It's not exactly been the start Juninho-led Sydney FC had anticipated with under-fire coach Branko Culina wasting little opportunity to continue his war of words with the Sydney media after the 2005/06 champions finally recorded their first win under his charge.
It took a classic backs to the wall away effort, a goal from Brazilian substitute Patrick with his first touch and an outstanding display in central defence from Socceroos defender Mark Milligan to snatch a 1-0 victory in Brisbane over the unfortunate Queensland Roar.
Before the round had begun, Sydney were propping up the eight-team table following two draws and two losses and mischievous hacks had started to circle the embattled club like vultures around road kill.
The depressing scenario was a million miles from Culina's first game in charge when in March he guided his new side to a shock 2-1 win over Shanghai Shenhua in the opening round of the AFC Champions League.
Barely six months later, Culina has this season been forced to defend himself like a boxer caught on the ropes - and over the weekend he wasn't about to spurn an opportunity for some counterpunching.
The primary accusation thrown in the Sydney coach's direction has been one of arrogance as rivals have gleefully turned on the team which proclaimed itself the 'glamour club' of the league two short years ago.
With 'all night' Dwight Yorke and, briefly, Kazu among their ranks, Sydney certainly did dominate column inches, generated the largest crowds and at times played some delightful football under German Pierre Littbarski.
But that was then.
Littbarski is now a distant memory, crowds in the harbour city are down and represent only half what reigning champions Melbourne Victory regularly draw since their move to the Telstra Dome and the omnipotent front and back page presence of Yorke is long gone.
Away from football, Sydneysiders are often on the receiving end of claims of arrogance so perhaps there's nothing new in Culina's confident swagger.
But snipers, chiefly comprising the Melbourne football fraternity, have happily leapt on his comparisons between Sydney and Manchester United with boardroom unrest, a shoulder injury to Juninho and an under-funded pre-season recruitment drive also under the microscope.
Sydney were lucky to beat Queensland over the weekend, the visitors pouncing on home hesitancy in defence to somehow scrape a victory after a lacklustre first-half.
What then, one Brisbane-based reporter from tabloid The Courier Mail quizzed, was the content of Culina's half-time rally cry.
"I said let's be arrogant," the FC coach mocked theatrically. "Isn't that what you guys wanted to hear?
"After all didn't I do a half-an-hour interview with you yesterday and all you wanted to write was about how arrogant we were," he continued. "There's a bit of a difference between being confident and arrogant."
A fired up Culina maintained he could handle the heat of coaching under the spotlight but cunningly distanced himself from references to the English champions, saying they were only made to underline the constant media interest in the club based in Australia's most populous city.
"It's being sarcastic or arrogant when we say it is important that Sydney does well - or at least it is for us - because of what it represents in population," he backtracked.
"I didn't say we were Manchester United or all of that, I simply said the pressure is on Sydney. I mean which other state would have been writing about getting rid of a coach other than Sydney."
It doesn’t much help that New South Wales rivals the Central Coast Mariners lead the league by four points.
By contrast former coach-of-the-year Lawrie McKinna rarely comes a cropper in the tabloids and the club are engaged with the local community in a way no other franchise has yet managed.
The Mariners boardroom is united, corporate funding is flooding in and the side boast a strike force to rival Melbourne's after former Sydney attacker Sasho Petrovski swapped the frenetic atmosphere of the NSW capital for a laidback lifestyle on the Coast.
In truth, Petrovski has not been the only person turning his back on Sydney of late.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Showing posts with label Marc Fox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marc Fox. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Appreciate my legacy, Arnie pleads
With Dutchman Dick Advocaat seemingly rubberstamped as the next boss of the Australian national team, caretaker coach Graham Arnold has departed by biting back at critics who accuse him of steering the Socceroos ship off course since the highs of last year's World Cup.
It's been a tumultuous journey for Arnold, Guus Hiddink's former assistant, since accepting the national team senior position when Hiddink elected not to renew his short-term contract 15 months ago.
It doesn't take much reading between the lines to recognise Arnold feels somewhat unappreciated in his efforts in transitioning an aging Socceroos line-up into one which can consistently compete with the rigours of Asian tournament football.
The amiable former Socceroos striker and long-term assistant didn't used to back his own cause quite so much, but under intense speculation about his position and following barbs about his handling of Australia's disastrous Asian Cup showing, he has been forced on the offensive of late.
The timing of the departure of the man most will remember for guiding the team to defeat against Iraq and a draw with Oman in the Asian Cup at least allowed a final wry smile after Arnold watched his patched-up Australian side compete manfully against Argentina in front of a 70,000-strong MCG crowd this week.
Humbled in Asia after blinkered arrogance made Australia underestimate the full-scale challenge of playing in the AFC, at least Arnold could leave Melbourne with his head held high after another reinvented Socceroos side at times troubled the Argentines.
After the match, Arnold revelled in the display and the result - a slim one-goal loss which came about as much from poor defending from a set piece as Argentina's individual brilliance.
But it quickly became apparent that the departing coach, who will likely continue as Advocaat's assistant and continues to lead the Australian under-23s towards the Beijing Olympics next year, was also happy with his legacy of blooding new talent.
"I'm very proud of the fact that in handing my side over that Nik Mrdja was my 53rd player in 13 months which is unbelievable," he said.
"I've had a lot of difficulties in my time as coach with unavailabilities and older players retiring. I'm very proud of the fact that I've introduced young blood in to the team."
"I've introduced A-League players into the team because the emphasis on the A-League is going to be big going forward. I can proudly say I can now hand over 30 names to the new manager who I know can play at this level."
Thirty seems a stretch, but in fairness over half the squad picked to face Argentina weren't in Hiddink's 23-man group for Germany just over a year ago regardless of the unavailability of perennial absentees Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell as well as Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton this week.
Arnold can certainly lay claim to handing former A-League stars David Carney and Nick Carle a decent chance while tenacious midfielder Carl Valeri looks to be another with a bright international future.
He has also crucially blooded fresh goalkeeping backups to Mark Schwarzer in Middlesbrough club-mate Brad Jones and Reading's Adam Federici.
But perhaps Arnold's greatest achievement is developing an exciting pool of under-23 players, many of whom will play important roles in the lead-up to the South African World Cup in three years time.
Indeed that group of up-and-comers - with the outstanding Nathan Burns leading a pack which also includes Brondby striker David Williams, Fulham defender Adrian Leijer and FC Nuremberg pair Matt Spiranovic and Dario Vidosic - might well enthuse Advocaat more than the current senior squad with doubts still hovering over the long-term commitment of Viduka and Kewell.
"Tactically, what we set out to do worked perfectly. The boys carried the game plan out very well," Arnold concluded of the loss to the world's number two ranked nation.
"It was such an honour to see the boys compete against such a world class side like that and push them the whole way and have the possibility to have occasions to score."
"By no means were we outplayed."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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It's been a tumultuous journey for Arnold, Guus Hiddink's former assistant, since accepting the national team senior position when Hiddink elected not to renew his short-term contract 15 months ago.
It doesn't take much reading between the lines to recognise Arnold feels somewhat unappreciated in his efforts in transitioning an aging Socceroos line-up into one which can consistently compete with the rigours of Asian tournament football.
The amiable former Socceroos striker and long-term assistant didn't used to back his own cause quite so much, but under intense speculation about his position and following barbs about his handling of Australia's disastrous Asian Cup showing, he has been forced on the offensive of late.
The timing of the departure of the man most will remember for guiding the team to defeat against Iraq and a draw with Oman in the Asian Cup at least allowed a final wry smile after Arnold watched his patched-up Australian side compete manfully against Argentina in front of a 70,000-strong MCG crowd this week.
Humbled in Asia after blinkered arrogance made Australia underestimate the full-scale challenge of playing in the AFC, at least Arnold could leave Melbourne with his head held high after another reinvented Socceroos side at times troubled the Argentines.
After the match, Arnold revelled in the display and the result - a slim one-goal loss which came about as much from poor defending from a set piece as Argentina's individual brilliance.
But it quickly became apparent that the departing coach, who will likely continue as Advocaat's assistant and continues to lead the Australian under-23s towards the Beijing Olympics next year, was also happy with his legacy of blooding new talent.
"I'm very proud of the fact that in handing my side over that Nik Mrdja was my 53rd player in 13 months which is unbelievable," he said.
"I've had a lot of difficulties in my time as coach with unavailabilities and older players retiring. I'm very proud of the fact that I've introduced young blood in to the team."
"I've introduced A-League players into the team because the emphasis on the A-League is going to be big going forward. I can proudly say I can now hand over 30 names to the new manager who I know can play at this level."
Thirty seems a stretch, but in fairness over half the squad picked to face Argentina weren't in Hiddink's 23-man group for Germany just over a year ago regardless of the unavailability of perennial absentees Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell as well as Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton this week.
Arnold can certainly lay claim to handing former A-League stars David Carney and Nick Carle a decent chance while tenacious midfielder Carl Valeri looks to be another with a bright international future.
He has also crucially blooded fresh goalkeeping backups to Mark Schwarzer in Middlesbrough club-mate Brad Jones and Reading's Adam Federici.
But perhaps Arnold's greatest achievement is developing an exciting pool of under-23 players, many of whom will play important roles in the lead-up to the South African World Cup in three years time.
Indeed that group of up-and-comers - with the outstanding Nathan Burns leading a pack which also includes Brondby striker David Williams, Fulham defender Adrian Leijer and FC Nuremberg pair Matt Spiranovic and Dario Vidosic - might well enthuse Advocaat more than the current senior squad with doubts still hovering over the long-term commitment of Viduka and Kewell.
"Tactically, what we set out to do worked perfectly. The boys carried the game plan out very well," Arnold concluded of the loss to the world's number two ranked nation.
"It was such an honour to see the boys compete against such a world class side like that and push them the whole way and have the possibility to have occasions to score."
"By no means were we outplayed."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The A-League in numbers
13: Number of Brazilians signed by the eight clubs this season
Around three times the number of Brazilians in the league last season, every club bar the Central Coast Mariners and Perth Glory have signed at least one Samba superstar. History suggests somewhere around 50 per cent will be duds meaning up to half a dozen of football's entertainers might make the grade.
Sydney FC marquee man and former World Cup winner Juninho looks a certainty to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Meanwhile, first impressions indicate that Adelaide's Cassio, a left-back in the mould of Roberto Carlos, has what it takes to succeed while Queensland has high hopes of playmaker Marcinho and Daniel's going down a storm over at Wellington Phoenix.
2: Number of Englishmen signed by the eight clubs this season
They used to be the prevailing import but English recruits are diminishing to such an extent they could be extinct within the next 12 months. Britain's brand of blood-and-guts football has taken a hammering in Australia over recent years. The country that gave the game Charlton, Gascoigne and Rooney hasn't exactly helped itself by sending Deane, Gemmill and Devine over to the A-League.
This season former Chelsea midfielder Joseph Keenan has turned up at the champions and will most likely play as a left wing-back while Perth Glory have agreed terms with former Victory striker James Robinson (who was already playing semi-pro football in Australia anyway). But that's your lot.
12: Size of Melbourne Victory's lead at the top of the table last season
Melbourne were only not leading the A-League table for two rounds right at the beginning of the season and showed their complete and utter dominance by trouncing Adelaide United in the grand final.
This year, though, all indicators point to a tighter affair, especially with the Victory losing Fred to the Major League and classy defender Adrian Leijer to the Premiership. Sydney and Adelaide have recruited well while Queensland have former Socceroos head coach Frank Farina steering the ship from the outset.
Even the league's token New Zealanders - Wellington Phoenix - might not finish bottom.
6: Amount of Socceroos to have jacked in the high life in Europe for a chance to 'give something back' to the local game
It's an impressive rollcall when you consider Queensland marquee signing Craig Moore was captaining the Socceroos this time last year and Melbourne's Ljubo Milicevic remains right in the frame for a national team recall.
Tony Popovic, Paul Agostino, Danny Tiatto and Hayden Foxe all count themselves in the former Socceroos bracket nowadays but that doesn’t mean supporters of Sydney, Adelaide, Queensland and Perth respectively aren't lipping their lips ahead of the upcoming campaign. Football Federation Australia are pretty chuffed too.
3: Number of mandatory players aged 20 or under in every squad
The game's governing body - under constant haranguing for not having already implemented some type of reserve or junior league - have at least increased the compulsory quota of under-20 players per club from two to three.
Of the teenage tyros, Melbourne again seem to have come up trumps with the loan signing of Kaz Patafta. Now it might just be because of his instantly recognisable name but Patafta is one of those players that tends to dominate conversations of this kind.
He joined Portuguese giants Benfica 18 months ago and even played in their first team last season before being loaned back to the A-League for the next nine months. A silky playmaker, Patafta could have Victory fans questioning Fred who? by the end of the year.
1,000,000: Reported yearly salary in Australian dollars of Sydney marquee Juninho
Worth every cent.
20,000: Melbourne Victory membership target for 2007/08
Let's put this in context. It's not just Melbourne's rapid growth in membership - they've mushroomed from 5000 members in 2005 to targeting four times that this season - but their capacity to make a loud statement in this Australian Rules Football-crazed city.
The champions are hot on the heels of the AFL's North Melbourne Kangaroos who have 22,000 members according to latest club reports, but have been in existence since 1869.
Furthermore, the Victory last season smashed Australian football's all-time attendance record when 55,436 fans watched them demolish Adelaide United 6-0 in the A-League grand final.
Soccerphile predictions (despite everything said above)
Champions: Sydney FC
Runners-up: Melbourne Victory
Wooden Spoon: Newcastle Jets
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Around three times the number of Brazilians in the league last season, every club bar the Central Coast Mariners and Perth Glory have signed at least one Samba superstar. History suggests somewhere around 50 per cent will be duds meaning up to half a dozen of football's entertainers might make the grade.
Sydney FC marquee man and former World Cup winner Juninho looks a certainty to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Meanwhile, first impressions indicate that Adelaide's Cassio, a left-back in the mould of Roberto Carlos, has what it takes to succeed while Queensland has high hopes of playmaker Marcinho and Daniel's going down a storm over at Wellington Phoenix.
2: Number of Englishmen signed by the eight clubs this season
They used to be the prevailing import but English recruits are diminishing to such an extent they could be extinct within the next 12 months. Britain's brand of blood-and-guts football has taken a hammering in Australia over recent years. The country that gave the game Charlton, Gascoigne and Rooney hasn't exactly helped itself by sending Deane, Gemmill and Devine over to the A-League.
This season former Chelsea midfielder Joseph Keenan has turned up at the champions and will most likely play as a left wing-back while Perth Glory have agreed terms with former Victory striker James Robinson (who was already playing semi-pro football in Australia anyway). But that's your lot.
12: Size of Melbourne Victory's lead at the top of the table last season
Melbourne were only not leading the A-League table for two rounds right at the beginning of the season and showed their complete and utter dominance by trouncing Adelaide United in the grand final.
This year, though, all indicators point to a tighter affair, especially with the Victory losing Fred to the Major League and classy defender Adrian Leijer to the Premiership. Sydney and Adelaide have recruited well while Queensland have former Socceroos head coach Frank Farina steering the ship from the outset.
Even the league's token New Zealanders - Wellington Phoenix - might not finish bottom.
6: Amount of Socceroos to have jacked in the high life in Europe for a chance to 'give something back' to the local game
It's an impressive rollcall when you consider Queensland marquee signing Craig Moore was captaining the Socceroos this time last year and Melbourne's Ljubo Milicevic remains right in the frame for a national team recall.
Tony Popovic, Paul Agostino, Danny Tiatto and Hayden Foxe all count themselves in the former Socceroos bracket nowadays but that doesn’t mean supporters of Sydney, Adelaide, Queensland and Perth respectively aren't lipping their lips ahead of the upcoming campaign. Football Federation Australia are pretty chuffed too.
3: Number of mandatory players aged 20 or under in every squad
The game's governing body - under constant haranguing for not having already implemented some type of reserve or junior league - have at least increased the compulsory quota of under-20 players per club from two to three.
Of the teenage tyros, Melbourne again seem to have come up trumps with the loan signing of Kaz Patafta. Now it might just be because of his instantly recognisable name but Patafta is one of those players that tends to dominate conversations of this kind.
He joined Portuguese giants Benfica 18 months ago and even played in their first team last season before being loaned back to the A-League for the next nine months. A silky playmaker, Patafta could have Victory fans questioning Fred who? by the end of the year.
1,000,000: Reported yearly salary in Australian dollars of Sydney marquee Juninho
Worth every cent.
