Wanted: Your opinions

Discussion in 'Australia' started by 12th Warrior, Jan 26, 2010.

  1. 12th Warrior

    12th Warrior Member+

    May 27, 2006
    Hi Aussie fans,

    I will be writing something up on the Asian teams for a World Cup blog and wanted to hear what y'all had to say about the Socceroos. Here are some aspects I would like to touch upon and would appreciate your input.

    1. How would you characterize your team? (I know, perhaps a bit too general but bear with me.)

    2. Team's strengths, weaknesses.

    3. Will it make it to second round?

    4. Opinion on so-called player drain?

    5. Little known anecdotes about the team.

    6. Players to watch.

    Thanks vm.
     
  2. cmedina1983

    cmedina1983 New Member

    Nov 14, 2008
    California
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    1. The team's character can be summed up well as 'gutsy'. Add a dose of luck in the mix and a hard-working ethic and you've got the Australian team covered to a tee. Regardless if we win, lose or draw we don't drop our heads and we'll try everything at all costs to swing a game our way.

    2. Our strength continues to be our back line - although recently there have been questions over some of our defenders. Schwarzer is still as unstoppable as ever in goals which helps us out big time. Our midfield certainly has its strengths but regardless of what our coach, Pim Verbeek suggests it's not particularly offensive-minded. Which brings me to our weaknesses. We don't have good striking options. We have a wonderful goal poacher in Tim Cahill but no lone striker to suit out 4-2-3-1 system like Mark Viduka. Josh Kennedy is a target man for crosses and set pieces and Scott McDonald's a poacher as well - neither are suited for the lone striker's role.

    3. If we make it to the 2nd round it will be a job well done. Everybody is writing off the Germany game and rightfully so - but I believe if we stick to our strengths and out-muscle the Germans on the pitch then we can hold steady for a draw. If we grab a point from Germany that would almost seal qualification as far as I'm concerned. We have a winning record against Ghana that could prove a psychological edge but I'm wary of the strengths that Serbia have.

    4. Look, the Hyundai A-League is never going to be La Liga - it's almost too fanciful to consider it being a Top 3 league in Asia. We have a salary cap, not to limit footballers who want to remain here but to preserve the survival of our code in a very saturated sporting landscape. The Hyundai A-League is a wonderful benchmark for aspiring Australian players to work towards, but beyond that there are and there will always be better leagues in Asia and abroad to play in. Ergo we will always "suffer" a player drain, but it is good in a way because it forces clubs to find youngsters and promote youth development in clubs so it works in our favour too.

    5. Don't know the team that personally ;)

    6. Dario Vidosic will be a bolter for the World Cup. I'm not certain how much game time he'll get but he's a fast, young forward with lots of promise. Rhys Williams is a staunch, young defender who's very mature for his age. Very cool and calculated no matter who the opposition are - he's going to be the next big thing. If Nicky Carle gets game time, look out - but he still has some kinks in his game to iron out before the big matches.
     
  3. zhuangzi

    zhuangzi Member

    Feb 7, 2008
    Australia
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    1. Wot Chris sed

    2. Strengths: strong in the air, composed and compact defense, high workrate, flexible players, superb goalkeeper, good attacking midfield trio. Weaknesses: ageing backline, static defensive midfield, no genuine striker threat, shallow bench, restrictive gameplans.

    3. Probably the least likely team in the group to do so but only by a fraction. We're capable of defeating Ghana and taking a point off Serbia and we'll do our damnedest against Germany. Hopefully that'll be enough.

    4. Hasn't been the threat to the A-League some were painting it as, but this is in part because a lot of our exports haven't actually thrived. Hopefully a) our infrastructure will produce better young talent with the right attitude and b) enough veterans will be returning and not-quite-good-enoughs staying to keep the A-League watchable.

    5. Uh... I heard Luke Wilkshire once killed a polar bear just by looking at it. True story.

    6. Definately Dario Vidosic. Attacking midfielder with a lot of craft and looking better every game. If they get a run winger Nikita Rukavytsya, and defenders Matt Spiranovic and Rhys Williams are definately worth talking a look at.

    Not as glamorous a player but Luke Wilkshire is now the engine behind the team, plays everywhere, clean hitter of the ball and has a mean cross.
     
  4. NoRightFoot

    NoRightFoot Member

    May 18, 2006
    Melbourne, at times.
    Club:
    Malmo FF
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia


    I don't want to sound like an "I told you so", but Wilkshire was considered the best of the up and comers after the 2001 drama's against Uruguay. Because he didn't have an immediate impact people started writing him off.

    Along with Emerton, Kewell, Cahill, Schwarzer and Neill would be up there with our most significant players.

    Agree re Vidosic. Even if he does look a bit emo. I think if we had the gameplan we had under Hiddink, Dario would've scored by now.
     
  5. el-capitano

    el-capitano Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Sydney
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    Post your link when you're done! ;)
     
  6. Caesar

    Caesar Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 3, 2004
    Oztraya
    The other guys have summarised the more important parts best, but nobody's quoted any anecdotes. As far as less well-known facts for people outside Australia, I can think of a couple. No guarantee how interesting they are.

    - Mark Schwarzer has written a children's book
    - Vince Grella hated the food on national team camps so much that during his time at Parma, he would always bring a block of parmesan cheese and a slab of prosciutto to camp
     
  7. Quicky

    Quicky Member

    Jul 2, 2007
    Wherever I May Roam
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    Adding to what Ceasar said:

    In 1970 the Socceroos were (supposedly) cursed by a withdoctor after failing to pay him for a consultation some of players had. The withdoctor buried bones near the goalposts cursing the team. We went on to fail to qualify for the WC going down to Israel. We had a series of inconcievable heartbreaks in future WC campaigns (Argentina, Iran, Uruguay). In 2004 John Safran a TV host travelled to Zimbabwe and lifted the curse. We have qualified for both WC's since.

    http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/11/27/the-curse-of-the-socceroos/

    Also, I think Wilkshire is the player to watch in our team. He really has been our best performed player for a long time now and not many people outside Australia probably know him all that well. Very important player for us and looks like he'll play DM at the WC. He is a real general in our side, great passing game and critical with his crosses and set pieces.
     
  8. cmedina1983

    cmedina1983 New Member

    Nov 14, 2008
    California
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    SHIT.

    How did we all pass this up for an anecdote?
     

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