The Football Tragic

Another Farewell

2010-11-06T21:10:00.003+11:00

I've made my share of farewells on this blog over the years, but this is likely to be the last one.

Sadly, family commitments and time constraints have made it difficult for me to contribute to TFT frequently enough, and I think the time has come to bow out. My love for the game remains undiminished, but this season it's been difficult to keep up with the A-League (which I've always considered the bread and butter of this blog), and I seem to be repeating myself more and more in the opinion department. Not that this stops certain pundits on the World Game website, but...

So, again: thanks all for the interest, and I'm sure that we'll catch up at a game some time. I'll still be around, grumbling and pontificating, probably still writing match reports for Goal! Weekly, and contributing to the always enjoyable Half-Time Heroes e-zine.

Roll on December 2, and may the ExCo be with us!

Fox Redux

2010-10-30T15:14:00.002+11:00

Some time ago, when Michael Zullo and Robbie Kruse were the hottest young prospects in the A-League, I suggested that Kruse probably had the more potential of the two of them. Although Zullo has already made the jump to Europe, and although Kruse endured a long spell on the outer thanks to some off-field problems, my opinion hasn't substantially changed.

It's good to see Kruse back in form with Melbourne, and in last night against Adelaide he displayed his full range of talents. There was the out-of-nowhere opportunist's goal, of course, but perhaps more indicative of his overall contribution was the piece of sustained, intricate control by the left touchline some moments earlier, which demonstrated both his excellent skills and his enviable tenacity. Melbourne did nothing from the subsequent cross, but just in procuring it Kruse had emphatically beaten the odds.

He does still suffer from a tendency to "make the most" of challenges, as they say, and one of these days it is going to cost him dearly. Ernie Merrick has been inclined to turn a blind eye to his own charges' underhand play at times, with the result that Kevin Muscat and Grant Brebner (the former in particular) are deeply unpopular with the other teams' fans. Kruse, baby-faced looks and all, is definitely heading the same way.

Meanwhile, what to make of the A-League's longest-running hoodoo? The early injury to Matthew Leckie obviously took the wind out of the visitors' sails, and the choice of Fabian Barbiero to replace the quick winger was a strange one, but one senses that there is more to it than that. Despite the fact that there have been plenty of personnel changes at both clubs since, the memory of that 6-0 grand final drubbing in 2007 must still linger like a cancer in Adelaide United's collective memory. Last night's match was pleasingly even, but once again it was Melbourne who broke through when it counted.

The game has certainly set up this evening's clash at the SFS nicely, with Sydney desperate to recover ground and the in-form Brisbane Roar in the hunt for top spot.

How the West Won't Be Won - yet another update

2010-10-25T17:18:00.004+11:00

And so it looks as if the final chapter is about to be written in the farcical Sydney Rovers saga.

The very first thing that the FFA should do is go hat in hand to the representatives of the Canberra bid, with a genuine assurance that future expansion bids will be assessed on their merits. This old article, from Half-Time Hero-in-chief Con Stamocostas, shows just how much was already in place in the nation's capital over two years ago; that all this groundwork was ignored in favour of a bid based on nothing more than blind faith is symptomatic of the FFA's style of management in the last few years.

Where to, then, for the expansion plans? The likelihood is probably that 2011/12 A-League will feature eleven teams once again, and one hopes that this time the FFA will give the competition the publicity that it deserves. Some of the football has been excellent this term, especially in Adelaide and Brisbane; the attendances have not.

In a way, given the dismal attendances at Sydney FC matches, things may have turned out for the best in more than one way. Considering that the NSW Premier League (with its western Sydney centre of gravity) will now clash with the A-League in any event, the Rovers crowds would probably have been pitiful. And had the matches been held at the cavernous ANZ Stadium, as was mooted at one point, the match atmosphere would have made Skilled Park look like a throbbing hive of excitement.

Straight Race - update

2010-10-19T21:34:00.005+11:00

The 2018-2022 bidding process has had an industrial-strength spanner thrown in its works over the last few days, with the "allegations" (read gotchas) against two members of the FIFA ExCo. One can assume that the more canny members of FIFA's elite club would have been a little more circumspect in their comments in the company of people they didn't know.

So further action to save face, and no doubt a number of decoy stories thrown the journalists' way in the next few weeks by Messrs. Blatter et al. But...where does it leave Australia's quest for 2022?

Probably in slightly better shape, as a matter of fact. Frank Lowy is too skilful an operator to leave himself and the FFA open to allegations of out-and-out bribery, however many suspicious deals may have been done in the interests of making Australia 2022 a reality. If there are any buried bodies to be exhumed in a subsequent clean-up, they are unlikely to be found on the dry continent. And if the whiff of probity becomes a factor of sorts for FIFA in the 2022 decision, Australia is well-placed to take advantage, given our general sporting reputation.

The fallout from the sting is more likely to affect the 2018 bidders more directly. The England team can't be happy that investigative journalists from their own land have severely embarrassed FIFA at such a delicate stage, and the incident could just hand the initiative for 2018 to Russia. Not that a World Cup in Russia is a particularly edifying thought, given the rampant corruption and lurking racism likely to affect it. On the latter point, a moment of comic relief: in the midst of rubbishing his chief opponents, the Russian bid leader came up with a classic knee-slapper recently. With regard to the disgusting abuse levelled at Nigerian winger Peter Odemwingie by the fans of his former club...

Sorokin went on to again insist that a banner with a picture of a banana aimed at West Brom's striker Peter Odemwingie and produced by fans of his former club Lokomotiv Moscow was not racist, and he points out that anti-Glazer fans had burned an American flag at Old Trafford on the same day.

"The banner was not a racist one. It was directed against a particular player who got very good money, lived very well here, but for some reason did not seem to want to play well."

Who on earth does he think he's kidding?

Straight Race

2010-10-16T21:19:00.003+11:00

When FIFA gave a strong indication that it wanted the 2018 World Cup to go to Europe, the FFA got the hint and concentrated all their efforts on 2022. It has taken the USA much longer to get the message, and their delay in shifting their strategy could certainly be seen as an admission that they may yet lose out on 2022, despite their current status as favourites.

Indeed, those in the Australian football community who have dismissed the 2022 bid in keeping with the general pessimism of the times could well be proven wrong. It seems to be firming as a straight race between the USA and ourselves: despite Qatar's eye-popping technological promises, the idea of a World Cup in such a small country (which has never qualified for the event before) is hard to countenance seriously. Japan and South Korea have already had their chance, and are unlikely to be given another one so (relatively) soon afterwards. In short, Australia is in with a much better chance than many are giving them credit for.

However much the FFA have been doing wrong over the last couple of years, there has certainly been some very smart manoeuvring over the 2022 bid. Whether such tactics have crossed the ethical fault line is another matter, but no World Cup host gets the rights without a bit of sharp practice these days...well, except if they have an iconic octogenarian who long qualified for secular sainthood to give their bid stupendous moral force.

Strangely, the questions in the media over the role (and remuneration) of Messrs. Hargitay and Radmann, the former in particular, have quietened down over the past few months. Even the latest Hargitay stunt, a sly diversion of public moneys to feather the nests of some Jack Warner cronies in the Caribbean, barely raised an eyebrow. The sight of heads of state fawning over such a shameless rogue as Warner over the last few years has been disgusting, but such is the power of FIFA...and the World Cup.

During my own stint working for that august body in 2008, I was able to observe at close range how deadly serious Frank Lowy was about getting the World Cup for his adopted country. Lowy may have been guilty of bad faith and misjudgements during his time at the FFA helm, particularly in the last couple of years, but his determination to secure a World Cup for Australia is absolutely genuine. And so far, he has played every card available to him.

Let us hope it will be enough...because if the 2022 bid fails, Australian football could be in real trouble.

Holger and Harry

2010-10-10T17:47:00.002+11:00

It is interesting that Craig Foster chose to compose an extended encomium of Harry Kewell on the occasion of another insipid performance for the national team by its most controversial figure. To do Foster justice (and I wouldn't want to do him anything less, of course), the article was probably written well before the game. To further the theme of just treatment, let me add that the following statement:

...we agreed that analysis, opinion and critique are highly valuable in building an intelligent football culture, as long as they are about the game and do not become personal.

...is laughably hypocritical, given its provenance. But I digress.

Last night's game actually provided a good demonstration of why it is probably for the best that Kewell be gracefully put out to pasture. As he has done quite often of late, he occupied a nebulous position: not quite left midfield, not quite in the hole, not quite second striker. Not a hanging offence in itself, but it meant that the left flank was left somewhat thin in the transition, and David Carney was caught out badly once or twice, particularly by Carlos Bonet in the second period.

And Kewell ultimately contributed little in attack. One nice drop of the shoulder followed by a charge down the inside-left channel in the first half; the sort of smooth action we have come to expect from this very talented footballer over the years. But there was little else to excite the fans, and not really enough of the unsung off-the-ball work that made his contribution to the Croatia game in 2006, for one, so praiseworthy.

In a sense, the timing (for a Socceroo exit for Kewell) would be right, as there are quite a few talented flankers in the wings, if that dreadful pun can be forgiven. Matthew Leckie and Tommy Oar come to mind, and even Nathan Burns is capable of operating a bit wider, although his best position is surely still in the centre.

There was little else to be learned from last night's game, which was essentially a means of buttering up the influential Nicolas Leoz in the wake of D-Day in December. Richard Garcia was predictably mediocre (how long can he stay in the Socceroo reckoning?), Scott McDonald showed again that he won't score goals without someone playing in front of him, and Mile Jedinak gave further cause to think that, despite his excellent combative qualities, he needs to improve technically if he is to become a Socceroo regular.

Holger Osieck has faced no real tests yet; the Paraguayans, Nelson Haedo Valdez and the point-to-prove substitutes excepted, basically played like tourists. But the signs are mainly positive.

We Could Be Heroes - update #11

2010-10-08T10:51:00.002+11:00

More thoughts about this and that from the Heroes this month, with cartoonist Wayne Snowdon giving Ben Buckley et al. the full treatment, and Michael Turner taking an in-depth look at the do-or-die 2022 World Cup bid. Muse away.

When You're Not

2010-10-05T13:04:00.003+11:00

How do you know that things just aren't going your way in football?

Well, perhaps when you've been dominating most of the second half at 1-1, and then you suddenly concede a totally unexpected winner in added time. Said winner is scored by a former player of the club, and laid on by a clumsy makeshift striker whose main contribution to the game for the preceding ten minutes has been providing welcome mirth for the fans.

I am referring, of course, to Sydney FC against Adelaide last night. When things are running against you, such things can happen...even when the opposition are (temporarily) missing their three best attacking players.

Nevertheless, you do make your own luck to some extent, and in this respect Vitezslav Lavicka was found wanting once more. It remains a mystery to me why his benches tend to be so defensively-skewed, given Sydney's problems in front of goal (particularly late in the game); this time, two central defenders again, plus the habitually ineffective Brendan Gan.

Hirofuni Moriyasu was apparently suffering from cramp when Gan replaced him last night; if that was not the case, then the substitution was inexplicable, since the Japanese midfielder was having easily his best game for Sydney FC so far. And this time it took until nearly full-time for Lavicka to make another change.

Tactically, too, there are question marks over the team at the moment. Mark Bridge looks thoroughly unsuited to his three-quarter role, and showed an annoying tendency to lay the ball off instead of pulling the trigger last night. If he were to start in a genuine three-man attack along with Alex Brosque and the useful Bruno Cazarine, perhaps he would evince a little more confidence. The diamond 4-4-2 served Sydney very well in 2009/10, but without a genuine No.10 it looks decidedly awkward.

Although there were some positive signs from the home side last night, particularly some of the interplay between Brosque and Cazarine, it looks like Nick Carle will need to be in the form of his life to turn things around on his return.