20,000: Melbourne Victory membership target for 2007/08
Let's put this in context. It's not just Melbourne's rapid growth in membership - they've mushroomed from 5000 members in 2005 to targeting four times that this season - but their capacity to make a loud statement in this Australian Rules Football-crazed city.
The champions are hot on the heels of the AFL's North Melbourne Kangaroos who have 22,000 members according to latest club reports, but have been in existence since 1869.
Furthermore, the Victory last season smashed Australian football's all-time attendance record when 55,436 fans watched them demolish Adelaide United 6-0 in the A-League grand final.
Soccerphile predictions (despite everything said above)
Champions: Sydney FC
Runners-up: Melbourne Victory
Wooden Spoon: Newcastle Jets
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Samba madness down under
They are inimitable nicknamers, are loved the world over for their seemingly peerless brand of individual brilliance and have, finally, arrived en masse down under.
It's taken two seasons for the fledgling league to finally wake up to the unique combination of attributes Brazilian footballers of almost any standard can deliver to a new competition.
Like any nationality, Brazilians vary enormously in playing power - but they almost never fail in generating an unrivalled marketing hype and booming interest from the footballing fraternity.
With the A-League's kick-off less than a fortnight away, season three will be the judge of just how good the dozen or so new South American arrivals are, particularly as the bulk have been awarded just single-year contracts despite champions Melbourne Victory falling foul of such a decision during the close season.
Melbourne's Fred - full name Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva - was undeniably the player-of-the-year last season, only missing out on the league's official award by virtue of the competition small print which disallows players who've served a suspension from being nominated.
But he subsequently switched to the Major League at the end of last season - after snubbing a three-year contract with the Victory - thanks to the bulging wallets of DC United where he reportedly became the club's third-highest earner.
The disappointment surrounding the departure of Fred, a cult hero with the Melbourne faithful, was tempered considering his countrymen who arrived in Victoria at the same time - defender Alessandro and striker Claudinho - failed to reach the same playing standard.
But many believe that even if only one-in-three of the new Brazilian recruits make a similarly meteoric impact as Fred this coming season, the league will have taken a definite step forward on all measures.
Particularly, of course, given the marvellous pick-up by Sydney FC of 2002 World Cup winner Juninho, the little magician who originally burst into consciousness during his first Premiership spell with Middlesbrough.
Little needs to be added of Juninho that hasn't already been said about a career which has taken him from Sao Paulo to Palmeiras via Boro, Athletico Madrid and Celtic and bought 50 national team caps including a winner's medal in the Far East five years ago.
Sydney have tempted the 34-year-old to the Harbour City with a marquee deal reportedly worth in the region of a million Australian dollars for his one-year stint.
On the other hand, his compatriots couldn't have arrived in a more contrasting manner.
If pre-season form acts as an accurate barometer of what is to come, Adelaide's free-kick taking left full-back Cassio, or Jose de Abreu Oliveira if you will, is making Australian football fans take notice with goals in each of his past three games.
The 27-year-old defender, who has also enjoyed brief spells in the Mexican and Paraguayan domestic league, is understood to have been recommended to Adelaide by former Brazilian national team coach Marcos Paqueta.
Queensland Roar playmaker Marcinho is also being touted as pivotal to the club's ambitions of breaking into the top four for the first time.
Partnered by countryman Reinaldo in Queensland's frontline, the 26-year-old former Sao Paulo junior has bragged to local reporters that his best mate is Real Madrid's Robinho and that he wants to claim Fred's mantel as the league's premier overseas recruit.
Another classically-skilled Brazilian No.10, Daniel Lins Cortes, is a veteran of the Campeonato but has also played in Europe and, briefly, the national team with a friendly appearance off the bench against Saudi Arabia during the 2002-03 season.
Daniel is one of a quartet of Brazilians signed by canny coach Ricki Herbert for newcomers Wellington Phoenix with perhaps Cleberson, a central defender who's represented PSV Eindhoven, the other likely first team candidate.
But the signing which has polarised local opinion is that of striker Mario Jardel who has turned up at the Newcastle Jets on a one-year deal.
Everyone knows the quality of Jardel's scoring record (he has twice been the recipient of the European Golden Boot award but then again so has Kevin Phillips) but it is his continued off-field troubles which marks his acquisition as a huge gamble.
The 33-year-old has not played a full season since the disappointment of missing out on a place in Brazil's squad for the 2002 World Cup and has a notorious tale of poor fitness and suspect self-discipline.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
It's taken two seasons for the fledgling league to finally wake up to the unique combination of attributes Brazilian footballers of almost any standard can deliver to a new competition.
Like any nationality, Brazilians vary enormously in playing power - but they almost never fail in generating an unrivalled marketing hype and booming interest from the footballing fraternity.
With the A-League's kick-off less than a fortnight away, season three will be the judge of just how good the dozen or so new South American arrivals are, particularly as the bulk have been awarded just single-year contracts despite champions Melbourne Victory falling foul of such a decision during the close season.
Melbourne's Fred - full name Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva - was undeniably the player-of-the-year last season, only missing out on the league's official award by virtue of the competition small print which disallows players who've served a suspension from being nominated.
But he subsequently switched to the Major League at the end of last season - after snubbing a three-year contract with the Victory - thanks to the bulging wallets of DC United where he reportedly became the club's third-highest earner.
The disappointment surrounding the departure of Fred, a cult hero with the Melbourne faithful, was tempered considering his countrymen who arrived in Victoria at the same time - defender Alessandro and striker Claudinho - failed to reach the same playing standard.
But many believe that even if only one-in-three of the new Brazilian recruits make a similarly meteoric impact as Fred this coming season, the league will have taken a definite step forward on all measures.
Particularly, of course, given the marvellous pick-up by Sydney FC of 2002 World Cup winner Juninho, the little magician who originally burst into consciousness during his first Premiership spell with Middlesbrough.
Little needs to be added of Juninho that hasn't already been said about a career which has taken him from Sao Paulo to Palmeiras via Boro, Athletico Madrid and Celtic and bought 50 national team caps including a winner's medal in the Far East five years ago.
Sydney have tempted the 34-year-old to the Harbour City with a marquee deal reportedly worth in the region of a million Australian dollars for his one-year stint.
On the other hand, his compatriots couldn't have arrived in a more contrasting manner.
If pre-season form acts as an accurate barometer of what is to come, Adelaide's free-kick taking left full-back Cassio, or Jose de Abreu Oliveira if you will, is making Australian football fans take notice with goals in each of his past three games.
The 27-year-old defender, who has also enjoyed brief spells in the Mexican and Paraguayan domestic league, is understood to have been recommended to Adelaide by former Brazilian national team coach Marcos Paqueta.
Queensland Roar playmaker Marcinho is also being touted as pivotal to the club's ambitions of breaking into the top four for the first time.
Partnered by countryman Reinaldo in Queensland's frontline, the 26-year-old former Sao Paulo junior has bragged to local reporters that his best mate is Real Madrid's Robinho and that he wants to claim Fred's mantel as the league's premier overseas recruit.
Another classically-skilled Brazilian No.10, Daniel Lins Cortes, is a veteran of the Campeonato but has also played in Europe and, briefly, the national team with a friendly appearance off the bench against Saudi Arabia during the 2002-03 season.
Daniel is one of a quartet of Brazilians signed by canny coach Ricki Herbert for newcomers Wellington Phoenix with perhaps Cleberson, a central defender who's represented PSV Eindhoven, the other likely first team candidate.
But the signing which has polarised local opinion is that of striker Mario Jardel who has turned up at the Newcastle Jets on a one-year deal.
Everyone knows the quality of Jardel's scoring record (he has twice been the recipient of the European Golden Boot award but then again so has Kevin Phillips) but it is his continued off-field troubles which marks his acquisition as a huge gamble.
The 33-year-old has not played a full season since the disappointment of missing out on a place in Brazil's squad for the 2002 World Cup and has a notorious tale of poor fitness and suspect self-discipline.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Future hangs in the balance
Future hangs in the balance
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has a problem and, like so much in life, it boils down to a question of balance.
Not long ago, he was merely interim Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, the man tasked with plugging the unenviable gap created by Guus Hiddink's departure after the World Cup.
Now the interim tag has been binned, and the former international striker has his heart set on the long-term post of coaching Australia to the 2010 World Cup.
How does he snare the nation's top footballing job for the immediate future?
Well holding aloft July's Asian Cup would of course be excellent interview material for the man who hasn’t yet won all over his critics despite his approachable demeanour and a string of OK results.
But therein lies the heart of the problem. Despite a dose of swagger from Australia's leading lights, taking out the premier regional crown at the first attempt won't quite be the jaunt some are expecting.
Naturally, the region's current ranked No.2 nation has high expectations, but competing with the AFC's aristocrats, particularly in the sweltering conditions at their Bangkok base, is going to need an Australian squad close to its strongest - just as Hiddink enjoyed 12 months ago.
However, the dilemma is that if Arnold continues naming his strongest side, how are his peripheral squad members and local A-League players ever going to gain enough international experience to seriously compete for a place in South Africa in three years time.
Choices, choices.
"With the World Cup qualifying program coming up there's going to be a huge emphasis on A-League players," Arnold confirmed to reporters after announcing his 23-man squad for the June friendly against nemesis Uruguay.
"The short-term picture is obviously the Asian Cup but I'd rather look at the big picture as well.
"This is a good chance to look at A-League players to see who can step up to the mark because if I don't learn about them in (friendly) games when will we learn about them?"
Arnold's biggest concern is that up to 10 of the stars which shone for Hiddink in Germany won't make the trip to Southeast Asia.
Confirmed absentees include then-captain Craig Moore and German-based striker Josh Kennedy through injury while Zeljko Kalac, Stan Lazaridis and Tony Popovic have retired.
Arnold has this week also placed huge question marks over the availability of left-sided defender Scott Chipperfield and striker John Aloisi through personal reasons and injury respectively while goalkeeper Ante Covic has slipped from favour and Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill are returning from long-term layoffs.
That already leaves the Socceroos desperately lacking in depth without considering the possible international retirements of Aloisi, Josip Skoko and even talismanic striker Mark Viduka after the finals.
"I believe I'm a long way down the track of convincing him not to retire after the Asian Cup but if a player decides that there's nothing you can do to change his mind," Arnold said of the off-contract Viduka, who finished the English Premiership season in a hurry with 16 goals in 22 games.
"I definitely think he's got another World Cup in him. The way he's played this year convinces me that as long as Mark's happy off the field he takes that onto the field."
Pointedly, Arnold's squad to face Uruguay next weekend features just three of the heroes who defeated the South Americans on penalties in that famous World Cup playoff in November 2005.
But then this, Arnold admits, is a transitional era for Australia, although he also, somewhat hopefully, describes the squad picked to face their old enemy as 'the future of Australian football'.
"If I look at a backline, for example, of (Brett) Emerton, (Lucas) Neill, (Patrick) Kisnorbo and (Michael) Thwaite, that could be the backline for the 2010 World Cup," he added.
The problem, critics of the national team's development argue, is that those names are hardly likely send a shiver down the spines of prospective qualifying opponents.
At least, Arnold can rely on the likes of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Vinnie Grella, Mark Bresciano and Jason Culina as well as Cahill and Kewell for the charge to South Africa.
The speed at which he introduces the remaining starters is one he will doubtless spend many a sleepless night worrying about.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has a problem and, like so much in life, it boils down to a question of balance.
Not long ago, he was merely interim Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, the man tasked with plugging the unenviable gap created by Guus Hiddink's departure after the World Cup.
Now the interim tag has been binned, and the former international striker has his heart set on the long-term post of coaching Australia to the 2010 World Cup.
How does he snare the nation's top footballing job for the immediate future?
Well holding aloft July's Asian Cup would of course be excellent interview material for the man who hasn’t yet won all over his critics despite his approachable demeanour and a string of OK results.
But therein lies the heart of the problem. Despite a dose of swagger from Australia's leading lights, taking out the premier regional crown at the first attempt won't quite be the jaunt some are expecting.
Naturally, the region's current ranked No.2 nation has high expectations, but competing with the AFC's aristocrats, particularly in the sweltering conditions at their Bangkok base, is going to need an Australian squad close to its strongest - just as Hiddink enjoyed 12 months ago.
However, the dilemma is that if Arnold continues naming his strongest side, how are his peripheral squad members and local A-League players ever going to gain enough international experience to seriously compete for a place in South Africa in three years time.
Choices, choices.
"With the World Cup qualifying program coming up there's going to be a huge emphasis on A-League players," Arnold confirmed to reporters after announcing his 23-man squad for the June friendly against nemesis Uruguay.
"The short-term picture is obviously the Asian Cup but I'd rather look at the big picture as well.
"This is a good chance to look at A-League players to see who can step up to the mark because if I don't learn about them in (friendly) games when will we learn about them?"
Arnold's biggest concern is that up to 10 of the stars which shone for Hiddink in Germany won't make the trip to Southeast Asia.
Confirmed absentees include then-captain Craig Moore and German-based striker Josh Kennedy through injury while Zeljko Kalac, Stan Lazaridis and Tony Popovic have retired.
Arnold has this week also placed huge question marks over the availability of left-sided defender Scott Chipperfield and striker John Aloisi through personal reasons and injury respectively while goalkeeper Ante Covic has slipped from favour and Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill are returning from long-term layoffs.
That already leaves the Socceroos desperately lacking in depth without considering the possible international retirements of Aloisi, Josip Skoko and even talismanic striker Mark Viduka after the finals.
"I believe I'm a long way down the track of convincing him not to retire after the Asian Cup but if a player decides that there's nothing you can do to change his mind," Arnold said of the off-contract Viduka, who finished the English Premiership season in a hurry with 16 goals in 22 games.
"I definitely think he's got another World Cup in him. The way he's played this year convinces me that as long as Mark's happy off the field he takes that onto the field."
Pointedly, Arnold's squad to face Uruguay next weekend features just three of the heroes who defeated the South Americans on penalties in that famous World Cup playoff in November 2005.
But then this, Arnold admits, is a transitional era for Australia, although he also, somewhat hopefully, describes the squad picked to face their old enemy as 'the future of Australian football'.
"If I look at a backline, for example, of (Brett) Emerton, (Lucas) Neill, (Patrick) Kisnorbo and (Michael) Thwaite, that could be the backline for the 2010 World Cup," he added.
The problem, critics of the national team's development argue, is that those names are hardly likely send a shiver down the spines of prospective qualifying opponents.
At least, Arnold can rely on the likes of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Vinnie Grella, Mark Bresciano and Jason Culina as well as Cahill and Kewell for the charge to South Africa.
The speed at which he introduces the remaining starters is one he will doubtless spend many a sleepless night worrying about.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Tuesday, March 27, 2007
V. good but will Dukes stick around?
Celtic, Leeds United and Middlesbrough supporters don’t exactly need me to tell them Mark Viduka can be the match of anyone when he's on his day. The problem, however, for Australian coach Graham Arnold and the Socceroos fans is the striker nicknamed the V-Bomber is going to have to be at flying at full throttle the whole of July's Asian Cup for the AFC No.1-ranked side to stand a decent chance of going all the way.
Viduka was in imperious mood against China over the weekend in what was his first Socceroos appearance since the World Cup exit to Italy nine months ago. Indeed he's been in irresistible form in England since the turn of the year and seamlessly translated his domestic displays for Middlesbrough into one of those majestic individual performances the football fraternity knows lies within him, but tends all too rarely to see.
You could sense Dukes was in the mood for landing some punches on the sleepy Chinese defence from the get-go. Goalkeeper Li Leilei was just awake enough to parry the Australian captain's double efforts in the opening stages but the signs were apparent following a well-heeled drag-back in the build-up to one of the Shandong Luneng 'keeper's stops.
Viduka didn't ultimately find the net in his 76 minutes on the pitch - one of the problems is he does so infrequently (six times in 38 internationals). But his presence at the pinnacle of an attack which sees him surrounded by younger, more mobile supplementary strikers in Arnold's preferred system was immense. It might be bold to suggest that Australia would not have won without him, but when you consider the alternatives in that lone frontman role, the coach is not the only one praying Viduka shelves any plans of an Asian Cup swansong.
"What more is there to say about Dukes?" Arnold rhetorically asked national broadsheet The Australian afterwards. "He showed why we need him to stay on. We can't afford to lose him just yet.
"Mark is a vital ingredient for the national team so we need to find ways of making the Socceroos option even more attractive for him. He is only 31 and will be 34 by the time the next World Cup comes around. Mark needs to know that we are not going to impose heavy demands on him.
