Can Australia beat the 5th place Sth american side and qualify for Germany 2006

[lfsr1544]

Attack with 3-4 players = weak defence :D

definitely their achilles heel. On Sept 3rd, Colombia lost at Uruguay 3-2. Uruguay was up 2-0 with 15 minutes togo, the Colombia ties it up in 5 minutes (poor defendin on Uruguay), and then with like 3 minutes to the end of the game, hat-trick by Zalayeta (URU). Pretty much the entire Uruguay team plays in Europe, while Colombia has about 5 of their starting 11 in Europe, and the remaining guys split between Mexico, Argentinian and Colombian leagues.

[Killboard]

Well, in all 2nd round in 7 game we receive 5 goals.
Colombia was the only team in score us 2 goals, and maybe this happen cause we cant play with 2 startings players, like Lugano (Sao Paulo, best defense in brazilian league, maybe Real Madrid in Januray), and Dario Rodriguez (Schalke 04), two players with much experience. And its funny, but when our coach replaced Recoba for a Defensive Player Colombia make the first goal. And we make our goal with 10 players.
Uruguay attacks with 1 or 2 strikers in rival area, 1 or 2 creative players.
We play with 3 or 4 defensive backs, and with 1 or 2 defensive middlefielders.
But, the best thing you can do for be defensive is have the ball in the foot of your players.

And is true, we have 8 or 9 starting players in Europe, but the past world cup they must travel to Uruguay and later for Australia and come back for Uruguay.
However, they maybe come for Uruguay 7 or 6 days before the first game. Of this way is an adventage for us.
And Europe have very good players, but if we have more money for pay to our players, we will to have the best leagues in all the world. All SA players go play to Europe for money, if they can earn this money in SA they probably never leave our people.

We have a pretty game in the next week, In the world cup sub-17 in Peru.
Uruguay-Mexico-Torquay-Australia.

[Champagne Football]

Well, in all 2nd round in 7 game we receive 5 goals.
Colombia was the only team in score us 2 goals, and maybe this happen cause we cant play with 2 startings players, like Lugano (Sao Paulo, best defense in brazilian league, maybe Real Madrid in Januray), and Dario Rodriguez (Schalke 04), two players with much experience. And its funny, but when our coach replaced Recoba for a Defensive Player Colombia make the first goal. And we make our goal with 10 players.
Uruguay attacks with 1 or 2 strikers in rival area, 1 or 2 creative players.
We play with 3 or 4 defensive backs, and with 1 or 2 defensive middlefielders.
But, the best thing you can do for be defensive is have the ball in the foot of your players.

And is true, we have 8 or 9 starting players in Europe, but the past world cup they must travel to Uruguay and later for Australia and come back for Uruguay.
However, they maybe come for Uruguay 7 or 6 days before the first game. Of this way is an adventage for us.
And Europe have very good players, but if we have more money for pay to our players, we will to have the best leagues in all the world. All SA players go play to Europe for money, if they can earn this money in SA they probably never leave our people.

We have a pretty game in the next week, In the world cup sub-17 in Peru.
Uruguay-Mexico-Torquay-Australia.
I'm assuming you mean Turkey. I had to laugh when I read this, as Torquay is a coastal surfing town in Victoria, about 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne (I've been going there all my life. :) )

Regarding the travel in November, I heard that our players will assemble in a nearby country before the first game (Florida, USA if it's Colombia, or Argentina/Brazil if it's Uruguay) for a training/preparation camp. Straight after that game, the Socceroos will jump on a private chartered flight to Sydney.

[lfsr1544]

I'm assuming you mean Turkey. I had to laugh when I read this, as Torquay is a coastal surfing town in Victoria, about 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne (I've been going there all my life. :) )

Regarding the travel in November, I heard that our players will assemble in a nearby country before the first game (Florida, USA if it's Colombia, or Argentina/Brazil if it's Uruguay) for a training/preparation camp. Straight after that game, the Socceroos will jump on a private chartered flight to Sydney.

ahhh, but there lies the problem. Most top flight clubs could care less about releasing their foreign players days and days before a match like this, just so they can prep. If it's within Europe, then it's less of an issue, but if it means losing a club match becasue they have to release players to the NT, then most likely they'll hold on to those players until the very last moment. I also don't see Florida as a good training ground if it's vs Colombia. Venezuela would make much more sense, as they have a truly similar
climate to Colombia. If against Uruguay, then yes, Argentina would be a smart place to train prior to their match. All I know is with so many planes going down
in SA recently, I would truly limit my 'flight time'.

