A-League in the Media Thread

el-capitano · Sep 22, 2008

SOCCEROOS coach Pim Verbeek has implored Newcastle Jets skipper Jade North to forget about the disappointment of failing to secure a move to Europe and rediscover the form which earned him international recognition in the first place.

Verbeek is back in the country after a three-month absence which included Australia's successful trip to Uzbekistan for a World Cup qualifier early this month. Within 24 hours of his return, he was in Brisbane to watch last Friday's match between Queensland Roar and Newcastle, taking note of North's performance among a host of other Socceroos hopefuls.

While home-based players are unlikely to figure prominently at the business end of the World Cup campaign, Verbeek has started identifying which A-League players might be good enough to fly the flag in next year's Asian Cup campaign, when the European-based stars will be unavailable.

Verbeek also watched A-League games in Sydney and Perth at the weekend, and will be in Adelaide for tomorrow night's Asian Champions League quarter-final between the Reds and Kashima Antlers.

A host of A-League players are set to be called into the eight-day camp in Brisbane for next month's World Cup qualifier against Qatar to continue their international education before the Asian Cup campaign, which is due to open against Kuwait [home] and Indonesia [away] in January - although Football Federation Australia is still hoping to re-schedule the early qualifiers.

"My plan is to have for every position three players," Verbeek said. "Everything can happen in the next 10 months, or the next 22 months. So it is my job to look around and pick up young, talented players and see how they develop. I will take a big selection to Brisbane, to see the local players, let them smell a little bit, see how they train with the big boys. I have had good experience with that, and I will do it again. The Asian Cup is coming up and we all know European [-based] players will not play those games, so it will be a great opportunity for A-League players to get international experience."

Asked whether there might be any selection surprises, Verbeek admitted he had been impressed with several lesser-known players at the weekend, adding: "Players I haven't seen before, they did a good job. I will not mention names at the moment, because I want to see if it was not something special for them. I will look at them again in the coming weeks, and if they do what I saw last weekend, I will definitely invite them to come."

Among the fringe players who are believed to have caught Verbeek's eye are Scott Jamieson and Paul Reid [both Adelaide United], Shannon Cole [Sydney FC] and Wayne Srhoj [Perth Glory].

Meanwhile, after watching his first round of A-League action since last season, Verbeek insisted the standard had not dropped even though the goals have dried up.

"I have to be honest and say I have seen better games than I saw this weekend, but what I like is that all coaches try to win the game, it's still very open," he said.

"In Europe the teams play more compact, and the away team is always playing just for the draw. If there are 55,000 people there, it looks more spectacular than what it really is. For me, we should not change too much the attacking way of playing, because it makes football here more interesting, and that's what the fans are coming for. The only thing is maybe we have to find out the balance, tactically to be a bit more grown up."
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...es-local-talent/2008/09/22/1221935545845.html

el-capitano · Sep 23, 2008

FOOTBALL Federation Australia will wait until the end of the AFL and NRL seasons before it unloads a marketing blitz to help counteract the sluggish attendances which have blighted the opening five rounds of the new A-League season.

The depth of the problem was revealed at the weekend with two of the game's biggest-drawing teams, Sydney and Queensland, failing to draw sizeable numbers despite playing marquee matches against old rivals Adelaide and reigning premiers Newcastle respectively.

Just more than 12,000 turned up for each game, about 4000 below last season's average home gate for each club. In Gosford on Saturday night, a shade more than 9000 fans came to watch the Mariners take on Melbourne Victory, fewer than half the 18,686 who saw their previous encounter, on New Year's Eve at Bluetongue Stadium. Even worse was to follow a day later, when a pitiful 4433 turned up as Perth recorded their first win of the season, at home to Wellington, a game which drew more than 7100 last season.

Mersiades said while the FFA had substantially lifted the funds available for advertising, the timing of the A-League's start meant it would have been prohibitively expensive to promote the league as much as it would have liked.

"The marketing budget has increased, but because of the impact of the Olympics, we haven't cut in yet with the marketing and advertising budget," she said. "The sheer cost of advertising during the Olympics and now the finals series of the other two competitions is very high, so it has been timed to have a much bigger impact once all that is over."

