Olympic football thread

[chaminda_00]

I can understand the defensive mentality of Arnie in this match considering the gap between the teams but when we're 1-0 down, not bothering to press and allowing the Argies to string together an easy 40-50 passes in a row at the back. Then bringing on a hack defender like McClenehan when we needed another attacker on. Wow, just wow.

So it's pray the Ivory Coast and Serbia draw and hope that we can beat the Africans next round? Shame, I was looking forward to this tournament for a while.

What happens when you only have three forwards in the whole squad, there is generally no attacking players to bring on.

 

[duffer]

Then you've got the composition of the squad wrong.

 

[TT Boy]

I keep missing these games, wanted to see how Ryan Nelsen was getting on but the less said about the Netherlands having the likes of Gerald Sibon in their squad the better.

The only game I caught in its entirety was unfortunately the Australian vs. Argentina game. Aussies seem to playing anti-football.

 

[Burgey]

Australia still think the English 1980s 1st division long ball game is de rigeur.

Archie Thompson is a waste of an over 23s spot. Having said that, dunno who else was available to take a spot.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Norway 1 Japan 5.

All good work in first two games tossed away. Now to play Brazil in the quarter-finals. Shambolic.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Australia still think the English 1980s 1st division long ball game is de rigeur.

Did you see that Argentinian side? That side would beat our seniors comfortably, I don't blame us for playing long-ball.

 

[Craig]

New Zeland have to play Belgium (men's football), who will win Hak?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

New Zeland have to play Belgium (men's football), who will win Hak?

Haven't watched any of the men's football, but looking at the squads NZ will do well to get one point. Betting suggests NZ have something like a 7 % chance.

 

[Craig]

Haven't watched any of the men's football, but looking at the squads NZ will do well to get one point. Betting suggests NZ have something like a 7 % chance.

Ouch!

 

[Johnners]

Australia playing are far more positive grand of football this time around, and have had quite a few good chances, as have Cote de Ivore (sp?). Niki Rukaetc. gets into some good possies, but has deadset the worst first touch for an attacking playing.

EDIT: Haha, sheeeeeesh. SBS showing highlights of Italy vs Cameroon, the red card given to the Cameroon playing was an absolute joke.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Australia playing are far more positive grand of football this time around, and have had quite a few good chances, as have Cote de Ivore (sp?). Niki Rukaetc. gets into some good possies, but has deadset the worst first touch for an attacking playing.

I have been wondering what the reason is behind not calling them the Ivory Coast in this telecast...is it the same reason people say 'Pareeee' instead of Paris, cwasonne instead of croissant, and (most recently as I've noticed) erbs instead of herbs...i.e they're pretentious tossers?

Actually I did read that the govt of the Ivory Coast prefers it not to be called this and always referred to by its French name, does anyone know why?

 

[Johnners]

And it's over. Can't see us coming back now

Edit: The sooner we have Arnold out of any managing positions for Australia the better afaic.

 

[Burgey]

The sooner we find a striker worthy of the position the better too.

I actually thought it was their best effort, yet they lost. That being so, they really should be playing for England.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If Rukavidtijitjsit improves his first touch and all-around foot skills, he could be quality. He has pace and finds space.

 

[Johnners]

Yeah, was harsh on him the in the first 2 games, but he does get into some really good threatening positions, just lacks the touch of a real quality player, so there's potential. Musalik & Spiranovic are gun though (y)

 

[Johnners]

The sooner we find a striker worthy of the position the better too.

I actually thought it was their best effort, yet they lost. That being so, they really should be playing for England.

Not having Burns & Djite, who're arguably our 2 best u-23 attacking options hurt. Reckon we'd have slotted another goal or 2 if they'd been in the squad.

 

[chaminda_00]

With Burns, Djite, Williams and Vidic. A couple of them should have made of squad to give us more options. But at the end of day none of them scored many goals during the qualifies. Milligan and Sarkies were leading goal scorers in qualifiers. There was no formation that worked with Williams or Burns in the side, both basically played as wingers when we had two strikers in XI. Vidic never got a game due to him and Spiranovic prefering to stay in Germany and push for starting spots at Nuremburg.

Even if these guys did make the squad I would have had them behind Bridge and Thompson. Ruka got potential but is even further away from being a finished product then Burns, Djite, Williams or Vidic. Which was the claim used by Arnold was his selection ahead of them.

Holland was the other big name player, considering he was a regular in Socceroos squad lately. But as I guess with Musalik and Milligan playing holding roles in midfield he would have been just a bench player.

End of day though if you look back at past Olyroo squads guys like Niell, Bres, Grella, Holman, MacDonald, Carney, Culina, Thompson and Kennedy. All played bit part roles or got rejected during the time they were at that stage during their career. Australia never had great history of picking future Socceroos in Olyroos squads.

 

[Burgey]

Not having Burns & Djite, who're arguably our 2 best u-23 attacking options hurt. Reckon we'd have slotted another goal or 2 if they'd been in the squad.

Yup. Didn't think much of Djite must say, but on reflection he'd have added a bt of bite up front.

Obviously struggling with unavailability of big guns, but still not sure about Archie Thompson as an over age choice. Maybe if they could have had someone like a Grella in the mid field (if he was available) and reiled on the young 'uns up front, might have been better. That, or maybe Kennedy (again, if available).

Thought they played well v Ivory Coast in the 1st 2/3 of the field, just lacked a bit of bite up front.

 

[GIMH]

I have been wondering what the reason is behind not calling them the Ivory Coast in this telecast...is it the same reason people say 'Pareeee' instead of Paris, cwasonne instead of croissant, and (most recently as I've noticed) erbs instead of herbs...i.e they're pretentious tossers?

Actually I did read that the govt of the Ivory Coast prefers it not to be called this and always referred to by its French name, does anyone know why?

I might be wrong, but I think it's the same reason that Bombay is called Mumbai, ie to rid all mention of the dirty British past

(edit) Scrap that, what am I thinking, it was never a British colony. The reason is because they prefer the French name anyway

 

[GIMH]

From Wiki:

The country was originally known in English as Ivory Coast. In October 1985, the government requested that the country be known in every language as Côte d'Ivoire,[8] without a hyphen between the two words (thereby contravening the standard rule in French that geographical names with several words must be written with hyphens).