Action Reaction

2010-09-30T14:14:00.002+10:00

Eight games into the season, and still a goose egg in the wins column for Sydney FC. Not a good look for the defending champions, to say the least.

Last night's game followed what has become something of a familiar pattern. Vitezslav Lavicka's side dominated play, scored a good goal, and then simply allowed the opposition to come back into the match. Not quite as starkly as they did on the weekend, when Gold Coast United could have scored three or four during a period of dominance leading up to John Curtis's red card, but the initiative of the game was once again allowed to change hands without hindrance.

At the moment, Lavicka gives the impression of a man resigned to circumstance, which is not a good sign. Plenty of explanations could be offered for Sydney's poor form (not least their lousy off-season recruitment), but this is not the end of the story. Difficult times need proactive methods, and Lavicka has been only reactive of late...if he has been active at all.

A perfect illustration of this has been his use of the bench in the previous two games. Against Miron Bleiberg's side, who looked for much of the first half as if they could play until Christmas and not score, something clearly needed to be done after the break; Gold Coast's midfield three were, embarrassingly, running rings around Sydney's four. The change came, but it was hardly a daring one: a virtual like-for-like switch (Hirofuni Moriyasu for the hapless Scott Jamieson) which, ultimately, made little difference to Sydney's play. Then, when the hosts went 11 v. 10, there was no real attempt to go for the throat, and no second switch until nine minutes from the end.

Last night, with a bench curiously made up of three defenders, Lavicka either failed to notice the shift in momentum that accompanied Jack Hingert's arrival, or underestimated it. Sure enough, with only another like-for-like switch for Sydney in the second period, Franz Straka's more adventurous strategy paid dividends. Yes, there was that Hurst-style shot from Terry McFlynn, and Alex Brosque's near-miss just earlier, both of which might have made the points safe, but to focus unduly on these chances would be to miss the point. Sydney's coach, so shrewd and proactive last season, appears to be losing faith in himself.

The Long Winter

2010-09-24T17:02:00.005+10:00

I expect that everyone is more or less Conned out by now, so all I will add to the cacophony of commentary on the Newcastle situation is the observation that the Hunter's new knight in shining armour should be eyed with some due scepticism (hat tip to one of my e-friends for that link).

Instead, some thoughts on another piece of news which saw the light of day this week, but was largely buried under the weight of the Newcastle saga.

It's a major change, and the ramifications for the A-League are actually quite significant. The NSW Premier League, along with its Victorian counterpart, is the major feeder league for the A-League; the fact that it will now be conducted in tandem with the national competition will have a number of spin-offs. Firstly - and this is probably one of the factors behind the change - the Premier League clubs will no longer endure the intense frustration of losing their best young players to A-League squads (or youth squads) just as the NSWPL finals are kicking in. Such was the fate of Sydney United, for one, this year; Ante Tomic and Mirjan Pavlovic, two star performers, were whisked away just as the business end of the state league arrived.

Secondly, the phenomenon of younger players getting some extra practice in the state league when the A-League is in abeyance will disappear. A bit of a worry, since the A-League season is not really long enough (even now) for the talented teens to get the sort of competitive practice they need.

There are some advantages to alignment, of course, and one is that many of the existing anomalies of player contracts will be solved. A common state league gripe in recent years has been the "amateur" status of players in A-League youth squads, which has limited the revenue available to the NSWPL clubs. Now, at least, the lines will be clearly drawn; a player is either contracted to a state league club or on an A-League roster, without the contentious limbo-land of July and August which has been a feature of the last few years.

But the biggest concern is simply the gap between state league seasons, which will probably have a very negative impact on the NSWPL from a pure footballing point of view. Plenty of players got caught up in the hiatus between the end of the NSL and the beginning of the A-League, and the same is likely to happen at the next level down. Many players will no doubt make the jump to Asia or to competitions in other states, and the league is likely to suffer.

And...what of the fans? Winter has always been the natural time for the league, and the dwindling crowds at many clubs may be thinned out even further as punters who have other things to do in the summer are forced to make a choice.

One final thought. The following "principle", stated in the Football NSW announcement linked above:

The club relegated from the NSW Premier League will be required to participate in the NSW Super League season which immediately follows the conclusion of the NSW Premier League season.

...strikes me as utterly absurd and unworkable.

For the uninitiated, the Super League is the tacky name for the second tier competition in NSW. It will still take place in the winter.

How on earth can a promotion and relegation system work properly when seasons are out of alignment? How are clubs expected to manage their playing roster, ground rental, cash flow, and a million other issues, if they might be playing an extra twenty or so games at the conclusion of their normal season?

Sharing the Blame

2010-09-20T13:37:00.004+10:00

The hand-wringing over the state of the A-League has reached the stage of repetitive strain injury over the last week, and it is sure to continue. The Newcastle Jets have secured a stay of execution, but no-one seems to know for how long. Another pathetic crowd turned out on the Gold Coast, where the FFA has yet to effectively counter Clive Palmer's turnstile lunacy. There is very little in the way of good news.

Mike Cockerill has been particularly prominent in the opinion-making over the last few weeks, and in his latest column he revisits the thorny issue of Pim Verbeek's relationship with the national competition.

There is no doubt that Verbeek's snooty derision did the A-League some damage, but Cockerill implicitly overstates the case in saying that the impact of Verbeek's criticism was "hard to measure". He does, however, have a point when he says:

Where was the FFA when they needed protection from Verbeek's damaging crusade?

See here, where I suggested much the same thing. One of the most infuriating of the FFA's current habits is their complete inability to critically examine anything that comes out of the mouths of their Dutch recruits, either in terms of motives or just plain veracity. No-one seemed to wake up to the simple fact that most of Verbeek's A-League trash talk was self-serving in the extreme.

What was more disappointing still was that certain pundits, for axe-to-grind reasons of their own, backed up Verbeek's self-exculpation. All of which makes Craig Foster's recent criticisms of the FFA in his Sun-Herald column seem belated and even a tad hypocritical, however valid.

Holger Osieck has so far made little more than motherhood statements in relation to the A-League, but he strikes most as being cut from a more polite cloth than Verbeek. Nevertheless, were he to offer any convenient criticism of the competition following an Asian tie in which he is forced to field mainly local troops, it is hard to see the FFA offering anything other than stony silence.

There are many contributing factors behind the A-League's woes, and Cockerill has managed to mention more or less all of them (save Frank Lowy) over the last few weeks. But I would like to think that Australian football fans are not fools; they know that the vast majority of the blame lies at the feet of the increasingly misguided FFA...and the man who still calls all the shots on College Street.

Back in Control

2010-09-12T22:27:00.003+10:00

So Adelaide sit alone on top of the A-League ladder after six rounds, and few could argue that they don't deserve to be there.

A very controversial choice for the coaching job given the popularity of long-time assistant Phil Stubbins, Rini Coolen has done a fine job injecting some organisation and self-belief into a side which looked truly rudderless in 2009/10.

There have been several factors in their revival, and chief among them has been the presence of a real attacking focal point in Sergio van Dijk. The Reds have struggled to acquire such a forward ever since the departure of Shengqing Qu; Cristiano was always more of a second striker, Robbie Younis never settled at Hindmarsh, and Lloyd Owusu's name features prominently in the list of the worst-ever A-League imports.

The continuing good form of Matthew Leckie has also been a boon, although Coolen was right to state, at the press conference following last week's victory over Sydney, that the youngster still has to work on some aspects of his game if he is to have a successful crack at Europe. He can drift in and out of proceedings, and the habit of sticking too stubbornly to the touchline alights on him now and then.

Another impressive feature of Adelaide's performances this season, which has been notable in their last two outings, is their newfound ability to bring the game back under control after periods under the cosh. In the second half against Sydney, Stephan Keller's set-piece goal (and near-miss soon afterwards) were the high points of a Sydney revival, in which the hosts threatened Eugene Galekovic's goal on several occasions. In response, Adelaide refused to lose their heads; instead, they slowed down the pace of the game, and deliberately set out to blunt the Sydney initiative via a period of sustained possession. It worked superbly, and the fact that they barely threatened Sydney's goal during that spell hardly mattered: they had re-established their dominance.

Last night against Newcastle, the same story. The Jets were looking increasingly likely to break through around the hour mark: once again, the Reds simply began to work the ball around patiently, not looking for openings every time the ball reached the midfield, but rather aiming to take the wind out of the Jets' sails. Although the strategy did result in a bizarre goal for the visitors, Cassio trying a bit too hard to be elegant in possession at the back, the job was nearly done by that stage.

The last time Adelaide did this on a regular basis was way back in the first A-League season...in which they won the premiership.

The Stalled Revolution

2010-09-10T20:07:00.002+10:00

In a week which featured a battling friendly win for the Socceroos but little other football news of note, the raging debate over the health of the A-League has dominated the Australian football media. Everyone has had their say, with Archie Fraser venting his spleen at his former employers, various bloggers and commentators joining the fray, and finally Frank Lowy choosing to exculpate himself via Mike Cockerill.

The spur for all this, of course, was the revelation of the depth of Newcastle's financial troubles, but the rumbles of discontent have been building for some time. The phrase "taken their eye off the ball" has become common parlance with regard to the FFA's inaction, and the fact that the current A-League season has opened fairly brightly has added to the cries of woe.

Cockerill's faith in Lowy is frankly a little hard to share, for a number of reasons. For a start, it has become blindingly clear that for all Lowy's "club" history with Sydney City (and the nostalgia that surrounded his takeover of Sydney FC), at the moment his sole interest, football-wise, is that acquisition of the 2022 World Cup. This is still quite possible, incidentally, even if a few unconnected events seem to have pushed Australia down the pecking order in recent months.

The post-Crawford history of Australian football is quickly becoming a tale of renewed optimism and long-desired good management morphing into misguided appointments, skewed priorities and blithely tolerated pet projects of little long-term benefit. It has reached a point where if Australia does hit the jackpot in December, all will be well, but if we don't, the A-League will be on a precipice.

What Cockerill does not mention, understandably enough, is Lowy's own significant role in the downturn, which started with his takeover of Sydney FC in 2006. That, to my mind, was the beginning of the rot, and it's worth revisiting the situation in some detail, given the slightly hypocritical noises Lowy makes in Cockerill's article.

At the end of the first A-League season, it would not have been at all inappropriate to describe Sydney FC as the league's flagship. The crowds had been excellent (towards the end), the publicity generated by Dwight Yorke in particular had been welcome, and, most significantly of all, the relationship between the fans and the management of the club was enviably good.

The spending had been a little over the top, without doubt. But there were investors prepared to step into the breach (the very same investors who came into the picture prior to last season, in fact). Lowy, however, was determined to make himself another Sydney City, and indulged in a good deal of subterfuge in installing his son as a proxy owner.

Suddenly, a large proportion of the goodwill that had attended the Lowy takeover began to dissipate. The invaluable John O'Neill left (partly due to Lowy's blatant conflict of interest), Sydney FC became an administrative basketcase, and slowly but surely the A-League was starved of the promotion it desperately needed.

Publicity is not the whole picture, of course, and there is plenty that the clubs themselves could have done better over the last few years, both on and off the pitch. But Lowy, and the FFA in general, need to take a good look in the mirror before they implicitly lump much of the blame for the parlous state of the A-League on the clubs. The national association has given them scant support in recent times.

Champions' Curse

2010-09-05T15:06:00.002+10:00

Rarely, if ever, have Sydney FC been so badly outplayed at home as they were against Adelaide last night.

