[dyertribe]

Not because we aren't there, but because the majority of the teams are garbage!!!

Not only are there pathetic teams like Saudi Arabia and China clogging around looking like pub teams, but the supposed heavyweights look decidedly weak as well!

France???? What the hell happened to them?

Italy's famed defence got carved up by Croatia for heaven's sake!!

Why are we at home? Because we lost one game away to a South American side - not because we aren't good enough.

I'd like to see Italy or France go to Montevideo and not come away with a 3-0 reverse.

 

[JamGraffiti]

Actually i reckon a large majority of the site couldn't give a stuff about playing for Australia in the World cup since they are either; unsure of their allegance and wish they'd have picked another country AND/OR not interested in playing international football (i.e Roy Keane) and more interested in making money and fame from club football

I wouldn't go as far as saying most of the teams there are garbage but it makes you wonder how seriously some of the so called "superpowers" are taking the competition. It seems to me like some players would rather be holidaying than playing football :sigh:

I also noticed another thing. Apart from france (who suck at the moment and have been shaky ever since the fridnly in Melbourne) and the two hosts (who beat us in the Confederations cup) all the other friendly opponents we had (Chile, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech republic, Scotland) all failed to progress to the World cup! :eekani:.

A possible explanation of why we aren't there perhaps?

 

[lili]

frankly, i would prefer meet you in this wc than the uruguayans!!
what cheaters and couards those guys!!!

 

[Vampire Lestat]

Do we have to see the same argument of who should and who shouldn't be at the WC?

Who is to say the Aussies would have done any better anyway?

 

[Adriano]

Any of you guys seen the Frank Farina add?

 

[JamGraffiti]

Do we have to see the same argument of who should and who shouldn't be at the WC?

Who is to say the Aussies would have done any better anyway?

Thats a good point VL and the more i see of this tournament (i've seen almost very game in its entirety) the more i reckon we'd have struggled there.

What is of more concern is that i think our style of play would have bored a lot of people. Frankly (no pun intended ) i think our Coach (Frank Farina) is tactically naive and plays incorrect formations for the type of football he seems to want to play and also puts players in the wrong positions.

Frankly while the rest of the World moves forwards, our game only goes backwards and it starts from the top and moves down. If our national body was serious then they'd try to get a coach like Milutinovic, Troussier, Hiddink....i.e Coaches who with experience in a variety of countries would pick balanced teams and would have us playing to our strengths while encouragining us to play an attractive style of football that would get results and bring fans through the gates. I also think we'd play A LOT more much needed friendly and other preparation games because of the reputation of the coach :hopefull:

Of course none of this will happen anytime soon (which probably means several decades :sigh: :groan: ) buts thats life i guess. I am just glad that i can still enjoy the WC, barrick for certain teams and watch the game from a technical and tactical point of view

And i'm also glad i'm a sports lover (not just soccer) and so can revel in the many other sports Australia is good at

p.s KI i say seen the Farina ad and to be honest he almost looks inconsiderate in the add. Not much of an actor IMO. My personal favourite of that series is the one involving Ryan Gridler (you know the "call me, call me now ad" :drool: )

 

[dyertribe]

Do we have to see the same argument of who should and who shouldn't be at the WC?

Who is to say the Aussies would have done any better anyway?

If you knew what Australian fans have had to put up with, you wouldn't have posted.

 

[dyertribe]

Any of you guys seen the Frank Farina add?

It's an insult to all Australian football fans IMO - I mean please, have we any dignity left? Have a look at Kyle Patterson's article at The World Game - it sums up my feelings on it perfectly.

And it's not often I agree with discotasche KP.

 

[Vampire Lestat]

If you knew what Australian fans have had to put up with, you wouldn't have posted.

well, trust me, i have to put up with alot too :depress: the 8-0 loss to Germany will always label our team...which is sad because it is really the worst game in our history, but since are teams judged on one game?

For the record, i was rooting for Australia against Uruguay. I wanted to see Kewell in the WC.

 

[dyertribe]

Thats a good point VL and the more i see of this tournament (i've seen almost very game in its entirety) the more i reckon we'd have struggled there.

What is of more concern is that i think our style of play would have bored a lot of people. Frankly (no pun intended ) i think our Coach (Frank Farina) is tactically naive and plays incorrect formations for the type of football he seems to want to play and also puts players in the wrong positions.

I disagree entirely - nothing at this world cup has looked supernatural like it did at previous world cups.

Turkey scored against Brazil first and matched them the whole way.

France was famously beaten by Senegal.

Italy's defence was unlocked with comical ease twice within minutes by a side considered well past its best.

I think that a solid, fit, Socceroos with Kewell outwide where he's supposed to be and Bresciano pulling the strings in midfield would've been quite an interesting proposition for most sides.

People forget that apart from that blatant last-minute penalty decision that wasn't given to Aloisi we would've beaten full-strength France in Melbourne back in November - tell me would've struggled with a fully-fit Tiatto, Bosnich and Agostino added to the squad.

