The Men Who Fell To Earth

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Matthew Hall

Where to now for the Socceroos?

It's time to get out a map and compass. But luckily (and we've been living on luck for a while) symmetry can be a beautiful thing.

Australia has ridden a recent wave of football euphoria that rose on a penalty shootout against Uruguay and has now been mercilessly dumped hard by losing one against Japan.

Panic not, though, the Asian Cup has been extremely beneficial for the sport and very revealing.

None of that has anything to do with whether Harry Kewell or Lucas Neill missed their kicks in the penalty shoot-out against Japan.

There was some irony, though, that two of the national team's biggest stars, guys that have contributed to the highs, had a role in reaching the lows.

Here's the thing that matters most. Australia entered this tournament half-baked and under-prepared and any success here would have seen us go forward to the 2010 World Cup believing our own hype.

I received an email during the week from someone closely connected to one of the more successful teams at the Asian Cup.

He said that Iraq's victory over Australia gave him a lot of satisfaction because Australia's coach, in particular, had been "very arrogant".

(Dear Arnie, these were his words not mine, so as is often the trait in football, don't blame the messenger).

Whether Arnold had been arrogant is now irrelevant.

The truth is there's wide perception across Asia that the new kids on the block had a swagger based only on a good - not great - performance at the World Cup.

There's a lot of work to do before and during the World Cup qualifiers.

One thing is clear from this tournament. Graham Arnold will not coach the Socceroos towards 2010.

Australia has suffered in the past from not being ruthless with coaches who fail and Arnold admitted that "failure" would be anything less than the semi-finals.

Sure, he had a difficult job succeeding Guus Hiddink, the man who could do no wrong (apparently).

The FFA now knows that having a caretaker look after their property is often not as satisfactory as someone who owns it.

Apparently Dick Advocaat is lined up for the World Cup campaign. He has supporters and detractors.

But there there are no shortage of other options.

Here's something of a world exclusive: Italian coach Claudio Ranieri was interested in the job earlier this year.

For whatever reason, the FFA showed little return love beyond asking for a CV.

The former Chelsea coach instead took over at Parma for the second half of last season, saved them from relegation and is now in charge of a small team called Juventus.

So, the big question is, where to now?

One thing is for sure.

Following the Socceroos is like riding a roller coaster. One thing it can never be described as is boring.

Oh, and another thing... did Andy Harper really say during the TV broadcast of the Japan game that Australia "wasn't diving enough". Did he really say, "It's not cheating, it's clever play..."?

COMMENTS

We should all be proud of socceroos!

It's heart-breaking but it's a humbling lesson. Many of us had assumed that it'd be a stroll in the back, going through un-defeated and that "we'd beat the Asians".

It'd have been a great final but as the Japanese hold on firmly on their end of the bargain by finishing on top of their group, WE DID NOT.

Before the match, Japan's coach Osim had expected a draw finshing leading to penalty shoot out and he was having his men practicing hard. Our wonderful Arnol had expected to win and apparently did not bother as much about a shoot out. WE DID NOT DO OUR HOMEWORK!

Knowing what to expect, we'll do better next time!

I still love the socceroos but hope for a more experienced coach.

by Tony on July 22, 2007 at 01:24 AM

we should be proud of the boys for a tough effort ... and it was a good lesson which will do our game a big favou. complacency out and humility in.

by John on July 22, 2007 at 01:59 AM

Australia were treated unfairly vince grellas offfence was never a straight red that was a joke which affected the match.

by julz on July 22, 2007 at 02:14 AM

Australia does not have to win everything. I am very happy for Japan.

by sin keong tong on July 22, 2007 at 02:31 AM

as an aussie living in germany, i listened to the match through the phone while my fantastic mum in sydney held the receiver up to the radio. nail biting stuff. both teams equally deserved to go through. although japan's a great side, it was really disappointing not to see our guys go through to the semis. let's get the next coach in and see what he can do to help us get to south africa in 2010.

by chrissy on July 22, 2007 at 02:55 AM

They wuz robbed!!!!!!!!!

by Paul on July 22, 2007 at 03:36 AM

totally right mate!
Watching that was like watching Northern Spirit....
what a fall from a "self established" grace..

by goalkeepersunion on July 22, 2007 at 04:57 AM

I think there are many lessons to be learned from the Asian Cup experience:
1. We need a coach with the ability to build a system in which our talented players can work within not just a guy who shouts instructions from the touchline
2. We can't rely on the physical intimidation of our opponents, thats best left in the Arok,Thomson, Farina, (and now Arnold) eras. Football is a game played with the brain as much as the feet
3. We cant be dictated to by European Clubs as far as player availability is concerned (I suspect the non-selection of McDonald, Spiranovic and of course the limited playing time of Tim Cahill were all to some extent a result of clubs putting pressure on the coach and getting what they want).

The most important lesson of all is that preparation is so important. Why we had only one game prior to the start of the Asian Cup is a mystery and can only be answered by Graham Arnold. Why John Aloisi was allowed to miss the camp is another mystery.