Having made an effort to promote the A-League as a summer sport, Mersiades believes this, and the current global financial squeeze, could also be affecting crowds.
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...arent-adding-up/2008/09/22/1221935545851.html

epris · Sep 23, 2008

Crowds have been pretty disappointing so far this season haven't they? I wonder what has caused the downturn, because when you think about it only 6 months ago the A league was getting some of the biggest crowds ever (ie" 31 000 in brisbane, 33 000 in sydney, 25 000 in adelaide etc). I must confess i haven't been to a single game yet, but i do have my reasons.

zhuangzi · Sep 23, 2008

Whatever they are, they aren't good enough

I'd agree with most of the article's reasons and add Cockerill's Bear Market/ The Same Eight Teams Just Gets A Bit Dull, Yanno? hypothesis into the mix.

el-capitano · Sep 24, 2008

Melbourne Victory's A-League Brazilian Striker Ney Fabiano had a "small win" when his suspension for spitting was reduced from nine matches to six by an independent appeal committee.

The committee of Sullivan, former Socceroo Brad Maloney and Arthur Koumoukelis, a partner in Sydney law firm Gaydens Lawyers, ruled it was unreasonable to impose a sanction greater than the minimum sentence.

The Victory forward was sent off by referee Matthew Breeze for spitting at Adelaide's Robert Cornthwaite in the round four fixture.

Fabiano, 29, will now be available to play again from round 11, when Melbourne meet the Queensland Roar, having already served one match of his sentence.

"We are very disappointed with the outcome of tonight, albeit we've had a small win, although it is a positive the sentence has been reduced and he will be back on the pitch sooner," Melbourne football operation manager Gary Cole said.

"Our plea throughout has been that the incident didn't involve a spitting action and wasn't intentional, but after the extensive process we accept the decision."

Fabiano, who has played professional for 14 years in Brazil, Thailand and Australia had only been sent off once before and that was for two yellow card offences.

Melbourne had intended to present evidence from a speech pathologist and also a biomechanist.

However, the committee wouldn't allow the new evidence to be submitted as it had not been presented to the disciplinary committee last week.

Fabiano sat at the back of the room and was guided through proceedings by an interpreter
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...-to-six-matches/2008/09/24/1222217331921.html

el-capitano · Sep 24, 2008

A-LEAGUE clubs admit they are fighting a losing battle at the turnstiles, reflected in crowd figures that have slumped well below last season's record-breaking averages.

Following a dismal set of crowd figures last weekend, Football Federation Australia revealed in the Herald yesterday it had withheld marketing funds until the close of the NRL and AFL seasons, and was prevented from advertising during the Olympics largely due to prohibitive costs.

Twice this season crowds have dipped under the 40,000 aggregate mark - meaning an average of fewer than 10,000 for each match played. Perth's crowd of 4433 last weekend, the smallest for an Australian-based A-League fixture, dragged the total gate down to 38,008.

In NSW, the clubs have been doing it tough. Newcastle started the season with a respectable 16,079 against Central Coast, but drew just 11,535 against Sydney FC in round four. Similarly, Sydney pulled in 16,227 against Melbourne in round one - less than half the figure of last year's final-round clash - before crowds of 11,734 and 12,462 against Perth and Adelaide.

Central Coast's two home matches thus far against powerhouse pair Sydney and Melbourne have attracted an average of less than 10,000.

Sydney FC chief executive Stefan Kamasz said while his club had "conservatively budgeted" for 17,000 each week, he supported the FFA's view that exterior circumstances came into play.

"There's no doubt we'd like more people attending our games, but we have to be realistic about a number of factors that could impact on crowds so far this season, like launching the league in the middle of the Olympics," he said yesterday. "Then we must consider the discretionary spend the average punter has. It's not at the level it was 12 months ago. The economic situation, particularly here in NSW, is not good. A lot of people are hurting.

"I'll be looking at Foxtel's ratings because, on anecdotal evidence, I know a lot of people who have taken out subscriptions and more and more of them are watching games from home."

He said Sydney FC had begun to play highly attractive football.

"Last week, there were three world class goals scored so, hopefully, given our good start and with the other codes finishing, I'd like to think our future home games will be better attended."

On the Central Coast, Mariners executive chairman Lyall Gorman is hoping the past can repeat itself.

"Knowing the historical trends, we're not too worried at the moment, but if things continued like this for the next couple of months, we might have a different view," he said.

Gorman said the Mariners' fan base was not only distracted by national competitions but also by local events and sporting competitions which reached their climaxes in recent weeks.