"Call it mollycoddling if you like but we can look after him with a well thought-out schedule in which he won't have to play in too many meaningless games and where we can cut down his travelling."
Arnold was clearly panicked by Viduka's heavy hint-dropping in the lead-up to the China clash. The burly striker's name is forever mentioned when the topic of international retirement rears its ugly head but this time he appeared to be truly flagging a desire to call it a day with the national team. There is one overriding reason: wife Ivana gave birth to son No.2 Lucas six months ago. But he has also been one a handful of senior Socceroos critical of how Asian Cup warm-up matches have been scheduled this June, giving the fatigued EPL stars just a couple of weeks break.
Viduka might only be in his early thirties, but the retirement age for Australians isn't always much higher given the weight of travelling required for most international fixtures. His trademark laid-back approach means his legs should have little trouble dragging him kicking and screaming all the way to the 2010 World Cup. But, with Arnold conceding a minimum of four more Socceroos will hang up their boots after the summer's events, some wonder why Viduka's name wouldn’t be among them?
The major concern for Arnold - and ultimately who will succeed him as national team coach for the World Cup qualifiers - is the paucity of striking reserves. John Aloisi, now plying his trade in the Spanish second division with Alaves, is the same age as Viduka. German-based Josh Kennedy was the pair's primary back-up under Guus Hiddink at the World Cup but he's not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon last July.
The answer could lie with 23-year-old Scott McDonald, a player always mentioned as a Socceroos prospect having represented Australia at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. Club-side Motherwell turned down a million-dollar January transfer window bid from Rangers for the in-demand striker who's scored 12 times this season. But McDonald is now reportedly on his way to Old Firm rival Celtic after a bid of AUD$1.8 million was lodged by manager Gordon Strachan. Don't rule out McDonald for a surprise call-up when the serious business gets underway in little more than three month's time.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Viduka was in imperious mood against China over the weekend in what was his first Socceroos appearance since the World Cup exit to Italy nine months ago. Indeed he's been in irresistible form in England since the turn of the year and seamlessly translated his domestic displays for Middlesbrough into one of those majestic individual performances the football fraternity knows lies within him, but tends all too rarely to see.
You could sense Dukes was in the mood for landing some punches on the sleepy Chinese defence from the get-go. Goalkeeper Li Leilei was just awake enough to parry the Australian captain's double efforts in the opening stages but the signs were apparent following a well-heeled drag-back in the build-up to one of the Shandong Luneng 'keeper's stops.
Viduka didn't ultimately find the net in his 76 minutes on the pitch - one of the problems is he does so infrequently (six times in 38 internationals). But his presence at the pinnacle of an attack which sees him surrounded by younger, more mobile supplementary strikers in Arnold's preferred system was immense. It might be bold to suggest that Australia would not have won without him, but when you consider the alternatives in that lone frontman role, the coach is not the only one praying Viduka shelves any plans of an Asian Cup swansong.
"What more is there to say about Dukes?" Arnold rhetorically asked national broadsheet The Australian afterwards. "He showed why we need him to stay on. We can't afford to lose him just yet.
"Mark is a vital ingredient for the national team so we need to find ways of making the Socceroos option even more attractive for him. He is only 31 and will be 34 by the time the next World Cup comes around. Mark needs to know that we are not going to impose heavy demands on him.
"Call it mollycoddling if you like but we can look after him with a well thought-out schedule in which he won't have to play in too many meaningless games and where we can cut down his travelling."
Arnold was clearly panicked by Viduka's heavy hint-dropping in the lead-up to the China clash. The burly striker's name is forever mentioned when the topic of international retirement rears its ugly head but this time he appeared to be truly flagging a desire to call it a day with the national team. There is one overriding reason: wife Ivana gave birth to son No.2 Lucas six months ago. But he has also been one a handful of senior Socceroos critical of how Asian Cup warm-up matches have been scheduled this June, giving the fatigued EPL stars just a couple of weeks break.
Viduka might only be in his early thirties, but the retirement age for Australians isn't always much higher given the weight of travelling required for most international fixtures. His trademark laid-back approach means his legs should have little trouble dragging him kicking and screaming all the way to the 2010 World Cup. But, with Arnold conceding a minimum of four more Socceroos will hang up their boots after the summer's events, some wonder why Viduka's name wouldn’t be among them?
The major concern for Arnold - and ultimately who will succeed him as national team coach for the World Cup qualifiers - is the paucity of striking reserves. John Aloisi, now plying his trade in the Spanish second division with Alaves, is the same age as Viduka. German-based Josh Kennedy was the pair's primary back-up under Guus Hiddink at the World Cup but he's not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon last July.
The answer could lie with 23-year-old Scott McDonald, a player always mentioned as a Socceroos prospect having represented Australia at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. Club-side Motherwell turned down a million-dollar January transfer window bid from Rangers for the in-demand striker who's scored 12 times this season. But McDonald is now reportedly on his way to Old Firm rival Celtic after a bid of AUD$1.8 million was lodged by manager Gordon Strachan. Don't rule out McDonald for a surprise call-up when the serious business gets underway in little more than three month's time.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Friday, March 23, 2007
Culina's Sydney: bold and brave
Whether Sydney FC have the stamina to outlast their Group E colleagues remains a question for debate after their pulsating 2-2 draw with J-League champions Urawa Reds. But the inaugural A-League champions have already banished the memory of an uninspiring domestic campaign under sacked coach Terry Butcher and made a real statement of intent for this year's Asian Champions League.
"Pleased and disappointed," was interim coach Branko Culina's balanced reaction after only his second match in charge of the club. "Pleased that we played well in the first half and pleased with the result.
"But disappointed that we let slip a two-goal lead."
Sydney's studious manager must feel like Arsene Wenger to Butcher's Sir Alex Ferguson. The technical director of Soccer New South Wales and a regular TV pundit, Culina is a man well versed in doing his pre-match homework. As perhaps Sydney's display in Shanghai a fortnight ago demonstrated, Culina is also patently not fazed by restarting his top-flight management career in the heat of the ACL.
"Tsuboi, Tanaka, Nene, Suzuki, Ono, Abe, Ponte, Washington, Nagai ... do you want me to keep going?" he coolly responded to questions about Sydney's opponents the day before the game.
That's Culina. He exudes a quiet calm in front of the cameras while preaching a classic pass-and-movement philosophy the Sydney squad have taken to like ducks to water. And although he's been spending plenty of his evenings running the rule of his group rivals, he's also been quick to overhaul the club's stagnant style under Butcher and impart an altogether more entertaining system.
"Our game plan worked to perfection in the first 20 minutes," Culina continued confidently after the match. "Our plan was to attack them down the right-hand side in the first 20 minutes where Nene didn't have the pace or the defensive requirements to put up with Brosque.
"We changed Carney and Brosque around for that reason as well - we wanted to confuse them a little bit. But in the end we weren't quite good enough."
Culina, the father of Socceroo midfielder Jason, is certainly tactically astute but he has also inherited the bulk of the 2006 championship-winning squad. There have been a couple of further outgoings following Dwight Yorke's early season move back to the UK, but in essence Sydney's roster - albeit a little thin - has been together for more or less two years.
Of the club's three up-and-comers who will have the caught the eye of neutrals, Culina picked out supplementary striking duo Alex Brosque and David Carney for special mention. The third member of a triumvirate on the fringes of regular Socceroos recognition is midfielder Mark Milligan. National team coach Graham Arnold admitted this week he was planning to look at all three before Australia's scheduled match against Saudi Arabia next Wednesday was scrapped.
Milligan is no stranger to the senior Socceroos after receiving a last-gasp phone call from Guus Hiddink on the eve of last year's World Cup. Having now dropped back to captain the under-23s on their qualifying path to Beijing 2008, the unflappable 21-year-old showed in the opening minutes against Urawa he's more than just a midfield enforcer. It was his slide rule through ball which found Carney who finished with aplomb within 60 seconds of kick-off. Milligan too highlighted his versatility by playing at right-back after half-time
Sydney's second goal was concocted by Carney's individual brilliance with a helping hand from Brosque in the build-up. In between time Brosque, who gave Nene the run around before the Brazilian defender was replaced by Japanese international Makato Hasebe just before the interval, might have had one of his own after shooting wide with the hosts well in the ascendancy.
The Sydneysiders tired after the break and despite gifting the Reds an equaliser ended up holding on for a draw. Still, unbeaten and joint-top of arguably the toughest of this year's seven ACL groups, is a fine achievement. As Culina said, "When you consider it is someone who spends $65million on players against someone who spends $6.5million, the result is not too bad."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
"Pleased and disappointed," was interim coach Branko Culina's balanced reaction after only his second match in charge of the club. "Pleased that we played well in the first half and pleased with the result.
"But disappointed that we let slip a two-goal lead."
Sydney's studious manager must feel like Arsene Wenger to Butcher's Sir Alex Ferguson. The technical director of Soccer New South Wales and a regular TV pundit, Culina is a man well versed in doing his pre-match homework. As perhaps Sydney's display in Shanghai a fortnight ago demonstrated, Culina is also patently not fazed by restarting his top-flight management career in the heat of the ACL.
"Tsuboi, Tanaka, Nene, Suzuki, Ono, Abe, Ponte, Washington, Nagai ... do you want me to keep going?" he coolly responded to questions about Sydney's opponents the day before the game.
That's Culina. He exudes a quiet calm in front of the cameras while preaching a classic pass-and-movement philosophy the Sydney squad have taken to like ducks to water. And although he's been spending plenty of his evenings running the rule of his group rivals, he's also been quick to overhaul the club's stagnant style under Butcher and impart an altogether more entertaining system.
"Our game plan worked to perfection in the first 20 minutes," Culina continued confidently after the match. "Our plan was to attack them down the right-hand side in the first 20 minutes where Nene didn't have the pace or the defensive requirements to put up with Brosque.
"We changed Carney and Brosque around for that reason as well - we wanted to confuse them a little bit. But in the end we weren't quite good enough."
Culina, the father of Socceroo midfielder Jason, is certainly tactically astute but he has also inherited the bulk of the 2006 championship-winning squad. There have been a couple of further outgoings following Dwight Yorke's early season move back to the UK, but in essence Sydney's roster - albeit a little thin - has been together for more or less two years.
Of the club's three up-and-comers who will have the caught the eye of neutrals, Culina picked out supplementary striking duo Alex Brosque and David Carney for special mention. The third member of a triumvirate on the fringes of regular Socceroos recognition is midfielder Mark Milligan. National team coach Graham Arnold admitted this week he was planning to look at all three before Australia's scheduled match against Saudi Arabia next Wednesday was scrapped.
Milligan is no stranger to the senior Socceroos after receiving a last-gasp phone call from Guus Hiddink on the eve of last year's World Cup. Having now dropped back to captain the under-23s on their qualifying path to Beijing 2008, the unflappable 21-year-old showed in the opening minutes against Urawa he's more than just a midfield enforcer. It was his slide rule through ball which found Carney who finished with aplomb within 60 seconds of kick-off. Milligan too highlighted his versatility by playing at right-back after half-time
Sydney's second goal was concocted by Carney's individual brilliance with a helping hand from Brosque in the build-up. In between time Brosque, who gave Nene the run around before the Brazilian defender was replaced by Japanese international Makato Hasebe just before the interval, might have had one of his own after shooting wide with the hosts well in the ascendancy.
The Sydneysiders tired after the break and despite gifting the Reds an equaliser ended up holding on for a draw. Still, unbeaten and joint-top of arguably the toughest of this year's seven ACL groups, is a fine achievement. As Culina said, "When you consider it is someone who spends $65million on players against someone who spends $6.5million, the result is not too bad."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Butcher learns to relax
Terry Butcher was no wallflower during his 28-year playing, managing and punditry career in Britain but he's quickly accepted needing to tone down his incendiary temper at Sydney FC.
It's true, the legendary laid-back Aussie way of life is even getting to the former England captain, a man best remembered by finishing a 1989 World Cup qualifier swathed in bloodied bandages and putting his foot through a variety of dressing room doors the length and breadth of the country.
Butcher, it seems, has mellowed. The veteran of three World Cup campaigns and 77 national team appearances as well as one of the country's greatest football leaders of the past 20 years has been forced to, he says, after quickly discovering the Sir Alex Ferguson hairdryer school of management just didn’t wash with your modern Australian footballer.
He tried to make his pampered bunch at Sydney come around to the British mentality, naturally. But the methods he used to captain Rangers to three Scottish league titles and to a lesser degree help Motherwell's revival simply failed to have the desired effect, particularly after Butcher replaced soft-talking German perfectionist Pierre Littbarski at the start of the season.
The metamorphosis came about slowly, mind. Earlier this season, for instance, Sydney's usually affable left-back Alvin Ceccoli was suspended for swearing at Butcher after the coach had allegedly provoked him with a four-letter tirade of his own from the sidelines.
The former Ipswich centre-half, a self-acclaimed Norwich hater, also reportedly clashed with ex-Canaries midfielder turned Sydney assistant Ian Crook. The result was Crook was banished from the training ground before accepting a deal to join Littbarski at J-League second-division side Avispa Fukuoka.
But Butcher, who nowadays walks more gingerly than the commanding defender many might remember him, has admitted he's bowed to change and adapted to the Aussie way. "I have mellowed. You have to mellow out here," he told British football journalist Danny Kelly on the Times Online podcast last month. "It's a different culture.
"If you rant and rave and do that sort of thing, it doesn’t wash. Your man management skills have got to be a lot better. You've got to be closer to the players. You can't do those things.
"I tried early on, it didn’t work and I had to change. But you don’t drop your standards, your standards are still the same. But you get your message over in a different, more placid way because it is very laid back out here."
Butcher's adaptability has paid dividends too. From mid-season Sydney embarked on a 12-match sequence where they lost just twice and captured the fourth and final playoff position after earning a 1-1 draw in Brisbane. That came in spite of Butcher's anger at being docked three points by the governing body for financial irregularities relating to player payments last season - before he'd even arrived at the club.
Making matters worse, the press got whiff of Butcher's predicament when it was revealed the second year of his two-season deal was dependant on Sydney making the finals. Without the docked points, the reigning champions would have made them comfortably argued Butcher who reportedly starting seeking legal advice over his position.
But regardless it left Sydney travelling to fellow playoff hopefuls Queensland needing a draw to secure both a berth and Butcher's job despite the coach's protestations otherwise. "It was never about that. It was about getting to the finals," he snapped afterwards. "It was about getting second place. We should already be in second place because of the points taken off us but we're not.
"But I think we're there on merit considering the fact that we have accumulated enough points to be there already. 32 points after 21 games is not fantastic but it might have been enough to get second place but for the FFA.
"Despite all the hiccups and hurdles and everything else this season we're in the finals. Now we're there we aim to make an impact. Nobody wants to play Sydney home or away. They know what we can do."
Butcher's side now play state rivals the Newcastle Jets over two-legs to decide who will reach in the preliminary final and meet the loser of the other semi-final between Melbourne and Adelaide. With table-toppers Melbourne heading into the finals series in arguably the worst form of the lot, the experience of Butcher might well prove the difference.
"It's very similar to my experiences in World Cups and playing in big tournaments where you have a certain date when you can get knocked out," he said. "We reached that today but the departure date for us being knocked out has changed.
"You move forward to the next departure date. The last one is when we get to the grand final and hopefully win it."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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It's true, the legendary laid-back Aussie way of life is even getting to the former England captain, a man best remembered by finishing a 1989 World Cup qualifier swathed in bloodied bandages and putting his foot through a variety of dressing room doors the length and breadth of the country.
Butcher, it seems, has mellowed. The veteran of three World Cup campaigns and 77 national team appearances as well as one of the country's greatest football leaders of the past 20 years has been forced to, he says, after quickly discovering the Sir Alex Ferguson hairdryer school of management just didn’t wash with your modern Australian footballer.
He tried to make his pampered bunch at Sydney come around to the British mentality, naturally. But the methods he used to captain Rangers to three Scottish league titles and to a lesser degree help Motherwell's revival simply failed to have the desired effect, particularly after Butcher replaced soft-talking German perfectionist Pierre Littbarski at the start of the season.
The metamorphosis came about slowly, mind. Earlier this season, for instance, Sydney's usually affable left-back Alvin Ceccoli was suspended for swearing at Butcher after the coach had allegedly provoked him with a four-letter tirade of his own from the sidelines.
The former Ipswich centre-half, a self-acclaimed Norwich hater, also reportedly clashed with ex-Canaries midfielder turned Sydney assistant Ian Crook. The result was Crook was banished from the training ground before accepting a deal to join Littbarski at J-League second-division side Avispa Fukuoka.
