Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg will not back down on the Tahj Minniecon situation. Football Federation Australia wants Minniecon to travel to Argentina with the Young Socceroos squad on July 20 for an U20s tournament but Bleiberg is desperate to keep his star youngster on the Gold Coast.

"Why not stay here and play some midweek games against the likes of Central Coast or Sydney FC instead. It would be a lot cheaper for one thing," Bleiberg said.

"Does Australia's success at the under-20 World Cup (in Egypt, starting in September) hinge on the outcome of this trip?

"I really don't think so. There is no other country in the world where the under-20 team are more important than the national league.

"There is no sense to it at all. The FFA want the A-League to be the backbone of the game in this country on the one hand, yet on the other we are the 10th priority after the under-13s."