I think there are probably a thousand more lessons to be learned here but thats all I can come up with at the moment. The loss last night is a fantastic wake-up call to everyone and I feel more confident than ever that we will qualify for South Africa now because we now know what to expect and those in power know what has to be done in order to get through the qualification rounds next year

by Chris J on July 22, 2007 at 05:31 AM

I feel sorry for the boys, they tried very hard but to fall to the dreaded shootout. Luck played apart in this game but we should applaud the boys spirit. Shootouts are a lottery. Hopefully we have learnt that qualifying for the world cup wont be a for gone conclusion.

by Brad Meyers on July 22, 2007 at 05:44 AM

are you guys kidding, we should be ashamed of ourselves. the entire performance was far from good, we didnt even deserve to get this far! we have alot of work to do.......
and harry kewell, you are that good that you can juggle the ball all the way to the penalty spot, then mr superstar kicks it straight to the keeper, wake up to yourself sunshine......YOU ARE NOT THAT GOOD!

by Ashamed on July 22, 2007 at 05:49 AM

I think again the performance by the socceroos were very brave and honorable in terms of heart and passion but very average and ordinary in terms of football entertainment. Even though the shootout was quite breath-taking but lets be realistic which penalty shootout isn't breath-taking when watching your own team in a do or die situation!

In football terms, statistically ball possessions had been dominated by Japan. I felt that the coach should be blame for his lack of tactics and strategy to play against a team with more football quality in Asia. NOTE that Japan aren't a world class team either!

I think we need an international world class coach that can bring in world class football entertainment with style and stop mucking around with people like Farina, Arnolds and their MATES!!.

I am not being a pessimist but at the moment our males youth team (except olyroos still in contention for a spot in Beijing) had fail to qualified into finals of any world competition in this region and we need serious strategic direction if we want to compete and dominate in Asia in the future.

by gerson on July 22, 2007 at 06:08 AM

Ha ha bloody ha. I love sport and all of Australia's sporting teams but I hate the soccerpoos. Made my night when they lost and hope all of the soccer tragics out there are crying into their beers, or knowing them, probably sparkling wine.

by Trevor on July 22, 2007 at 06:13 AM

Nobody was robbed, though Grella can feel agrieved. 2 teams of equal ability but differing attitudes. Congrats to Japan & I hope for once the power brokers learn from this lesson & apply what they learn. Another good performance from the A-Leaguers gives locals more to aspire to.
Does anyone have Capello's no., I hear he's looking for work. Move the AIS to Darwin or Cairns & lets get real both World & Asian Cups are played in Summer not the depths of a Canberra winter.

by Wurm on July 22, 2007 at 06:36 AM

the red card was completely ridiculous. what was it all about

by Elizabeth on July 22, 2007 at 07:46 AM

Graham Arnold should no longer coach the national team.

by Ans on July 22, 2007 at 07:49 AM

I reckon you and Craig Foster should sack each other for putting out such garbage in the name of jounalism/commentating.

by Bobby Green on July 22, 2007 at 07:56 AM

Living in Hanoi, I was at the game last night.

Sorry, I read the Herald's report on the game and wonder if it was the same match. Japan had much the better of play and created many more opportunities. We looked sluggish.

If you play for a penalty shoot-out and then lose it, then there isn't much too complain about.

I want to see the Socceroos do well, but their style of play at this tournament has been a disppointment.

by John Harding on July 22, 2007 at 08:10 AM

There seems to be a perception that a European coach is the ultimate solution. Based on some of the tatics in the world cup, "diving" I would think that would be the last thing Australian's would want to replicate to represent their country. Instead more unity, perfect practice and a good culturally matched coach would go a long way. We were under prepared.

by David on July 22, 2007 at 08:29 AM

I had suspicions before the start of Australias Asian Cup campaign.Their would be 2 main reasons why our quest for glory would be derailed.The heat and humidity and poor refereeing. Am i right or wrong?
Full marks to Japan and Good Luck!!!!!

by dean manton on July 22, 2007 at 08:47 AM

Hard luck boys.
Arny joke or genious?He was starting to get the hang of things,he'll make a great assistant in the next WC.But he is neither a j or a g.

Again a couple of high profile players seem to believe their greater than this event.

Lucus,money changes everything,you were the under paid WC golden boy,thats all in the past now because money changes everything.Just try to remember what you're doing to earn that money,playing world class football.

At least our defence improved for the last two games.

Schwarzer is probably disappointed he didn't save the first 2 penalties & the 4th that he watched roll in as if his 4 year old son had taken it.
And he probably should be.I say again 'put me in goals'.
On saying that for me I'll say his been the best player for the 'roos at this competition.If he didn't have the game he had against Omar we wouldn't have progressed from rnd 1 & we wouldn't have got to a shoot out last night except for a couple of class saves.

by Edward Jay on July 22, 2007 at 09:01 AM

Thank GOD we lost Japan played a better game and the players and coach finally learnt something called humility!!!lolz..Another good thing is the bandwagon will get lighter.I know we will qualify for 2010 as we will finally take the ASIANS seriously whether it is Hong Kong or Japan.To a golden future!!!

by Proud Supporter on July 22, 2007 at 09:09 AM

Get rid of Arnold.

