Socceroos and Australian Football

[BoyBrumby]

I've said this before and I'll say it again , I think the Socceroos are a bit overrated.

Yeah well done to them on getting to the 2nd round of the WC, but let's take a closer look at the results:
Aus drew with Uruguay 1-1 over 2 legs and won in the lottery of a penalty shootout.
And let's face it....Recoba had a great chance to score in that 2nd leg which would have meant the Aussies wouldn't have gone thru.
And in the WC, Aus were well beaten by a Brazil side in 2nd gear, scraped past Japan and could only hold Croatia.
And despite having Italy down to ten men for 30 mins, AUs couldn't even get a clear cut chance at the Italian goal in the 2nd round match.
And this was with one of the world's best coaches at the helm.
And yet, everyone was going on about how well we did, what a great team we are and how unlucky we were to be robbed by the Italians.

After the WC, Australia have lost matches to the likes of Kuwait and Uruguay (at home).

It amused me that a lot of people though Australia were gonna walk into Asia and just cream all these Asian sides....you know these boys can actually play. It's gonna take more than mere reputation to win over them.

TBF, coming back from 1-0 down with (IIRC) 8 minutes left to win 3-1 doesn't fit my definition of "scraped past". Pretty fair effort & a testament to the levels of fitness that Hiddink had trained yer crims too. &, as for Croatia, well we wouldn't have minded managing to "only hold" them.

I think the Iraq result would be seen as both very disappointing & (given the two countries' respective positions in the FIFA rankings, unreliable as they seem to be) something of a turn-up.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Australia didn't even create a single bloody chance on the Italian goal when they were 10 men down. For team with supposed superstars like Viduka, Kewell and Bresciano, that's very poor.

Australia needed a huge slick of luck to get past Uruguay - they didn't prove they were better than the Uruguayans over two legs....which Uruguay did in 2001.

Ok I accept they took their chances but I think the fact they got thru to the 2nd round made a lot of Aussies think their team was better than it really was. - ....Once Hiddink left, they got shown up by Kuwait and Uruguay at home. If the Shockeroos were really that good they wouldn't have lost 2-0 away to Kuwait, a team that's not even in the Asia Cup.

Under Hiddink the team played a good structure and was relatively succesful but it didn't mask the fact that AUstralia don't have particularly technically gifted players .
Once Hiddink goes, they are shown up for what they really are.

I've been away for a while, but would I be correct in assuming you don't really like the Australian Soccer team? I'm just reading between the lines here

 

[Son Of Coco]

The team that is playing poorly in the Asia cup has all the 'big names' like Kewell, Viduka etc... though....

That wasn't the point...the point was that, up until recently, they weren't getting the opportunity to play together as a team on a regular basis. This, even you'd have to agree, makes things difficult. The last few years they've had this opportunity with friendly matches being based in the UK, close to where most of the players in the team play. At least this gives them the chance to play together more often.

I think they're playing poorly too, and am not offering excuses for them in this tournament...if they don't play well and miss out on the finals then it's a bit embarrassing seeing as though they went quite well in the World Cup. On the other hand, I'm not caught up in the soccer snobbery that seems to be rife in Europe and other parts of the world where they consider it 'their game' and refuse to consider that a team from a country not associated with decent football in general, may have actually played better than expected.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just been looking at the tournament results (not covered on the Beeb's site at all, rather shamefully) & it looks like if Oz turn over Thailand they'll make the quarters anyway. Even if Oman thump Iraq that would leave Oz, yer Thais & them all on 4 points and it'll come down to results between those countries.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Just been looking at the tournament results (not covered on the Beeb's site at all, rather shamefully) & it looks like if Oz turn over Thailand they'll make the quarters anyway. Even if Oman thump Iraq that would leave Oz, yer Thais & them all on 4 points and it'll come down to results between those countries.

Think they have to win by two goals to be safe though. AFC haven't followed UEFA yet, so goal difference still counts ahead of head-to-head.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Think they have to win by two goals to be safe though. AFC haven't followed UEFA yet, so goal difference still counts ahead of head-to-head.

Ah. Prefer that system anyway to be honest. But it does mean the win by the odd goal might not be enough.

 

[James]

What a fantastic game just now between China and Iran - best game of football I've seen in a long long long time.

Really liking the quality of football I've seen in the Asia Cup.

 

[chaminda_00]

Think they have to win by two goals to be safe though. AFC haven't followed UEFA yet, so goal difference still counts ahead of head-to-head.

Actually head-to-head comes first. But if both Oman and Australia win it comes down to goal difference, as all four side will be on 4 points. Then there another 10 deciding factors after that. Who ever made the rules for AFC, must have been on something when he did, they crazy with tie breakers.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Actually head-to-head comes first. But if both Oman and Australia win it comes down to goal difference, as all four side will be on 4 points. Then there another 10 deciding factors after that. Who ever made the rules for AFC, must have been on something when he did, they crazy with tie breakers.

I can only find seven, but head-to-head is on top anyway. *curses German wikipedia*

 

[Burgey]

Australia didn't even create a single bloody chance on the Italian goal when they were 10 men down. For team with supposed superstars like Viduka, Kewell and Bresciano, that's very poor..

Yeah they did. Unfortunately they hit at least 3 shots straight at the goalkeeper.

The biggest disappointment in the Asian Cup isn't so much the lack of goals scored, which has always been a problem for our blokes, it's that my 5 year old's Rooball team defends better than the national side. Under Hiddink they were much better defensively.

Who the hell is Kisnorbo (sp.?)? I'd nomally go to the trouble to make sure I spelt his name right, but frankly if that's the best he's got, the name will soon be forgotten anyway.

Dire.

 

[Matteh]

Plays for Leicester City.

 

[Dr_Brad]

Does the Socceroos play at 10:30 (EASTERN STANDARD TIME) tonight ?

 

[chaminda_00]

Kisnorbo is a good player, but the problem is there is no communication is defensive, cus the guys have never played together. The strength of defensive in the past have been the fact the guys have played together for a while and know each others games. When a new guy got brought it was a lot easier to get used to playing together.

It was always going to take an year or two for the defensive to work together really, especially with all the retirements and players nearing the end of their careers. I reckon Kisnorbo will be better for this experience and well Wilkshere, if we keep trying him as a left back. Carney expected to start their this match with Wilkshere playing next to Grella and support both wing backs.

 

[mikeW]

Aussie up 1-nil Beauchamp with the goal. Emerton has been fantastic in defence. Do we need to score a 2nd to progress or not?

 

[irfan]

Wow and the Aussies do it convincingly in the end with a 4-0 victory. Am only following online updates from the AFC website because SBS has decided some stupid cartoon is more important so I can't comment on the aesthetics of the goals but atleast the Big Duke delivered with a couple with the other goals scored by Beauchamp and Kewell.

Go Socceroos !! Arnie's contract not quite terminated.

 

[Bobisback]

Score flattered Australia and we were lucky to survive in the second half.

 

[BoyBrumby]

4-0's always a pretty fair effort. Came good when it mattered.

Who're the likely quarter-final opponents?

 

[andyc]

So does this mean we're through? Officially jumping back on the bandwagon. Australia, ftw.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

4-0's always a pretty fair effort. Came good when it mattered.

Who're the likely quarter-final opponents?

Japan the certain opponent, unless wiki is messing me over again.

 

[BoyBrumby]

So does this mean we're through? Officially jumping back on the bandwagon. Australia, ftw.

Pretty sure it does. Gives Oz better goal diff than Thailand or Iraq who're also on four points (excluding Iraq's game with Oman which may've already taken place for all I know), so even if Oman win 10-0 it'll mean Oz & them go through.