Sydney's midfield play was stilted and unfocused, their movement up front predictable and easily countered. Adelaide, by comparison, looked smooth, organised and dangerous, especially when the opportunity to play in Matthew Leckie on the right presented itself. Adelaide's newest young star looks set for Europe within a year or two, although his coach observed at the post-match presser that "a few details" needed to be sorted out before Leckie was ready for the next level.

There is no doubt that the hosts badly missed both Alex Brosque and Terry McFlynn, neither of whom are apparently certain to start (or even be on the bench) next week. But their dismal start to the season cannot be put down solely to a couple of significant injuries. The A-League champions' curse, which afflicted Melbourne so badly in 2007/08 and Newcastle the year after, seems to have alighted on the harbour club.

Sydney's championship hangover, in my view, has much to do with some mediocre off-season recruitment. Scott Jamieson has been stuck in third gear since his breakout season, and he has been poor for Sydney so far. The signing of Hirofuni Moriyasu remains a complete mystery to me: on the few occasions I saw him in action for APIA-Leichhardt, he was solid and intelligent in midfield but nothing more; certainly not a state league standout. To surrender one of your allotted overseas slots to a player who can offer little more than, say, Sam Munro or Neil Jablonski, makes little sense.

Lastly and most importantly, the failure to sign a proper centre-forward to replace the Melbourne-bound John Aloisi (not to mention Chris Payne) has really hurt. Without an alternate target-man it was very clear that Sydney were one injury away from trouble, and a "trouble period", as Vitezslav Lavicka dubbed it last night, has arrived. Bruno Cazarine's CV gives ample cause for concern - a journeyman is one thing, a frenzied club-hopper quite another - and Kofi Danning is no-one's idea of a central striker.

Whether the Bridge-Brosque partnership can stop the rot, and start gelling with the immensely talented but still unpredictable Nick Carle, will depend on Lavicka's ability to restore the side's self-belief after a miserable start to the campaign. He proved a shrewd operator in 2009/10, but never during that campaign were Sydney at such a low point as they are now.

Underage Overseas

2010-09-02T21:39:00.002+10:00

Another timely and interesting article in this week's edition of Goal! Weekly, this time concerning the infamous Article 19 of FIFA's transfer regulations. The article has appeared online as well, on the website of Australia's de facto player union.

The article's author, James Johnson, is a former professional player and now a lawyer in the employ of the PFA. With that in mind, the sentiments that he expresses are understandable enough. However, sometimes it's difficult to work out which side of the issue he stands on, viz:

While it is noble for FIFA to try to protect minors, the practical operation of Article 19 is counterproductive to young Australian players by severely limiting their football development opportunities.

In the very next paragraph:

Professional Footballers Australia (“PFA”) research has showed that, as a general rule of thumb, it is in a player’s best interest to exhaust the Australian system before moving overseas as many international transfers can go wrong.

The problem with this whole issue is, of course, that it is such a fertile ground for both emotions and ambition. The story of the unjustly ignored youngster at the mercy of mediocre local coaches, cruelly prevented from furthering his development overseas, is familiar to any long-term follower of Australian football. One such story even found its way to a commercial current affairs program recently, in which the theme of youthful dreams being shattered (that is, parental dreams being shattered) was hammered home with all the subtlety of a Roger Milla goal celebration.

The reality, of course, is that in 99% of cases the child in question would indeed be better served by staying in Australia initially. The recent cases of Danny Vukovic and especially Shane Smeltz have shown how treacherous overseas transfers can be; if twentysomethings have trouble getting things right, how are teenagers to cope?

In my view, the effect of Article 19 (first introduced nearly a decade ago) has been almost uniformly positive. The horror stories of young South Americans left high and dry in Europe by nefarious agents have dried up, and starry-eyed youngsters in more affluent countries, including Australia, are less likely to be induced by the promises of glory on the part of fly-by-night "academies" with tenuous links to the clubs they purport to represent.

To deal with Johnson's main point: yes, it is a pity that youngsters from within the European Union have greater freedom of movement than Antipodeans. But the same is true in the senior game, when foreign player quotas have often made it hard for Australians without European ancestry to settle in Europe. The PFA seems to be tilting at windmills here.

Then there is the issue of whether certain players simply "can't learn any more" in Australia. At age 16, I simply don't believe this to be true. Our level of coaching may be well behind that of Europe, but the popular view that all Australian coaches are simply British-tinged hacks only interested in physical power and speed is, from what I've seen, a myth. Again, many commentators (not to mention ambitious parents) are inclined to confuse the A-League, in which they have seen physicality to the fore in recent years, with Australian football as a whole.

There are good coaches out there...and kids who are ambitious and open-minded enough will eventually find them.

We Could Be Heroes - update #10

2010-08-31T16:39:00.002+10:00

The football e-zine Half-Time Heroes has reached its first anniversary, and in the August edition the usual suspects (including your friendly neighbourhood tragic) pick over the opening weeks of the A-League, the appointment of Holger Osieck, and the continuing fallout from the World Cup. Enjoy.

Ten Men and a Left Foot

2010-08-29T21:12:00.002+10:00

Blacktown City won the NSW Premier League grand final 1-0 over Bonnyrigg this afternoon in a game that promised much in the first half-hour, but deteriorated thereafter. It was fitting, however, that Tolgay Ozbey managed to crown his excellent season with the winning penalty, even if he had a somewhat indifferent afternoon.

What struck me particularly about the game was that although Blacktown scored their goal only eleven minutes from the end of normal time, and were playing against ten men for the remainder of the game, they went awfully close to conceding an equaliser on no fewer than four occasions. And that was due to one thing and one thing only: the left foot of Daniel Severino.

Severino remains one of the great enigmas of Australian football. His set-piece delivery is, quite simply, the best in the country. No-one in the A-League comes remotely close to his incredible accuracy, and indeed there would be few players at any level of the game who would produce better service from free kicks and corners (especially from the right wing). In the closing minutes of this afternoon's game, he swung in a series of pinpoint corners and free kicks; four of them met a Bonnyrigg head, four times the ball flew tantalisingly wide of goal.

Yet, for all Severino's dead-ball mastery, there is a running joke in the NSWPL that when you play Bonnyrigg, you play against ten men. And this is because Severino is legendarily ineffective from free play; he offers no pace, little effective movement, and his idea of a pass tends to be a thirty-yard dink in the general direction of the forward line. His right foot, as the saying goes, is used chiefly for standing on.

The fact remains, though, that Bonnyrigg would hardly have been in a position to contest the grand final were it not for Severino's contributions during the season. He has scored a few goals directly from free kicks, but his specialty is the dipping, inswinging corner or free kick from the right, which frequently causes chaos in opposition penalty areas.

It got me thinking: should one be able to get away with being such a specialist in football? In baseball, there are the gun pitchers who need designated hitters to bat for them; in cricket, a player can be a hopeless fieldsman and a dunce with the bat if he can spin his side to victory on a regular basis.

But football? Goalkeepers are specialists, of course, but otherwise footballers are always expected to be adaptable these days. Can a team really afford to carry a player simply in the hope of nicking a scrappy set-piece goal?

I don't pretend to have an answer, but Daniel Severino's continuing presence in the Bonnyrigg first team is, if nothing else, another testament to the vital importance of set-pieces in football, however much the purists decry them.

Five Blind Mice

2010-08-27T17:32:00.004+10:00

An incident in Thursday morning's Champions League playoff tie between Tottenham and Young Boys of Berne perfectly illustrated the utter fatuity of UEFA's "five officials" experiment, which has been extended to their premier club competition this year.

Ten eyes are better than six, the argument goes, especially when deciding on contentious decisions in and around the box...especially the dreaded "did it cross the line?" cases. Such cases, however, occur maybe once in every five or six hours of football, if that. Infinitely more common are instances of disputed offside, possible handball and the like. The extra two officials are completely useless in such situtations, as Tottenham's second "goal" demonstrated all too clearly.

Half the stadium would have seen Jermain Defoe control the ball with his hand before firing Spurs into a 2-0 lead. The referee and his assistants, however, belogned to the other half. No-one saw nuthin', and the goal was allowed to stand.

To make, for the umpteenth time on this blog, the screamingly obvious point: were the officials to be granted access to video technology, a ten-second referral to an official in the stands would be quite sufficient to judge the legality or otherwise of such a goal. A drag on the pace of the game, Messrs. Platini, Blatter et al.? Look at the endless petulant ranting at the referee after a controversial goal (or a disallowed goal), the time it takes the ref to re-establish order, and then tell me that video referrals would waste time.

The five-official experiment is a ludicrously ill-conceived ploy to prevent what must surely, in the wake of the Lampard/Tevez controversies at the World Cup, come to pass: the gradual introduction of technological assistance for football referees. Only twenty-five years too late.

Demon Days - update

2010-08-24T19:59:00.004+10:00

All good things must come to an end, of course, and this year's NSW Premier League comes to an end this Sunday at Parramatta Stadium, with the Bonnyrigg White Eagles facing Blacktown City in the grand final.

Blacktown's recovery this season from their grim 2008 and 2009 campaigns has been very impressive, and much of the credit must go, once again, to Aytek Genc. The irascible former Socceroo, who had a brief spell in the assistant's chair at Sydney FC and an utterly disastrous period as manager of Sydney Olympic, has reached three NSWPL grand finals in his last three years with Blacktown, without any real star players at his disposal.

Tolgay Ozbey, another to have sampled the unique joys of life at Belmore, has looked a far more complete player this season. He has scored plenty of goals, as expected, but his all-round play appears to have improved considerably; no longer requiring six touches of the ball to make an impact, he seems much better primed for the professional game now.

There have been other discoveries at Blacktown, not least the surprisingly prolific and effective young winger Joel Chianese, and Bernie Ibini, whose fine touch and prodigious vision make him one to watch. Old stagers like Kain Rastall, Mirko Jurilj and Ante Deur have played their part as well, providing some solidity that was lacking in Blacktown's callow performances last term.

Bonnyrigg, for their part, were always expected to reach the final this season. The murmurings about their summer spending spree became ever louder as they continued to acquire some prize pickings as the season progressed; Nathan Elasi and Chris Tadrosse, two players with A-League experience, were among those who headed for the Serbian Centre in the midst of the campaign.

But a team of stars does not automatically equal a successful team, and ex-Sutherland boss Brian Brown did well to make the group mesh after an awkward beginning. Brad Boardman, a real leader of the line, formed a good partnership with Elasi towards the back end of the season, while the left foot of Daniel Severino could always be relied upon to cause problems at free kicks and corners.

Jamie McMaster and Shane Webb, among others, offered grit and penetration from midfield, and although the defence had some shaky moments (largely thanks to a significant weak link in Paul Cotte), they managed to keep the goals against tally down, even after the stomach-churning mid-season injury to first-choice keeper Phil Zabaks. And Bonnyrigg had a breakthrough youngster as well, in the lively left-winger David Gullo.

Blacktown thumped Bonnyrigg 4-0 in the second week of the finals series only two weeks ago, and that result above all else should give Genc's side the psychological edge going into the match. It could be the game in which Ozbey finally produces a five-star performance in a prestige encounter: probably the player of the season, he has the pace and audacity to trouble Bonnyrigg's less-than-formidable defence. But in 2006, he was expected to do the same, and instead he was snuffed out with little trouble, Luka Glavas making all the headlines at the other end.

Come one, come all. Parramatta Stadium (a much better choice for the showpiece than distant CUA Stadium, incidentally), 3 p.m. on Sunday. It should be a beauty.

Harry's Hypocrisy

2010-08-21T18:02:00.002+10:00

A week is a long time in politics, and in football the same truism applies. While TFT has been off on a very enjoyable skiing holiday for the last week, several European leagues have kicked off, the A-League has thrown up some surprising results, and the increasingly tedious Harry Kewell saga has gotten very nasty.

