NEWCASTLE has gone hopping mad since the Socceroos arrived in the city last week.

The team flew into Newcastle on Friday for the semi-final they will play against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Hunter Stadium on Tuesday.

The Socceroos gained its place in the semi-finals after a 2-0 win over China in Brisbane last Thursday and the UAE 5-4 win over Japan in Sydney on Friday.

Since the Socceroos arrived they have been followed by adoring fans.

The team has responded with enthusiasm, posing for photos and signing autographs.

Socceroos had a recovery session at Nobbys on Saturday, and trained at Newcastle's No. 2 Sportsground on Sunday.

On Monday, both teams were holding their pre-match conferences and training sessions at Newcastle Stadium before the big game on Tuesday.

Due to Asian Confederation Football rules, tickets could not be sold for non-seated sections of the venue.

This left Hunter Stadium's capacity at 23,000 instead of the usual 33,000. The game was sold out by Saturday.

However, soccer fans were able to see the game live at Honeysuckle "fan zone" between the Maritime Centre and The Dockyard.

The big screening started from 6pm with the kick-off at 8pm.

The next game to be played at Newcastle Stadium is this Friday between the losers of the semi-finals.