Socceroos and Australian Football

[ripper868]

Went to this last night after scoring some free tickets. Glad I did, the Japanese fans were worth the price of admission alone (free but you get the point).

Great game, not really sure what the penalty was for but whatever, will take it! Enjoyed a couple of beers and glad I went, probably be the best international soccer game in Australia this year.

[Burgey]

Went to this last night after scoring some free tickets. Glad I did, the Japanese fans were worth the price of admission alone (free but you get the point).

Great game, not really sure what the penalty was for but whatever, will take it! Enjoyed a couple of beers and glad I went, probably be the best international soccer game in Australia this year.

I think the penalty was what's commonly called a square up for the absurd sending off of Milligan.

[social]

Australian football is at its lowest ebb for a couple of decades

Failing to beat a woeful UAE team to qualify for the Olympics was bad enough but being beaten by Jordan defies belief

I see these teams play quite often and they are park footballers

[BoyBrumby]

Australian football is at its lowest ebb for a couple of decades

Failing to beat a woeful UAE team to qualify for the Olympics was bad enough but being beaten by Jordan defies belief

I see these teams play quite often and they are park footballers

Harsh.

Cahill used to be pretty good, back in the day.

EyeThangEwe. I'm here all week...

Seriously tho, where's the new talent coming from? Seems quite an ageing squad.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Seriously tho, where's the new talent coming from? Seems quite an ageing squad.

Honestly, there is none. I'm not sure if I posted it on CW or not, but after the last WC I said we'd be lucky to qualify for the next one, and I honestly think we might miss it. There's just no young talent at all.

[DJellett]

Honestly, there is none. I'm not sure if I posted it on CW or not, but after the last WC I said we'd be lucky to qualify for the next one, and I honestly think we might miss it. There's just no young talent at all.

Don't entirely agree, though the most talented youngsters are just starting out -
Curtis Good is quality and has all the attributes to be an established EPL centre-half, but needs a few years to grow into the role. That said, Curtis played his junior football at my club and is mature beyond his years, both physically and mentally. Matthew Leckie and Mitch Langerak are good enough to make it in Europe. Amini is in a similar mould to Fellaini; and though not as talented, still has impressive qualities, though he is yet to grow into his football intelligence - Kantarovski is another who is waiting to explode, given some maturity.

Granted, there's limited equivalent replacements for the current aging squad, but we must remember the players in the twilight of their Socceroos careers now are the "Golden Generation" of footballers this country has produced. A country with a football pedigree such as ours is not excpected to consistently be contributing 6-8 top class players, starting in the best leagues in the world (Neill, Cahill, Kewell, Bresc, Grella, Emerton, Viduka etc), not yet anyhow.

Agree last night's result was particularly dire, but patience will serve the Aus football fan well - consider this something of a "transitional" period.

[uvelocity]

roundballers

[social]

Don't entirely agree, though the most talented youngsters are just starting out -
Curtis Good is quality and has all the attributes to be an established EPL centre-half, but needs a few years to grow into the role. That said, Curtis played his junior football at my club and is mature beyond his years, both physically and mentally. Matthew Leckie and Mitch Langerak are good enough to make it in Europe. Amini is in a similar mould to Fellaini; and though not as talented, still has impressive qualities, though he is yet to grow into his football intelligence - Kantarovski is another who is waiting to explode, given some maturity.

Granted, there's limited equivalent replacements for the current aging squad, but we must remember the players in the twilight of their Socceroos careers now are the "Golden Generation" of footballers this country has produced. A country with a football pedigree such as ours is not excpected to consistently be contributing 6-8 top class players, starting in the best leagues in the world (Neill, Cahill, Kewell, Bresc, Grella, Emerton, Viduka etc), not yet anyhow.

Agree last night's result was particularly dire, but patience will serve the Aus football fan well - consider this something of a "transitional" period.

Understand that we are in a transitional period but UAE and Jordan are rank and if we cant put a team out that beats these type of sides 9/10 then I truly despair about the state of Oz football

By way of example, it has only been in the last 12 months that a UAE striker has scored a goal in the local pro league and it took them some years to achieve this feat - on the odd occasion that one of them actually breaks into a trot, chases the ball and gets into a scoring position, they literally couldnt hit a barn with a howitzer from 10 yards

[NUFAN]

Amini is in a similar mould to Fellaini; and though not as talented, still has impressive qualities.

Haha. Reckon if he didn't have the hair, you wouldn't be saying that!