The aussie players must have felt like they were still in high school with a coach yelling "switch switch"! "width width" on the sideline.

what an amatuer Arnold has shown us he is.

by Trev on July 22, 2007 at 09:09 AM

coach arnold said it all weeks before the series began -"if we dont make the semis we should be ashamed" well - be ashamed - kewell is overpaid and overrated

by lemmyloo on July 22, 2007 at 09:21 AM

As a Pom living in Australia I have to endure the constant media hype surrounding the Socceroos. It's laughable - guys, get real - last years World Cup 'run' featured just one win and qualifying for the second stage did not mean that Australia had reached the heights of top flight international football! Suddenly not to beat the 'minnows' of Asia is failure - I've got news for you, the vast majority of football supporters from England, Germany, Spain, France, Italy or Holland would view the Socceroos as football 'minnows' as well!! Get over yourselves!!

by Captain Pugwash on July 22, 2007 at 09:25 AM

Point taken about the lesson to be learnt here.

Congratulations to Japan, though I would have liked to see a little more excitement in their play, from an entertainment point of view. Big credit to little Takahara for such blindingly quick body movement to step around and score that equaliser.

Does Australia have any serious, hungry strikers coming through the ranks at the moment? That seems to be something we have really lacked for as long as I can remember - a born finisher, someone who can create a goal from nothing. At the moment we seem to use attacking midfielders for this role, or Viduka, who is slow and coming to the end of his career anyway.

Well, here's to the prospect of a forward-thinking, experienced new coach, and some better experienced and more humble players.

by Julian Gutierrez on July 22, 2007 at 09:38 AM

We are kidding ourselves if we think Australia deserved anymore than they got. They were outclassed in their first two games and then even before the red card lastnight looked of pace. Australia needs a big coach. No offence to Mr Arnold but big coaches instill fear. Look at Kewell at Liverpool, I will throw in my hand as an advisor for the socceroos job. Houllier is unemployed, Klinnsmann likes the sun, Bruno Cheyrou,Arsene Wenger said something about Australian football which means he could coach from afar.Advocaat.

by Fort on July 22, 2007 at 09:49 AM

We all should be proud of our socceroos!
Playing in the VERY hot weather, 10 men on the field for 75 minutes straight.

Okay, well arnie did make a good decison by putting harry on the bench and timmi cahill too.

The only two people that had a great game was harry and swarter. Harry was the only one that gave us chances.

That ashamed guy dude did you even watch the game??? The worlds best players can even miss a penlty like david beckham.

Harry was the only person on the field that gave us chances but nobody was there to surport him.

Plus, it was hard for the socceroos to win with a ref against them. It was harsh to give grella a red for doing nothing wrong. Australia only got two free kicks! Japan got SEVEN!

Millagan, Had a great game till he did a mistake by making them score.

Bresiano, Couldn't even run. But boy it must of been hot.

Arnie needs to GO! It would be great to have gus back! Did he learn anything from gus?? Well to my caculations the only thing that he learnt was to have training days!

by can't watch on July 22, 2007 at 10:11 AM

Correct call as usual, Matthew.

The general public's underlying assumption that Aussies must be inherently superior athletes to Asians bordered on the Hansonesque.

That said we were fouled out of last night's game - aside from the disgraceful straight red handed to Grella. Kewell's first touch - a tumble over a leg that was determined to bring him down - resulted in his being cautioned for diving. We can be confident that had the roles been reversed, so would have the decision.

by Potto on July 22, 2007 at 10:13 AM

Come on guys, I am in Hanoi and watched the game live. I love Australia and the socceroos however Japan played so much better they deserve to win good on them..........no excuse socceroos did not give it their best, the easiest thing is to blame it on something whever it be the weather like the first game against oman or team not bonding

by mary on July 22, 2007 at 10:28 AM

Guys, this Ref is the same guy who helped Japan to win the last world cup by a hand ball.

There are many lessons we need to learn. One thing is, Japan always get Ref's help; Just check Japan's many critical games in the last 10 years.

Be careful about some Refs. We need to voice our concern next time about certain Refs

by ww on July 22, 2007 at 10:44 AM

Finally, Aust learned what it means to respect Asian football.

by GG on July 22, 2007 at 10:45 AM

We all learn from our experience and this is just one of those. Asian Cup is another environment & our team will learn a lot from this tournament to get them to WC 2010. In the case of Japan, I think we underestimated them. The weather is not an excuse cause any well-seasoned player should be able to play in any of these conditions. Tim Cahill should have played more time as the speed factor like Bresciano's agility bringing in the ball to the midfileld while receiving no support is a dominating factor with the Japanese in controlling the game. Harry Kewell can quickly out manuever his opponent but he always lacks that finishing kick. He should have not taken that penalty shootout in the first place.
Let's bring in a new coach and I think the Soccceross played good but not well enough. Again complacency caught up with the team. Australia must learn to respect this tournament so we can see the team on the top of the ladder.