He added that Friday night's home match against Perth presented a huge challenge in terms of crowd numbers.

"[Perth] don't get a lot of travelling support, so we'll be relying exclusively on our own people to provide the crowd," he said.
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...s-cold-shoulder/2008/09/23/1221935641329.html

RickChelsea · Sep 30, 2008

I don't think NRL and AFL seasons have too much to do with it. Last year they didn't effect the A-League so why should it now? The opening crowds for the A-League were dismal. We can blame the Olympics all we want but i think it just comes down to the interest in the A-League is getting lower. The 8 team format is getting stale. I know when i was back in Aus, towards the end of last season, a lot of people i used to go to Sydney FC games with stopped going because they just plain got bored with the format and the lack of improvement in the skill level and quality of the league. The WC also added interest for the first 2 seasons. I think next season the crowds will be a lot bigger than this year with the WC around the corner and the 2 new teams the interest in the A-League will boom again(hopefully).

epris · Oct 5, 2008

I think the economic situation probably has some part too. Crowds are down right around the country not just in certain cities, indicating it has little to do with other sport codes. I don't really know the figures but i'd like to see the NRL and AFL attendances of this year compared to last season, i'd bet on a downturn there as well.

I think we should expect some sort of downturn though. Were at the stage where the last of the bandwagoners are losing interest, now its up to the A league to attract more real fans, and its gonna be tough. Gold coast and NQ teams couldn't come soon enough.

RickChelsea · Oct 5, 2008

NRL Avg Attendances
2007:15,750
2008:15,591 (Decreases in Sydney teams while Newcastle, QLD, Warriors and Melbourne teams all increased)

AFL Avg Attendances
2007:38,117
2008:38,287(Massive increases in Victorian teams but decreases in Brisbane and Sydney while the rest averaged the same)

A-League Avg Attendances
2007:14,610
2008:11,868(Decreases from every team)

It's a bit of a worry, crowds need to pick up soon. The additions of the QLD teams will do great things for us seeing as they can average over 20k for North QLD and GC in the NRL, they should at least get somewhere between 10k-13k for the A-League teams in their first season(i hope...)

el-capitano · Oct 7, 2008

HALF-EMPTY, or half-full? That was the conundrum facing Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond as the final whistle sounded at EnergyAustralia Stadium yesterday. As the skies blackened and the heavens opened after an afternoon of hard graft in steambath conditions, it seemed the end of the world was nigh. The good news for both the Jets and the Phoenix is they will live to fight another day. A third of the way through the season, both clubs can still aim, realistically, for a place in the finals.

For all that, this result was a huge anticlimax for the home team, who were within sight of the finishing line before their hard-won lead evaporated in the split second it took Matt Thompson's tired brain to explode.

He grabbed Leilei Gao as the Phoenix midfielder shimmied into the box, and could only watch in horror as the Chinese midfielder tumbled to the ground. Wellington's second penalty decision was a lot more justified than the first, and, for the second time, Shane Smeltz kept a cool head on a hot day to convert from the spot. In truth, a draw was no more than the Phoenix deserved.

A few weeks ago, in Adelaide, Wellington's season hit a low point. So low, in fact, that the inevitable comparisons to the unlamented New Zealand Knights were again being made.

Nothing annoys the Phoenix more than being reminded of their predecessors, and it hurt. The response since has been largely positive, and encouraging. They lost in Perth, but didn't sulk. Last week, they beat Sydney FC, who didn't have an off day. Now they have drawn with the champions away from home.

Suddenly, there is more belief, more composure and more desire about Wellington. They have enough quality - read Smeltz, Gao, Durante, Lochhead, Brown, Sigmund, McKain and Moss - to compete at this level. They proved that during the pre-season, and now are starting to do likewise when competition points are at stake. Ricki Herbert will take a lot of heart from the turnaround.

Newcastle should also take some heart from their performance yesterday, even if the result was disappointing. The Jets were down to bare bones, and - more significantly - without their talisman, Joel Griffiths.

Until this match, they had not taken a point from the five games Griffiths has been unavailable for since he arrived at the club two years ago. He described suggestions the Jets were a one-man band as "garbage", but equally he'll be pleased his teammates at least got a draw.