But Butcher, who nowadays walks more gingerly than the commanding defender many might remember him, has admitted he's bowed to change and adapted to the Aussie way. "I have mellowed. You have to mellow out here," he told British football journalist Danny Kelly on the Times Online podcast last month. "It's a different culture.
"If you rant and rave and do that sort of thing, it doesn’t wash. Your man management skills have got to be a lot better. You've got to be closer to the players. You can't do those things.
"I tried early on, it didn’t work and I had to change. But you don’t drop your standards, your standards are still the same. But you get your message over in a different, more placid way because it is very laid back out here."
Butcher's adaptability has paid dividends too. From mid-season Sydney embarked on a 12-match sequence where they lost just twice and captured the fourth and final playoff position after earning a 1-1 draw in Brisbane. That came in spite of Butcher's anger at being docked three points by the governing body for financial irregularities relating to player payments last season - before he'd even arrived at the club.
Making matters worse, the press got whiff of Butcher's predicament when it was revealed the second year of his two-season deal was dependant on Sydney making the finals. Without the docked points, the reigning champions would have made them comfortably argued Butcher who reportedly starting seeking legal advice over his position.
But regardless it left Sydney travelling to fellow playoff hopefuls Queensland needing a draw to secure both a berth and Butcher's job despite the coach's protestations otherwise. "It was never about that. It was about getting to the finals," he snapped afterwards. "It was about getting second place. We should already be in second place because of the points taken off us but we're not.
"But I think we're there on merit considering the fact that we have accumulated enough points to be there already. 32 points after 21 games is not fantastic but it might have been enough to get second place but for the FFA.
"Despite all the hiccups and hurdles and everything else this season we're in the finals. Now we're there we aim to make an impact. Nobody wants to play Sydney home or away. They know what we can do."
Butcher's side now play state rivals the Newcastle Jets over two-legs to decide who will reach in the preliminary final and meet the loser of the other semi-final between Melbourne and Adelaide. With table-toppers Melbourne heading into the finals series in arguably the worst form of the lot, the experience of Butcher might well prove the difference.
"It's very similar to my experiences in World Cups and playing in big tournaments where you have a certain date when you can get knocked out," he said. "We reached that today but the departure date for us being knocked out has changed.
"You move forward to the next departure date. The last one is when we get to the grand final and hopefully win it."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Wednesday, December 20, 2006
A-League Christmas Wrap
As the players take a deserved Christmas break, Soccerphile unpicks the happenings in Australia's A-League with four rounds of the regular season remaining.
The new premiers
All the Christmas cheer should be heaped on Ernie Merrick's Melbourne Victory who clinched their inaugural premiership just before the eight A-League clubs headed into the mid-season break. Melbourne's charge towards banishing the memory of last season's seventh-placed has been relentless. They have continued to top the charts in, well, every measure, even breaking Adelaide's season-old record of winning the title in just 17 rounds. Merrick's only dilemma ahead of the finals series is whether to rest a squad who started pre-season back in April ahead February's grand final.
The second-place aspirants
Sydney FC's Terry Butcher has his critics in Australia (with one vehement detractor former Socceroo Craig Foster's dislike of the Englishman's coaching philosophy bordering on the obsessive) but of late he's been getting the desired effects. An eight-match unbeaten run has seen the reigning champions leapfrog Adelaide and Queensland into second with a crucial victory with 10-men over Perth retaining a two-point gap to Adelaide in third. There's little doubt Sydney are less pleasing on eye than under German Pierre Littbarski last season. But Butcher is steadily doing the job he was brought from Scottish football to do and with all his players now available should be able to match the might of the league leaders.
If Adelaide United end up with little reward from their season's endeavours, it will be a harsh outcome. Through November and December they were caught between a rock and a hard place like so many newcomers in top-flight surrounds. Do you build or consolidate? Is off-field success a necessary evil and how much can commercial projects jeopardise results on the pitch? All debate was to do with signing Brazilian legend Romario who had agreed to guest in the A-League as he chases down 1000 career goals. As it turned out, the former premiers won just once during Romario's four appearances as Mr 986 became Mr 987 and Adelaide slipped from second to third. The former World Cup winner's team-mates never quite looked on the same wavelength as the little maestro and some of coach John Kosmina's team selections were clearly compromised as result of simply needing to field him. Some are saying Adelaide are more dangerous bizarrely now one of the game's greatest-ever goalscorers has left.
The playoffs chasers
The league's key battle until the end of the season is likely to be between the Central Coast Mariners, Newcastle Jets and Queensland Roar. New South Wales neighbours the Mariners and the Jets meet in two weeks time but that aside the three pursue entirely different run-ins. They are all evenly-matched with Newcastle recently winning 3-0 in Queensland but the Roar hitting back with a 3-2 win on the Central Coast.
In terms of the season, Queensland and Newcastle are heading in different directions. With one-third of the campaign completed, the Roar were second and the Jets bottom but just one point separates the pair now with both having changed coaches this year. Gary van Egmond has inspired the Jets by instilling a rigid structure and letting maverick playmaker Nick Carle - a player constantly overlooked by the national team - roam free. Meanwhile, former Socceroos boss Frank Farina has enjoyed less initial success back in his home state after over a year out of the game. The calculating Farina, though, was an excellent choice and is already starting to apply his stamp on the side.
The dearly departed
The only consolation for Perth Glory coach Ron Smith is that the New Zealand Knights were even more ordinary this year. Smith's side approached the season as badly prepared as the English cricketers heading into the Ashes, not helped by Smith's appointment on the even of the competition's start. Both sides have suffered injuries to key players with former Socceroos flyer Stan Lazaridis virtually disappearing from view after a series of ineffective displays sandwiched between stints on the sidelines. Stan, though, will be so much better with a full pre-season under his belt.
New Zealand's very existence, as has been reported on Soccerphile over the past week, is under threat. Like Perth, they too are now under FFA control, one of the worrying traits of a league so often viewed with optimism. Terrible crowd figures, uninspiring football and a generally argumentative attitude towards recruitment have seen them fall foul of the game's governing body.
Three wins in 38 games over 18 months hasn’t helped but, needing to prove Australian doubters that a Kiwi team can survive with their neighbours, their approach has won few friends on either side of the Tasman Sea. Those in charge of the game truly want to find the Knights a generous investor and rebuild. But the club need to recognise the way to flourish is by tapping into the very fact that alienates them from the rest of the league. They could do a lot worse than becoming the All Whites reserve side.
Soccerphile predictions
So, here goes …
Champions: Adelaide United
Runners-up: Melbourne Victory
Semi-finalists: Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC
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The new premiers
All the Christmas cheer should be heaped on Ernie Merrick's Melbourne Victory who clinched their inaugural premiership just before the eight A-League clubs headed into the mid-season break. Melbourne's charge towards banishing the memory of last season's seventh-placed has been relentless. They have continued to top the charts in, well, every measure, even breaking Adelaide's season-old record of winning the title in just 17 rounds. Merrick's only dilemma ahead of the finals series is whether to rest a squad who started pre-season back in April ahead February's grand final.
The second-place aspirants
Sydney FC's Terry Butcher has his critics in Australia (with one vehement detractor former Socceroo Craig Foster's dislike of the Englishman's coaching philosophy bordering on the obsessive) but of late he's been getting the desired effects. An eight-match unbeaten run has seen the reigning champions leapfrog Adelaide and Queensland into second with a crucial victory with 10-men over Perth retaining a two-point gap to Adelaide in third. There's little doubt Sydney are less pleasing on eye than under German Pierre Littbarski last season. But Butcher is steadily doing the job he was brought from Scottish football to do and with all his players now available should be able to match the might of the league leaders.
If Adelaide United end up with little reward from their season's endeavours, it will be a harsh outcome. Through November and December they were caught between a rock and a hard place like so many newcomers in top-flight surrounds. Do you build or consolidate? Is off-field success a necessary evil and how much can commercial projects jeopardise results on the pitch? All debate was to do with signing Brazilian legend Romario who had agreed to guest in the A-League as he chases down 1000 career goals. As it turned out, the former premiers won just once during Romario's four appearances as Mr 986 became Mr 987 and Adelaide slipped from second to third. The former World Cup winner's team-mates never quite looked on the same wavelength as the little maestro and some of coach John Kosmina's team selections were clearly compromised as result of simply needing to field him. Some are saying Adelaide are more dangerous bizarrely now one of the game's greatest-ever goalscorers has left.
The playoffs chasers
The league's key battle until the end of the season is likely to be between the Central Coast Mariners, Newcastle Jets and Queensland Roar. New South Wales neighbours the Mariners and the Jets meet in two weeks time but that aside the three pursue entirely different run-ins. They are all evenly-matched with Newcastle recently winning 3-0 in Queensland but the Roar hitting back with a 3-2 win on the Central Coast.
In terms of the season, Queensland and Newcastle are heading in different directions. With one-third of the campaign completed, the Roar were second and the Jets bottom but just one point separates the pair now with both having changed coaches this year. Gary van Egmond has inspired the Jets by instilling a rigid structure and letting maverick playmaker Nick Carle - a player constantly overlooked by the national team - roam free. Meanwhile, former Socceroos boss Frank Farina has enjoyed less initial success back in his home state after over a year out of the game. The calculating Farina, though, was an excellent choice and is already starting to apply his stamp on the side.
The dearly departed
The only consolation for Perth Glory coach Ron Smith is that the New Zealand Knights were even more ordinary this year. Smith's side approached the season as badly prepared as the English cricketers heading into the Ashes, not helped by Smith's appointment on the even of the competition's start. Both sides have suffered injuries to key players with former Socceroos flyer Stan Lazaridis virtually disappearing from view after a series of ineffective displays sandwiched between stints on the sidelines. Stan, though, will be so much better with a full pre-season under his belt.
New Zealand's very existence, as has been reported on Soccerphile over the past week, is under threat. Like Perth, they too are now under FFA control, one of the worrying traits of a league so often viewed with optimism. Terrible crowd figures, uninspiring football and a generally argumentative attitude towards recruitment have seen them fall foul of the game's governing body.
Three wins in 38 games over 18 months hasn’t helped but, needing to prove Australian doubters that a Kiwi team can survive with their neighbours, their approach has won few friends on either side of the Tasman Sea. Those in charge of the game truly want to find the Knights a generous investor and rebuild. But the club need to recognise the way to flourish is by tapping into the very fact that alienates them from the rest of the league. They could do a lot worse than becoming the All Whites reserve side.
Soccerphile predictions
So, here goes …
Champions: Adelaide United
Runners-up: Melbourne Victory
Semi-finalists: Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC
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Friday, August 11, 2006
A-League 2006-07 Season Preview Part 1
Can the bottom four from season one make the required leap into the playoff series this season? Marc Fox reports.
New Zealand Knights
After a whirlwind close season, just six players from John Adshead's first-year recruitment drive remain at the side which finished a hefty 20 points adrift at the foot of the table. And rightly so. New coach Paul Nevin - Adshead's former assistant after arriving fresh from coaching Fulham's reserves in England - has blown the cobwebs from an underachieving group with a whopping 14 new signings.
Nevin has endured the wrath of Football Federation Australia and Knights supporters alike for his insistence on improving the calibre of squad with or without New Zealand players. Only three of his acquisitions are Kiwis and he's even spoiled that piece of public relations by releasing three other New Zealanders - including player of the year 18-year-old Jeremy Brockie - from the season one squad.
But there's little doubt the club is in better shape because of it. The traditional pre-season tournament has seen the Knights string together their longest unbeaten run since the team's inception. And by common consensus they won't be the easy beats of last year. Nevin has bought in players with real character and a sense of team ownership - both elements sadly lacking in the inaugural season.
He has also immediately instilled a rigid playing system with an impressive central pairing of former internationals Richard Johnson and Scottish playmaker Scot Gemmill.
Last season: 8th
Major arrivals: Matt Carbon (Barnsley, England), Scot Gemmill (Oxford United, England), Richard Johnson (Newcastle Jets), Dani Rodrigues (Yeovil Town, England)
Major departures: Jeremy Brockie (Sydney FC), Jeremy Christie (Perth Glory)
Key man: Dani Rodrigues
One to watch: Malik Buari
Coach: Paul Nevin (first season)
Melbourne Victory
From top of the A-League in October to second bottom come round 21, Melbourne's debut season left supporters shaking their heads in disappointment. The Victory finished meekly after promising so much earlier in the campaign - the 5-0 rout of eventual champions Sydney FC when World Cup striker Archie Thompson scored twice - a classic example.
During crunch time, the depth of coach Ernie Merrick's squad was sorely tested. Thompson departed for a six-month loan spell at PSV and talismanic captain Kevin Muscat - recently recalled to the Socceroo setup - missed three crucial matches through suspension. Their replacements just never quite cut it.
But the upcoming campaign promises much more. The returning Thompson, the rejuvenated Danny Allsopp and respected Scottish midfielder Grant Brebner should provide a step up in class. An uncertain element has also been added to the Melbourne mix through Merrick's recruitment of three Brazilians: forwards Fred and Claudinho and left-sided Roberto Carlos-esque Alessandro, perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Merrick has also learnt from previous mistakes. His was the first fully-assembled squad this time after struggling through undermanned last term. Moreover, pre-season training started in earnest back in April with former Olympic sprinter Adam Basil - now turned Melbourne's strength and conditioning coach - putting the players through their paces. This in turn has delivered a fully fit and raring Muscat, something the combative defender himself admitted fans never witnessed last season.
Last season: 7th
Major arrivals: Fred, Claudinho & Alessandro (all Brazil), Grant Brebner (Dundee United, Scotland), Adrian Caceres (Perth Glory)
Major departures: Richard Kitzbichler (Salzburg, Austria)
Key man: Kevin Muscat
One to watch: Alessandro
Coach: Ernie Merrick (second season)
Queensland Roar
Even though Queensland rhetoric tells you the club were just a solitary victory from making the playoffs, the Roar's failure to win around Christmas cost them a chance of breaking into the top four. They languished outside the top half for two-thirds of the season and it was only three late season wins which propped up their points tally towards the end.
In summary, last year Queensland were defensively sound but profligate in front of goal. No surprises then that three of the team's major arrivals are international calibre strikers, and that of season one's quintet of forwards, none remain (although Socceroo Alex Brosque was nabbed by hometown club Sydney FC in acrimonious circumstances).
Coach Miron Bleiberg should have a lot of fun trying to prise ex-China striker Yuning Zhang, Scotland under-21 representative Simon Lynch and local hotshot Ante Milicic into his side despite his penchant for playing three up front. The Roar's supply line to the strikers has also been bolstered with Germany's Marcus Wedau arriving from VfL Osnabruck, a direct replacement for Korean Shin Tae-Yong who was forced into early retirement last term.
Bleiberg has wheeled and dealed his way to a vastly superior playing staff on paper but concerns still linger as to the coach's tactical proficiency and the side's ability to gel in readiness for the new season.
Last season: 6th
Major arrivals: Yuning Zhang (Shanghai Shenhau, China), Simon Lynch (Dundee, Scotland), Marcus Wedau (VfL Osnabruck, Germany), Ante Milicic (Newcastle Jets)
Major departures: Alex Brosque (Sydney FC), Jonti Richter (New Zealand Knights), Scott Higgins (Falkirk, Scotland), David Williams (Brondby, Denmark)
Key man: Hyuk-Su Seo
One to watch: Spase Dilevski
Coach: Miron Bleiberg (second season)
Perth Glory
Ownerless Perth have endured a torrid pre-season. With the FFA taking over the reigns from previous chairman Nick Tana, who relinquished the licence on April 1, progress over the club's new head coach ground to a halt. Then earlier this month, Ron Smith, the former technical director of Australia's national teams, accepted the position with ex-Socceroo David Mitchell his assistant.
Smith has very quickly added the remaining pieces to the Glory jigsaw although followers are concerned by the lack of star names. A haphazard recruitment process, reminiscent of Steve McMahon's ultimately fruitless drive a year ago, has seen really only the arrival of Stan Lazaridis wet supporters' whistles. Lazaridis, an unused squad member at the World Cup, picked Perth over premiers Adelaide - basically choosing his hometown over his wife's.
Considering Perth's suspect forward line, which truly only boasted veteran pair Bobby Despotovski and Stuart Young before Smith's arrival as coach, critics have seized on the decision to strengthen the striking department with two untested youngsters, Luka Glavas and Mimi Saric. Neither player has spent much time in the top-flight.