What strikes me particularly about the whole affair is the stunning hypocrisy of Messrs. Kewell and Mandic re the issue of anonymity. Rewind the clock a year or so, and you may recall an incendiary anonymous email sent to the Murdoch press, partly regarding their allegations against Tim Cahill. It became well-known in the days following its publication that the email emanated from Bernie Mandic, and hence, ultimately, from Kewell. Its timing was dreadful, its intentions selfish and its overtones of spite quite obvious.

For Kewell to lay into Robbie Slater (no innocent party himself, of course) for not revealing his source for an embarrassing set-to in South Africa rings dreadfully hollow with the earlier incident in mind. My own sources indicate that it did indeed happen, although revealing such information does little good to anyone.

The petty jealousies and settling of old scores among the Socceroo class of 1997 is frankly getting beyond a joke, and this above all is why I feel that Holger Osieck should make some wholesale changes to the Australian line-up without delay. That should probably include the omission of Kewell, whatever his form for Galatasaray. And this does not require some grand declaration of future shunning; he can simply not be picked.

The Kewell situation is somewhat similar to the ongoing controversy regarding David Beckham's future with the England team. The difference is that Beckham, whatever his enormous public profile, has usually conducted himself with a certain dignity and humility. One could not say the same about Kewell.

The Kaiser's Man

2010-08-11T18:32:00.003+10:00

Holger Osieck it is, and all one can say is that there were plenty of worse choices for the Socceroo job.

Osieck does tick many of the boxes. He has certainly had a taste of both the football and the logistical problems in Asia, having guided the Urawa Red Diamonds to the Asian Champions League in 2007. His spell with Canada at the turn of the millennium was a qualified success. And perhaps most importantly of all, his period as youth supremo with Germany, though a long time in the past, coincided with a number of successful youth teams and the launching of the generation that won the 1990 World Cup (at which he was Franz Beckenbauer's assistant - more on that later).

Until we hear how much Osieck is being paid, it is difficult to say whether the FFA have gotten value for money. But in any event, the decision to sign Osieck to a long-term deal is a sensible one. The Asian Cup next year will be a trial period for a number of younger players, and it makes sense for the same man to guide those that have settled in through the rigours of World Cup qualification.

The biggest question mark over Osieck's appointment is surely the length of time he has been away from the dugout. Following his sacking at the hands of Urawa in 2008, he has spent his time in the comfortable, pressure-free environment of the FIFA Technical Study Group, a sort of mobile retirement home for coaches who are sick of the stress and criticism that comes with the territory. Having said that, TSG junketeers emerging from the cocoon are probably better suited to a national team job than a club one.

In an interesting sense, the appointment of Osieck could be seen as another subtle piece of politicking by the FFA in the long-running battle for 2022. Osieck is a close friend of Franz Beckenbauer, an influential member of the FIFA ExCo; Beckenbauer is a friend of Australia and has emitted plenty of positive noises about the 2022 World Cup bid. Osieck has apparently been appointed on Der Kaiser's recommendation; could it be that one of the motives behind the FFA's choice has been a chance to further butter up one of the key men in the race for 2022?

If so, smartly played.

Momentary Lapse

2010-08-08T21:00:00.002+10:00

Although last night's Sydney v. Melbourne encounter was hardly a classic, only coming to life after the hour, it certainly had a rousing finish. And the reasons for the sudden turn of events were interesting to consider.

Momentum and initiative are such important features in a football game, and a crucial part of a coach's skill is to discern just when the tide is turning against his team, and react accordingly. Last night, I felt that first Vitezslav Lavicka, then Ernie Merrick, missed the moment.

It looked for all the world, after Terry McFlynn's well-taken headed goal, that Sydney were headed for a smooth, relatively untroubled first-up win. But Merrick made a good substitution, replacing the ineffective Surat Sukha with Billy Celeski, and a subtle change occurred.

For one thing, Melbourne went to a back four, with Adrian Leijer switching to right-back. Not earth-shaking in itself. But Celeski joined Carlos Hernandez in the middle, allowing Tom Pondeljak to concentrate exclusively on the right flank, where Sydney are weakest. Mate Dugandzic, who had patrolled the right flank for much of the first period, was thus transformed into an out-and-out striker...and he responded to the show of confidence.

In the passage just following the hour, Lavicka failed to react, and Melbourne were allowed the run of the country. The first two Sydney goals can be put down to Pondeljak's domination of the right flank (Byun Sung-Hwan again showing that he needs to improve his positional play), but Melbourne were only allowed to exploit this because they were able to spread the ball around so easily. Well might Victory fans, seeing Dugandzic's sublime first touch just prior to the equaliser, think "Archie who?".

And so the game was turned on its head. But then Melbourne's temporary initiative died out, and as the minutes ticked down both Hernandez and Pondeljak began to look very tired. This time, Merrick was the one to take his eyes off the metaphorical ball.

Sydney's equaliser may have been a tad fortunate, given that the "foul" by Leijer on Mark Bridge seemed nonexistent, but it was not a surprise that they found a way through. Melbourne's increasing impotence in midfield had allowed Nick Carle (who found the going tough initially) to get into his stride, and the momentum shifted fully in Sydney's favour.

A coach's job is not just about shapes, formations, drills and set-piece preparation. The ability to read a game in real time, in my view, is what really separates the experts from the clipboard-holders.

Version Six

2010-08-05T10:18:00.003+10:00

It all starts tonight...not that you would know.

The first season featuring two teams from the one town (more on that later) has been overshadowed by the World Cup hangover, but some of the teams at least look capable of producing good football. The increasing move towards foreign coaches, with two new Dutchmen and a former Czech international among the coaching ranks, will make for some interesting comments however they fare.

Defending champions Sydney appear in reasonably good shape despite the loss of several players who provided the requisite quality to push them over the line last term - Steve Corica, Clint Bolton, Simon Colosimo, and, on his better days, John Aloisi. The chief worry for Vitezslav Lavicka must be the lack of an out-and-out striker to throw on when the chips are down; the combination of Nick Carle, Alex Brosque and Mark Bridge promises much, but there are few attacking options in reserve if these three run into a brick wall.

The "old" Melbourne side looks in pretty poor shape, with Archie Thompson out for a long time, Carlos Hernandez having "a season too far" written all over him and few other players looking likely to prove match-winners. The possibility of the A-League's most successful team being badly eclipsed by their new neighbours is a very real one.

And so to "new" Melbourne, otherwise known as pun central. The squad is incredibly strong by A-League standards, raising serious questions about how it was brought in under the salary cap. In terms of playing strength they should be favourites already, although, as we saw with the Gold Coast in 2009/10, things can take a while to click properly. Gerard Sibon, whom I remember leading the line fairly convincingly for Sheffield Wednesday many moons ago, has been in good form in pre-season; whether he can sustain top form for a whole season at his age is another matter. In any event, there are plenty of others who can carry the attacking burden, and the first-choice defence is probably the best ever assembled in the A-League's history.

The two most far-flung teams, Wellington and Perth, should be able to consolidate the improvement they both made last season, with Wellington in particular looking a force to be reckoned with in 2010/11 with Paul Ifill still among the ranks. Oscar Cornejo is an interesting addition, and if Jade North can find some form in defence alongside the still underrated Andrew Durante, the Phoenix will be hard to breach. Robbie Fowler should notch a fair few goals for the Glory, but service might be thin on the ground, especially if the injuries mount. Already, it's hard to see who will perform the creative duties for David Mitchell's side.

The omens don't look good for Adelaide. The lingering bitterness of Phil Stubbins at being overlooked for the managerial hot seat might cause problems, and the backline looks dreadfully brittle without Mark Rudan. Nevertheless, Sergio van Dijk is an excellent addition in attack (the first good No.9 that Adelaide have possessed since Shengqing Qu, in fact), and Travis Dodd remains one of the most incisive players in the competition.

Gold Coast United are a settled side by now, and if Shane Smeltz can put his bizarre Chinese embarrassment behind him and concentrate on bagging A-League goals once again, they should finish in the top four. The other new side of 2009/10, by comparison, might take quite a while to gel, after the massive changes forced on the club by having their financial rug spectacularly pulled out from under their feet.

Still in Queensland, but further south, Brisbane Roar will face the real test of their volte-face this season. Ange Postecoglou has rebuilt the side around youth, and although the losses of Tommy Oar, Michael Zullo, Liam Reddy and especially Sergio van Dijk will hurt, there is still plenty of young talent at the club. Kosta Barbarouses is a good acquisition, and Henrique is still getting better. Ultimately, though, they might not have the experience to survive a tense scrap for finals places.

That leaves the eternal rivals of the F3. Finally Graham Arnold gets to test himself in a club situation again after living off the fat of the FFA for many years, and it will be interesting to see how he copes under pressure; on recent form, the answer may be not very well. There have been some good additions, not least Oliver Bozanic, but Arnold may find it difficult to imbue the squad with a new mentality after the determined mediocrity of the last two years.

Newcastle began to look like real contenders towards the end of last season, and they should be able to carry on in the same vein in 2010/11, especially if the canny Michael Bridges stays fit and if Ali Abbas can keep improving. In Ben Kantarovski they have probably the best young player in the league, and his progress this season will be intriguing to watch.

Who Knew?

2010-08-02T19:57:00.004+10:00

Although I share Phil Micallef's disappointment at the small turnout for the Sydney Festival of Football, a well-considered and well-organised event which deserves to be repeated next year, I think he is wrong to direct the blame at Sydney's fans, for a very simple reason. Many of them didn't know about the event until it was too late to make arrangements to attend it.

The promotion for the tourney was simply invisible. Several acquaintances of mine whom I would consider dedicated football fans, the sort who would pay good money to see even a pre-season tournament as long as it featured teams of reasonable quality (which it did), hadn't heard of the Sydney Festival of Football until about a week prior to the kickoff. Family people need a bit more notice than that.

Yes, the mainstream media is clearly taking an extended break from the game following the World Cup, with the NRL and AFL seasons reaching their respective climaxes. But was there really no way to make the public more aware of the first Euro-dominated pre-season tournament to be held on Australian shores for a very long time?

It is, unfortunately, the same story with the 2010/11 A-League. Yes, would you believe, it is starting in three days, and yet the publicity for the sixth instalment has been quite minimal. The FFA has been distracted by the World Cup and Asian Cup bids, the search for a new Socceroo manager (which has been predictably put on hold), and the continuing battle with the Fairfax media to limit the revelations about the activities of Messrs. Hargitay and Radmann, two gentlemen whose involvement with the World Cup bid constitutes, in my view, a serious error of judgement on the FFA's part.

Essentially, my feelings are the same as they were at the same juncture last year. The hosting of the Asian Cup, the possibility of landing the biggest fish of all in 2022, all of these are exciting ventures, but the health of the Australian game ultimately depends on that of the domestic league, and it has been short-changed again in the marketing department.

Of course, it still has its champions, one of whom protests too much. Seizing on a quote from a diplomatic visiting manager as evidence of improving standards shows either naivety or disingenuousness, and there is a revealing caveat later in the article:

Strangely enough, Australian players seem the hardest to convince.

Now I wonder why that could be.

Mike Cockerill's Fairfax colleague, Sebastian Hassett, relayed to the SFS press box some snippets from his interview with Nathan Burns during AEK Athens' visit down under. Believe me, they did not reflect well on the quality of coaching in the A-League compared with that overseas, even in the Greek second division. And please note, once again: that is the A-League, not Australian football in general.

The Long Game

2010-07-29T19:57:00.004+10:00

I'm very proud to have been associated, for the last three years, with the Melbourne-based football newspaper Goal! Weekly. As well as providing a comprehensive coverage of the Victorian Premier League and the A-League and concise summaries of the other state leagues, the paper often presents topical and fearless commentary on the state of the game here and overseas. In this week's issue, there is an article by the distinguished former Socceroo Eddie Krncevic which is, to put it mildly, well worth a read.