With brother Adam and James Holland also missing, the depth of the Jets was tested. Encouragingly for van Egmond, the supporting cast didn't shirk the responsibility, although there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Ecuadorean import Edmundo Zura produced some of his best work so far, and his first goal cannot be far away. Perhaps the most illustrative moment of the game was when Danish midfielder Jesper Hakansson tried to come off the field with an injury 15 minutes before the end, only to be told by his coach to harden up and stay out there. Hakansson got the message, loud and clear.

Ability is one thing, attitude another. The Jets had the quality to win the championship last season, and there's still plenty of doubt whether they can rise to that level again. But after a sluggish start to their title defence, there were signs the mojo is returning. This was a point gained, not two points lost, even if the Jets don't see it that way.
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...onvincing-point/2008/10/06/1223145263009.html

el-capitano · Oct 13, 2008

Football Federation Australia (FFA) chief executive Ben Buckley says the A-League's expansion plans will not be slowed by the world's economic crisis.

Buckley said the sport in Australia was still growing and adding sponsors and had not felt any negative impact from the woes in financial markets in Australia and around the globe.

With the league to include new clubs on the Gold Coast and Townsville next season and plans to add two more the following season, Buckley said there were no second thoughts.

"Absolutely, we've got no plans to put the brakes on expansion," he said.

"The people who are backing the expansion teams certainly have enough financial resources and management resources to see them through some of the turbulence that's out there at the moment.

"We're fairly confident of their business plans and one of them in particular is running well ahead of its business plan at this stage.

"So we have no intention at this point in time to slow down our expansion."
Click to expand...

http://news.smh.com.au/sport/aleague-unaffected-by-economic-woes-20081013-4zm8.html

el-capitano · Oct 23, 2008

THE pressure to pursue soccer's divers through trial by TV is growing, with the country's former top referee backing the move and key sponsors calling for diving to be stamped out.

Stakeholders in the game at all levels have acknowledged that the game needs to address the issue of simulation, particularly given its fight for perceived legitimacy in the Australian sporting landscape.

Mark Shield, who officiated at two World Cups and was the A-League's top referee until retiring last week, yesterday declared support for retrospective sanction of divers through the A-League's match review panel.

"Sometimes you look at things on the pitch and then they look completely different on TV - simulation is one where it's sometimes impossible to tell with the human eye," he said. "(Reviewing such incidents) is not impacting on the game because it's done retrospectively, and if there were to be fines or suspensions handed out afterwards, that would act as a deterrent."

Shield added that referees would not be uncomfortable with the process, if it meant transgressors were ultimately punished.

"It really is a blight on the game, particularly in Australia where there are other sports that are perceived to be tough and non-football followers see players falling over because they've got the slightest touch.

"Re-refereeing the whole game is not the right way to go, but from a referee's point of view the right outcome is what matters."
Click to expand...

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24538334-5006068,00.html

el-capitano · Oct 27, 2008

As much as I love poking a bit of fun at Victory supporters- even I have to admit- this is pretty dumb!

Eureka flag banned at A-League matches

Melbourne Victory supporters have been banned from flying the Eureka flag at A-League matches because it is considered to be a political symbol under the league's regulations.

Descendants of the Eureka Stockade oppose the move but the Football Federation of Australia has forced Melbourne Victory to tell its supporters the flag is banned because it is a political symbol, Fairfax newspapers reported.

Fans with the flag will be ejected from Docklands Stadium and will have their flags confiscated, Fairfax said.

Victory supporters have displayed the standard, first flown by rebel goldminers at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat in 1854, since the club's inception.

"The Eureka flag was actually the first emblem of the first Victory supporters' group. We've had the Eureka flag at our games since day dot, and all of a sudden it's got political connotations and we can't fly it," said Blue and White Brigade supporters' group leader Adam Tennenini.

Mr Tennenini said security guards at Saturday's game against Sydney FC at Docklands told him anyone with a flag would be banned from the next home game on November 21, but supporters planned to defy the ban.

Victory chief executive Geoff Miles said the club backed supporters.

"We believe that the flying of Eureka flags really isn't adversely affecting, polarising or disenfranchising our supporters or opposition supporters," Mr Miles said.
Click to expand...

el-capitano · Oct 29, 2008

FOOTBALL Federation Australia has warned clubs against tempting fate by flouting the salary cap as the race for the country's best talent ramps up ahead of the introduction of North Queensland FC and Gold Coast United next season.