[Auxodium]

Having fifteen times our population doesn't hurt either! ;)

and having a currency that FIFA will pay attention to also helps. ie USD over the AUD.


then again the GBP owns both USD & AUD!! :D


Champagne Football Torquay is also in the UK :D

[Andy TAUS]

ahhh, but there lies the problem. Most top flight clubs could care less about releasing their foreign players days and days before a match like this, just so they can prep. If it's within Europe, then it's less of an issue, but if it means losing a club match becasue they have to release players to the NT, then most likely they'll hold on to those players until the very last moment. I also don't see Florida as a good training ground if it's vs Colombia. Venezuela would make much more sense, as they have a truly similar
climate to Colombia. If against Uruguay, then yes, Argentina would be a smart place to train prior to their match. All I know is with so many planes going down
in SA recently, I would truly limit my 'flight time'.The clubs are obliged by FIFA's rules, in this instance, to release the players 5 days before the inter-continental WCQ play-off. There is a two week period allocated to have the H&A playoff concluded, along with travel to, preparation, playing & travel from time. Should any club want to play funny-buggers (as you suggest) with this time, then the Australian FA have shown (eg Viduka & Chipperfield re the friendly with Venezuela that they tried to skip) that they will NO LONGER TOLERATE this from the clubs and will invoke FIFA's sanctions on them.

Hope that's sorted that out for you lfsr1544.

[Champagne Football]

Torquay is also in the UK :D
Yeah, I know, and Subiaco is also in Italy. What's your point? :D

The Torquay in the UK is where "Fawlty Towers" is set. :cool:

[grandriver tim]

C'mon man, you've been around long enough to know you can't judge a team by one game. That'd be like saying when the US beat Brazil how many ever years ago that there's no way that Brazil could qualify out of CONMEBOL if they couldn't beat the US.



I agree, part time coach doesn't seem like a good idea.
Guss hiddink is the top coach in the world I have no doubt he can get far in the world cup, This man brought south corea to gret heights he work wonders with a stronger team and get the lazy aussies out of there sleep.

[vilafria]

I think the trick will be to play as many friendlys as possible vs. S.A. teams w/ similar traits to the possible candidate to the fifth spot, and the sooner the better.

[Agus]

They can & capable to beat 5th placed Conmebol. With some good players in Europe, it'll be a balance match.

[Diakonov]

I struggled with this poll, finally voting SA. I will admit I don't know alot about Aussie soccer, but I do know this. The fifth place SA will be coming off a really tough set of qualifying, whereas Australia breezed through a, well let's face it, really weak conference. I just don't think Australia has enough tough competition to really prepare them for these two ultra important matches. I really I hope I'm wrong though, as I'd love to see the Aussies in the world cup.

[almango]

I struggled with this poll, finally voting SA. I will admit I don't know alot about Aussie soccer, but I do know this. The fifth place SA will be coming off a really tough set of qualifying, whereas Australia breezed through a, well let's face it, really weak conference. I just don't think Australia has enough tough competition to really prepare them for these two ultra important matches. I really I hope I'm wrong though, as I'd love to see the Aussies in the world cup.

Much as I would like to see us there you are right. We need a lot of luck to qualify.

[gullaci(mvfc)]

I think we have a great chance of beating the 5th placed south american team. Even though we havent had the greatest of histories in previous qualifying campaigns, the squad we have now is more than capable of gettin us to germany. For the first time in a while we have genuine competition for places in the side, which is evidenced by hiddink preferring to culina to bresciano in the solomans games. As much as i like frank farina he was never going to get us to the world cup, and even though hiddink is part time his record speaks for itself. With the draw finally favouring us, by giving us the second leg at home we have a great opportunity. The defence has been widely criticised for coppin a lot of goals in the confed cup, is admittedly a major problem, however as long as vidmar and popovic dont make the starting line-up we would look a lot less shaky at the back.
For all the doubters, just take a look at our squad. A team with that kind of class at its disposal i.e. cahill, viduka, bresciano, kewell (when fit), emerton, moore - has to start performing sometime, and i reckon hiddink is the man who can bring the best out of em.
Neway, should make for interestin viewin either way. :)

