Canberra's Socceroo checks out.

It wasn't meant to be for Carl Valeri.

He'll fly to Tuscany now and join up with his team mates as Grosseto head into Serie B for the first time ever.

It's all over. Carl Valeri was the Socceroo who very nearly got to play. He was told to warm up against Thailand. Then get ready and Coach Graham Arnold was just to about to put his number up and send him on.

Carl Valeri's media fan club were on the edge of our seats. There were two of us, very keen to see the Canberran make his mark.

Then Tim Cahill crosses and Mark Viduka scores. At 2-0 everyone relaxed and Carl was sent back to the bench.

With Vince Grella sent off against Japan, Carl may well have stepped in as his replacement if Australia had gone through.

We'll never know.

Sometimes you are just not meant to play!