With Gold Coast, in particular, aggressively targeting top-line players, the transfer market is approaching white-hot levels. Some agents are hinting the FFA might turn a blind eye to salary-cap breaches because the available talent has to be spread further - a charge FFA chief Ben Buckley hotly denies.

"I can assure you we will be policing the cap even more diligently than we have been in the past," said Buckley. "We've been hearing the speculation about various interpretations of the rules, which are contrary to the spirit of the cap, and certainly our own interpretation of it.

"The cap is here to stay, it remains a very important part of our strategy. So if anyone is in any doubt about that, be warned. We've written to the clubs and strongly advised them to get back to us for any clarifications. We met the CEOs last week to reinforce the point.

"Obviously there are two new teams in the marketplace, and that means there's a lot more activity. You'll get second-tier players moving to new clubs to get better deals and good luck to them. It's a good time to be a player, because there are now 46 more contracts available. But that doesn't mean there is going to be an inflationary spiral. No club will be paying more than the salary cap, so the cost base remains the same. And they've been put on notice to that effect."

With Gold Coast and North Queensland negotiating with a raft of existing A-League players, and with the competition possibly expanding by a further two teams in 2010, Buckley heads off to Europe in three weeks to try to convince a host of second-tier Australian players it's the right time to come home.

Forums with up to 70 players are being planned for London and perhaps Amsterdam to sell the benefits of the A-League, and Buckley is confident the trip will yield some returns.

"We want these players to come home, especially the ones who perhaps aren't playing in the top leagues over there," he said. "Expansion is important for the A-League, but equally it's important we maintain the quality of the playing standard."
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...ap-fits-buckley/2008/10/28/1224956038879.html

el-capitano · Oct 29, 2008

Is it just me who is becoming increasingly disenchanted with and detached from foreign football as the profile of the local game continues to rise.

With the sport in Australia going from strength to strength since it joined Asia in 2006, the fortunes of our favourite teams from abroad are becoming less relevant as time goes by.

I am not for a moment suggesting that our new football is on a par with the best of the rest, far from it.

The standard of the A-League is not as high as it should be and the Socceroos, let’s face it, are ranked in the mid-30s in the world.

But the bottom line is that the A-League, Socceroos, Olyroos and Matildas are all part of our football family. And they are as Australian as Bondi and Uluru.

A few months ago a punter at a Sydney FC game came up to me at half-time with this gem of a remark: “It’s not the European Champions League, mate, but it’s ours.”

His point was that we should relish the fact that we have an acceptable game to follow and some fine players to identify with, even if they might not be the best in the world.

When our football was so poor and so badly run and its appeal was so limited not so long ago, one could understand the reason many frustrated fans were forced to turn to their television sets to get their fix of top class football.

They still do in large numbers but things are different now, much different. They’ve also got their own 'made in Australia' football to cherish and chastise.
Click to expand...

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blogs/philip-micallef/aussie-way-winning-hearts-and-minds-146606/

el-capitano · Oct 30, 2008

Adelaide United skipper Travis Dodd (Kashima Antlers) and Newcastle Jets skipper Jade North (Urawa Red Diamonds) have already been linked to moves to Japan, while two other Japanese clubs, Kyoto Sanga and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, will be scouting for goalkeepers in the next few weeks, with Clint Bolton (Sydney FC) and Ante Covic (Newcastle Jets) on their radar.

And while the A-League currently boasts only three Asian players - South Korean duo Song and Hyuk Su-Seo (Queensland Roar) and Chinese winger Leilei Gao (Wellington Phoenix) - an influx is also on the way.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer, who will bankroll newcomers Gold Coast United, has already made it clear he wants at least one high-profile Chinese player to help promote his business interests.

--------------------------

The start of the A-League finals series has been put back a week to accommodate Australia's opening Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia in Jakarta on January 28. The Socceroos have been drawn against Oman and Kuwait.
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/fo...-sights-to-asia/2008/10/30/1224956237975.html

Loyalty · Nov 9, 2008

The past week hurt Aust's chances of producing a home grown coach big time.

With Van Egmond going off (rightfully so) but then having to be restrained after yesterdays dive-a-thon from a Perth player, Kosmina failing to show any grace and integrity after Sydneys loss and then Vidmars clueless coaching performance in the Adelaide V Gamba.