Krncevic takes the Victorian Premier League clubs to task for failing to take proactive steps to improve their lot and their reputation, and his suggestions (they fall under seven main headings) are all well-considered. And his comments could be applied with equal justice, mutatis mutandis, to clubs in the NSW Premier League.

Top of the list: the need to reduce the playing wage bill, to prevent the insidious bottom-up funding system which is having such a deleterious effect on the development and retention of young players.

Krncevic envisages all the clubs agreeing on a salary cap system of sorts, which would clearly be the only way to apply such a policy across the board. There have been moves towards this in NSW already (see here), but some of the old habits of out-spending the other clubs for short-term gain, and paying average players way over the odds, remain.

The point was driven home to me a couple of years ago, when I discovered that a certain NSWPL club had been paying an old returned hero of the club close to a thousand dollars per game. At the time, the said player was, not to put too fine a point on it, grossly overweight and waddling around in midfield week after week to very little effect. It was frankly shocking to think that the club's juniors were helping to subsidise what was effectively a bout of boardroom nostalgia.

This story is not an uncommon one, either. Clubs will tolerate abysmal facilities, pitiful crowds and a disgraceful matchday presentation as long as they can poach that star player from the club down the road, for a few dollars a week more.

Krncevic's basic point is that clubs should instead be investing to make their grounds more attractive and their matchday atmosphere more family-friendly...in other words, that they should be playing the long game (rather than the long-ball game). A further point which emerges subtly is that the state league clubs, if they are to command the respect which their proud histories often deserve, need to get out of the constant cycle of whinging and finger-pointing that has taken hold since the formation of the A-League. One paragraph from Krncevic's article in particular needs to be enlarged, laminated, and pinned permanently to every NSWPL club noticeboard:

We all know that the formation of the A-League essentially killed off a number of avenues of revenue that previously existed for Premier League clubs. But, if clubs were clever enough then they could adjust accordingly to operate within the parameters of business now set before them, and display initiative to overhaul and maximise their assets instead of living in a vicious cycle of hand to mouth.

The former NSL clubs are, in many ways, deserving of sympathy. They have been marginalised in the post-Crawford world, their revenue streams have been circumscribed somewhat unfairly (some might say bloody-mindedly), and their ongoing contribution to the Australian game has been cynically airbrushed out of late, especially since the arrival of the various Dutch messiahs. But this does not mean that they need to give themselves up to indignation as a way of life and self-obsessed nostalgia as a virtue. They have a future; they just need to find the werewithal to grasp it.

The Succession - update

2010-07-27T19:05:00.004+10:00

A story about the search for Pim Verbeek's successor on the SBS World Game website today attracted a remark worthy of reproduction. The article mentioned the various names canvassed by the FFA for the vacant Socceroo position, none of which show much evidence of imagination or lateral thinking on the part of the national body. One of the comments reads:

So, an Italian failure, a Dutch failure, and a German who was rumoured to have had his assistant at the helm, before subsequently being a failure at Bayern. Worry not though, we still have a failure at Cameroon, Rangers and PSV in the pipe. I'm assuming we're in for Domenech too?

Although the description of Marcello Lippi as a failure is a little harsh given his 2006 exploits, I could hardly have put it better.

The obsession with the Big European Names is misguided and short-sighted, and it is yet another indication of the lack of football knowledge at the apex of Australian football. If we look at the foreign coaches whose teams have overperformed at some recent tournaments of relevance to Australia, a clear pattern emerges. World Cup 2010: Milovan Rajevac and Gerardo Martino. Asian Cup 2007: Jorvan Vieira and Helio dos Anjos. World Cup 2002: Bruno Metsu and...Guus Hiddink.

That's right, unheralded names, all of whom had knocked around the football world below the radar for some time. Even Hiddink deserves a place of sorts on this list, given that his stocks were at an all-time low at the time he took the South Korea job, after two disastrous spells in Spanish football.

This is a period of transition for the Socceroos, in which players with unsettled club careers and limited international experience will need to be moulded into a functioning national team in the lead-up to 2014. An expensive European aristocoach whose best days are behind him, or whose chief claim to fame is a playing career rather than a coaching one, is the very last thing Australia needs at present.

The Greek Gulf

2010-07-25T20:33:00.002+10:00

It was a pity that such a modest crowd attended what was a brilliantly entertaining game of football this afternoon. The Sydney Festival of Football, a quadrangular international pre-season tournament, opened with a 5-3 victory for AEK Athens over their hosts Sydney FC.

The match was aptly described by Vitezslav Lavicka as "a big, bitter lesson" for his side. Sydney FC did not play particularly badly according to their lights, although there were one or two sub-par individual performances; they were simply outclassed, in every department. Given that one of the Sydney goals resulted from a bizarre, needless handball in the area and another came courtesy of a farcical goalkeeping error, 5-1 would have been a fairer reflection of the difference between the two sides. It was, in fact, a classic demonstration of the gulf in class between Australian club football and its European equivalent.

Of course, European clubs have financial resources that dwarf those of the A-League clubs, but there were still some lessons that watching A-League managers could take away. The movement of the AEK front three, which included two South Americans, was often scintillating to watch. In the dreaded "transition", AEK were close to impeccable, immediately giving the man on the ball two or more options when Sydney FC handed over possession in the middle third (this was never shown to better effect than on the occasion of AEK's third goal).

Nathan Burns, back from his prolific loan period on Corfu, made an appearance as a second-half substitute and looked a subtly different player from the young Adelaide star of a few years ago. The decision-making was more sure-footed, the movement off the ball more astute. He has learned something from his chastening European adventure, and although I would love to see him taste some real success at AEK, he has some formidable competition in the forward line.

The real star of the afternoon was the 34-year-old Nikos Liberopoulos, who was simply masterly in his three-quarter role. Starting with his sublime lay-off to Leonardo Pereira for AEK's first goal, and finishing with his driving diagonal run into the box in the lead-up to their fifth, he was never out of the action, and always inventive and adroit. It was an instructive pleasure to watch the distinguished former Greek international in action.

"Control, pass, move!" was the mantra of Gordon Jago, the former QPR coach whose excellent book on coaching I've quoted once or twice. AEK could not have demonstrated this simple but pertinent catechism better: once their players had completed a good pass, they didn't stand around admiring it in typical A-League fashion; they trotted off into position to receive the return. For all the A-League's straitened financial circumstances, their coaches could surely instil this basic principle a little better in their charges. The football would be a good deal better if they did.

We Could Be Heroes - update #9

2010-07-22T12:12:00.003+10:00

The Half-Time Heroes have produced a bumper World Cup review issue, with several intrepid travellers sharing tales of an African footballing adventure. All the usual suspects, including yours truly, are there as well.

The Succession

2010-07-18T20:03:00.002+10:00

Now that the World Cup is behind us, more mundane matters are on the Australian football agenda...and at the top of the list is the choice of a successor to Pim Verbeek.

Various names have been thrown around in the last few weeks...some reasonable, some not so reasonable, some outright hilarious. There were heavy hints that one of the coaches at the World Cup was in line for the post, with Paul Le Guen and Marcelo Bielsa two of those in the frame, but it is traditional for post-World Cup speculation to focus largely on those who were in the spotlight during football's busiest four weeks.

One thing is for certain: in making their choice, the FFA will rely very heavily on the advice of the man whose tune they have been dancing to for some time regarding coaching appointments. Han Berger has quickly and quietly become the most influential figure in the Australian game, and is currently taking an active role even in appointments which should not be within his purview at all. But that's an issue for a future post.

With Berger's approval a sine qua non, the odds on Verbeek's successor being a Dutchman are short, although not unbackable. Mike Cockerill's shrill appeal for an Australian to be considered for the post is quite in character, and at the moment quite misplaced given the continued underachievement of the smug closed shop that constitutes the A-League coaching ranks. The only (quasi-)local member of that particular club remotely deserving of consideration for the national position is Ernie Merrick, and plenty of informed little birds have told me that no-one of British extraction will be installed in the Socceroo job while Berger is around.

Aurelio Vidmar? I wonder how Cockerill would appreciate having Australia referred to as a pissant country.

One would hope, though, that Verbeek's successor shows more respect towards the domestic game than did the arrogant Dutchman. Time and again, Verbeek saw fit to belittle the A-League or (at best) damn it with faint praise, most often in his own interests - a blatantly obvious factor which was repeatedly ignored by those who chose, for a variety of reasons, to support his remarks. Of course the A-League is in need of improvement in some areas, but Verbeek's dismissive attitude did considerable damage to the cause of the local game here, of that there is no longer any doubt.

The performances of New Zealand at the World Cup could quite legitimately have been seen by some denigrated A-Leaguers as a vicarious two finger salute directed at Verbeek. The Dutchman's A-League teams laboured against Kuwait and Indonesia; Ricki Herbert's side, with a substantial A-League presence, drew with Italy and Paraguay. Any further comment is superfluous.

I'm still happy with my suggestion, some time ago, of Gabriel Calderon, who is still without a coaching position (to the best of my knowledge). Whoever is installed as Socceroo manager should have a good record in bringing younger players through, given the inevitable break-up of the "2006 generation", should preferably have experience with national sides in Asia, and should be affordable, given the straitened circumstances of the FFA vis-a-vis the A-League. Calderon qualifies on all three counts.

South Africa 2010: A Review, Part 2

2010-07-16T10:29:00.004+10:00

A quick rundown of some of the other issues arising from Africa's first World Cup.

It would be only fair to mention that South Africa made a better fist of the organisation that many people (myself included) expected, and they deserve enormous credit for that. Not least the indefatigable and unfailingly decent Danny Jordaan, who bore the brunt of all the pre-tournament barbs of doubt from European football journalists. There were a few hiccups, notably the chaos at Durban airport prior to the semi-final and the frequent failure of the public transport infrastructure to cope with the sheer numbers, but the increased security seemed to ensure that, beyond the usual few hotel burglaries, there were no truly serious incidents.

Altogether less savoury was the unpleasant use of Nelson Mandela as a publicity tool by Sepp Blatter. Mandela's absence from the opening game, commented upon briefly and diplomatically by Jacob Zuma before the kickoff, was clearly an embarrassment for FIFA given how closely the tournament had been tied to the image of the man who has become synonymous with the sort of dignity that FIFA craves.

The refereeing in South Africa was less than impressive in many respects, Howard Webb's feeble performance in the final constituting a fitting comment on the officiating throughout. Violent play was often ignored while trivial, harmless infractions continued to attract cuckoo-clock yellow cards. The ultimate irony came when, after a final which set new standards for thuggery, Andres Iniesta was presented with a yellow card for a heartfelt tribute to a fallen comrade. The idiotic shirt-off yellow card is one of the few things in football that still makes me seethe with anger every time it is produced.

And so...to the Jabulani.

Frankly, FIFA should have learned their lesson in 2002. The ball used in Korea and Japan had similar problems, and the propensity for long shots to fly into the stratosphere encouraged plenty of teams to keep a deep line at that tournament and restrict their opposition to shots from distance; this was one of the factors which made the 2002 tournament such a poor advertisement for football. Things weren't quite so bad in 2010, but the Jabulani's tendency to swing unpredictably made life hell for goalkeepers, and it was no coincidence that this World Cup featured more egregious goalkeeping blunders than any of the past instalments. Any new ball being brought into use for a World Cup should be tested at length by top-level footballers, not just physicists.

And so we're off to Brazil in 2014, under the aegis of a certain Ricardo Teixeira. God help us.