Lazaridis adds excellent balance to the midfield where he's certain to be deployed on the left flank after spending much of his latter Premiership career at full-back. New Zealander Jeremy Christie is also an exciting prospect while Simon Colosimo has plenty still to prove after returning from Europe.
Last season: 5th
Major arrivals: Stan Lazaridis (Birmingham City, England), Leo Bertos (Worksop Town, England), Jeremy Christie (New Zealand Knights)
Major departures: Nick Ward (QPR, England), Damian Mori (Released)
Key man: Stan Lazaridis
One to watch: Jeremy Christie
Coach: Ron Smith (first season)
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New Zealand Knights
After a whirlwind close season, just six players from John Adshead's first-year recruitment drive remain at the side which finished a hefty 20 points adrift at the foot of the table. And rightly so. New coach Paul Nevin - Adshead's former assistant after arriving fresh from coaching Fulham's reserves in England - has blown the cobwebs from an underachieving group with a whopping 14 new signings.
Nevin has endured the wrath of Football Federation Australia and Knights supporters alike for his insistence on improving the calibre of squad with or without New Zealand players. Only three of his acquisitions are Kiwis and he's even spoiled that piece of public relations by releasing three other New Zealanders - including player of the year 18-year-old Jeremy Brockie - from the season one squad.
But there's little doubt the club is in better shape because of it. The traditional pre-season tournament has seen the Knights string together their longest unbeaten run since the team's inception. And by common consensus they won't be the easy beats of last year. Nevin has bought in players with real character and a sense of team ownership - both elements sadly lacking in the inaugural season.
He has also immediately instilled a rigid playing system with an impressive central pairing of former internationals Richard Johnson and Scottish playmaker Scot Gemmill.
Last season: 8th
Major arrivals: Matt Carbon (Barnsley, England), Scot Gemmill (Oxford United, England), Richard Johnson (Newcastle Jets), Dani Rodrigues (Yeovil Town, England)
Major departures: Jeremy Brockie (Sydney FC), Jeremy Christie (Perth Glory)
Key man: Dani Rodrigues
One to watch: Malik Buari
Coach: Paul Nevin (first season)
Melbourne Victory
From top of the A-League in October to second bottom come round 21, Melbourne's debut season left supporters shaking their heads in disappointment. The Victory finished meekly after promising so much earlier in the campaign - the 5-0 rout of eventual champions Sydney FC when World Cup striker Archie Thompson scored twice - a classic example.
During crunch time, the depth of coach Ernie Merrick's squad was sorely tested. Thompson departed for a six-month loan spell at PSV and talismanic captain Kevin Muscat - recently recalled to the Socceroo setup - missed three crucial matches through suspension. Their replacements just never quite cut it.
But the upcoming campaign promises much more. The returning Thompson, the rejuvenated Danny Allsopp and respected Scottish midfielder Grant Brebner should provide a step up in class. An uncertain element has also been added to the Melbourne mix through Merrick's recruitment of three Brazilians: forwards Fred and Claudinho and left-sided Roberto Carlos-esque Alessandro, perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Merrick has also learnt from previous mistakes. His was the first fully-assembled squad this time after struggling through undermanned last term. Moreover, pre-season training started in earnest back in April with former Olympic sprinter Adam Basil - now turned Melbourne's strength and conditioning coach - putting the players through their paces. This in turn has delivered a fully fit and raring Muscat, something the combative defender himself admitted fans never witnessed last season.
Last season: 7th
Major arrivals: Fred, Claudinho & Alessandro (all Brazil), Grant Brebner (Dundee United, Scotland), Adrian Caceres (Perth Glory)
Major departures: Richard Kitzbichler (Salzburg, Austria)
Key man: Kevin Muscat
One to watch: Alessandro
Coach: Ernie Merrick (second season)
Queensland Roar
Even though Queensland rhetoric tells you the club were just a solitary victory from making the playoffs, the Roar's failure to win around Christmas cost them a chance of breaking into the top four. They languished outside the top half for two-thirds of the season and it was only three late season wins which propped up their points tally towards the end.
In summary, last year Queensland were defensively sound but profligate in front of goal. No surprises then that three of the team's major arrivals are international calibre strikers, and that of season one's quintet of forwards, none remain (although Socceroo Alex Brosque was nabbed by hometown club Sydney FC in acrimonious circumstances).
Coach Miron Bleiberg should have a lot of fun trying to prise ex-China striker Yuning Zhang, Scotland under-21 representative Simon Lynch and local hotshot Ante Milicic into his side despite his penchant for playing three up front. The Roar's supply line to the strikers has also been bolstered with Germany's Marcus Wedau arriving from VfL Osnabruck, a direct replacement for Korean Shin Tae-Yong who was forced into early retirement last term.
Bleiberg has wheeled and dealed his way to a vastly superior playing staff on paper but concerns still linger as to the coach's tactical proficiency and the side's ability to gel in readiness for the new season.
Last season: 6th
Major arrivals: Yuning Zhang (Shanghai Shenhau, China), Simon Lynch (Dundee, Scotland), Marcus Wedau (VfL Osnabruck, Germany), Ante Milicic (Newcastle Jets)
Major departures: Alex Brosque (Sydney FC), Jonti Richter (New Zealand Knights), Scott Higgins (Falkirk, Scotland), David Williams (Brondby, Denmark)
Key man: Hyuk-Su Seo
One to watch: Spase Dilevski
Coach: Miron Bleiberg (second season)
Perth Glory
Ownerless Perth have endured a torrid pre-season. With the FFA taking over the reigns from previous chairman Nick Tana, who relinquished the licence on April 1, progress over the club's new head coach ground to a halt. Then earlier this month, Ron Smith, the former technical director of Australia's national teams, accepted the position with ex-Socceroo David Mitchell his assistant.
Smith has very quickly added the remaining pieces to the Glory jigsaw although followers are concerned by the lack of star names. A haphazard recruitment process, reminiscent of Steve McMahon's ultimately fruitless drive a year ago, has seen really only the arrival of Stan Lazaridis wet supporters' whistles. Lazaridis, an unused squad member at the World Cup, picked Perth over premiers Adelaide - basically choosing his hometown over his wife's.
Considering Perth's suspect forward line, which truly only boasted veteran pair Bobby Despotovski and Stuart Young before Smith's arrival as coach, critics have seized on the decision to strengthen the striking department with two untested youngsters, Luka Glavas and Mimi Saric. Neither player has spent much time in the top-flight.
Lazaridis adds excellent balance to the midfield where he's certain to be deployed on the left flank after spending much of his latter Premiership career at full-back. New Zealander Jeremy Christie is also an exciting prospect while Simon Colosimo has plenty still to prove after returning from Europe.
Last season: 5th
Major arrivals: Stan Lazaridis (Birmingham City, England), Leo Bertos (Worksop Town, England), Jeremy Christie (New Zealand Knights)
Major departures: Nick Ward (QPR, England), Damian Mori (Released)
Key man: Stan Lazaridis
One to watch: Jeremy Christie
Coach: Ron Smith (first season)
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Friday, July 14, 2006
In-demand Kennedy ready for Socceroos starting berth
The irony surrounding the eternal logistical problems of representing Australia is not lost on new Socceroos super-sub Josh Kennedy.
Kennedy, one of two uncapped call-ups for the World Cup squad, came from the depths of second-tier German football to stamp his mark on Australia's journey to the knockout phase with a handful of striking displays upfront.
However, now he's reached the stage of nailing down a regular international place, the inevitable club versus country conundrum is ready to rear its ugly head.
Kennedy will receive plenty of sympathy from the likes of superstars Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell, players who between them have amassed just 60 Socceroo caps in part because of the constant headache of international travel.
But resolving the discrepancy of the striker's twin goals is really no closer despite Australia moving into the Asian confederation earlier this year.
And representing your country hardly gets any easier when you become a high profile signing for a top-flight club preparing an assault on a UEFA Cup place this season.
That's exactly the situation Kennedy finds himself in.
Having served his apprenticeship in Germany since age 17, the long-haired hitman penned a three-year contract with ambitious Bundesliga side Nuremberg before the World Cup.
It was an offer too good to resist after patiently building a solid reputation as a goalscorer in the lower leagues with Stuttgart Kickers and latterly Dynamo Dresden after fruitless spells with VfL Wolfsburg and FC Cologne in the top division.
However, now six painstaking years of steady progress have paid off, how can the amiable Kennedy reward his new employer's faith with continuous trips down under to represent his homeland?
"It's definitely a touchy situation," Kennedy admitted to Soccerphile during a two-week break in Australia after the World Cup. "We'll definitely have to weigh up what's the best thing at club level and at the same time keeping my Australian commitments without making either side angry.
"I'll talk to the coach (Hans Meyer) when I get back to Nuremberg and no doubt will be in contact with Australia as well. Hopefully we can balance it pretty well.
"[But] the hardest thing to do is to balance both at the same time and keep everybody happy.
"I've made it clear to the Football Federation that I'd love to play every game. Obviously they know I can't, so it's just a matter of finding that right balance."
But what is the right balance for Kennedy, Nuremberg and Australia's governing body of football?
At club level, his importance to Nuremberg will rocket should Slovakian striker Robert Vittek, who had a fantastic finish to the 2005-06 season, move to pastures new.
While internationally, the expected retirements of Viduka, 31 in October, and 30-year-old John Aloisi add greater pressure.
Indeed, temporary first-team coach Graham Arnold believes up to 12 players from the World Cup squad could announce their retirements and that a whole new group of players will be involved in qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.
Kennedy clearly isn’t part of the departures and at 23 represents the immediate future of the Socceroos forward line along with A-League based strikers Archie Thompson and Alex Brosque, Motherwell's Scott McDonald and Brett Holman who plies his trade at Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam.
But whether he will be involved in Australia's August 16 clash with Kuwait in Sydney remains to be seen.
The Asian Cup qualifier is scheduled on a FIFA-sanctioned matchday but also clashes with a time Europe's top-flight clubs will be reluctant to have their stars journeying long distance.
You have to think that Melbourne's Thompson, who travelled to Germany but played no part, and Sydney FC's Brosque are hot favourites to lead the line in the Socceroos' next outing, but that doesn’t put Kennedy off his long-term aim of spearheading the Aussie attack.
"That's definitely been my goal," Kennedy says. "It is my goal to one day have that starting position.
"But as long as Mark Viduka is there, I can definitely learn a lot of things from him, so I'm in no rush for him to stop playing international football because it makes me a better player as well.
"But hopefully in the future I'll be ready to take over that role."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Kennedy, one of two uncapped call-ups for the World Cup squad, came from the depths of second-tier German football to stamp his mark on Australia's journey to the knockout phase with a handful of striking displays upfront.
However, now he's reached the stage of nailing down a regular international place, the inevitable club versus country conundrum is ready to rear its ugly head.
Kennedy will receive plenty of sympathy from the likes of superstars Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell, players who between them have amassed just 60 Socceroo caps in part because of the constant headache of international travel.
But resolving the discrepancy of the striker's twin goals is really no closer despite Australia moving into the Asian confederation earlier this year.
And representing your country hardly gets any easier when you become a high profile signing for a top-flight club preparing an assault on a UEFA Cup place this season.
That's exactly the situation Kennedy finds himself in.
Having served his apprenticeship in Germany since age 17, the long-haired hitman penned a three-year contract with ambitious Bundesliga side Nuremberg before the World Cup.
It was an offer too good to resist after patiently building a solid reputation as a goalscorer in the lower leagues with Stuttgart Kickers and latterly Dynamo Dresden after fruitless spells with VfL Wolfsburg and FC Cologne in the top division.
However, now six painstaking years of steady progress have paid off, how can the amiable Kennedy reward his new employer's faith with continuous trips down under to represent his homeland?
"It's definitely a touchy situation," Kennedy admitted to Soccerphile during a two-week break in Australia after the World Cup. "We'll definitely have to weigh up what's the best thing at club level and at the same time keeping my Australian commitments without making either side angry.
"I'll talk to the coach (Hans Meyer) when I get back to Nuremberg and no doubt will be in contact with Australia as well. Hopefully we can balance it pretty well.
"[But] the hardest thing to do is to balance both at the same time and keep everybody happy.
"I've made it clear to the Football Federation that I'd love to play every game. Obviously they know I can't, so it's just a matter of finding that right balance."
But what is the right balance for Kennedy, Nuremberg and Australia's governing body of football?
At club level, his importance to Nuremberg will rocket should Slovakian striker Robert Vittek, who had a fantastic finish to the 2005-06 season, move to pastures new.
While internationally, the expected retirements of Viduka, 31 in October, and 30-year-old John Aloisi add greater pressure.
Indeed, temporary first-team coach Graham Arnold believes up to 12 players from the World Cup squad could announce their retirements and that a whole new group of players will be involved in qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.
Kennedy clearly isn’t part of the departures and at 23 represents the immediate future of the Socceroos forward line along with A-League based strikers Archie Thompson and Alex Brosque, Motherwell's Scott McDonald and Brett Holman who plies his trade at Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam.
But whether he will be involved in Australia's August 16 clash with Kuwait in Sydney remains to be seen.
The Asian Cup qualifier is scheduled on a FIFA-sanctioned matchday but also clashes with a time Europe's top-flight clubs will be reluctant to have their stars journeying long distance.
You have to think that Melbourne's Thompson, who travelled to Germany but played no part, and Sydney FC's Brosque are hot favourites to lead the line in the Socceroos' next outing, but that doesn’t put Kennedy off his long-term aim of spearheading the Aussie attack.
"That's definitely been my goal," Kennedy says. "It is my goal to one day have that starting position.
"But as long as Mark Viduka is there, I can definitely learn a lot of things from him, so I'm in no rush for him to stop playing international football because it makes me a better player as well.
"But hopefully in the future I'll be ready to take over that role."
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Monday, June 19, 2006
COMMENT: Reputations count for nothing as Socceroos level out FIFA's playing field
There's a football advert doing the rounds in Australia starring Socceroos Marco Bresciano and John Aloisi.
While the pair train in an empty stadium, they are barracked by a lone voice yelling from the stands.
"How do you think you are going to beat Brazil, Socceroos," the geriatric figure baits. "You haven't even kicked a goal in the World Cup."
"Brazil have kicked 191 goals," the old-timer ridicules with a laugh.
"Here Johnny," Bresciano prompts and from Aloisi's pass, the Parma midfielder thrashes the ball into the stands and knocks the groaning figure out cold.
"History's Against Us," reads the tagline. "Stuff History."
Whether Nike are claiming any credit following last night's display against the reigning world champions will likely be determined by the company's next ad campaign.
But one thing's for certain - reputations count for nothing for Guus Hiddink's men.
The simple truth is Brazil might have lost to 42nd-ranked Australia after Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka wasted glorious chances in the second-half in Munich.
The former Leeds United pair will relive their individual moments of promise a hundred times over.
Once again, a World Cup match was decided by mere inches.
While Viduka's second-half lob over goalkeeper Dida landed fractionally over the bar, Robinho's 90th minute strike ricocheted off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's post straight to the feet of grateful striker Fred.
"It was a deserved win," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira maintained after presiding over an anxious second-half performance from the five-times champions. "We imposed both our style of playing, passing the ball around, and also imposed ourselves physically."
Australian central defender Lucas Neill saw it rather differently.
"We’re really frustrated and disappointed," Neill, a player growing in stature with each passing international, said. "But we played very well and I’m really happy to be a part of this Australian team."
Neill's proud Socceroos concocted about as many shots as their lauded rivals in a pulsating encounter but will rue a lack of tactical nous from midfielder-turned-defender Scott Chipperfield four minutes after the break.
The FC Basel man, forced back into defence following injury to Tony Popovic, stood too far off Adriano as the burly left-footer shaped to thread a shot goalbound after a neat set-up from Ronaldo.
The result was too much time for the Inter Milan striker and too little view for Schwarzer - a deadly combination.
The ball rolled through Chipperfield's vulnerable gait and eluded the stranded Middlesbrough 'keeper for the gamebreaker.
Fred's last-gasp decider only served to flatter the Brazilians, a side talked about in terms of Pele's 1970s superstars pre-tournament but on current form a million miles away.
For the Aussies, they might have fallen narrowly short of South America's football kings but can take satisfaction that a draw with Croatia on Friday should be enough for a knockout spot.
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While the pair train in an empty stadium, they are barracked by a lone voice yelling from the stands.
"How do you think you are going to beat Brazil, Socceroos," the geriatric figure baits. "You haven't even kicked a goal in the World Cup."
"Brazil have kicked 191 goals," the old-timer ridicules with a laugh.