If these guys are the top up an coming coaches for Aust then it looks like we'll be looking overseas for a while yet.

cmedina1983 · Nov 14, 2008

Loyalty said: ↑

The past week hurt Aust's chances of producing a home grown coach big time.

With Van Egmond going off (rightfully so) but then having to be restrained after yesterdays dive-a-thon from a Perth player, Kosmina failing to show any grace and integrity after Sydneys loss and then Vidmars clueless coaching performance in the Adelaide V Gamba.

If these guys are the top up an coming coaches for Aust then it looks like we'll be looking overseas for a while yet.
Click to expand...

How on Earth can you suggest that Vidmar had a case of clueless coaching against Gamba? Clearly the first leg was lost, not because of coaching efforts, but of something out of the control of any coach - player mistakes. The second leg was a coach's nightmare; injuries, players disallowed from joining the United squad and suspensions meant that there was no way in hell Adelaide could ever overcome the 3-0 gap, let alone take the trophy home.

epris · Nov 15, 2008

Loyalty said: ↑

The past week hurt Aust's chances of producing a home grown coach big time.

With Van Egmond going off (rightfully so) but then having to be restrained after yesterdays dive-a-thon from a Perth player, Kosmina failing to show any grace and integrity after Sydneys loss and then Vidmars clueless coaching performance in the Adelaide V Gamba.

If these guys are the top up an coming coaches for Aust then it looks like we'll be looking overseas for a while yet.
Click to expand...

Thats a bit much.

GVE is having a difficult year, largley because Newcastle isn't a very good side this season. Hell, you can't lose all those players from last year, including having a grumpy sulking jade North and expect to play the attractive football like when they won the Final! Egmond is a fine coach, and i for one would like to see him one day Coach a national team.

Vidmar did very well to get a small club like adelaide into the final of the ACL and should be given a lot of credit for that. Up until the final they did EXACTLY what they should have done to do it, and lets face it, at the end of the day, the didn't show enough against a very classy Gamba side.

Kosmina's a douchebag, enough said

el-capitano · Nov 16, 2008

CALL it what you like - long ball, route one, direct. The purists may squirm, but that doesn't worry Lawrie McKinna one bit. Two pre-season cups, two grand-final appearances, and a minor premiership is a pretty impressive haul for a club that now wears the "unfashionable" tag as a badge of honour. The siege mentality is alive and well in Gosford, and continues to be a great source of motivation. As we reach the halfway point of another A-League season, where are the Central Coast Mariners? In second spot, hot on the heels of pacesetters Melbourne Victory, and challenging for honours again.

Football, and how it should be played, is an endless source of debate among fans, coaches and those who wear $400 shirts, drink ristrettos at fashionable cafes and like to regard themselves as the cognoscenti. Of the latter, there are few among the blue-collar, thongs and singlet-wearing people of the Central Coast. This is Marinerland, where a strong tackle, or a gutsy header, is likely to generate as much applause at a home game as a nutmeg or a whipped cross. And McKinna plays to his market and his team's strengths: strong, direct, physical. McKinna may have become an Australian, but the fact he was serenaded by bagpipes at his citizenship ceremony proves he hasn't forgone his Scottish roots. The Mariners' style is his style, and damn the critics. It has proved mighty effective.

Whereas Aurelio Vidmar adapted his tactics, his ideas, and his philosophy to suit Asia, there are few indications McKinna is going to compromise his beliefs in quite the same way. Should he? Probably not.

The likelihood is that Asian clubs are not going to know what's hit them when the Mariners turn up with their battering ram of forwards feeding off the quick release from goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, a tall and muscular line of defenders putting their bodies on the line, and a midfield anchorman, Mile Jedinak, who prowls the centre circle like a caged lion. It's one thing knowing what the Mariners are likely to do. It's another to be able to do something about it.

In the A-League, nobody has quite got to grips with the Mariners' style of play. The ACL is another level, but the way the Mariners play is so foreign to the slow tempo of the west Asians, or the high-tempo short-passing game of the east Asians, that it may work. And it's always good to have the element of surprise.