by algie on July 22, 2007 at 10:47 AM

My heart goes out to Mark Milligan who was simply superb in his two games apart from one damaging error. He brought a breath of fresh air to the team and the defence. No inflated ego just the simple desire to do his best for his country. His defensive instincts are invaluable, his desperation, his determination, the number of times he made the last ditch tackle; this guy will go on to captain the socceroos and win a 100 caps (and I am not a Sydney FC fan btw). He, and Carney, and Beauchamp have shown an A League upbringing is no impediment to international success. As for the future, well, Johnny Warren was right, it is in Asia and the experience of the Socceroos and Sydney FC and Adelaide and the Olyroos can only serve to improve our game. Regular competition against gifted, intelligent and quick opponents can only lift our standards.

by Roy Law on July 22, 2007 at 10:58 AM

OK, point taken, the performances of the team have been below average. The game against Japan was very descent considering the conditions and how well Japan have played so far. Now to a more important point... When is FIFA going to take a serious look into referee performances??!! I mean if a player speaks out or raises an arm, they get banned for all eternity, but if a referee ruins a match by biased and silly decisions, then he gets nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Again, Australia did well to get to a shootout situations since they were down to 10 men with 15mins to go...

That ref should be sacked and sent home now!!!

by RR on July 22, 2007 at 11:01 AM

Australia underperformed except for that last game. I put it to you that had not Vinnie gone off we would have won. The Kewell / Aloisi partnership seemed to provide some penetration, unlike that with Viduka who even struggled to hold the ball. The revelation and introduction of our 3 new defenders was the highlight for me and if it took a couple of poor performances to have realized that then all the better for 2010.

by Paul on July 22, 2007 at 11:13 AM

Australia were a disgrace in the Cup. The fact that they didn't top a very weak group shows that they have really underachieved. Iraq beat them with a team they put together the day before and they've no real stars. Of course Australia also have to realise that they don't have any real stars either. Viduka has never been a star in the premier league. He's been one of the better strikers but never a star. Harry has been injured since birth and Tim Cahill although he's got an awesome little engine you wouldn't call him a superstar. Australian team is a pretty average team with average players and a below average coach. People who start the we were robbed stuff on this site. Please stop you'll sound silly and arrogant. Australia are no stronger than any of the top teams in Asia (I.e. Japan, S Korea, Iran or Saudi Arabia). That's the bottom line and to win this comp they needed to play 100% to beat these teams. They've played at about 70% for the whole comp.

by Nick on July 22, 2007 at 11:13 AM

I'm as proud as ever and am dumbfounded by the overly negative detractors... This gives us so much to build on and i can't wait for the qualifiers... Good luck to the Japanese... Well deserved...

Just quietly though, i don't think that Harry dives, despite his retractors and absolutely love him as a player... He struggled up front on his own once Grella was gone (which he shouldn't have been) but worked massively hard...

If our boys start "diving" like the rest of the world, i'll be sorely dissappointed... The a-league has done a lot to make our game physical and discourage diving and the rest of the world need to get over the fact that yes we have some big boys...

We need the new coach in quickly and FIFA need a few pointers on their refs...

Proud of you boys...

by TK on July 22, 2007 at 11:22 AM

Well done, Japan. They were so intense about this clash after the WC game that they must have felt FANTASTIC to pay us back!

The big danger for them will be a let-down after such a high. The coach needs to turn that high into a roll and not a roller coaster.

We did ok considering that we were inadequately prepared for the tropical heat and a few ego problems. Despite his error against Japan, Milligan has shown himself to be a great find for us.

by Chickadee on July 22, 2007 at 11:23 AM

the socceroos wont get better until they forget about this whole world cup success thing and actually realise the hard work it takes to be successful. players such as arrogant harry kewell, the slow as a snail viduka, and the dirtiest player ive seen for a while vince grella are just idolised in the media, and now they believe their own hype. in japan, their players are modest, and know theyre not the best, and most of all, work HARD. i could not believe the ignorance and arrogance of harry kewell juggling the ball all the way to the penalty box, and he took the penalty like he thought kawaguchi is an amateur. wat a dickhead

by who knows on July 22, 2007 at 11:28 AM

Australia's average showing at the Asian Cup highlighted the Football Federation of Australia's lack of respect for the competition. They did not see the need to have a serious coach (Graham Arnold has described himself as a 'developing' coach) , they had limited training time to aclimatise to the conditions and by the way they played they did not know much about the opposition. Then there was the hype in the Australian media before the AC that we should easily win it- unfortunately the whole squad believed the hype before putting in the hard graft in terms of prepartaion.

The respect for the competion was simply not there; Football is not like Rugby and League where minnows get thrashed by cricket score margins- in football the minnows often do beat big teams.

The FFA attitude to the whole comp stunk and was probably affected from their perception of of northern neighbours; ie they thought the little dark men from the north would be no match for our taller, bigger and stronger men. That attitude got us the result we deserved.