"Here Johnny," Bresciano prompts and from Aloisi's pass, the Parma midfielder thrashes the ball into the stands and knocks the groaning figure out cold.
"History's Against Us," reads the tagline. "Stuff History."
Whether Nike are claiming any credit following last night's display against the reigning world champions will likely be determined by the company's next ad campaign.
But one thing's for certain - reputations count for nothing for Guus Hiddink's men.
The simple truth is Brazil might have lost to 42nd-ranked Australia after Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka wasted glorious chances in the second-half in Munich.
The former Leeds United pair will relive their individual moments of promise a hundred times over.
Once again, a World Cup match was decided by mere inches.
While Viduka's second-half lob over goalkeeper Dida landed fractionally over the bar, Robinho's 90th minute strike ricocheted off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's post straight to the feet of grateful striker Fred.
"It was a deserved win," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira maintained after presiding over an anxious second-half performance from the five-times champions. "We imposed both our style of playing, passing the ball around, and also imposed ourselves physically."
Australian central defender Lucas Neill saw it rather differently.
"We’re really frustrated and disappointed," Neill, a player growing in stature with each passing international, said. "But we played very well and I’m really happy to be a part of this Australian team."
Neill's proud Socceroos concocted about as many shots as their lauded rivals in a pulsating encounter but will rue a lack of tactical nous from midfielder-turned-defender Scott Chipperfield four minutes after the break.
The FC Basel man, forced back into defence following injury to Tony Popovic, stood too far off Adriano as the burly left-footer shaped to thread a shot goalbound after a neat set-up from Ronaldo.
The result was too much time for the Inter Milan striker and too little view for Schwarzer - a deadly combination.
The ball rolled through Chipperfield's vulnerable gait and eluded the stranded Middlesbrough 'keeper for the gamebreaker.
Fred's last-gasp decider only served to flatter the Brazilians, a side talked about in terms of Pele's 1970s superstars pre-tournament but on current form a million miles away.
For the Aussies, they might have fallen narrowly short of South America's football kings but can take satisfaction that a draw with Croatia on Friday should be enough for a knockout spot.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
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Friday, May 12, 2006
Few Surprises As Hiddink Names His 23
Defenders Ljubo Milicevic and Michael Thwaite, flying winger Ahmad Elrich and striker Joel Griffiths were among the casualties as Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink announced his 23-man World Cup squad for Germany.
The trio will certainly be disappointed to miss out the grandest football occasion for 32 years with perhaps Milicevic the most unfortunate after a decent season with Basel in Switzerland. In contrast, Elrich would have been the least surprised when assistant coach Graham Arnold called on the eve of the announcement to tell him he had missed the cut. The Fulham star, 25 later this month, has hardly featured in his maiden Premiership campaign.
“We had to think – Graham Arnold, Johan Neeskens and me - about the two or three positions which were still open until the last date," Hiddink said in a pre-recorded message at the launch at Sydney airport. “It was not a guarantee - which I told the players in Holland when we started preparing before the Uruguay games - that it is a fixed selection. (And) in the end we managed to bring in some young players for the number 20-23 positions.”
The beneficiaries of the coaching staff's policy to look to the future for the peripheral squad places were Hyundai A-League defenders Michael Beauchamp and Mark Milligan as well as the unheralded Dinamo Dresden striker Josh Kennedy, while Basel attacking midfielder Mile Sterjovski was favoured over Elrich for the final midfield position.
Milligan, the uncapped Sydney FC full-back, was called up as an eleventh-hour replacement for veteran Tony Vidmar after routine medical tests following a stint on the sidelines with broken ribs revealed an irregular heart rhythm. The diagnosis was a bitter blow for the third most capped Socceroo behind Alex Tobin (87 caps) and Paul Wade (84). Vidmar deserved his spot at Germany more than most after being involved in four World Cup campaigns.
Beauchamp's call-up had been on the cards despite a lack of action since the A-League grand final in early March. The Central Coast Mariners stopper showed poise at the heart of an inexperienced backline in the Asian Cup qualifying victory in Bahrain, a showing which has subsequently resulted in an offer from Bundesliga outfit Nuremberg. It is a credit to the professionalism of the new domestic set-up that three players who played a significant part of the league (including Archie Thompson) will be on the plane to Germany.
Kennedy, the giant striker who has crept into the thoughts of Arnold over recent months, will be Beauchamp's club-mate at Nuremberg next season. After a prolific season with German second-tier club Dinamo Dresden, the 194cm targetman has accepted a move into the top-flight. His first-ever call-up to the national scene is the icing on the cake after leaving Australia as a 17-year-old. Meanwhile, Sterjovski earned a timely recall after being ignored by Hiddink for the World Cup qualifiers last year.
The only other talking points were the inclusions of injured first-teamers Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill. Both were named and are expected to be fit to face Japan on June 12. The question of who would skipper the Socceroos in their first finals appearance for 32 years will be decided before the warm-up match with Greece on May 25. Mark Viduka is expected to retain the captain's armband despite the return of fit-again ex-skipper Craig Moore.
"I was a little bit frightened when I heard from our medical staff (regarding injured players) the announcement about several players who are playing in England," Hiddink admitted. "But at the eleventh-hour I received some messages to say they were not fully 100 percent but OK, and so I don’t have many concerns at the moment.”
Australian World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan), Ante Covic (Hammarby),
Defenders: Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast Mariners), Stan Lazaridis (free agent), Craig Moore (Newcastle United), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC)
Midfielders: Marco Bresciano (Parma), Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Vince Grella (Parma), Josip Skoko (Stoke City on loan from Wigan Athletic), Mile Sterjovski (Basel), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol City)
Strikers: John Aloisi (Alaves), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), Archie Thompson (PSV Eindhoven on loan from Melbourne Victory), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough), Josh Kennedy (Dinamo Dresden)
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Defenders Ljubo Milicevic and Michael Thwaite, flying winger Ahmad Elrich and striker Joel Griffiths were among the casualties as Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink announced his 23-man World Cup squad for Germany.
The trio will certainly be disappointed to miss out the grandest football occasion for 32 years with perhaps Milicevic the most unfortunate after a decent season with Basel in Switzerland. In contrast, Elrich would have been the least surprised when assistant coach Graham Arnold called on the eve of the announcement to tell him he had missed the cut. The Fulham star, 25 later this month, has hardly featured in his maiden Premiership campaign.
“We had to think – Graham Arnold, Johan Neeskens and me - about the two or three positions which were still open until the last date," Hiddink said in a pre-recorded message at the launch at Sydney airport. “It was not a guarantee - which I told the players in Holland when we started preparing before the Uruguay games - that it is a fixed selection. (And) in the end we managed to bring in some young players for the number 20-23 positions.”
The beneficiaries of the coaching staff's policy to look to the future for the peripheral squad places were Hyundai A-League defenders Michael Beauchamp and Mark Milligan as well as the unheralded Dinamo Dresden striker Josh Kennedy, while Basel attacking midfielder Mile Sterjovski was favoured over Elrich for the final midfield position.
Milligan, the uncapped Sydney FC full-back, was called up as an eleventh-hour replacement for veteran Tony Vidmar after routine medical tests following a stint on the sidelines with broken ribs revealed an irregular heart rhythm. The diagnosis was a bitter blow for the third most capped Socceroo behind Alex Tobin (87 caps) and Paul Wade (84). Vidmar deserved his spot at Germany more than most after being involved in four World Cup campaigns.
Beauchamp's call-up had been on the cards despite a lack of action since the A-League grand final in early March. The Central Coast Mariners stopper showed poise at the heart of an inexperienced backline in the Asian Cup qualifying victory in Bahrain, a showing which has subsequently resulted in an offer from Bundesliga outfit Nuremberg. It is a credit to the professionalism of the new domestic set-up that three players who played a significant part of the league (including Archie Thompson) will be on the plane to Germany.
Kennedy, the giant striker who has crept into the thoughts of Arnold over recent months, will be Beauchamp's club-mate at Nuremberg next season. After a prolific season with German second-tier club Dinamo Dresden, the 194cm targetman has accepted a move into the top-flight. His first-ever call-up to the national scene is the icing on the cake after leaving Australia as a 17-year-old. Meanwhile, Sterjovski earned a timely recall after being ignored by Hiddink for the World Cup qualifiers last year.
The only other talking points were the inclusions of injured first-teamers Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill. Both were named and are expected to be fit to face Japan on June 12. The question of who would skipper the Socceroos in their first finals appearance for 32 years will be decided before the warm-up match with Greece on May 25. Mark Viduka is expected to retain the captain's armband despite the return of fit-again ex-skipper Craig Moore.
"I was a little bit frightened when I heard from our medical staff (regarding injured players) the announcement about several players who are playing in England," Hiddink admitted. "But at the eleventh-hour I received some messages to say they were not fully 100 percent but OK, and so I don’t have many concerns at the moment.”
Australian World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan), Ante Covic (Hammarby),
Defenders: Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast Mariners), Stan Lazaridis (free agent), Craig Moore (Newcastle United), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC)
Midfielders: Marco Bresciano (Parma), Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Vince Grella (Parma), Josip Skoko (Stoke City on loan from Wigan Athletic), Mile Sterjovski (Basel), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol City)
Strikers: John Aloisi (Alaves), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), Archie Thompson (PSV Eindhoven on loan from Melbourne Victory), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough), Josh Kennedy (Dinamo Dresden)
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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Miracle worker has all eyes on number two
Australian World Cup saviour Guus Hiddink might this week have announced his decision to coach Russia after the finals - but for now his undivided attention turns to working his second miracle with the Socceroos.
Weeks of speculation linking the in-demand Dutch coach with every managerial position vacant or otherwise ended with Hiddink's inking of a two-year contract with the Russian Football Association. He will reportedly receive AUD$3.2 million per annum in a deal rumoured to have been bankrolled by billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich such was his popularity with national team bosses. Unlike the Socceroos, Russia failed to qualify for Germany under coach Yuri Semin and were handed a 7-1 hiding by Portugal during a dismal campaign.
Hiddink has also finished his second stint at the helm of PSV Eindhoven after leading them to the Dutch title for consecutive seasons last Sunday. His championship winners signed off in style with a 6-2 thrashing of NAC Breda, the coach's 200th victory during eight years with PSV. With the Dutch giants already eliminated from the Champions League, the match signalled the end of Hiddink's domestic reign.
With the new Aussie Rules season cranking up and the National Rugby League already in full swing, Hiddink's departure has gone unnoticed by all but the footballing fraternity down under. It is a harsh indictment on the man supporters are already lauding as the best-ever Socceroo coach after guiding the Aussies to their first World Cup in 32 years.
In some ways, Hiddink's failure to renew his international contract with Football Federation Australia has provoked a typical response. The Dutchman has somewhat adopted the "no worries, mate" mantra himself during his tenure and his departure is seen as merely the inevitable end of a beautiful relationship - no matter that without him the Socceroos will certainly be a poorer set-up. His decision to step in and help on a part-time basis when the team were in the doldrums will always be remembered as a turning point in Australian football.
Hiddink, of course, is making little of his repatriation to Roman's army at this stage. His work with Russia begins with the Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia [a nation he'll know plenty about after their Group F encounter with Australia] on September 6. His work preparing the Socceroos for the greatest test in their history starts now.
His first task will be to utilise the final weeks of the European season to assess his stocks. The major leagues play their final round of matches on May 7 with the 23-man playing squads for Germany to be submitted no later than May 15. Of Hiddink's likely squad members, only AC Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac could still be in action in the Champions League final after this deadline.
He will, no doubt, be pleasantly surprised with what he finds. The form of his key armoury is robust with Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Everton's player of the month for March Tim Cahill all weighing in with goals of late. Former captain Craig Moore is starting to put his injury nightmare behind him at Newcastle United and remains firmly in Hiddink's thoughts for the opener against Japan. Meanwhile, influential midfielder Josip Skoko - who captained the Socceroos in February's Asian Cup qualification win in Bahrain - is blossoming in a loan spell at Stoke City.
The coach's major dilemma remains the balance of his defence. Stalwarts Tonys Vidmar and Popovic continue to struggle with injuries or a lack of match practice. Depending on which way you look at it, it might have been a positive factor that Vidmar's rib injury meant he didn't feature in the NAC side which capitulated against PSV last weekend. He and Popovic are being pushed hard by Moore, recently appointed FC Thun captain Ljubo Milicevic and even A-League high-flyer Michael Beauchamp for a starting spot.
After submitting his final 23, Hiddink then looks forward to his first match in charge of the Socceroos since that famous night against Uruguay last November. He leads the side against reigning European champions Greece at the 90,000-capacity rebuilt MCG in front of an expected capacity crowd on May 25. The squad then head to Holland for a pre-finals training camp - including a friendly against Marco van Basten's side on June 4 - before heading to their base in Ohringen in Southern Germany.
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Weeks of speculation linking the in-demand Dutch coach with every managerial position vacant or otherwise ended with Hiddink's inking of a two-year contract with the Russian Football Association. He will reportedly receive AUD$3.2 million per annum in a deal rumoured to have been bankrolled by billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich such was his popularity with national team bosses. Unlike the Socceroos, Russia failed to qualify for Germany under coach Yuri Semin and were handed a 7-1 hiding by Portugal during a dismal campaign.
Hiddink has also finished his second stint at the helm of PSV Eindhoven after leading them to the Dutch title for consecutive seasons last Sunday. His championship winners signed off in style with a 6-2 thrashing of NAC Breda, the coach's 200th victory during eight years with PSV. With the Dutch giants already eliminated from the Champions League, the match signalled the end of Hiddink's domestic reign.
With the new Aussie Rules season cranking up and the National Rugby League already in full swing, Hiddink's departure has gone unnoticed by all but the footballing fraternity down under. It is a harsh indictment on the man supporters are already lauding as the best-ever Socceroo coach after guiding the Aussies to their first World Cup in 32 years.
In some ways, Hiddink's failure to renew his international contract with Football Federation Australia has provoked a typical response. The Dutchman has somewhat adopted the "no worries, mate" mantra himself during his tenure and his departure is seen as merely the inevitable end of a beautiful relationship - no matter that without him the Socceroos will certainly be a poorer set-up. His decision to step in and help on a part-time basis when the team were in the doldrums will always be remembered as a turning point in Australian football.
Hiddink, of course, is making little of his repatriation to Roman's army at this stage. His work with Russia begins with the Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia [a nation he'll know plenty about after their Group F encounter with Australia] on September 6. His work preparing the Socceroos for the greatest test in their history starts now.
His first task will be to utilise the final weeks of the European season to assess his stocks. The major leagues play their final round of matches on May 7 with the 23-man playing squads for Germany to be submitted no later than May 15. Of Hiddink's likely squad members, only AC Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac could still be in action in the Champions League final after this deadline.
He will, no doubt, be pleasantly surprised with what he finds. The form of his key armoury is robust with Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Everton's player of the month for March Tim Cahill all weighing in with goals of late. Former captain Craig Moore is starting to put his injury nightmare behind him at Newcastle United and remains firmly in Hiddink's thoughts for the opener against Japan. Meanwhile, influential midfielder Josip Skoko - who captained the Socceroos in February's Asian Cup qualification win in Bahrain - is blossoming in a loan spell at Stoke City.
The coach's major dilemma remains the balance of his defence. Stalwarts Tonys Vidmar and Popovic continue to struggle with injuries or a lack of match practice. Depending on which way you look at it, it might have been a positive factor that Vidmar's rib injury meant he didn't feature in the NAC side which capitulated against PSV last weekend. He and Popovic are being pushed hard by Moore, recently appointed FC Thun captain Ljubo Milicevic and even A-League high-flyer Michael Beauchamp for a starting spot.
After submitting his final 23, Hiddink then looks forward to his first match in charge of the Socceroos since that famous night against Uruguay last November. He leads the side against reigning European champions Greece at the 90,000-capacity rebuilt MCG in front of an expected capacity crowd on May 25. The squad then head to Holland for a pre-finals training camp - including a friendly against Marco van Basten's side on June 4 - before heading to their base in Ohringen in Southern Germany.
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Saturday, December 17, 2005
Socceroos Undeterred by Samba Kings
Optimism must be running at an all time high for Australian football and this from a nation hardly short on sporting self-belief, writes Marc Fox.
Not even being grouped alongside Brazil, Japan and Croatia for next year's World Cup finals dampened the spirits of a football community right now riding the crest of a wave. Having dispatched FIFA-ranked 18th-placed Uruguay over two intriguing ties last month, who are 15th-ranked Japan and lowly 20th-ranked Croatia to stand in the Socceroos' way?