[vilafria]

I think we have a great chance of beating the 5th placed south american team. Even though we havent had the greatest of histories in previous qualifying campaigns, the squad we have now is more than capable of gettin us to germany. For the first time in a while we have genuine competition for places in the side, which is evidenced by hiddink preferring to culina to bresciano in the solomans games. As much as i like frank farina he was never going to get us to the world cup, and even though hiddink is part time his record speaks for itself. With the draw finally favouring us, by giving us the second leg at home we have a great opportunity. The defence has been widely criticised for coppin a lot of goals in the confed cup, is admittedly a major problem, however as long as vidmar and popovic dont make the starting line-up we would look a lot less shaky at the back.
For all the doubters, just take a look at our squad. A team with that kind of class at its disposal i.e. cahill, viduka, bresciano, kewell (when fit), emerton, moore - has to start performing sometime, and i reckon hiddink is the man who can bring the best out of em.
Neway, should make for interestin viewin either way. :)

Welcome to BS.

Good points. I share your optimism.

[Auxodium]

I struggled with this poll, finally voting SA. I will admit I don't know alot about Aussie soccer, but I do know this. The fifth place SA will be coming off a really tough set of qualifying, whereas Australia breezed through a, well let's face it, really weak conference. I just don't think Australia has enough tough competition to really prepare them for these two ultra important matches. I really I hope I'm wrong though, as I'd love to see the Aussies in the world cup.

That is why competitions like the Confederations cup (thanks Frank, you stuffed us up!) are meant to be good practice. plus we place more importance on friendly matches due to having a poor confederation.

According to FFA rumours Australia will play Jamaica in London (Craven Cottage) in October (16th?) for a friendly match.

also there is one more before the play offs but i am not sure, rumour has it again it is Poland.

when we qualify through the OFC we always look to securing friendlies with competitive opponents and that is why it is hard as most countries are very reluctant to do so.

i remember in 2003 we were going to play Yugoslavia (at the time), Portugal, Argentina(in Spain) Germany, France and Wales but it all fell through once we beat England 3-1.


IF we MAKE IT the FFF (France) promised the ASA (now FFA) to play Australia in a friendly in Paris in March of 2006 as a warm up before the World Cup., Let us hope we do that! :D

[Champagne Football]

That is why competitions like the Confederations cup (thanks Frank, you stuffed us up!) are meant to be good practice. plus we place more importance on friendly matches due to having a poor confederation.

According to FFA rumours Australia will play Jamaica in London (Craven Cottage) in October (16th?) for a friendly match.

also there is one more before the play offs but i am not sure, rumour has it again it is Poland.

when we qualify through the OFC we always look to securing friendlies with competitive opponents and that is why it is hard as most countries are very reluctant to do so.

i remember in 2003 we were going to play Yugoslavia (at the time), Portugal, Argentina(in Spain) Germany, France and Wales but it all fell through once we beat England 3-1.


IF we MAKE IT the FFF (France) promised the ASA (now FFA) to play Australia in a friendly in Paris in March of 2006 as a warm up before the World Cup., Let us hope we do that! :D
It's not a rumour! We will be playing Jamaica in London on October 9th. (Don't you watch SBS? They mention it all the time because they will be showing it live.)

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/public/Event/show.asp?Eventid=212&acceptApplicant=no

...and when you say there is another game before the playoffs (you mentioned Poland), I won't believe it until there is some official confirmation. As you say, they always throw up all these "potential" opponents and they usually fall through. :(

PS: You said we were going to play Yugoslavia (at the time) in 2003. My memory may be failing me, but I'm pretty sure that the break-up of the former Yugoslavia happened in the early 1990's. :rolleyes:

[Ray Luca]

Wha' d'ya think??

I think Austrailia coach Gus thinks his team plays kick and run. Not a very good praise by the Dutch coach is it?

[vilafria]

Kewell in the squad called up by Hiddink to play vs. Jamaica in a friendly in London.

[vilafria]

Kewell in the squad called up by Hiddink to play vs. Jamaica in a friendly in London.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40850000/jpg/_40850456_kewell.jpg
New look too

[vilafria]

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/fifa/20050621/i/2968386613.jpg
Cahill facing towards Mecca for inspiration for the upcoming play-off w/ the S. Americans.