Our starting defenders that can't get a run in the powerhouse leagues of Uzbekistan and the UAE, so its not a huge surprise that we'd lose a match away from home.

Reckon we can still make it though, the group is tight apart from Japan.

[chaminda_00]

The issue really is none of young players are good enough to play regularly at club level and either are most of the older players now. We can barely put an XI on the field that are playing regularly from the overseas players and A-League players only play for four months.

I agree we need to blood some youth players. But seriously every single player the 'so called' experts bring up aren't playing regularly. If anyone has seen our youth teams play the last couple years. They are useless and no where near International standard. But all these players that failed at youth level, are meant to be the saviours at senior international level.

They looked good in a couple games in the A-League, they must be the next big thing. Then all these players go overseas and do nothing. Then it is the coaches fault for not picking them, when even their club coaches won't pick them.

The problem with Australian football is the players have no patience to do the hard yards. As soon as they get a starting spot at a club, they want to go to bigger clubs and then they are back to sitting on bench.

People forgot all these players from the golden generation spent their first couple seasons playing in lower divisions or lower leagues. Asian clubs are the biggest problem as there is only a handful of starting spots for overseas players. Players are either starting players or sit on the bench. Unlike when they went to Europe there is always the chance to get the occasional game as your fighting for 11 spots not just three.

[DJellett]

The issue really is none of young players are good enough to play regularly at club level and either are most of the older players now. We can barely put an XI on the field that are playing regularly from the overseas players and A-League players only play for four months.

I agree we need to blood some youth players. But seriously every single player the 'so called' experts bring up aren't playing regularly. If anyone has seen our youth teams play the last couple years. They are useless and no where near International standard. But all these players that failed at youth level, are meant to be the saviours at senior international level.

They looked good in a couple games in the A-League, they must be the next big thing. Then all these players go overseas and do nothing. Then it is the coaches fault for not picking them, when even their club coaches won't pick them.

The problem with Australian football is the players have no patience to do the hard yards. As soon as they get a starting spot at a club, they want to go to bigger clubs and then they are back to sitting on bench.

People forgot all these players from the golden generation spent their first couple seasons playing in lower divisions or lower leagues. Asian clubs are the biggest problem as there is only a handful of starting spots for overseas players. Players are either starting players or sit on the bench. Unlike when they went to Europe there is always the chance to get the occasional game as your fighting for 11 spots not just three.

I can only speak from what I've seen of Curtis, but he is the most dedicated and professional player I've ever encountered - wise beyond his years, and always outworked both his peers and the senior players in training. I certainly believe he will "make it".

As for some other players, I can see your point - I suppose it is a little Harry Kewell syndrome creeping in, with this ridiculous idolisation we have of him and his career in this country. But if players work hard enough, there is always the possibility of breaking through; and by choosing a bigger club, they might be in the right place at the right time, so to speak. Kalac is a good example of player who took this route and, whilst he spent many years as an understudy, eventually broke through (although briefly).

[DJellett]

Haha. Reckon if he didn't have the hair, you wouldn't be saying that!

Our starting defenders that can't get a run in the powerhouse leagues of Uzbekistan and the UAE, so its not a huge surprise that we'd lose a match away from home.

Reckon we can still make it though, the group is tight apart from Japan.

More meant the type of player - a big, intelligent, hard-working presence in the hole. Fellaini MKII, certainly. But I'm sure the hair helped my mind make the connection

[chaminda_00]

I can only speak from what I've seen of Curtis, but he is the most dedicated and professional player I've ever encountered - wise beyond his years, and always outworked both his peers and the senior players in training. I certainly believe he will "make it".

As for some other players, I can see your point - I suppose it is a little Harry Kewell syndrome creeping in, with this ridiculous idolisation we have of him and his career in this country. But if players work hard enough, there is always the possibility of breaking through; and by choosing a bigger club, they might be in the right place at the right time, so to speak. Kalac is a good example of player who took this route and, whilst he spent many years as an understudy, eventually broke through (although briefly).

I would say kalac is from the other example, he spent most of his career at lower clubs as the no 1. It was only at the back end of his career after he retired from internationals that he sent time on the bench at AC milan for the chance of titles and champion league football.

Curtis looked good at a-league level. But like others he failed at youth internationals. Hopefully he does well, but reckon he should have gone to club where he might start.

[Burgey]

Think I'll get out to a few Wanderers games this year.

[Ausage]

Think I'll get out to a few Wanderers games this year.

Hear hear.