I suppose the lesson was learnt; I just hope we can go forward from here.

by Mark on July 22, 2007 at 11:33 AM

The Socceroos lost, but losing is necessary from time to time (not just about soccer), because the humbling experience would make them better.
Aussies are very harsh when teams/athletes don't win. They will make it. If you see the rest of the athletes in other sports, it's obvious that Aussies are the champs of sports! So will the Socceroos!

by Yuki on July 22, 2007 at 11:50 AM

My blood boiled when I read what captain pugwash had to say! Be interesting to see England,Germany,Spain,France,Italy or Holland football teams running around in the debilitating and oppressive humidity of Asia for 2 hours and fare better!Can you imagine? I think you should get over yourself! Australians are proud of our socceroos! Call them "minnows",shame on you!!!

by midgee on July 22, 2007 at 11:52 AM

they would have won that game had the Defender Milligan could land his boot to the ball in the penalty area, that would have kept the score 1-0 and we would have wen't through. Then maybe lose to Iraq, as this aussie team don;t look at all in-coherent, as compare to WC06 team.

by zinny999 on July 22, 2007 at 11:52 AM

everyone blames the coach which is easy to do. however i think if you analise the games properly u will see that the players are the ones responsible. at this level if you don't score goals you should be good enough not to concede either. there were far 2 many basic defensive errors. milligan miskicked a simple clearance yesterday. against iraq shwarzer didn't come off his line. kisnorbo was ball watching and neil gave the ball away in front of goal. how do you coach against that sort of thing. we also have to get away from this 1 striker policy. its easy to say viduka dosen't do much however when u play with 1 striker you need the right sort of midfield behind him. playing with one striker u need to have kewell and cahill on at the same time because they can support viduka and are creative players. having grella culina and bresciano isn't the right combination because they are grinders and defence minders. not hving chipperfield down the left also made a difference because he like emerton has the abiltity to defend and attack with pace all day. further our deliveries into the box were poor. these are basic things that we lacked.

by ALEX on July 22, 2007 at 12:01 PM

Japan are people. Australians are people. They were playing a game which involved certain rules which are adjudicated by a referree -- also a person. Win or lose, that is not the point. The enjoyment is in the play and skill, watching each team work together to try to do their best according to the rules. Any other discussion erodes the spirit of the game.

by Level headed on July 22, 2007 at 12:10 PM

Graham Arnold is a one-dimensional coach who has taken his orders from the players.

What a costly foul-up the Asian Cup has been. Football in Australia will suffer as a result of this catastrophe.

Arnold has to go - now.

by Fletch on July 22, 2007 at 12:16 PM

To Captain Pugwash,

You have no respect for a sporting team in the country you now live in.
A load of bullcrap you write when other countries (and you name a few) think that the socceroos are minnows.
If that was the case made why do most of the socceroos play in the big leagues and for big clubs.
Go back to your cold and miserable place you call England because your not and aussie.

by steve on July 22, 2007 at 12:18 PM

The Australian Team was out-played in each game of the Asian Cup because every other team had establish TACTICS and style of play. The Australian Team were coached by HACKS. The FFA must SACK ARNOLD & KOSMINA!!!!!!!!
Viduka will never again play for Australia (Thank God) and Kewell may also join him. As for Lucas Neil? His a bloody disgrace.

by The Don on July 22, 2007 at 12:27 PM

Congratulations to Japan. We did not loose because of the ref, the weather or Arny leaving his lucky underpants in Bangkok. We lost because we did not score more goals than they did. We were not good enough to put the match beyond doubt when we had the chance. Simple.

I was in Kaiserslautern when we beat Japan and the Japanese fans were shaking hands, wishing us good luck and taking photos. No agro, no sour grapes. That is one of the lessons we can learn from this, when you loose at least do it with dignity.

Now what do we have to do to improve in Asia.

1.The weather. We have discovered that it is hot in Asia. Nice one. You would think enough Australians had been to Bali that we might have worked this out earlier. Do we need more hot weather preparation. Darwin as a training camp? You bet. And keep the players out of air conditioned buildings.

2. Coaching. Clearly Arny will go in the next few months. Which means we have to look off shore which historically means Europe. But maybe we are being a bit too Eruo focused. If we want to play (and win) like Brazil why not consider a South American coach? It would be cheaper.

As a sport we do need to look at why there is not the local coaching talent to fill the top job? Do we have the right programs in place to develop elite, world class coaches.

3. More matches against Asian oposition. We underestimated our oponents. We knew nothing about them and didn't try to learn. Never underestimate players that are playing with passion. The guys who have dreamt all their lives of pulling on the National team jersey and have at last been given a chance. No amount of Preimier league cash buys that kind of commitment. Iraq and Thailand being the examples. In short we need to get to know our neighbours.

4. Build on our strengths. The A league. Milligan and Carney showed that they had the goods. Lets build a squad that does not depend on the wims of euro clubs and coaches. That plays in hot weather and plays together regularly. The european based players can be slotted in when it suits us not their clubs.

