark Schwarzer may have a lock on the Australian goalkeeping spot at the moment but the battle to be his back-up at South Africa 2010 is intensifying with Middlesbrough's Brad Jones named in Pim Verbeek's 30-man squad for the three World Cup qualifiers in June.

The Socceroos' position in next year's World Cup would appear a formality given they need only one point in their remaining three matches. But the choice of which goalkeepers to take to South Africa remains less clear with at least seven players a chance to fill the remaining two spots in the squad for next year's tournament.

While choosing a back-up and third choice goalkeeper for a World Cup squad may seem like pure academics, the prospect of an injury to Schwarzer or the possibility that Australia's No.1 man could lose form over the next 12 months has seen Verbeek test out all his options even this far out from the event.

Jones, who was Schwarzer's understudy at Boro before Schwarzer moved to Fulham, has not played for Australia since that infamous night against Uruguay in Brisbane 2007, when his error handed Alvaro Recoba a winner.

But the 27-year-old, who looks set to stick with his club after Boro was relegated to the English Championship, still remains in Verbeek's plans and has been named with Michael Petkovic and Schwarzer in the squad.

"He's played so many games in the Premiership. It's a good opportunity for him," Verbeek said.

"I'm very pleased with the choices I can make on goalkeeping positions. It's time for Brad now, it's time for him."

Petkovic, who plays for Sivasspor in Turkey, has flown under the radar, but as the No.1 choice at a club in the race to win the Super Lig, the 32-year-old gets another chance. His experience is a key factor in his hopes of making the final squad for South Africa.

Verbeek revealed that Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, considered the long-term successor to Schwarzer, lost his position in the squad because he had not been playing in the final few weeks of the English Championship.

"Federici didn't play at all in the last month, which cost him his position in the team, because I have enough possibilities," he said.

However, Federici's chances of national selection are set to soar next season with Reading's first-choice stopper Marcus Hahnemann leaving the Royals.

Ante Covic's decision to leave the Newcastle Jets and return to Sweden appears to be reaping dividends as well with the 2006 World Cup squad member performing well for Elfsborg. Verbeek said Covic had been very close to getting back in the squad.

"We saw Ante Covic play in Sweden, he's doing very well over there. I have four good goalkeepers," he said.

Verbeek also made mention of his options back in the A-League. While the Dutchman has very rarely picked A-League players in his full-strength squad, the performances of Eugene Galekovic and Michael Theoklitos have clearly impressed him. Theoklitos is still working on a move to Europe, one which could see him catapult himself firmly into World Cup calculations.

The seventh option in that battle is Nathan Coe, who is currently on loan in Sweden from Danish club FC Copenhagen. Coe has featured in a couple of Verbeek's camps, but his inability to get a regular starting spot at a top league would appear to be his greatest barrier to selection next year.