Volpato flourishes after Socceroos switch as Marmoush test nears

Volpato finds his feet in green and gold

Cristian Volpato is finally looking like the player everyone hoped he would become. The 22-year-old walked away from Italy, the country that shaped him at Roma under Fabio Grosso and alongside Francesco Totti, and committed to the Socceroos. That decision is paying off (1).

Mark Viduka was the last Australian to carry this kind of dual-nationality weight. Volpato now wears it comfortably. "One of our own," the Guardian headline reads, and for good reason, he is delivering in a World Cup campaign that has already thrown everything at your team (1).

Marmoush awaits, and City are watching

Egypt and Australia face off in Group D, and Omar Marmoush is the name Manchester City care about most. He is their forward, and this tournament is his stage. The clash doubles as a proving ground, how Marmoush handles the Socceroos' shape will tell City exactly where he stands (3).

For Australia, it is another must-watch duel in a group that has already given you heartbreak against the United States and a heroic night against Turkey.