Did yellow cards from the Round 2 of the Qualifiers carry forward to this current Round 3, or were they officially waived ? I am hoping very much it is the latter, but i would like to see a link to something that said that it happened this way.
I've been very curious about the "3-4-3" formation since Conte started using it at Chelsea (I didn't watch him at his previous clubs). Curious enough to almost try it with the team that I coach in NPL 3. However, from what I've seen of the formation, the success of it (in terms of getting results) is more dependent on the quality of players than if you used a formation with 4 or more at the back. The players need to be quick and strong but most importantly possess a good range of pacing and fantastic decision making. The biggest weaknesses in the formation is the ability of the players to minimise mistakes which lead to counter attacks and how the players deal with counter attacks. Nations like Spain, Germany and potentially France would pull it off (winning tournaments) based on the players available for selection. When a squad like Australia comes up against nations similar to the ones we faced in the Confederations Cup, we may play attractive football and be competitive, but we are also vulnerable. We didn't keep a clean sheet in that tournament. Another part of the formation that is important is to have inverted wingers/attacking mids who are running towards the goal (e.g. Hazard) instead of wingers/attacking mids on their traditional side. It doesn't make sense to have wingers/attacking mids trying to run around defenders when the wing backs are so high and already provide the width. However, the inverted wingers/attacking mids need to be more skilful in being able to keep the ball in tight spaces so we need the right players which I'm not sure Australia has apart from Rogic. Having inverted wingers also allows for the central midfielders to get on the ball higher up the pitch and possibly score more goals. Because of the talent that we have/don't have, we need to go back to 4-2-3-1.
Yep- the amount of times Smith was caught out of position or just didn't track back because he was so far up the field........
I am worried about Tommy Rogic playing against KSA last October. Was that legal, or do the Saudis have some ammunition in their back pocket to cruel us next week after the last matches? It could be far worse than a politician hypothetically falling foul of Section 44.1.
Yes, according to official FIFA documents set in place for FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification, 2 yellow card in previous round carry forward to next round of the same competition. This implies that 2 cautions received in Qualification Round 2 is carry forward to Round 3 hence, Tommy Rogic was ineligible to play in the match against Saudi Arabia in October last year which ended in a 2-2 draw and as law stands, that much will be forfeited (if claimed by Saudi Arabia) and will be awarded 3-0 victory to Saudi Arabia - if Saudi Arabia claims. According to below 2 links, following is the article articulating the law: http://resources.fifa.com/mm/docume...5_15-00638_101_en_en_june2016_gsa_neutral.pdf http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/50/02/75/discoinhalte.pdf Law 17 Caution 1. A caution (yellow card) is a warning from the referee to a player during a match to sanction unsporting behaviour of a less serious nature (cf. Law 12 of the Laws of the Game). 2. Two cautions received during the same match incur an expulsion (indirect red card) and, consequently, automatic suspension from the next match (cf. art. 18 par. 4). The two cautions that incurred the red card are rescinded. 3. If a player receives a caution in two separate matches of the same FIFA competition, he is automatically suspended from the next match in that competition. The Disciplinary Committee may exceptionally depart from or amend this rule before the start of a particular competition. Any such decision reached by the Disciplinary Committee is final. So, congratulations in Advance to Saudi Arabia if the above law is claimed and applied.
Tom Rogic had a yellow card against Jordan in 5-1 victory of Australia in Round 2, and then he had a yellow against UAE in 1-0 victory of Australia in Round 3 hence, he was not eligible to play against Saudi Arabia (whereas he played). Hence, this match can be forfeited if claimed by Saudi Arabia and 3-0 victory will be awarded to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia needs to claim this immediately. If above happens, Australia will be on 15 points instead of 16... And suddenly, UAE will be in contention to claim 3rd spot.
Nothing to worry about here, just because we didn't get the announcement of cleared yellow cards from Round 2 doesn't mean the officials didn't get it. They would have had to reset yellow card numbers received after Round 2 due to the Suspension of Indonesia, that meant Thailand and Iraq playing 2 less games then the rest. Even if they didn't and Rogic was deemed ineligible, Saudi Arabia is in the same boat (there are probably others as well that leads to the conclusion yellows must have been reset.) Abdulmalek Al Khaibri picked up a yellow in the last game of round 2 vs UAE, then picked up another yellow in the 2-1 loss to Japan in round 3, but still played in the next game a 3-0 win over Thailand.
^ Nothing will happen to Australia even if the case is legit. Football gods in Fifa will favor Australia over Saudi Arabia. Saudis better think about their match tomorrow to come up as winners instead of cooking up troubles and complains, you are not complaining against poor Iraqis, Palestinians or bad managed Iranians with no international support or influence, so it doesn't work for you.
All the talk on the TV coverage after the game is how we dominated and were unlucky. I disagree. I thought we were pretty ordinary just like we have been for most of this campaign. We look vulnerable at the back as we have for some time, and tend to create half chances rather than genuine chances because we can't move the ball forward quickly enough to give us time. I don't think we are good enough to get through two playoffs if it comes to that.