I will agree that FF has no idea tactically - why he persists with a 4-4-2 that insists on playing with 4 defenders (our weakest position by far) is beyond me. I've said it before, I'll say it again - we should exploit our strength in midfield and pick 5 that will do the job.

Kewell, Sterjovski, Tiatto, Skoko, Bresciano, Okon, Emerton, Lazaridis, Chipperfield, etc are all preferable to Foxe, Popovic, Murphy, Colosimo ...

 

[dyertribe]

well, trust me, i have to put up with alot too :depress: the 8-0 loss to Germany will always label our team...which is sad because it is really the worst game in our history, but since are teams judged on one game?

For the record, i was rooting for Australia against Uruguay. I wanted to see Kewell in the WC.

Yes, it was a brutal result for the Riyadh lads - but look at it this way - at least you get to qualify

We lose one game - or in the case of 1997 don't lose any - and we don't get to go.

I believe Asia's problem is it doesn't have enough competitive qualifiers leading up to the WC - this was especially true when with Japan and Korea out of the equation the only crunch game for KSA was against Iran - and China didn't really have any quality opposition in their group, it's a massive leap to go from playing the UAE in Beijing to playing Brazil in Japan.

These problems could be solved if Australia and/or Oceania was absorbed into the AFC meaning group football for Oz and tougher fixtures for the existing AFC teams.

The topical question of direct qualification for Oceania wouldn't help either party.

 

[Vampire Lestat]

I wouldn't mind that at all! It would be great for Asia and for Australia as well

 

[pao1908]

I really have to agree with Andreas on this one... if we had got to the WC we would have struggled. Generally speaking, most teams have played great football, have had an attacking nature to their game, they have shown great skill and teamwork... things that Australia under the current set-up and mentallity could never achieve at this WC.

Its sad, and its hurtfull..... but its reality guys :depress:

 

[tigerTUFF]

we must merge into the asian qualifiers and play from start to finish against japan, korea, china, iran, saudi etc, including the asia cup in between world cups, imagine qualifying for both world and asia cups properly not mickey mouse, we'd be very powerful by 2006, of course farina would have to go.........


Imagine being able to watch full strength aussies (for me mainly Kewell) 7 or 8 times a year in proper sanctioned matches, we could play in perth, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney and the big ones in Melbourne, that way all of australia gets to see the best socceroos in action regularly not just melbournians (once every 4 years ) We would improve remarkably and the game would grow even quicker here b/c kewell and co. would be in our faces every other month instead of once every 4 years.........



NOTE: FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WANTED OCEANIA TO SOMEHOW RIDICULOUSLY RECEIVE FREE QUALIFICATION THINK ON THIS........FRANCE PLAYED FRIENDLIES (ABT 100 OF THEM) BETWEEN WORLD CUPS AND LOOKED ABSOLUTELY HOPELESS WHEN THE REAL STUFF CAME, FRIENDLIES THESE DAYS ARE NOTHING, NOT EVEN WORTH PLAYING TO BE FRANK (MAY AS WELL PLAY THE LOCAL STATE LEAGUE SIDE) HOW THE HELL COULD WE PLAY WELL AT A WORLD CUP AFTER PLAYING 40 FRIENDLIES PER 4 YEARS OF WHICH 35 ARE AGAINST TEAMS THAT A SELECT XTRATIME RESERVE SIDE COULD BURY 10 PAST??? I THINK IT WOULD BE FOOTBALL SUICIDE TO RECEIVE DIRECT I MEAN FREE QUALIFICATION, WE MUST GET CHALLENGED AGAINST REASONABLE ASIAN TEAMS TO IMPROVE.........(PERSONALLY I THINK WE CAN BECOME A FORCE QUICKLY, IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT CHALLENGES)


NOTE: FOR ALL THOSE WANKAS THAT BAGGED US AGAINST URUGUAY, WELL NOW YOU ALL KNOW WHY WE COPPED 3. NOT B/C WE WERE OUTCLASSED BY A BETTER SIDE, lmao FAR FROM IT, BUT B/C OF A LACK OF PROPER MATCH HARDENING, EVEN FRANCE, THE BEST TEAM OF THE PAST 4 YEARS LOOKED HOPELESS WITHOUT PROPER MATCH CONDITIONING AND THIS IS FRANCE WERE TALKING ABT! HOW I HOPE THINGS RIGHT THEMSELVES AND WE GET A CHANCE TO REDEEM OURSELVES! :fero:

 

[pao1908]