"Japan and Croatia are not among the world's top 10 teams and if we play to our strengths then we have a good chance of going through to the knockout stages," goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer told Melbourne newspaper The Age.
Meanwhile captain Mark Viduka went one further by suggesting a result against five-times world champions Brazil might be within reach.
"We have got to give ourselves a chance," Viduka told the Sydney Morning Herald after the draw. "I think we are a team that's up for a challenge and obviously our aim is to get to the next round.
"They (Brazil) are all world-class players and they have got the history and pedigree behind them, so it's going to be a great challenge for us. But we have played them before in other tournaments and done well."
And who can blame them?
Like the extravagant Leipzig ceremony on December 9, Australia has a Dutch magician of its own. And with super-coach Guus Hiddink steering the ship any trick appears possible. The tactician who has guided successive nations to the semi-finals stage feels certain the Socceroos have the raw materials to be able surprise either or both of Japan or Croatia.
"They taught me in Australia 'no worries mate' and sometimes I think it's too relaxed, but this team does not have many worries," Hiddink said from Leipzig after watching the draw unfold alongside Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. "Brazil is a clear favourite, no doubt about it, and the other three are more or less equal and they will fight for the second position."
Avoiding an opening round clash with Brazil is a distinct advantage in the race of second. The Socceroos will face Japan first up in Kaiserslautern, a side Hiddink knows plenty about from his time in charge of South Korea. Home advantage in 2002 favoured the Japanese in proceeding from the group phase although they have undergone a period of change since under the tutelage of former Brazilian great Zico. Saying that, they lost just once in World Cup qualifying and have a number of players dotted around Europe.
The group-closing encounter with Croatia has thrown up a cauldron of stories regarding Australian-born defectors Joey Didulica, Ante Seric and Joe Simunic. The trio decided against representing Australia in favour of turning out for their motherland. Simunic, in particular, has proved a worthy acquisition and has already racked up 39 Croatian caps since his debut in 2001.
Out of the three group games, the deciding game with the Croats on June 22 will have the most spice. A win will not only erase the bitter memories of a 7-0 thumping in 1998 prior to Croatia finishing third at the France finals but surely guarantee progression to the knockout stage.
Just try finding any Australian football fan who believes that won't happen.
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Not even being grouped alongside Brazil, Japan and Croatia for next year's World Cup finals dampened the spirits of a football community right now riding the crest of a wave. Having dispatched FIFA-ranked 18th-placed Uruguay over two intriguing ties last month, who are 15th-ranked Japan and lowly 20th-ranked Croatia to stand in the Socceroos' way?
"Japan and Croatia are not among the world's top 10 teams and if we play to our strengths then we have a good chance of going through to the knockout stages," goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer told Melbourne newspaper The Age.
Meanwhile captain Mark Viduka went one further by suggesting a result against five-times world champions Brazil might be within reach.
"We have got to give ourselves a chance," Viduka told the Sydney Morning Herald after the draw. "I think we are a team that's up for a challenge and obviously our aim is to get to the next round.
"They (Brazil) are all world-class players and they have got the history and pedigree behind them, so it's going to be a great challenge for us. But we have played them before in other tournaments and done well."
And who can blame them?
Like the extravagant Leipzig ceremony on December 9, Australia has a Dutch magician of its own. And with super-coach Guus Hiddink steering the ship any trick appears possible. The tactician who has guided successive nations to the semi-finals stage feels certain the Socceroos have the raw materials to be able surprise either or both of Japan or Croatia.
"They taught me in Australia 'no worries mate' and sometimes I think it's too relaxed, but this team does not have many worries," Hiddink said from Leipzig after watching the draw unfold alongside Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. "Brazil is a clear favourite, no doubt about it, and the other three are more or less equal and they will fight for the second position."
Avoiding an opening round clash with Brazil is a distinct advantage in the race of second. The Socceroos will face Japan first up in Kaiserslautern, a side Hiddink knows plenty about from his time in charge of South Korea. Home advantage in 2002 favoured the Japanese in proceeding from the group phase although they have undergone a period of change since under the tutelage of former Brazilian great Zico. Saying that, they lost just once in World Cup qualifying and have a number of players dotted around Europe.
The group-closing encounter with Croatia has thrown up a cauldron of stories regarding Australian-born defectors Joey Didulica, Ante Seric and Joe Simunic. The trio decided against representing Australia in favour of turning out for their motherland. Simunic, in particular, has proved a worthy acquisition and has already racked up 39 Croatian caps since his debut in 2001.
Out of the three group games, the deciding game with the Croats on June 22 will have the most spice. A win will not only erase the bitter memories of a 7-0 thumping in 1998 prior to Croatia finishing third at the France finals but surely guarantee progression to the knockout stage.
Just try finding any Australian football fan who believes that won't happen.
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Monday, November 21, 2005
Welcome To Our World
The Socceroos will participate at next year's World Cup finals for the first time in eight attempts. And what's more they thoroughly deserve to. Marc Fox reports.
Football Federation Australia will be feeling rightly proud of themselves this week after witnessing Australia's greatest international triumph since Jimmy Mackay volleyed home a spectacular winner to ensure the Socceroos' progression to Germany 1974. 32 years on, the similarities between the current crop of internationals and Mackay's are eerie.
Back in '73, Australia drew the home-and-away playoff series against South Korea before squeezing home in the deciding third fixture in neutral Hong Kong. The latest group to attempt what coach Guus Hiddink described as "making the impossible possible" four short months ago advanced in similar circumstances. Scores level on aggregate after 180, then 210 minutes, before penalties decided the outcome. The destination for its second-ever finals appearance: Germany.
Despite entering next year's showpiece tournament as the second lowest rankest nation after Angola, with Hiddink at the helm today's Australia will have the conviction to improve on the solitary point its predecessors managed in '74. Back then, the Socceroos were mocked on their arrival in Europe having been cruelly drawn alongside East and West Germany as well as Chile in Group 1. How times change. If, as expected, the side is handed the unenviable label of bottom seeds when the World Cup draw is made on December 9, plenty will be keen to avoid the competitive Antipodeans.
For football officials in Australia, qualifying for Germany 2006 is the icing on an already delicious cake. After decades of disillusionment, what a way to bid farewell to its love-hate relationship with the Oceania confederation. To all intents and purposes, the Socceroos are now Asian. They leave the derisory half-place FIFA deems Oceania deserves to nestle in with the AFC and its four-and-a-half World Cup berths. After watching Australia outclass Uruguay over two legs while Bahrain stumbled to little Trinidad and Tobago, heaven knows what fellow AFC nations are thinking.
Australia dismissed Uruguay's claims of a divine right to be in the World Cup with a gutsy - and tactically astute - second leg display in Sydney's throbbing Telstra Stadium. Having negotiated a nervy opening - when an away goal would surely have ended the tie as a contest - Hiddink's side pressed and harried their weary opponents. Harry Kewell's introduction after a half-hour only served to increase the tempo. It was Kewell's sliced attempt following neat build-up play involving fellow Premier League stars Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill which lead to the opener. Parma's Marco Bresciano pounced on the misdirected shot to slam home his seventh international goal past Uruguayan 'keeper Fabian Carini.
The fact that neither Cahill nor Bresciano started in Montevideo highlights Australia's strength in depth. That is not to say Hiddink opted to bolster his defence for the away leg. The Dutch coach sprang a surprise by including Kewell from the start despite managing only a handful of appearances for Liverpool since his groin surgery in the summer. The A-League's Archie Thompson was also handed a start alongside Viduka upfront.
Again it is testament to the Socceroos' progress under the leadership of Hiddink that he was dissatisfied by a narrow 1-0 reverse. Despite Uruguay's scoring potential through Richard Morales, Marcelo Zayaleta and Alvaro Recoba, the hosts were restricted to a series of half-chances by Australia. Their goal came from Dario Rodriguez eight minutes before the break. Scott Chipperfield barged Carlos Diogo in full view of the assistant referee and Rodriguez headed home Recoba's whipped free-kick.
After Bresciano's aggregate leveller in the second leg, only one side showed the desire to win the game in regulation time. How no further goals were scored in the ensuing 85 minutes nobody could say but the lottery of a penalty shootout was called on to separate the sides. Mark Schwarzer saved from Rodriguez and Zayaleta with Viduka's miss for the Socceroos sandwiched between. Needing just one more conversion - following Kewell, Lucas Neill and Tony Vidmar's successes - John Aloisi completed the job. They say fortune favours the brave and for the first time in a generation of doomed attempts, lady luck shone on the Socceroos. They deserved every bit of it.
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Football Federation Australia will be feeling rightly proud of themselves this week after witnessing Australia's greatest international triumph since Jimmy Mackay volleyed home a spectacular winner to ensure the Socceroos' progression to Germany 1974. 32 years on, the similarities between the current crop of internationals and Mackay's are eerie.
Back in '73, Australia drew the home-and-away playoff series against South Korea before squeezing home in the deciding third fixture in neutral Hong Kong. The latest group to attempt what coach Guus Hiddink described as "making the impossible possible" four short months ago advanced in similar circumstances. Scores level on aggregate after 180, then 210 minutes, before penalties decided the outcome. The destination for its second-ever finals appearance: Germany.
Despite entering next year's showpiece tournament as the second lowest rankest nation after Angola, with Hiddink at the helm today's Australia will have the conviction to improve on the solitary point its predecessors managed in '74. Back then, the Socceroos were mocked on their arrival in Europe having been cruelly drawn alongside East and West Germany as well as Chile in Group 1. How times change. If, as expected, the side is handed the unenviable label of bottom seeds when the World Cup draw is made on December 9, plenty will be keen to avoid the competitive Antipodeans.
For football officials in Australia, qualifying for Germany 2006 is the icing on an already delicious cake. After decades of disillusionment, what a way to bid farewell to its love-hate relationship with the Oceania confederation. To all intents and purposes, the Socceroos are now Asian. They leave the derisory half-place FIFA deems Oceania deserves to nestle in with the AFC and its four-and-a-half World Cup berths. After watching Australia outclass Uruguay over two legs while Bahrain stumbled to little Trinidad and Tobago, heaven knows what fellow AFC nations are thinking.
Australia dismissed Uruguay's claims of a divine right to be in the World Cup with a gutsy - and tactically astute - second leg display in Sydney's throbbing Telstra Stadium. Having negotiated a nervy opening - when an away goal would surely have ended the tie as a contest - Hiddink's side pressed and harried their weary opponents. Harry Kewell's introduction after a half-hour only served to increase the tempo. It was Kewell's sliced attempt following neat build-up play involving fellow Premier League stars Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill which lead to the opener. Parma's Marco Bresciano pounced on the misdirected shot to slam home his seventh international goal past Uruguayan 'keeper Fabian Carini.
The fact that neither Cahill nor Bresciano started in Montevideo highlights Australia's strength in depth. That is not to say Hiddink opted to bolster his defence for the away leg. The Dutch coach sprang a surprise by including Kewell from the start despite managing only a handful of appearances for Liverpool since his groin surgery in the summer. The A-League's Archie Thompson was also handed a start alongside Viduka upfront.
Again it is testament to the Socceroos' progress under the leadership of Hiddink that he was dissatisfied by a narrow 1-0 reverse. Despite Uruguay's scoring potential through Richard Morales, Marcelo Zayaleta and Alvaro Recoba, the hosts were restricted to a series of half-chances by Australia. Their goal came from Dario Rodriguez eight minutes before the break. Scott Chipperfield barged Carlos Diogo in full view of the assistant referee and Rodriguez headed home Recoba's whipped free-kick.
After Bresciano's aggregate leveller in the second leg, only one side showed the desire to win the game in regulation time. How no further goals were scored in the ensuing 85 minutes nobody could say but the lottery of a penalty shootout was called on to separate the sides. Mark Schwarzer saved from Rodriguez and Zayaleta with Viduka's miss for the Socceroos sandwiched between. Needing just one more conversion - following Kewell, Lucas Neill and Tony Vidmar's successes - John Aloisi completed the job. They say fortune favours the brave and for the first time in a generation of doomed attempts, lady luck shone on the Socceroos. They deserved every bit of it.
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Monday, October 17, 2005
Korean Import Steals The Show
From second choice to first class, Queensland Roar's Korean recruit Seo Hyuk-Su is rapidly rivalling Dwight Yorke for the title of most valuable A-League import. Marc Fox reports.
Earlier this year, when Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg was assembling his first-ever A-League squad ahead of the competition's August start, he invited Korean World Cup veteran Shin Tae-Yong to tropical Australia for a trial. When 35-year old Shin arrived, however, he wasn't alone.
Seongnam Ilhwa team-mate Seo Hyuk-Su had accompanied his senior colleague on the trip and was duly given the chance to impress Bleiberg on the pitch. With seemingly immeasurable stamina and astute positioning, Seo made an instant impact. The Roar snapped him up.
Six months later, clinching the 32-year-old's signature still stands as the best piece of business Queensland carried out during pre-season. Although the least garnered of the five Asian imports in the new league when he arrived, Seo has quickly established himself as the archetypal Most Valuable Player. Not only has the likeable midfielder stepped out of the shadows of Shin at his club, he has become the number one Asian import in the whole league - and is closing in on Dwight Yorke's untouchable status as most heralded overseas recruit.
Even though his playing resume from his days in Korea - seven seasons in the K-League following a lengthy spell in Korea's second tier - might not have suggested so, Seo has dwarfed the achievements of his continental counterparts during the new competition's opening exchanges.
The form of Adelaide United's Chinese marquee signing Qu Shengqing has been interrupted with niggling injuries and is only threatening to take off two months in. Meanwhile Qu's countryman at the New Zealand Knights, Xiaobin Zhang, has been in and out of the side currently languishing at the root of the table and Japan-born players Hiro Ishida (Perth Glory) and Naoki Imaya (NZ Knights) are only now flourishing after injury setbacks.
In contract, Seo has been an A-League ever-present for Bleiberg. In fact, nobody can remember the last time the star nicknamed Harold by his constantly ribbing colleagues didn’t start a match for the Roar.
And his influence is forever growing. Although arriving down under as a self-professed full-back, Seo has been converted into the league's most adept holding midfielder. The position is pivotal in Bleiberg's attack-minded 4-3-3 formation within which the Korean's midfield allies are encouraged to get forward and support the strikers as much as possible. Seo reads the game so well, the coach often relies on him to cover for marauding sweeper Chad Gibson when the captain strides forward.
He is a sweet passer, a tigerish tackler and packs a punch when shooting too. Seo has scored in each of his last two A-League outings, both strikes blockbusters from metres outside the box - one with the left, one with the right. Furthermore, a rare mistake to allow Sydney FC's opening goal in the defeat to the pre-season favourites hasn’t affected his cult hero status with home fans one bit.
After gradually adjusting to Western culture (his favourite foods are lasagne and Domino's pizza), Seo and his family are keen to remain in Australia. So with only six months of his contract remaining, Bleiberg had better act soon.
Road to 2006 Update: It's Uruguay!
After a tense final round of qualifying in the South American section, the game between Uruguay and Argentina - a match possibly as many people were watching in Australia as locally - decided the Socceroos' opponents for next month's World Cup playoff.
Uruguay headed into the ultimate round knowing a victory would assure them of snatching fifth-place and the right to meet Australia in the CONMEBOL / Oceania playoff for the 32nd World Cup berth. A draw would have even been enough had closest rivals Colombia only managed the same result in Paraguay.
However, with the Colombians taking an early lead in Asuncion through striker Luis Rey, tension in Montevideo mounted. Only in the second half did Uruguay look like taking the lead with slick combination play between Diego Forlan and Alvaro Recoba breaking the deadlock. In truth, the Uruguayan margin of victory might have been greater by the final whistle but nevertheless fifth position was theirs.
The fixture might be a repeat of the 2001 playoff which Uruguay won 3-1 on aggregate but the South Americans know there will be no walkover this time. With admired tactician Guus Hiddink at the helm, Australia's preparation will be well researched and schooled in know-how. Hiddink's preferred 3-4-3 system offers better defensive protection than recent regimes while still not isolating hot-and-cold striker Mark Viduka.
Their form is impressive too. The Socceroos overpowered Jamaica in London last weekend in the most cutthroat display commentators had seen for a number of years. Confidence is high here but expectation is too. Next month is shaping up as the biggest in recent memory for Australia's footballing community.
Australian A-League Soccer News
Earlier this year, when Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg was assembling his first-ever A-League squad ahead of the competition's August start, he invited Korean World Cup veteran Shin Tae-Yong to tropical Australia for a trial. When 35-year old Shin arrived, however, he wasn't alone.
