Holger Osieck's decision to omit Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton from the national squad will benefit Australian soccer in many ways and at many levels. The A-League, the FFA and its sponsors, the fans, and the Socceroos all stand to gain as a result.

Osieck maintains that the decision was made entirely in the best interests of the two stars, but there were also reports that suggest he would have preferred to select them. It would surprise few if it turned out domestic authorities had heavily influenced the decision.

Either way, it is entirely irrelevant as to why the pair weren't picked. All that matters is that they face off on Saturday. That is a good result for all concerned.

The big winner is the FFA. For weeks now, we've heard nothing from the A-League but "Kewell" and "Emerton." The panic that maybe they wouldn't start in the first week threatened to undermine the publicity stunt that was their showdown. Now, a huge crowd is expected to see two giants of Australian soccer kick around in the A-League. And perhaps the other 20 players on the pitch, too.

The A-League also stands to benefit from the decision. It is implicit that Osieck has faith in the A-League to get Kewell and Emerton back to international-standard form. That's a stronger vote of confidence than we ever got from his predecessor.

However, without either of the two stars, the Socceroos squad is now left without a locally-based player at all. It could be argued that this sends a negative message to international hopefuls currently playing in Australia.

Nevertheless, some key members of the squad - such as Alex Brosque, Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse - were still at A-League clubs as recently as this year, and continued to be selected for the national team while playing locally. It is these players that are the future of the Socceroos. That they are more likely to turn out for their country in the coming week makes the national team another winner in this situation.

It is important for the Socceroos to share responsibility around, and the omission of two key players paves the way for younger players to gain international experience and prove themselves in front of Osieck. Kewell, 33, and Emerton, 32, won't be around too much longer and the squad needs to learn how to play without relying on their talent and experience.

Another winner will be the crowd that gets to witness the two stars on Saturday. The buzz that will emanate from the stands whenever the players - particularly Kewell, as part of the home side - take possession will be electric.

Ironically enough, the only people who may not benefit from their non-selection are the players themselves. Most players will tell you that they love playing for their country, and winning international caps is an honour. At the end of their careers, a lot of emphasis will be placed on how many international games they played.

Further, although they will only miss one match of any significance, they won't be happy about missing out on invaluable training and match practice with the rest of the squad.

Instead, they will have to battle it out at Etihad Stadium. And in that match, there can only be one winner.