Why Australia can win the Asia Cup
A new Socceroo squad this time but we can still win the Asia Cup.
Coach Graham Arnold needs to win the AFC Asia Cup 2007 to have any chance of keeping his job, or so it seems. But there are other reasons why Australia must get to the final.
The squad announced by Arnold to play in the Australia’s first Asia Cup should be good enough to give Australia a major international success.
Japan has won four out of the last five Asia Cups and has appeared in the last three World Cups. They have been the best side in Asia by some margin but in Kaiserslautern last June, twelve glorious minutes of Australian football stunned the whole of Asian football. One nil down, Australia then produced two Tim Cahill goals followed by a John Aloisi strike to ensure the game ended 3-1 in the Socceroos favour.
And this summer the Aussies are hoping to do it again.
While Japan have made massive changes to their World Cup side. Only Naohiro Takahara and Shunsuke Nakamura remain in the outfield from that scorching day in Germany. Australia has kept as many older players as possible.
Arnold’s strategy is clear. He wants to win, and maybe then he gets to keep his job. But more importantly he wants Australian football to get another boost from an historic and winning performance.
Harry Kewell (Liverpool) Mark Viduka (Newcastle United) will combine once more. The golden boys of Australian football earned Australia a place at the World Cup and then got them through to the last sixteen. Sure there was other quality performances from many players, but it was the ability of the forwards who enabled former coach Gus Hiddinks style of play.
Viduka stunned China in March with his performance. He may find the Asia Cup an easier place to play than the English Premier League where he managed 19 goals this season. He will have more support as Arnold, recognising Australia’s strength, can play a more adventurous game than they did at the World Cup against the likes of Brazil and Italy.
And perhaps that’s why the number of defenders is unusually low for a squad of twenty-three.
Arnold has no recognised left back. Scott Chipperfield (FC Basle, Switzerland) will not travel as his wife is due to give birth, besides he’s thirty-one so may not make many more Socceroo games.
Michael Thwaites (Wisla Krakow, Poland) covered the position in the recent friendly against Uruguay but was uncomfortable going forward. Shane Stefanutto (Lillestrom, Norway) was tried against China but was clearly lacking at that level. Brett Emerton defended Arnold, “Has played a season at left-back for Feyenoord, and (Sydney FC) David Carney will be groomed for the future.”
So Asia are you listening?
Australia has no international class left back, but Australia hope to be so busy attacking that any left back will do!
Carney is an interesting move. Indeed Chipperfield was a flying left-winger in his days with Wollongong in the old National Soccer League. He quickly became a quality left back who could attack with pace.
Carney has loads of stamina and a very strong left foot. In terms of his playing career if he can adapt he may have just won the lottery.
With Hamilton Academicals in Scotland two years ago, he could see himself in the Socceroos squad for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.
Australia’s strike force is strong for now, but beyond Asia it is young and inexperienced. Viduka and John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain) may get us to the next World Cup but in three years they will be too old if not too slow to play in the tournament. Hiddink showed even with quality players like Kewell and Viduka you have to be supremely fit to achieve. Viduka and Aloisi cannot sustain that pace in three years time.
Lets forget about the future. It’s a new party in Asia, let's win.
We need to win for the good of the game in Australia, for Arnold, and most of all for me!
I’m off to cover my first football tournament and the longer the Aussies stay the longer I stay. Now that’s a great reason to win!
Socceroos Squad for the 2007 Asian Cup:
Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesborough, England), Brad Jones (Middlesborough, England), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey)
Defenders: Lucas Neill (West Ham, England), Michael Beauchamp (FC Nuremberg, Germany), Michael Thwaites (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC), Brett Emerton(Blackburn, England)
Midfielders: David Carney (Sydney FC, Australia), Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Holland), Vince Grella (Parma, Italy), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Holland), Tim Cahill (Everton, England),Carl Valeri (Grosseto, Italy), Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland), Nicky Carle (Newcastle Jets, Australia)
Forwards: Mark Viduka (Middlesborough), John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Holland), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Australia).
Group A - Bangkok
Thailand v Iraq – July 7
Australia v Oman – July 8
Oman v Thailand – July 12
Iraq v Australia – July 13
Thailand v Australia – July 16
Oman v Iraq - July 16
This article first appeared at www.netfa.com
3 comments:
I wish I was as confident as you.
Our weakness on the left side will be focused upon throughout the tournament and sides like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Korea (Park Ji Sung) have the class to cause us a lot of problems.
We've never been able to finish in our own half, but hopefully an in-form Viduka in front of a revitalised Cahill will help us. Some Bresciano/Culina/Kewell magic would just ice the cake.
I just feel that we're massively underestimating the challenge ahead - climate, facilities and opposition are all going to cause our boys to despair.
In any case, I'll be glued to my TV, gripping the arms of my couch tightly, willing our boys to bring home the trophy.
Carney as a left back? That's an interesting proposition... I reckon going forward he'd be a good choice, but defensively? I dont know... Particularly against the South Koreans - who like to use the flanks - he might struggle...
Remember the days when we could call upon the services of Muscat, Lazadidis and Tiato? Yeah Muscat and Tiato were butchers, but all 3 of them could have played, and did, at left back. Its a shame that now when football has its highest profile in the history of this country, we dont have a genuine an out and out left wing-back. And if Emo picks up an injury...
But that said, I still agree with u Eamon. Witht he quality we have across the paddock, we should be able to win this tournament even without wing backs. There's more than enough creativity across midfield to create chances, and in the Duke and Harry we've got enough quality up front to take our chances.
Oh and I'd like to also see Brett Holman get some playing time in this tournament. I saw him play the other day against Uruguay, but cant say that I was altogether convinced by his display... If Holman/Kennedy will be our strike force in South Africa 2010, then its impretative that at least one of them get some playing time in a high pressure tournament style competition. What not many commentators have picked up on yet is that the Asian Cup (assuming we dont go all the way and win it) will be the senior teams only tournament style competition before the next World Cup. And a tournament style competition has its own pressures and pecularities. The more players who we expect will make up the core of the 2010 team, who we blood in this tournament, the better for the next campaign.
Ando, one thing for sure Aussies will do it, if they do it, Aussie football style
so we'll all be gripping something..it ain't going to be easy but it will be great.
Arif, what about Carney,he's is strong athletic not unlike Emerton but maybe lacks that bit of special something in the final third
with good coaching he could be ready in three years time for left back in three years time
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