5. Stay positive. We got to see our national side play in matches that matter. We used to have to wait four years between world cup qualifiers for that. Sure we went in as talking up our chances, sure our early games were dismal with key players undeperforming and yes we got bundled out in a penalty shoot out. Now we know how English football fans feel all the time. :>

by pete on July 22, 2007 at 12:35 PM

we played shocking right through the tournament and they don't deserve the sympathy they are receiving. Using the weather is no excuse for losing because they should have been prepared for that from the beginning. Players like Lucas Neill need to wake up as he hasn't played well since the world cup, failing to make any kind of impact since his transfer to west ham.

by embarassed on July 22, 2007 at 01:26 PM

I was at the local pub and it was standing room only. It's great to have a meaningful competition during prime time and not have to wake up at ridiculous hours to watch a match.

My mate was down at his local league's club and they decided to show the local NRL match instead of the soccer. It took them a while to figure out that hundreds of ppl were crowded around this one TV watching the Socceroos match. They eventually caved in and switched every screen to the Socceroos match.

While disappointed that we lost the match, I look forward to our qualifying for the World Cup in this confederation. It shows that the decision to move to Asia was correct.

by Roos on July 22, 2007 at 02:14 PM

I think this tournament taught us a few things:

1. We need a top class coach to get results. You pay peanuts you get monkeys. Bring on a proven coach - what about Marcello Lippi, Louis Van Gaal, Fabio Capello???

2. It's time that we move on to the next generation. All the veterans have served us well but we need to start building for the next World Cup campaign - Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite, James Triosi, Matthew Spiranovic, Kaz Patafta, David Williams etc need to be introduced to the Socceroos set up.

3. Play our A-League players over those who are in lesser leagues overseas. I think the failure of Kisnorbo, Holman, Thawaite, Wilkshire, McDonald etc has showed us that the days where anyone playing overseas is automatically ahead of those playing in our domestic comp is over. Milligan and Carney showed that the A-league standard is just as good if not better than those in lower/lesser comps overseas. Also, if you want players to stay in Australia for as long as possible, you need to show that they have as good a chance (if not better) to play for Australia than those choosing to go overseas.

4. Lastly, I think it was a mistake to broadcast this tournament only on Foxtel. Judging by the interest and media coverage, this would have been a ratings bonanza. The Oman game was at 8pm on a Sunday night while Japan was on at 8pm on a Saturday. For those free-to-air TV execs looking to boost their ratings, let me give you a tip - buy the rights for the next tournament!

Keep up the good work Matt!

by Ben Smith on July 22, 2007 at 02:28 PM

amazed by the chip on shoulder comments of terry and co on this site, praying for socceroos failure. sad cases. truth was japan had the stronger game and deserved the win, tho' they showed themselves to be spectacularly unsuccessful at breaking down the 10-man 'roos. We know what that feels like, remember italy at WC? my only real complaint is the crowd - Asia Cup organisers have to do something to make this a truly world class event, and ensuring that a Japan-Australia quarter final has a full house is a necessity in future

by talalin on July 22, 2007 at 02:34 PM

Lets be honest here, the game last night wasn't a good game for either sides, whoever says that Japan were the better team, are only correct to some extent, as Japan had many opportunities and converted only ONE of them. Japan had the ref on their side, and if you think the ref was not bias then you were clearly not watching the game, aloisi's card was not necessary, kewell's yellow card was stupid, grellas card was absolutely ridiculous, the ref did not pull up the Japanese when they were holding aloisi back and played advantage to the Japanese one too many times. Although unfair umpiring and side line men are a commonality for Socceroos and their supporters, for example in the World Cup, with Italy, and the Croatian game with the fantastic Graham Poll. All in all, the socceroos didn't perform that well overall, one well played game was that against Thailand, other than that, yes we were lucky, but the socceroos were strong and played well in the extra time last night, considering they were one man down, playing in sweltering conditions, had the ref against them and didn't let Japan concede a goal. Well done Socceroos!

by Soccer Supporter on July 22, 2007 at 02:43 PM

Shockeroos

by alex on July 22, 2007 at 02:52 PM

The end of an era in terms of this current wave of players touted as the Soccerwhos who then became the Socceroos and now have left us with the Soccerblues. What we have in this country is a unique situation of having two national teams. One to do the dirty work, the other to try and grab the silver work. How can we win anything if we have no team cohesion thru the qualifiers and tournament? I say set up a Football Australia camp in Germany with 24 rooms for 24 of Australia's best players where they can meet to train for friendlies and even for piss ups to celebrate Oz Day, Anzac Day, Fed Day and even vote!
These guys need a hub of Australia in Europe. Work from there. This Asia Cup nonsense is an underclass of football for wheelers and dealers and fat businessmen who wanna have their willies catered for while pretending to be Franz Beckenbauer.

by RJ on July 22, 2007 at 03:18 PM

Taking a dive, Matthew, was the only way this corrupt referee would give a foul.... And thats why players dive because of officials like that turd who dont believe there is a foul if your still standing.
Why did we get yellow cards for dives and for the same innocuous takle they didnt?? And a red??