Seongnam Ilhwa team-mate Seo Hyuk-Su had accompanied his senior colleague on the trip and was duly given the chance to impress Bleiberg on the pitch. With seemingly immeasurable stamina and astute positioning, Seo made an instant impact. The Roar snapped him up.
Six months later, clinching the 32-year-old's signature still stands as the best piece of business Queensland carried out during pre-season. Although the least garnered of the five Asian imports in the new league when he arrived, Seo has quickly established himself as the archetypal Most Valuable Player. Not only has the likeable midfielder stepped out of the shadows of Shin at his club, he has become the number one Asian import in the whole league - and is closing in on Dwight Yorke's untouchable status as most heralded overseas recruit.
Even though his playing resume from his days in Korea - seven seasons in the K-League following a lengthy spell in Korea's second tier - might not have suggested so, Seo has dwarfed the achievements of his continental counterparts during the new competition's opening exchanges.
The form of Adelaide United's Chinese marquee signing Qu Shengqing has been interrupted with niggling injuries and is only threatening to take off two months in. Meanwhile Qu's countryman at the New Zealand Knights, Xiaobin Zhang, has been in and out of the side currently languishing at the root of the table and Japan-born players Hiro Ishida (Perth Glory) and Naoki Imaya (NZ Knights) are only now flourishing after injury setbacks.
In contract, Seo has been an A-League ever-present for Bleiberg. In fact, nobody can remember the last time the star nicknamed Harold by his constantly ribbing colleagues didn’t start a match for the Roar.
And his influence is forever growing. Although arriving down under as a self-professed full-back, Seo has been converted into the league's most adept holding midfielder. The position is pivotal in Bleiberg's attack-minded 4-3-3 formation within which the Korean's midfield allies are encouraged to get forward and support the strikers as much as possible. Seo reads the game so well, the coach often relies on him to cover for marauding sweeper Chad Gibson when the captain strides forward.
He is a sweet passer, a tigerish tackler and packs a punch when shooting too. Seo has scored in each of his last two A-League outings, both strikes blockbusters from metres outside the box - one with the left, one with the right. Furthermore, a rare mistake to allow Sydney FC's opening goal in the defeat to the pre-season favourites hasn’t affected his cult hero status with home fans one bit.
After gradually adjusting to Western culture (his favourite foods are lasagne and Domino's pizza), Seo and his family are keen to remain in Australia. So with only six months of his contract remaining, Bleiberg had better act soon.
Road to 2006 Update: It's Uruguay!
After a tense final round of qualifying in the South American section, the game between Uruguay and Argentina - a match possibly as many people were watching in Australia as locally - decided the Socceroos' opponents for next month's World Cup playoff.
Uruguay headed into the ultimate round knowing a victory would assure them of snatching fifth-place and the right to meet Australia in the CONMEBOL / Oceania playoff for the 32nd World Cup berth. A draw would have even been enough had closest rivals Colombia only managed the same result in Paraguay.
However, with the Colombians taking an early lead in Asuncion through striker Luis Rey, tension in Montevideo mounted. Only in the second half did Uruguay look like taking the lead with slick combination play between Diego Forlan and Alvaro Recoba breaking the deadlock. In truth, the Uruguayan margin of victory might have been greater by the final whistle but nevertheless fifth position was theirs.
The fixture might be a repeat of the 2001 playoff which Uruguay won 3-1 on aggregate but the South Americans know there will be no walkover this time. With admired tactician Guus Hiddink at the helm, Australia's preparation will be well researched and schooled in know-how. Hiddink's preferred 3-4-3 system offers better defensive protection than recent regimes while still not isolating hot-and-cold striker Mark Viduka.
Their form is impressive too. The Socceroos overpowered Jamaica in London last weekend in the most cutthroat display commentators had seen for a number of years. Confidence is high here but expectation is too. Next month is shaping up as the biggest in recent memory for Australia's footballing community.
Australian A-League Soccer News
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Time To Capture Football Converts
In October, spare a thought for Australia's mainstream sports followers.
Leaving September to them generates the same sensation football fanatics suffer the day after the World Cup final. A feeling of abandonment engulfs them. As winter finally gives way to spring down under, so the campaigns of the traditional codes of AFL and NRL come to a crescendo with their respective grand finals. Then, for four long summer months, football - as they know it - disappears.
Can 2005 be different? With three-quarters of the inaugural A-League season still to play before its own finals series in March, the competition holds a unique opportunity to fill the vacuum left by the bigger codes.
Although rightly scheduled for an August start date to coincide with next year's World Cup, the first six weeks of the new football season were always destined to provide the toughest introduction possible. Not only was the sport coming off an enforced 16-month break but its all-important opening exchanges would have to fight the attention, budget and TV-time of the Aussie rules and rugby league masses.
Having negotiated the storm of September, the fledgling competition can feel satisfied by fans' reaction so far. Crowd figures for the opening month have come through relatively unscathed with half the clubs averaging around the 10,000-mark or greater - the number officials expect to see come the season's end. Indeed, Sydney FC and Queensland Roar are up closer to 20,000 having played two and three home matches respectively.
Importantly, with an average crowd size over 12,000 across the first five rounds, the subsequent few weeks will give a strong indication of whether the FFA can convert footy fans to the world game.
There are signs that potential crossover supporters have given preference to the traditional codes and may patronise the round-ball code with any conflict now past. For instance, the Queensland Roar crowd for the round four clash with Melbourne dropped markedly when the NRL's Brisbane Broncos were live on TV at the same time. In the same way, Melbourne's attendance at its second home match was significantly less than its first while the AFL grand final was playing at the MCG over the same weekend. Round 6 will be the first occasion when home teams are not fighting rival football codes in their own cities.
With any optimism, there are, of course, some concerns. For a start, Football Federation Australia will continue to monitor attendances outside the major centres. The pulling power of the New Zealand Knights (Auckland) and the Central Cost Mariners (Gosford, New South Wales) has been reasonably weak particularly with the Mariners standing second on the ladder.
Questions are also being asked why Adelaide United and Perth Glory - two stalwarts of the old National Soccer League who regularly pulled crowds up to 15,000 - are attracting far less in the new competition. Meanwhile, close scrutiny at the numbers shows that only Queensland has grown its crowds after the big push in the opening round.
For all that, though, it would be petty to criticise the enormous leap made from the former national league to today's competition. The ethnicity issues that blighted the old regime haven't resurfaced and couples and families are enjoying the game more than ever. Moreover, teams have established a strong core of membership support with most being sponsored to one degree or another by organised supporter groups.
An opportunity now presents itself for football's governing body to exploit the current surplus of fans' time and money. To do so, its high-impact marketing campaign needs to kick in again soon rather than later.
Hyundai A-League Round Five Summary
League leaders Adelaide (11 points) have stolen an early three-point gap on their closest rivals Central Coast (8 points). Newcastle, Sydney and Perth have identical records and 7 points. New Zealand prop up the table with a solitary win and four losses (3 points).
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Leaving September to them generates the same sensation football fanatics suffer the day after the World Cup final. A feeling of abandonment engulfs them. As winter finally gives way to spring down under, so the campaigns of the traditional codes of AFL and NRL come to a crescendo with their respective grand finals. Then, for four long summer months, football - as they know it - disappears.
Can 2005 be different? With three-quarters of the inaugural A-League season still to play before its own finals series in March, the competition holds a unique opportunity to fill the vacuum left by the bigger codes.
Although rightly scheduled for an August start date to coincide with next year's World Cup, the first six weeks of the new football season were always destined to provide the toughest introduction possible. Not only was the sport coming off an enforced 16-month break but its all-important opening exchanges would have to fight the attention, budget and TV-time of the Aussie rules and rugby league masses.
Having negotiated the storm of September, the fledgling competition can feel satisfied by fans' reaction so far. Crowd figures for the opening month have come through relatively unscathed with half the clubs averaging around the 10,000-mark or greater - the number officials expect to see come the season's end. Indeed, Sydney FC and Queensland Roar are up closer to 20,000 having played two and three home matches respectively.
Importantly, with an average crowd size over 12,000 across the first five rounds, the subsequent few weeks will give a strong indication of whether the FFA can convert footy fans to the world game.
There are signs that potential crossover supporters have given preference to the traditional codes and may patronise the round-ball code with any conflict now past. For instance, the Queensland Roar crowd for the round four clash with Melbourne dropped markedly when the NRL's Brisbane Broncos were live on TV at the same time. In the same way, Melbourne's attendance at its second home match was significantly less than its first while the AFL grand final was playing at the MCG over the same weekend. Round 6 will be the first occasion when home teams are not fighting rival football codes in their own cities.
With any optimism, there are, of course, some concerns. For a start, Football Federation Australia will continue to monitor attendances outside the major centres. The pulling power of the New Zealand Knights (Auckland) and the Central Cost Mariners (Gosford, New South Wales) has been reasonably weak particularly with the Mariners standing second on the ladder.
Questions are also being asked why Adelaide United and Perth Glory - two stalwarts of the old National Soccer League who regularly pulled crowds up to 15,000 - are attracting far less in the new competition. Meanwhile, close scrutiny at the numbers shows that only Queensland has grown its crowds after the big push in the opening round.
For all that, though, it would be petty to criticise the enormous leap made from the former national league to today's competition. The ethnicity issues that blighted the old regime haven't resurfaced and couples and families are enjoying the game more than ever. Moreover, teams have established a strong core of membership support with most being sponsored to one degree or another by organised supporter groups.
An opportunity now presents itself for football's governing body to exploit the current surplus of fans' time and money. To do so, its high-impact marketing campaign needs to kick in again soon rather than later.
Hyundai A-League Round Five Summary
League leaders Adelaide (11 points) have stolen an early three-point gap on their closest rivals Central Coast (8 points). Newcastle, Sydney and Perth have identical records and 7 points. New Zealand prop up the table with a solitary win and four losses (3 points).
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Tuesday, September 13, 2005
A-League: New Football Off To A Flyer
Marc Fox reports on the impact of Dwight Yorke, Kevin Muscat, Archie Thompson, Alex Brosque and Richard Kitzbichler: harbingers of football's rebirth down under.
Thanks in no small part to the five imports named above, Australian football's governing body has seen all its dreams come true in the opening weeks of the inaugural A-League. If six months ago, you had foretold the start of the fledgling competition would see not just sparkling debuts but goals from each of these players, your prophesy would have been laughed out of town.
However, from the moment Adelaide United's veteran striker Carl Veart headed home the first-ever A-League goal at the Newcastle Jets - springing the first of a host of surprise results during three rounds of action - the competition's leading men have continued to step up and meet the challenge of chartering new football's voyage to a more credible future.
Yorke, Thompson and young gun Brosque each struck in the opening weekend, the former Manchester United striker opening his Sydney FC account 44 minutes into his debut against Melbourne Victory. New dad Thompson, himself fulfilling all his personal ambitions including two goals in the World Cup playoff against the Solomon Islands, equalised in the second-half to force shared honours.
Meanwhile, Queensland's Brosque held his nerve ten minutes from time in his first A-League outing to snatch the points from New Zealand. In round two, Muscat and Kitzbichler - one a returning hero, the other an Austrian international - each scored for Melbourne in its 2-2 draw with Perth.
That is not to demean the impact local talent has made in the heavily-budgeted never-seen-before A-League show. Bobby Despotovski (Perth), Nick Carle and Ante Milicic (both Newcastle), Noel Spencer and Tom Pondeljak (both Central Coast), Jonti Richter (Queensland), Ross Aloisi (Adelaide) and Zenon Caravella (New Zealand) all deserve a special mention from the group of players to have stepped up from the old National Soccer League.
Not only has the new league been rich in talent, it's proved to be far closer than bookmakers would have had you believe before launch. For instance, only three games from 12 have been won by more than the odd goal. Moreover, only one team has not yet recorded a victory - surprisingly early picks Melbourne Victory - and just one has won twice (the unlikely frontrunners Adelaide United).
Off the pitch, the FFA declared an early victory as crowd figures topped 70,000 across the four venues for the opening round alone, a weekend in which the domestic record for attendance at a non-finals league match was broken twice in the space of two hours - first at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane where 21,000 Queenslanders made history, then at Aussie Stadium in Sydney where the turnout exceeded 25,000. More importantly, fixtures are still averaging upwards of 12,000 supporters with the biggest pullers Sydney, Queensland and Melbourne having played only once at home so far.
The Road To Germany - Part 2
Outside the A-League, fate continues to deal a good hand to the Australian football authorities. The Socceroos breezed past the challenge of the Solomon Islands despite some hairy moments in the away leg in Honiara. Having already subjected the Melanesians to a seven-goal tanking in Sydney in the first tie, complacency, humidity and tactical naivety all combined to anger new coach Guus Hiddink at the way his squad bumbled to a 2-1 victory.
Nevertheless - and as expected - the Socceroos have booked their place as Oceania's challengers in November's double-header against the fifth-placed South American qualifiers. Nothing new there but what did make a refreshing change was FIFA's decision - albeit via the gamble of drawing lots - to award Australia the benefit of playing the final decisive leg at home.
The Socceroos' likely opponents are either current fifth-placed side Uruguay - their 2001 World Cup nemesis - or sixth-placed Colombia, neither of which would be straightforward assignments despite the advantage of being able to defend stoutly away and strike at home.
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Thanks in no small part to the five imports named above, Australian football's governing body has seen all its dreams come true in the opening weeks of the inaugural A-League. If six months ago, you had foretold the start of the fledgling competition would see not just sparkling debuts but goals from each of these players, your prophesy would have been laughed out of town.
However, from the moment Adelaide United's veteran striker Carl Veart headed home the first-ever A-League goal at the Newcastle Jets - springing the first of a host of surprise results during three rounds of action - the competition's leading men have continued to step up and meet the challenge of chartering new football's voyage to a more credible future.
Yorke, Thompson and young gun Brosque each struck in the opening weekend, the former Manchester United striker opening his Sydney FC account 44 minutes into his debut against Melbourne Victory. New dad Thompson, himself fulfilling all his personal ambitions including two goals in the World Cup playoff against the Solomon Islands, equalised in the second-half to force shared honours.
Meanwhile, Queensland's Brosque held his nerve ten minutes from time in his first A-League outing to snatch the points from New Zealand. In round two, Muscat and Kitzbichler - one a returning hero, the other an Austrian international - each scored for Melbourne in its 2-2 draw with Perth.
That is not to demean the impact local talent has made in the heavily-budgeted never-seen-before A-League show. Bobby Despotovski (Perth), Nick Carle and Ante Milicic (both Newcastle), Noel Spencer and Tom Pondeljak (both Central Coast), Jonti Richter (Queensland), Ross Aloisi (Adelaide) and Zenon Caravella (New Zealand) all deserve a special mention from the group of players to have stepped up from the old National Soccer League.
Not only has the new league been rich in talent, it's proved to be far closer than bookmakers would have had you believe before launch. For instance, only three games from 12 have been won by more than the odd goal. Moreover, only one team has not yet recorded a victory - surprisingly early picks Melbourne Victory - and just one has won twice (the unlikely frontrunners Adelaide United).
Off the pitch, the FFA declared an early victory as crowd figures topped 70,000 across the four venues for the opening round alone, a weekend in which the domestic record for attendance at a non-finals league match was broken twice in the space of two hours - first at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane where 21,000 Queenslanders made history, then at Aussie Stadium in Sydney where the turnout exceeded 25,000. More importantly, fixtures are still averaging upwards of 12,000 supporters with the biggest pullers Sydney, Queensland and Melbourne having played only once at home so far.
The Road To Germany - Part 2
Outside the A-League, fate continues to deal a good hand to the Australian football authorities. The Socceroos breezed past the challenge of the Solomon Islands despite some hairy moments in the away leg in Honiara. Having already subjected the Melanesians to a seven-goal tanking in Sydney in the first tie, complacency, humidity and tactical naivety all combined to anger new coach Guus Hiddink at the way his squad bumbled to a 2-1 victory.
Nevertheless - and as expected - the Socceroos have booked their place as Oceania's challengers in November's double-header against the fifth-placed South American qualifiers. Nothing new there but what did make a refreshing change was FIFA's decision - albeit via the gamble of drawing lots - to award Australia the benefit of playing the final decisive leg at home.
The Socceroos' likely opponents are either current fifth-placed side Uruguay - their 2001 World Cup nemesis - or sixth-placed Colombia, neither of which would be straightforward assignments despite the advantage of being able to defend stoutly away and strike at home.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
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