South Africa 2010: A Review, Part 1

2010-07-13T09:50:00.008+10:00

A mediocre and bad-tempered final often gives a false impression of the quality of a tournament as a whole. And the grim spectacle of South Africa 2010's showpiece should not detract from the fact that the event featured plenty of good football.

The knockout stage of the 2006 World Cup was frankly a complete turn-off. 2002 was fairly mediocre throughout, with a team as essentially ordinary as Germany allowed to progress to the final with three 1-0 wins against modest opposition. France 1998 and the European Championship which followed it were superb tournaments, and we may not see their like for quite some time to come, given the doctrine of conservatism which has become so prevalent in recent years.

If there was a tactical theme that ran through the event, it was the death of the pure striker. Both teams in the final featured players in the "point" role who shifted out wide, dropped deeper, and generally played more like Alfredo di Stefano or Johan Cruyff than Fernando Morientes or Marco van Basten. Germany, in the third place match, acted likewise, although of course the injury to Miroslav Klose was the main reason for this.

Increasingly, teams are tending to use "false nines", as Jonathan Wilson likes to say. The author of the recent influential tactical history has published his own review of the tournament's tactical trends, and although I don't agree with him in every particular, the thrust of his argument is definitely sound. Japan's use of Keisuke Honda in the pivot role was a classic case in point; Honda is used as a midfielder by his club and it became very clear during the tournament that he would have been better used as a playmaker (this was especially clear after the arrival of Shinji Okazaki against Denmark), but Takeshi Okada was determined to make the most of his midfield talents.

First Roma and Manchester United; now everywhere.

Pim Verbeek was a slave to the trend, of course; the pre-World Cup plans of shifting Tim Cahill or Harry Kewell into the striking role were prime instances of the modern shift away from out-and-out strikers. When a real if flawed No.9 in Josh Kennedy entered the picture, the Socceroos looked more dangerous straight away. Significantly, too, two teams that punched well above their weight at the event, namely Uruguay and New Zealand, regularly fielded two or three strikers (thereby playing to their own strengths), and benefited thereby.

I still believe there is a future for the old-fashioned No.9. Diego Milito showed that with abundant clarity in the Champions League final, and had Fernando Torres not been in such abysmal form in South Africa, we might have been able to cite Spain's triumph as an example as well. It was a shame that England saw fit to rely on a very two-dimensional No.9 in Emile Heskey in the early games, when an alternative approach would have been more appropriate.

Klose's continuing success at World Cup level is another case of bucking the overall trend, since Klose is very much a classical striker whose qualities gel surprisingly well with the fluidity of the system in operation behind him. And Asamoah Gyan was an archetypal case of the striker carrying his team, which was built around him and relied on him almost completely.

At the other end, the zonal back four is now almost a given. Strange that only eight years ago, three of the final four at the World Cup employed back threes (it would be inaccurate to describe them as sweeper defences), and that six years ago it was a man-marking system that allowed an average team to gain an astonishing victory at the European Championships.

Yet, once again, the rare instances of back threes (or flexible defensive systems) being used at the tournament often coincided with modest success. Mexico's bolt-like system against South Africa functioned excellently, New Zealand's 3-4-3 fitted them like a glove, and Uruguay's initial use of a back three against France blunted the attacking ambitions of Messrs. Anelka et al. very effectively.

The lesson to be learned from the tournament's most successful coaches - Oscar Tabarez, Gerardo Martino, Ricki Herbert, and, yes, Vicente del Bosque - was surely to be flexible enough to alter your system to fit your personnel, not the other way around. A simple message which, however, has never been more important in world football, in my view.

Final Flop

2010-07-12T09:45:00.002+10:00

"It was probably the worst, most tedious, bad-tempered final in the history of the World Cup."

Brian Glanville in his History of the World Cup, talking about the 1990 final between Argentina and West Germany. Although this morning's game didn't quite reach the depths of that encounter, the words could have been applied with equal justice to the final of the 2010 tournament. A great shame that one of the best World Cups in recent memory should finish with a spate of richly-deserved yellow cards, spurned chances and referee ear-bashing.

It was some consolation that the right team won, and that the game wasn't decided by the unsatisfactory lottery of penalty kicks.

Bert van Marwijk, in fairness to him, got his strategy right, even if the implementation was unpalatable. Holland pressed the Spanish from the outset, as Paraguay and Chile did, and although Spain dominated the early exchanges, there was always the feeling that they hadn't quite settled into their familiar groove. Sure enough, by the half-hour it wasn't entirely clear who had the initiative.

By that stage, the succession of crippling fouls and cynical intimidation of the referee on the part of the Dutch had begun. Following the lead of the ceaselessly petulant Mark van Bommel, the men in orange whined, wheedled and berated Howard Webb throughout, and although plenty of yellow cards were produced, it could be argued that the bullying had its effect. Holland finished the last World Cup with nine men; this morning, they should have finished with seven. Both van Bommel and Nigel de Jong deserved automatic red cards for their shocking early fouls, de Jong producing a chest-high kick that would have done a kung fu master proud. And Arjen Robben, late on, already on a yellow, should certainly have been sent off for his truculent jab past Iker Casillas.

When Robben's two excellent chances arrived in the second half, his fading form, evident against Uruguay, was grimly apparent. Casillas did well to save on the first occasion, admittedly, but the Robben of the latter stages of Bayern's Champions League run would surely have buried the shot. David Villa hardly excelled himself in this game either, failing to make the most of a great chance that fell to him in the relatively more open second period.

It still baffles me why Vicente del Bosque refused to make use of Fernando Llorente after his brisk cameo against Portugal. With Fernando Torres plainly well off his best and Villa running out of steam, Llorente seemed the ideal choice to bring on in such a situation. Instead, the Spanish continued to boss the midfield but create little in the way of genuine opportunities. It seemed that the lack of a No.9, a Morientes, which I commented on earlier in the tournament, might come back to haunt them.

Luckily, Andres Iniesta was there to apply a good finish when it mattered. Had the game gone to penalties, Spain may still have won, given the legendary Dutch capacity for choking during shootouts (they are second only to England in that respect), but it would have been a hollow victory.

Congratulations to the champions. Spain have been the best national side in the world now for a good few years; they possess an array of midfield talent second to none, a deceptively strong defence, and probably the most dangerous striker in the world in Villa. Of course, cup competitions being what they are, del Bosque's men did need a bit of luck along the way; had Oscar Cardozo's penalty against them been retaken (as it unquestionably should have been), had Thomas Muller not been wrongly suspended for the semi-final, had Hugo Almeida's deflected shot crept inside the far post rather than outside it...

Never mind. In a sense, it was a righting of past wrongs, recompense for the terrible luck suffered by Spain's excellent side of a decade ago. But for Raul's missed penalty against France at Euro 2000, and some atrocious refereeing which denied them a quarter-final victory against South Korea in 2002, Spain's drought may have been broken much earlier.

And if anyone put a quick $100 on New Zealand finishing as the tournament's only undefeated team, that person could probably buy half of New Zealand by now.

Schweini and the Three Diegos

2010-07-11T22:24:00.003+10:00

Third-place matches often provide good entertainment, but it's rare that they end up being one of the best games of the tournament in question. This morning's Germany v. Uruguay game was an exception. It was not only one of the best games of the tournament...it was the best game of the tournament so far. An absolutely enthralling match, with plenty of goals and positive football from both sides.

One of the pleasing things about open games is that they depict the qualities of individual players very starkly. This morning, we saw all the players in their true colours, so to speak, and the stars in each side shone brightly. Both teams boast players with leadership qualities in abundance: Germany has one, and plenty of talented players alongside him to follow his lead. Uruguay has three, and they all happen to be called Diego. (One more and they could start a football radio show in Melbourne.)

Up front, of course, there is Diego Forlan, one of the players of the tournament. It was not just his sweetly-taken volley-on-the-bounce goal that impressed against the Germans; once again, he drifted all across the forward line, with greater licence to roam this time thanks to the return of Luis Suarez and the continued presence of Edison Cavani, drifting shrewdly between midfield and attack. It was fitting that Forlan had the game's parting shot, that free kick that rattled the German bar.

In midfield, we have Diego Perez, an underrated contributor to Uruguay's achievement in South Africa. The granite-faced Monaco midfielder hauled his side back into the game against South Korea in the Round of 16, and last night he gave a sure indication of his value on the occasion of the first Uruguay goal. Of course, it was Suarez and Cavani who played the final parts in the move, but the powerful lunging tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger, followed by the neat prod forwards...that was Perez. He did tire as the pacy game wore on, eventually being replaced, but Oscar Tabarez has much to thank him for.

And at the back...the player who was dreadfully missed against Holland in the semi-final. Diego Lugano was the man responsible for repelling the early waves of German aggression, and throughout the game one got the feeling that he was keeping the backline together single-handedly. Diego Godin put in an improved performance with his captain beside him, and Jorge Fucile appeared to feel much more inclined to get forward with the knowledge that Lugano was there to marshal the defence.

In the young German side, Bastian Schweinsteiger was the unquestioned commandant. Other than his rare lapse on the occasion of Uruguay's opening goal, he barely put a foot wrong in midfield, breaking up opposition attacks and initiating German offensives in equal measure. Thomas Muller may have been Germany's player of the tournament (and his drive and movement against Uruguay constituted yet another reminder of how deeply significant his harsh suspension for the semi-final was), but Schweinsteiger deserves the accolade of king of the kids.

To repeat, it was a game which highlighted individual players' strengths and weaknesses, and the calm, unfussy defensive style of Per Mertesacker was especially impressive on this occasion. Arne Friedrich made one or two errors beside him, as usual, but Mertesacker was impeccable for most of the evening, despite the strong pressure applied by Uruguay's mobile front three (or perhaps two and a half would be a better description).

Speaking of frontlines, Germany didn't really have one as such; their line-up, in the absence of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, was a sort of 4-2-4-0 of the type that Jonathan Wilson has made mention of in the past; the space in front of the advanced midfield four (Cacau was more midfielder than striker for much of the night) was filled according to need, and the movement was superbly fluid.

Let us hope against hope that this match is a prelude to an even better contest in Johannesburg this morning. It was splendid to see two sides so vigorously committed to attack...and it shouldn't always take a game with limited competitive significance to produce such a spectacle.

Tournament Smarts

2010-07-08T11:31:00.004+10:00

All sorts of superlatives have been applied to the current Spanish side over the last couple of years, and despite their stuttering start to the World Cup, they will no doubt attract similar praise in the coming days for a truly fine performance in their semi-final win over a German team that seemed to have lost some self-belief.

One thing that has struck me about Spain's recent record is that they have somehow developed not only a beautifully-calibrated cohesion in midfield, but some tournament nous as well. There have been Spanish sides of this calibre in the past (notably in the mid-eighties, and in the early years of this century) but they have consistently shown a tendency to reach their peak at a short tournament too early.

Such has not been the case with Vicente del Bosque's side, which has grown steadily throughout the event and is now, with the omission of the out-of-sorts Fernando Torres, functioning superbly. Interestingly, if Spain win the final against the Dutch on Sunday, they will be the first team ever to win the World Cup after losing their opening game.

Joachim Loew, I feel, made a major strategic error in allowing the Spanish to settle so easily into their preferred passing rhythm so early in the piece. Such was the policy adopted by Portugal in the Round of 16, and the Spanish were rarely seriously troubled; similarly, for long periods of this morning's game, the phrase "only a matter of time" came to mind. Paraguay, by comparison, took the bold and correct approach of pressing the Spanish defence (notably the vulnerable Sergio Ramos) early on in the quarter-final, and forced Spain to work very hard to take control.