by hawkeye on July 22, 2007 at 03:32 PM

A good game, but it took 3 games for the Socceroos to wake up & play! The Japan game was exciting to watch, even with a 1-1 scoreline and with a 1 man advantage, it really killed for Australia. We could only defend & wait for the penalties. Grella: Hard to say, but he does have a "reputation". Not exactly the hand-of-God! More like the fist-of-Thor! It' s a shame that Japan & Australia played each other so early in the tournament. That really should have been a semi, so you would really be questioning the wisdom of the organisers for making the pools so that Japan & Aus met so early. Nevermind. Better luck next time. I hate Penalty Kicks.

by Cov on July 22, 2007 at 04:38 PM

If Andy Harper really condones diving, he should resign from his influential position in the media, because he's a disgrace. DIVING IS CHEATING. FIFA can eradicate diving from the game. Ban a diving player for 4 weeks and he won't do it again. Yes, it requires video review after the game.
The Socceroos shouldn't be so heavily criticised given the oppressive weather. And no, it's not the same for all teams. Some nations cope better in certain weather conditions. Mighty Brazil & Argentina LOSE in the high altitudes of Bolivia & Ecuador. Mighty Germany (at a time when they were winning World Cups and European Championships) really lost the plot and willted in 40 degree heat in Dallas at USA '94 where they virtually squandered a 3-0 half-time lead.... because the weather was too extreme for the Germans. Mighty Italy & Real Madrid have lost in freezing Moscow & sub-arctic Norway. So why should we criticise the Socceroos so heavily.
Some people in the media really don't understand how difficult it is in the tropics, even with ample team preparation. The stray passing against Oman & Iraq can be blamed largely on extreme fatigue levels. If Brett Emerton (the fittest bloke) is gasping for air after 20 minutes... that should tell you how torrid the conditions are. Oman & Iraq weren't stressed by the weather. Believe me when I say that the humidity and playing conditions in Oman are possibly even more extreme. So don't criticise the Socceroos too heavily they'll come good again. BUT remember even Brazil, Argentina, Germany & Italy haven't coped in all climates.

by Pete on July 22, 2007 at 04:56 PM

great to hear graham arnold be4 the tournament saying anything less than making the finals would be a failure well he was right a few points australia struggled with the heat had a inexperienced coach the team had never played in the asians cup and underestimated other nations just look back at what the players and coaching staff were saying a few weeks back they tried hard lost but will be better for the experience
as they say its just a game not the end of the world

by soccer not football on July 22, 2007 at 06:42 PM

Whilst it is always dissapointing to be eliminated at any stage of a major competition, I hope this highlights the difficulties that lay ahead. Clearly the expectations prior to the tournament were not matched by reality. It's now time to eat crow. Clearly we overestimated our abilities and underestimated that of our competition, generally a recipe for disaster. The FFA has to be "brutal" when reviewing the results. The coach, the players and the supporting infrastructure has to be reassessed and overhauled. We should avoid we "were robbed" excuses. We should start building a team to be ready for 2010, which means many changes lie ahead. The first step is to acknowledge that it was over before it began. I hope many reputations were taken down a notch or two, whilst some may not recover at all. In this instance, the "tough did not get going", but I hope it was a wake up for all. Qualification for 2010 is not automatic!!!!. WAKE UP!!

by the on July 22, 2007 at 08:47 PM

PUGWASH You might remember that Australia beat England at Upton Park not so long ago. Over the last 20 years we've beaten five World Champions: Argentina, Brazil. France, England and Uruguay. We slaughtered the reigning European champions Greece. Not bad for minnows. We as good as beat Croatia in the World Cup, took Italy to the brink and were unlucky against Brazil, having much the better of the play in the first hour.

England have been consistently pathetic in major competitions since '66. And the reason for this: arrogance and a complete failure to learn about different styles of soccer.

by georgie on July 22, 2007 at 09:14 PM

Totally over-rated this lot. By the Aus. media, by the fans and especially by the players themselves. Harry Kewell, in particular, thinks he's George Best, yet his ability has diminished considerably since he left Leeds United. Some reporters refer to him as world class, that's laughable. There are No 'world class' players in the Socceroos; just as there are probably only one or two WC players in the England team. It is the most misused term in sport. A tournament where this dozy, overpaid lot lost to Iraq, drew very luckily with Oman and beat Thailand (hardly an Asian world power) speaks volume for the team and the players' real abilities. It has been a disaster and nothing can convince me otherwise.

by sorbet on July 22, 2007 at 10:10 PM

Arrogance? The Australian media and particularly this paper have been full of it, not to mention the team itself. Man you guys are quick to change your tune.

by AaronM on July 22, 2007 at 11:43 PM

Soccer is played by the guys that did not get picked for real footy! A bunch of girly man! I bet they are the emotional type.

by Jay on July 23, 2007 at 12:35 AM

Pete, mate you make far too much sense for this discussion.
Excellent examples of other countries that have struggled with extreme weather conditions.
Plus, your earlier suggestion of a South American coach for Australia is a real breath of fresh air.
Arnie may be a developing coach and one day he might be the finished product but, in the short term, he make an excellent assistant to a South American with real tactical nous.