The key for Central Coast between now and then is Andrew Clark, who sometimes plays at fullback but always works as the team's strength and conditioning coach. Clark is a hard taskmaster, but he's also a smart guy. He's doing his master's degree in sports science, focusing on the best way, and the best time, for players to use their energy. In the heat of Asia, that insight could be crucial. If the Mariners learn to switch gears, they could go a long way.
Click to expand...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/michael-cockerill/2008/11/16/1226770257073.html

cmedina1983 · Nov 16, 2008

Great article there from the Herald. It's nice to see that one paper's going to screen great pieces on football, unlike others, who will only give the code attention if a "riot" breaks out between two fans.

el-capitano · Nov 26, 2008

From a Newcastle Blog.....

LAST year the Cove made a damn fine pullover banner for their final game against Melbourne featuring Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons saying “Worst. Title defence. Ever.” As we’ve so convincingly taken that title away from Melbourne I reckon we should take that banner as well.

Sure Sydney could re-use the banner themselves against us - let's face it, they almost certainly will - it’d actually sound a lot more convincing coming from we, the disgusted fans of Newcastle.

The player exodus that began almost immediately after the grand final continues. What few quality players we have are busy getting themselves banned for the stupidest offences and GVE himself, hailed as a genius for bringing the title to the cheapest team, is relegated to the stands for his chicken dance routine in Perth.

What’s even funnier is that we’re back to the old days of big names that are being thrown about, well before anything is signed, or indeed any evidence of contact is actually apparent. While there’d be no complaints if these signings actually eventuated, we’ve seen it all before and are far too jaded by years fanciful announcements from club officials to get excited.

I even jokingly suggested this week on our supporter forums that we petition the FFA to remove us from the Asian Champions League to prevent further embarrassment. The reaction from the other supporters was entertaining to say the least. You’ve got to admit though, it’s not that bad an idea...
Click to expand...

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/89917,blog-hey-cove-can-we-borrow-your-banner.aspx

el-capitano · Nov 26, 2008

You really believe this Ernie?

ERNIE Merrick believes Fred was given too much credit for Melbourne Victory's Championship as the Brazilian prepares to face his old club.
Merrick believes his team has more than adequately replaced championship winning midfielder Fred over the past two seasons as Victory prepare to face their former star man for the first time on Friday night.

Fred, the Brazilian maestro best remembered for setting up four of Archie Thompson's five goals in the Victory's memorable 6-0 drubbing of Adelaide in the 2006/07 grand final, has signed a six-match guest stint with Wellington Phoenix.

The 29-year-old left Melbourne after the championship winning season to join American club DC United and Merrick is determined to prove his team is just as potent a force without Fred in their ranks this season after a dip in form without him last season.

Speaking after training today Merrick said: "I think the last memory everyone has of Fred is when Archie scored five goals (in the grand final against Adelaide in Fred's last game for the Victory) and Fred somehow got the credit for most of that."

Merrick said it was easily forgotten that Fred 'took eight weeks to settle into our team' and also played alongside two other outstanding midfielders that season in Grant Brebner and skipper Kevin Muscat.

He said: "And we had two fantastic strikers that were our top goalscorers that year in Archie and Dan (Allsopp) but despite all those stats it (Victory's 06/07 championship win) all (seemingly) came down to Fred.

"He was a loss but I think we have more than adequately replaced him."
Click to expand...

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/89866,ernie-too-much-cred-for-fred.aspx

el-capitano · Nov 26, 2008

Veteran former Socceroos goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac wants to return to the A-League – as a coach.

The AC Milan contract of the man affectionately known as “Spider” expires at the end of next season and he is already putting in place plans to acquire the coaching certificates that will add weight to his quest to stay in the game that has nourished him over 20 eventful years.

With Aurelio Vidmar flourishing at Adelaide United, Paul Okon landing the assistant job at Gold Coast United and Tony Popovic joining John Kosmina’s coaching staff at Sydney FC, Kalac believes he can join a conga line of ex-Socceroos who have made the transition from the pitch to the technical area.

“I have a wealth of experience to offer a club and with the league hopefully expanding to 12 teams in 2010, there might be an opening there for me somewhere,” he said.

“I know all about the coaching techniques and training drills they do at Milan, which after all is one of the best clubs in the world.

“I think players would enjoy the way we do things here and I’d love to take back what I’ve learned to the A-League. I think being the type of person I am, coaching would really suit me.”
Click to expand...

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/kalac-targets-sideline-job-153832/

cmedina1983 · Nov 27, 2008

As soon as he mentioned coaching it was obvious it would be a technical coaching role. I don't think his years at Milan would be wasted if he decided to bring those techniques back here for our boys to take advantage of.