Still, for all the Spanish possession early on, they failed to create many clear openings; the German defence dealt capably with the attempted diagonal through-balls from the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and even the drifting of the latter into the centre failed to trouble Germany unduly. Arne Friedrich must have caused Loew some heart-flutters when he repeatedly strolled out of defence only to lose the ball, but in the first half Spain couldn't take advantage.

It was only at about the half-hour mark that Germany began to mount some attacks of their own, and Iker Casillas's preference for punching rather than catching - always his chief defect as a keeper - must have emboldened them a little. But one of the small but significant factors in the game, Mesut Ozil's loss of form, drew much of the teeth from their offensive efforts. They also, of course, badly missed Thomas Muller, and the incredibly soft yellow card against Argentina that resulted in his suspension can certainly be pointed to as a grievance.

Loew essentially admitted some selection mistakes with his changes after half-time, with the defensively-minded Jerome Boateng giving way to Marcell Jansen to halt some of the Spanish raids down the right, and Toni Kroos replacing the largely ineffectual Piotr Trochowski. But Spain were unruffled, and Iniesta's increasing mastery of Philipp Lahm on the Spanish left was ultimately the instrument of Spain's breakthrough. Germany rarely give away such simple set-piece goals.

With the introduction of last-chance Mario Gomez, it was pretty clear that Germany had given up the ghost. Spain proved that they could defend as well in the final minutes, creating a solid barrier in their own area thanks to the aerial prowess of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, who had an excellent game.

So two teams who have never met in the tournament before face off in the final, and a new name on the honour roll is assured. The struggle will be an absorbing one, with Spain's greater technical assurance matched by Holland's outstanding organization and physical power in midfield. Not to be missed.

Wes is More

2010-07-07T12:14:00.002+10:00

All I can say after this morning's semi-final is that Wes Sneijder will need to have a pretty awful first half of the season with Inter in 2010/11 to avoid being named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Even against a defensive and under-strength Uruguay, the Dutch needed someone to step up and win the game for them, given the unexpected failure of Arjen Robben to enforce much penetration. And, for the fourth time in this tournament, it was the Inter playmaker who did so.

The first half was hardly a spectator's delight, with both teams building from very deep and taking few real risks. Although Robben managed to get past Martin Caceres (an excellent choice for the left-back role by Oscar Tabarez, incidentally) in only the third minute, he found the Juventus man a real stumbling-block thereafter.

It was significant that when Robben did get past Caceres in the course of the game, it was on the outside rather than the inside, and the time subsequently lost in Robben bringing the ball onto his favoured left foot helped Uruguay to consolidate their defence in the meantime. Something for Holland's opponents in the final to keep in mind: when in doubt, show Robben the line.

At the other end, Uruguay's midfield found it hard to link up with the front two, as indeed they did against France. Tabarez's understandable decision to stiffen the midfield with the addition of Walter Gargano, rather than bringing in Sebastian Abreu to replace the absent Luis Suarez, stifled the Dutch in the centre but it made it very difficult for Uruguay to create many chances, with Edison Cavani functioning this time as an out-and-out striker rather than a linking player.

Both goals in the first half came out of nowhere, although neither was truly against the run of play. Giovanni van Bronckhorst's breathtaking strike came when Diego Perez had been enticed into the middle, leaving the Dutch captain with some space on the overlap...although few could have expected him to score from the position in which he found himself. At the other end, Diego Forlan again showed his incredible knack for creating space in the midst of several defenders, and let fly with a dipping shot which Maarten Stekelenburg might have done better with - although the mysteries of the Jabulani trajectory played their part again.

Bert van Marwijk's decision to replace the groggy Demy de Zeeuw with Rafael van der Vaart at the break was an excellent one. He had clearly counted on Uruguay being unwilling to come out of their defensive crouch, and he was proved correct, as Holland camped themselves in the opposition half around the hour mark, with Robben, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt now switching positions frequently and (relatively) effectively.

The fine save that Fernando Muslera made from van der Vaart might have been a crucial moment, especially given that Robben made such a hash of the follow-up. But this Dutch side is psychologically much tougher than previous incarnations, and they kept their heads and indeed went ahead only a couple of minutes later. Was van Persie actively offside? Perhaps, and it's worth remembering that Uruguay were a little unlucky with a couple of offside calls in the first half, but on the whole the Dutch more than deserved the goal.

In many ways Uruguay seemed to lose hope after the goal. The third Dutch goal was simply a result of terribly lazy defending from Diego Godin, who allowed Robben to nip in front of him and win the header far too easily. It was a stark reminder of how badly Uruguay miss Diego Lugano when he isn't there to lead the defence.

Van Marwijk wouldn't be at all happy with the manner in which the Dutch conceded Uruguay's late second, with the Dutch falling completely asleep at a well-worked set-piece (reminiscent of Javier Zanetti's excellent goal for Argentina against England in the 1998 tournament). It was enough to re-awaken a spark in Uruguay which they had lacked for the previous twenty minutes, but it was never going to be enough.

The Dutch through to their third World Cup final, then, and this time they will not be facing fanatical home backing. Although there have been better Dutch sides, it's hard to say that they don't deserve to be there. There is pace, organization, football intelligence and modest flair in this Oranje side, and whoever meets them in the final will have to be at their very best to beat them.

In Too Deep

2010-07-04T11:15:00.003+10:00

An amazingly lopsided encounter between two of the favourites, and then more penalty drama (and another unfortunate penalty scapegoat) in an absorbing tussle decided ultimately by the Barca connection. All in all, a great day's entertainment to conclude the quarter-finals.

Germany v. Argentina

What on earth would have been the odds on a 4-0 victory for the Germans at the start? Australia at least had the excuse of playing with a man less for half an hour against Germany, and of course England can point to Frank Lampard's phantom goal to help explain their demise. But this was quite different: one of the most talented teams in the tournament was absolutely thumped by this confident young German side, and the margin of victory was fully deserved.

The strategy of having Lionel Messi drop far off the forward line to make his runs finally came a cropper, and Ned Zelic got it spot on in the SBS studio before the game, when he commented that the problem with Messi starting from so deep was that he was left with so many men to beat. Thus it proved, and Messi's stubborn refusal to push further upfield drew much of the sting from Argentina's attack. Carlos Tevez battled manfully as always, but he had little support. It was significant that Angel di Maria, switching flanks early on, was regularly to be found closer to Gonzalo Higuain than Messi was.

The Germans managed to post a comprehensive victory this time without a major contribution from Mesut Ozil, which must have the Spanish somewhat concerned. Instead, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who took control of the midfield, putting himself at the centre of everything and setting up the third goal with a surging run down the left.

It was, in fact, richly significant that every single one of the Germans' goals had their origin on Argentina's right side of defence. Nicolas Otamendi was brought into the side to replace the suspect Jonas Gutierrez in the right fullback role, but his inadequacies were shown up throughout, not least when he was so readily tricked into a foul by Lukas Podolski in the lead-up to the opener.

Meanwhile, one of the finest right-backs of all time, an Argentinian who has just led his side to victory in the UEFA Champions League, was presumably watching the match on TV. Can anyone spot what's wrong with this picture?

Thomas Muller's suspension for the semi-final will hurt the Germans, since the 20-year-old from Bayern Munich has had a superb tournament and provided much of the side's attacking impetus. But the confidence in the German camp will be sky-high...even if there is that nagging feeling that they may have reached their peak too early.

Spain v. Paraguay

Spain are a side who have yet to reach their peak, or anything like it, but they deserve credit for snatching a late winner against a tough side who have enhanced their reputation at this tournament. It's hard to argue with Gerardo Martino's tactics: several changes to give the players who battled through 120 minutes against Japan a rest, and Dario Veron, nominally a central defender, drafted in at right-back to deal with the inevitable drifts of David Villa out to the left.

For quite some time, the game displayed the limitations of the "inside-out" winger strategy, employed ever more widely these days. With Villa cutting inside onto his right foot and Andres Iniesta always striving to play centrally as well, Paraguay simply stiffened the central areas and largely blunted the incisiveness of these two. The goal, pertinently, came after Iniesta had shifted to a central area, where he has always looked more comfortable and effective.

Martino got his match strategy spot on as well, I feel. With Paraguay pressing Spain from the outset and preventing them from finding their rhythm, Vicente del Bosque's side lost some self-belief, and there was a series of uncharacteristic errors from some of Spain's key men, not least Xabi Alonso. Once Paraguay had settled into an essentially defensive posture, Spain found it hard to get their game flowing.

The game then followed a predictable pattern, Spain's measured attacks balanced by the physical threat of Nelson Haedo Valdez at the other end. Then...the drama.

Both of the penalties in question, incidentally, were dreadfully soft, Villa and Oscar Cardozo both making the most of relatively benign challenges. But the refereeing thereafter was quite horrendous; at Cardozo's penalty, not only did Iker Casillas move off his line, but no fewer than three Spanish players encroached into the area...and yet the kick was not retaken. At the other end, Xabi Alonso's well-struck penalty had to be repeated after a fractional incursion into the area by a Spanish player.

It is incredible that we have come to accept such farcically poor refereeing at penalties as a matter of course, while wringing our hands constantly over much less relevant matters. This, incidentally, is one of the many reasons why penalty shoot-outs need to be abolished as soon as possible. But I digress.

Spain's winning goal, when it finally came, was very well-constructed; the contribution of Iniesta has attracted deserved praise, but Xavi's delightful touch-off to his Barca team-mate was a pleasure to watch as well. Off both posts and in - shades of Rainer Bonhof against Sweden in 1974, or indeed Tim Cahill against Japan in 2006!

Cardozo, like Asamoah Gyan last night, deserves plenty of sympathetic hugs in the aftermath. It was nice to see some Spanish players, notably Sergio Ramos, offering the poor Benfica man some comfort after the final whistle as well as his Paraguay team-mates; again, his contributions during the tournament outweigh his unfortunate penalty choke (and, it's worth repeating, it should have been retaken in any event).

Spain v. Germany should be a brilliant game. Spain, I repeat, are yet to hit their best, and if they can do so against the Germans, the entertainment level will be top-notch.

Gyan's Grief

2010-07-03T20:48:00.002+10:00

Poor Asamoah Gyan. The forward had been a mighty leader for his side throughout the tournament, scoring in every game save the 1-0 loss to Germany and truly leading from the front. His missed penalty in the final minute of extra time will haunt him for years, but I hope his team-mates and coach are reminding him that his contributions during the tournament more than negate the error. Without him, Ghana would never have made it out of the group, let alone come within an ace of a World Cup semi-final.

My mind went back to Juan Roman Riquelme in 2006, missing a similar penalty for Villareal against Arsenal that would have taken them to the Champions League final. Riquelme, of course, more or less carried the Spanish side that season. But the European Cup is not quite the World Cup, and Riquelme always affected rather a disinterested attitude towards his European clubs.

But first to the opening match of the day:

Holland v. Brazil

To call the result of this one a shock would be an exaggeration, but a surprise, certainly. Especially after Brazil scored that early goal, Andre Ooijer getting his geometry horribly wrong, after which the Dutch pressed but looked unlikely to find an opening, while the smooth interplay of Brazil's front three promised more goals.

That all changed in the second half, and the seeds of Holland's victory could be found on Brazil's left flank, where Michel Bastos was finally found out. The suspension of Ramires, one of Brazil's best players against Chile, was felt keenly, with Felipe Melo not proving as shrewd a covering midfielder as the Benfica man.

As it happened, Bastos found himself in trouble against the ever-dangerous Arjen Robben, but not quite as expected: Robben did beat Bastos on the inside a few times, but Melo was normally there to cover...or occasionally foul. Instead, it was the many unnecessary and clumsy fouls which Bastos was induced to inflict on Robben that hurt Brazil; the first goal stemmed directly from one of them. It's hard to say whether Melo or Julio Cesar was more at fault for that catastrophic equaliser, but if you step into the path of your goalkeeper, you ought to be pretty sure that you can put in a clearing header.