NOTE: FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WANTED OCEANIA TO SOMEHOW RIDICULOUSLY RECEIVE FREE QUALIFICATION THINK ON THIS........FRANCE PLAYED FRIENDLIES (ABT 100 OF THEM) BETWEEN WORLD CUPS AND LOOKED ABSOLUTELY HOPELESS WHEN THE REAL STUFF CAME, FRIENDLIES THESE DAYS ARE NOTHING, NOT EVEN WORTH PLAYING TO BE FRANK (MAY AS WELL PLAY THE LOCAL STATE LEAGUE SIDE) HOW THE HELL COULD WE PLAY WELL AT A WORLD CUP AFTER PLAYING 40 FRIENDLIES PER 4 YEARS OF WHICH 35 ARE AGAINST TEAMS THAT A SELECT XTRATIME RESERVE SIDE COULD BURY 10 PAST??? I THINK IT WOULD BE FOOTBALL SUICIDE TO RECEIVE DIRECT I MEAN FREE QUALIFICATION, WE MUST GET CHALLENGED AGAINST REASONABLE ASIAN TEAMS TO IMPROVE.........(PERSONALLY I THINK WE CAN BECOME A FORCE QUICKLY, IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT CHALLENGES)


NOTE: FOR ALL THOSE WANKAS THAT BAGGED US AGAINST URUGUAY, WELL NOW YOU ALL KNOW WHY WE COPPED 3. NOT B/C WE WERE OUTCLASSED BY A BETTER SIDE, lmao FAR FROM IT, BUT B/C OF A LACK OF PROPER MATCH HARDENING, EVEN FRANCE, THE BEST TEAM OF THE PAST 4 YEARS LOOKED HOPELESS WITHOUT PROPER MATCH CONDITIONING AND THIS IS FRANCE WERE TALKING ABT! HOW I HOPE THINGS RIGHT THEMSELVES AND WE GET A CHANCE TO REDEEM OURSELVES! :fero: [/B]

Yeah, what he said!
The most intelligent post ive seen here for a while.... nice one tiger

 

[Florian Albert]

agree entirely -oceania should join asia-and in the qualifiers we should be kept apart-playing different styles would help this side of the ditch as well-ps soccer is now the no 1 junior sport in this country

 

[dinamovac11]

Well I don't think Australia would have been embarrased but they probably would not have done very well. What Australia showed against Uruguay was ugly football and Farina showed how tactically crap he is. They were outclassed, although they really shouldn't have been.

And what did Uruguay do in the WC?? NOTHING!!

Also, everybody is having a go at Saudi Arabia who qualified as the best team in Asia yet Australia couldn't even beat Iran a few years ago who were the 4th or 5th best at the time.

Australia's current team relies on a few players creating something individually and has absolutely no sense of team play at all, and at WC level it gets found out.

 

[dyertribe]

Dinamo11 you are fair dinkum kidding.

Back in 1997 against Iran we drew twice ... 1-1 in Tehran and 2-2 in Melbourne - may I point out that Ireland lost their leg in Tehran in this last qualification campaign?

In the last 18 months we've:

Beaten a full-strength Scotland 2-0 away with half our team (Kewell, Viduka, Moore, Vidmar, Bosnich, etc) out.

Beaten and drawn with France

Beaten Brazil

Beaten Uruguay - and the loss in Montevideo was exacerbated by the fact we had to throw everyone forward to get that away goal.

Don't give me this crap that we wouldn't have done well - it doesnt wash.

We lost ONE game and all of a sudden we're crap?

 

[dyertribe]

One thing I will agree on you with is that FF was/is a moron.

Why did he persist with Kewell upfront in both games when he was doing absolutely nothing???? As soon as he went out wide on the left we started creating chances and team looked a cut above Uruguay (and the French in the Melbourne friendly).

Sterjovski was totally wasted - didn't get on at all, and this is after being a key player for Lille in their recent Champions League campaign.

Bresciano!!! Why couldn't he get on??? Arguably Serie B's best player last season and headhunted by Serie A's top teams ... but no, let's leave him on the bench.

Grrr ... and to make things worse I've got to see a Melbourne-born and bred player look like a top-class player for another nation ...

 

[dinamovac11]

What you listed are friendlies that really don't mean anything apart from the Confed Cup when it was a real competition and the team was brilliant. But how we played against Uruguay was nothing like how we played in the Confed Cup when I thought Farina got it tactically right and the team played as a team.

The way they played against Uruguay was not football. The whole game plan was just get it wide somehow and let Emerton, Lazaridis and Kewell just try and create something by themselves. Their was no passing game or anything. Wow, we beat Uruguay 1-0 at home, but what is the point when we ended up losing 3-0?? I disagree that we only lost that much because of the late goals because if you watch the game Uruguay could well have been a few up at half time alone.

You also bring up the Iran series and say we didn't lose but the fact is we didn't win either against the 4th best side in Asia yet now people are bagging Saudi Arabia and saying that Australia would have done so much better. It doesn't make sense.

Farina himself said that if Australia were inthe WC then we would have gone past the first round...is he kidding or what?!?! If he thinks we are so good then why aren't we there now? oh thats right...a bad day!! Who goes into an away leg leading 1-0 saying that they need to score a goal?? It is unheard of. And that commercial he did is a disgrace!!

Australia is a good side and has the ability to be a bettter one but even if we made the WC it would have been a learning process anyway...

And yes that other player looks like a better defender than any of the current Aussie ones.