by I Live in Asia on July 23, 2007 at 03:11 AM

Captain Pugwash, what a Union-Jack-shorts-wearing, Ibiza-trashing knob you are.
You should be quite familiar with pompous, over-the-top media beat ups of undeserving teams: your mother country has been doing this since the last time your chokers won the World Cup.
What, exactly, has England won since?
How many of the outstanding players in the EPL are English?
Can you remember the last great English coach?
Why are people like Trevor Brooking bagging the youth development in your old country?
Because it's rubbish, that's why.
Like some other Poms who move here, you get your back up when Australians have the audacity to say we want to play the world game and we want to be good at it.
Sorry, but English football (and we're not talking the EPL here - that's international club football) ceased to be a centre of excellence many, many years ago.
So, agreed: the Socceroos got big heads off the back of very little. They were brought undone by better teams - no shame in that because, in contrast to your typically arrogant Europhile attitude, we now must accept that Asia produces good players and good teams.
It is now the global growth engine for the game.
Hopefully, this kick in the teeth will be something we learn from.
Unlike your mob, who have never twigged to the fact they've been rubbish for more than 40 years.
So, enjoy our beaches, our sun, our food and our laidback lifestyle, mate - just keep your misguided 'Land of Hope & Glory' routine for your dreams.

by Roos Fan on July 23, 2007 at 10:04 AM

GK: Vukovic
DR: Neill
DC: Milligan
DC: Beauchamp
DL: Carney
MR: Emerton
MC: Carle
MC: Valeri
ML: Spagnuolo
FC: Allsopp
FC: Kennedy

Thats the future

by andy on July 23, 2007 at 12:37 PM

I was not suprised to watch the game our team loss against Samurai blues for many many resons. I can give you some of thoses, but the bottom line is that I wonder if how much our players average salary is? Most of our players are playing at top Europian club teams. We are the richest national team in this Asian Cup.
This fact makes me nuts.
Money can not buy the Asian cup!

by Ed on July 23, 2007 at 08:45 PM

Jay, is the "real footy" you are talking about the type that no one else in the world plays???

I really enjoyed this tournament. It will only get bigger. If only it was showing on free to air. I can't wait till Australia gets to host the tournament.

When are we having the "real footy" world cup Jay?

by Dean Smith on July 23, 2007 at 09:34 PM

Despite their disappointed performances in in the first 2 matches, I still think the Socceroos did Australia proud and I still love them dearly. One thing though how come we always face unfair refs. Tim Cahill was 100% right there. It was disgrace!!! It wasn't a fair game at all. Every time we do well the ref will knock us over the head anyway. What have we done to deserve that kind of treatment.

by Tina Nguyen on July 24, 2007 at 03:11 PM

As an Australian football fan I am bitterly disappointed to read a weekly dose of Craig Foster telling Australia how poor Australian football and the Socceroos are.

The Socceroos were underpar in the Asian cup, but 'outplayed in every game'? We beat the Thais convincingly (with a flattering scoreline) and produced a strong effort against Japan (playing with ten in the business end of the game and still causing them problems on occasion).

I am not saying Australian football has no room for improvement but Foster's contributions would lead you to believe that the Socceroos are useless. Realistically, we were very close to producing on of the greatest upsets in World Cup history over the Italians who are apparently far more 'technically gifted'.

Australia found it tough in the Asian Cup and the conditions or refereeing did not suit our up-tempo style of play. Coach Arnold initially struggled tactically with the tournament but improved and made some sound judgements in the last two games (removing Kisnorbo particularly).

The Socceroos may need more of a foreign tactical influence (perhaps a new coach) but Foster would have you believe that everything in Australian football is substandard. It is very easy to speak or write about Australia's deficiencies but harder to put your money where your mouth is. It would seem that Foster's comments come from some sort of bitterness rather than a love for the Socceroos and Australian football.

by Toby Butler on July 29, 2007 at 10:51 AM

Let's keep it real Australia. SACK ARNOLD AND HIS ASSISTANT (Whatever his name is - negative b#$**d). They should have never got this job. I think I'm speaking for the majority here. Nothing personal just business.

by Glenn on July 29, 2007 at 05:05 PM

Re: Craig Foster's column 29/7
I cannot understand his emphasis on technique. Football is such a simple game. The Socceroos were indeed outplayed in every match. Is it the coach's fault that they gave the ball away too many times?
I do not thin you can fault their short passing game, the problem is there are too many short passes, I am not suggesting a total long ball game but there were some instances of three or more passes were made when it could all have been done in one.
Do Footballers not get told too run into an open space, too often a pass is made to a player who has a couple of the opposition around him. David Carney is an exception, on a few occasions he was in good space but nobody passed to him.
The idea of the game is to score goals, the strength against the Asian teams would have been the use of more arial power, this would have been best served by getting the ball out to some wide players and putting in some decent crosses....gee, it is so simple.
Football intelligence comes first.

by Dennis Andrews on July 30, 2007 at 11:09 AM

by Trevor on July 22, 2007 at 06:13 AM

TREVOR=WANKA. i bet you your a league bogan who drinks bourbon and digs barnesy. top yourself and help australia!!

by hawkeye on August 26, 2007 at 12:20 AM

The Sun-Herald

Matthew Hall

The Men Who Fell To Earth

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