I always tell my Australian friends at work that 50% of the problem with this code in Australia is the overly incestuous approach towards coaching staff, journalists, commentators and analysers active in the game. We just need to get more non-Australian voices in there to point out the flaws and push for them to be fixed. The stats admiring wave after the game last night was pathetic. Anyone with half of a brain could see that we didn't dominate and Thais were within inches to win for most parts of the game and to get a draw for almost all of the game. The Foxtel crew is just cringe worthy in terms of level of tactical understanding and commentators embarrass themselves with constant biased commentary (They should be cheering for the team not distort facts about how is the play going). The Australian public that contains the would players needs to be correctly educated about the game and obvious weaknesses of the Australian team so they become the future solutions for it. Feeding them feel good garbage doesn't help anyone.
Honestly, surprised you guys are playing possession football and building from the back. You guys have the height advantage over most of the teams in Asia, you guys should be playing long balls to your tall forwards like Juric to bang it in. You guys should really revert ball to focusing more on your aerial threats in the Syria match and making use of your physical strength to wind them down imo. They can't match you guys in the air and physical duels as well.
Ange wants to help change the culture of Australian football from long ball to a possession based (possession which is not just for the sake of possession) game. I've been involved in the C and B licence courses and the whole idea is that if we implement this style of football throughout Australia, we'll eventually have players who are technically and tactically good enough to play football under pressure without having to send it up the field every time an opponent gets near them. It's obvious that the formation isn't helping our situation BUT at the end of the day, do we have the players to do much? Mooy is the only player that has really grown in the last year or two. Luongo is still in the lower leagues of England, Ryan can't find a club where he'll regularly start, half our guys are struggling to play for clubs in below average leagues in Europe and Asia. What do people expect from Ange?
I didn't think we were that bad. Three posts, and some amazing last ditch tackling, like the one on Juric, stopped it from being a rout. Another day they could've got 5 or 6. That being said, it shouldn't have been left to trying to smash Thailand on the last match of qualifying to automatically qualify from the group. The draw in Thailand and in Iraq killed us. I understand that Ange wants to change things up, but if we don't have the cattle for that, ie the 3 at the back with the wingbacks, then maybe put it back in the holster until we do. The main thing that annoys me with Ange was when he first came out and said he'd only pick regular starters. Then started to regularly pick his favourites, like Kruse, Sainsbury & Smith who have only played 2 games a year. Ok slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Kruse, is now finally getting some game time, and Sainsbury didn't play that badly, but Smith looked very short of a gallop, and was the weakest link against Japan. Even if they are only regularly playing in a lessor league, its still regular game time, they are match fit and sharp, and if they're good enough to get called up to the squad- play them rather than the ones who have been warming up the pine.......
Australia and Syria will play a two-legged series in October to determine Asia’s representative in the intercontinental playoff. Syria will “host” the first leg in Malaysia on Oct. 5 (the team hasn’t played in Syria in years due to the ongoing war in the country) before the series moves down under for the second leg on Oct. 10. The winner will move to the intercontinental playoff against the CONCACAF representative. The series will be played between Nov. 6 and Nov. 14, with the CONCACAF team set to host the first leg before the AFC qualifier hosts the return match. The series winner will be determined by aggregate goals. If the teams are tied following the second leg, the team with more away goals will move onto the World Cup. If both countries are tied on away goals, the series will be decided in extra time and, if necessary, penalties. Away goals will count in extra time.
sorry I should have been more specific in my prior post...still need to beat the CONCACAF 4th place finisher...but I'm still predicting Russia 2018!!!
yeah but beware, Honduras is a notorious "banana peel" place where the big boys of Concacaf often slip... isn't it a banana republic after all? Just kidding - but seriously don't book those flights just yet. Honduras are tough, especially in San Pedro Sula. I remember Australia having problems in AFC 2007 due to the jungle-like conditions in Southeast Asia, and Honduras will be similar. Fans keeping the players up all night outside their hotel, the atmosphere in the stadium.. getting something out of that away leg is crucial. If you can do that, then I think Australia will take it in Sydney, but Honduras IN Honduras is not an easy fixture. Don't count your chickens before they hatch... or as they'd say where you are, don't count your marsupials before they emerge from the pouch or whatever...
Socceroos = Tim Cahill. How many times he has to come to the rescue? He is a legend. I hope he plays at his 4th world cup. I like to see Rogic, Amini, Luongo, Cahill and Mooy all starting every match. Bench Kruse, Smith, Juric. Honduras are good but I'd say Socceroos will go through.
Back to the good old days of playoffs against teams from different parts of the world. At least this time the playoff is our second chance of qualifying rather than our only. The last time we played a CONCACAF team in a competitive world cup match was a playoff against Canada in 1993. I was at the Sydney game of this playoff and remember how Mark Schwarzer made two saves which got us through the penalty shootout after we finished 3-3 on aggregate. He repeated that effort 12 years later against Uruguay, and still played on in the national team until 2013. Shame we don't have a goal keeper like him in our first 11 now. Anyway, I will be at the Sydney leg of the playoff to keep my run of Sydney playoffs going. Haven't missed a sydney home playoff since attending my first at the old Sports Ground against South Korea in 1973.
So you are an old fan! My first memory of football is Iranian national team playing on TV in late 90s against China or another oriental team!