Strikers Consider Indian Summer

Saturday 21th Nov, 2009

While Brisbane Strikers coach Stuart McLaren goes about the tricky business of putting his 2010 QSL squad together against the backdrop of perhaps the most intense recruitment war amongst Brisbane clubs in years, he does have one potential ace up his sleeve – the possibility of offering players the chance to play in an international club tournament.

McLaren revealed today that the Brisbane Strikers are giving serious consideration to an invitation to participate in the Malabar United International Club Football Tournament 2010 - an eight-team tournament to be hosted by Second Division I-League club Malabar United in Calicut, India in January.

The invitation was extended earlier this month for a tournament that will feature two groups of four teams playing off for the right to appear in a knockout semi-final and then a final for which the winner will receive prizemoney of US$15ꯠ. The tournament is scheduled to kick off on 15 January 2010, with the final and closing ceremony taking place on 31 January.

“This could be a wonderful opportunity for both the club and the players and we are having a serious look at it”, McLaren said of the invitation, while noting that the tournament’s timing could hardly be better in terms of fitting in with his overall summer pre-season program for his players.

The invitation, if accepted, will give added impetus to McLaren’s already-announced intention of having his squad finalised, or at least as close to finalised as possible, by the end of the month. Competition rules state that McLaren must be in a position to forward the details of his squad to the organisers by 1 December.