Robben is showing definite signs of approaching his best form, and after the first Dutch goal the Brazilians simply couldn't deal with him, allowing him to thrust past them time and again. The second Dutch goal again had its origin on the Brazilian left flank, with Robben winning a corner which the Dutch worked perfectly to go in front.

The Brazilians seemed to become obsessed with the perceived Dutch over-reactions to the fouling (and it's true that Robben and others were guilty of this at times), but it was a psychological error, preventing them from finding the werewithal to get back into the game, and ultimately leading to Felipe Melo's violent foul on Robben which earned him a deserved red card. In truth, neither side was entirely innocent in what was a very niggly match; in that respect, it was similar to the two sides' first World Cup encounter, in 1974. In that game, too, a Brazilian player was sent off.

Uruguay v. Ghana

For most of the mediocre first half Uruguay were marginally the better side, although neither team looked particularly impressive. The goal just before the break was completely unexpected, some insouciance from Egidio Arevalo allowing Sulley Muntari enough time to turn and shoot past an unsighted goalkeeper.

But it did have the effect of opening up the game in the second period, which was pleasingly lively. Diego Forlan's equalising free kick was the second example in this tournament (after Keisuke Honda's swerving special against Denmark) of the Jabulani ball curving first one way, then the other. A true goalkeeper's nightmare.

Uruguay showed the more invention in attack after that and should probably have gone in front after the hour; Luis Suarez missed a good volleyed chance after some good work from Forlan on the left, and was only denied by a superb save from Richard Kingson soon afterwards. He was also wrongly called offside when clean through on goal at one point.

The pendulum swung in extra time, when the Ghanaians (despite the extra time against the USA) looked more energetic. Muntari blazed wide after a Ghanaian penalty claim, and Gyan might have done better when a fearful defensive error from Arevalo presented him with the ball in the box. Then there was the penalty...enough said.

I can't see the Dutch slipping up against a Uruguay side which will be without not only Suarez, but also a key defender in Jorge Fucile, who has been one of the best fullbacks of the tournament. In his absence, Oscar Tabarez will probably restore Mauricio Victorino to the left side of defence, from which he was removed after the opening game. Not a good sign against a confident and very effective Robben.

The Dutch will not be at full strength either, without both Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong, who has fulfilled the important role of midfield destroyer for the Dutch throughout. But they probably have the personnel to fill the gaps adequately, while Uruguay are unlikely to be able to recreate the Suarez-Forlan partnership with an alternate frontman.

Some Reflections

2010-07-02T15:26:00.004+10:00

Now that the World Cup has reached its first hiatus, it's time to have a look back at the course of the event so far, vis-a-vis the performances of the different confederations.

Not a day has gone by without another pundit making reference to the fact that this has been, on the field, South America's World Cup rather than Africa's. The men from CONMEBOL have been splendidly successful, all five teams advancing to the knockout stage (it's worth noting that four out of five made it through in 1998 as well), and four of them still alive at quarter-final time.

Tim Vickery has written a typically perceptive and well-argued piece for the World Soccer website, and it's hard to disagree with his conclusions. Leaving aside Argentina and Brazil, who are always competitive at the tournament, South America's teams have shown not only excellent organisation and fine individual skills but a bit of grit as well; the 18-game CONMEBOL qualifying marathon may infuriate European club coaches, but it certainly aids cohesion among the national sides.

The most salient example of the resilience of the South Americans was Uruguay's climb from the canvas against South Korea in the second round. The game, and particularly the second half, had been dominated by the Asians, but Uruguay were able to find a second wind when it mattered, after which the class of the forward line provided the breakthrough.

This leads us to Asia. It is the first World Cup without a West Asian side since 1974, and yet it has been Asia's best yet (discounting the host-friendly 2002 event), with two sides making the knockouts and another only missing out on goal difference. Is this significant?

I'm not sure, but it does seem that Australia's entry into the Asian confederation has caused the other nations, especially in the Eastern half of the confederation, to sharpen up physically. Japan proved much tougher in the air than in previous events, and the Koreans too - apart from that spell in the second half against Greece - were not as easily dominated physically as in the past. It will be a while before the Asians can think seriously of aiming for the semis or beyond, but they seem to be on their way.

What to say about Africa? Although there is one African entrant still in the frame, it has been a dismal showing on the whole for the host continent. I think there are a few reasons for this, but mainly it comes down to organisation once more; the two nations with far and away the best chance of making a real impression, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, changed coaches ridiculously close to the start of the tournament. As a result, the teams looked unsettled and the game-plans slapdash, and Nigeria in particular could have done better. The Ivorians were unlucky to be placed in such a tough group, but they too might have gone further had they been able to avoid the upheavals of the last few months.

It was a pretty typical World Cup for CONCACAF; Mexico out at the last 16, the USA gallant but short of guile. Having said that, I think that we will see the Americans continue to improve in the next few years, to the extent that they might be considered genuine semi-final contenders by 2018 or 2022.

Last but not least: Europe.

The old continent has never been more aptly named than in this event: too many teams were relying on old ideas, long-serving coaches, and players who had seen better days. Although the early exits of Italy, France and England had different immediate causes, the same thread of staleness ran through all of them. Elsewhere, teams like Greece and Denmark showed too much faith in old stagers, both on the field and on the bench, while Portugal were undone by the now-familiar phenomenon of a world-class star donning lead boots for his European national side.

The Swiss and the Serbs couldn't find a cutting edge and were also plagued by ill-discipline, and while Slovakia did well to reach the knockouts, they were never likely to trouble the confident Dutch. Slovenia presumably entered the tournament with limited expectations, and they acquitted themselves fairly well.

That leaves us with Oceania, and we can surely say that it was a very successful World Cup for FIFA's smallest confederation. Whether that confederation continues to exist within a couple of cycles is another matter...

The Last Eight

2010-06-30T11:16:00.004+10:00

And so we have the last eight, with four from South America, three from Europe and a sole African representative. Quite a change from 2006, at any rate.

Last night's games:

Paraguay v. Japan

Deadly dull for long periods, and Takeshi Okada can certainly take some of the blame for that. Not emboldened by the win against Denmark, the Japanese manager again started Keisuke Honda in a lone striker role for which he is so clearly unsuited, and this time, with fifteen yards generally separating him from the midfield, he was unable to make much of an impact. With Paraguay content to keep easy possession in their back third and tempt the Japanese forward, it was a sterile first half; Daisuke Matsui did manage to hit the woodwork, and Roque Santa Cruz had a decent chance at the other end, but on the whole the 45 minutes were enough to send neutrals to sleep.

The second half was a little more lively, with Yoshito Okubo becoming more prominent for Japan, but extra time and penalties always looked likely. Nelson Haedo Valdez added some bite to the Paraguayan attack when he came on, managing to turn the Japanese defenders once or twice, but neither goalkeeper came particuarly close to being breached. Japan made poor use of their set-pieces this time, with Yasuhito Endo not quite getting his range right; Paraguay, for their part, could not master the Nakazawa-Tulio pairing in the air, although they were a little more successful on the ground.

So the penalty curse had to descend on someone, and it was the hard-working Yuichi Komano, the man whom John Aloisi used as a hurdle in 2006. Hard luck on the Japanese right-back, who had a fairly good tournament, although I still can't quite understand why he was preferred throughout to the far more dynamic Atsuto Uchida.

Spain v. Portugal

Another sadly turgid game which came to life, quite significantly, only after Fernando Torres was replaced. Spain were dreadfully sluggish for the first half-hour despite playing a team interested only in containing them; David Villa's thrusts infield from the left weren't working, Sergio Busquets lost the ball in midfield repeatedly, and of course Torres was allowing himself to be tackled far too easily. The most incisive player in the first period was Portugal's Fabio Coentrao, who has probably earned himself a move to a bigger club following the finals. It was Coentrao who produced the best chance of that insipid first half, setting up Tiago for a shot which Iker Casillas did well to save.

Had that deflection from Hugo Almeida's shot crept in early in the second half, all could have been different. With Portugal camped on the edge of their box (as they surely would have been), would it have been another case of Barca v. Inter? Very probably.

After replacing the ineffectual Torres, Fernando Llorente created a chance for himself within a minute, and this was surely the spur for Spain's revival after the hour. It culminated in what was actually quite a good goal, the Barca partnership of Andres Iniesta and Xavi combining neatly to set up Villa, who snapped up the chance on the second attempt.

Portugal's attempts to get back into the game subsequently were, quite frankly, token ones. Yes, the late volley from Danny required a desperate block from Joan Capdevila, but that was as close as Portugal came, with Cristiano Ronaldo putting in a fittingly peripheral performance in what has been a very disappointing World Cup for him. The ludicrous dismissal of Ricardo Costa near the end was another grim reminder that play-acting is alive and well at this World Cup, and that it sometimes pays.

Spain should get past Paraguay, but it won't be easy. The last time the two sides met at the tournament, Spain actually found the Paraguayans' dogged defence an insoluble puzzle until the arrival of Fernando Morientes at half-time. The tall Real Madrid striker changed the game, and for all the current Spanish side's technical mastery, they occasionally seem to be lacking a player like Morientes, a genuine No.9 who can really lift the side on his day. Fernando Torres is not looking like such a specimen at the moment.

Dutch Drudgery

2010-06-29T12:59:00.005+10:00

As the Round of 16 continued this morning, we saw one encounter in which pragmatism won out over exuberance, and an earlier one in which pragmatism won out over less effective pragmatism.

Holland v. Slovakia

For the first hour this match was unremittingly tedious; even Arjen Robben's highly characteristic goal had an air of inevitability about it. The Dutch shuffled the ball around the midfield unambitiously as they have done so often during this tournament, and the Slovaks appeared resigned to their fate even before the goal. The game briefly came to life soon after the hour with two good chances for Miroslav Stoch and Robert Vittek, both of which required good saves from Maarten Stekelenburg, but once Dirk Kuyt had taken advantage of some slack Slovak defending to lay on the second for Wes Sneijder, it was no longer a contest.

For Slovakia, despite their progression from the group stage, it was a fairly unimpressive tournament showing. The coach's son failed to kick on from his bright performance in the opening game, and the failure of Stoch and above all Marek Hamsik to impose themselves at all on any of the matches tells its own story.

For the Dutch, it was another story of getting the desired result with the minimum of fuss. Bert van Marwijk's team have yet to be tested at all seriously in this tournament, but that will certainly change against Brazil...and perhaps the ease of their progression to the quarter-finals might end up working against them.

Brazil v. Chile

For a little while, with Chile joyously throwing themselves into attack, it looked like an upset might be on the cards. True, most of the knowledgeable pundits had tagged Chile as Brazil's ideal opponent at this stage, a team that would push forward to give them the space in behind in which Dunga's side thrives. But Brazil did seem genuinely rattled in the first fifteen minutes.

One felt, though, that Chile had to make something of their temporary initiative if they were going to pull it off. They didn't, Brazil settled, the corners came for the side in yellow with ever greater frequency, and eventually they hit paydirt from one of them. Then, as Argentina did against Mexico, they scored an excellent second which demonstrated their methods perfectly. The header on from Luis Fabiano, Robinho's surge down the wing, and finally Kaka's neat little prod through to the man who started the move and finished it adroitly. Game over.

Alexis Sanchez, Chile's star, was blunted cleverly by the Brazilians. Michel Bastos, who did much better than expected, stuck close to the Chilean winger, and on the rare occasions when Bastos ventured upfield the impressive Ramires was there to close down. Dunga's tactics were so effective that for a fifteen-minute period at the beginning of the second half Sanchez barely got a touch; when he finally found himself on the ball again, he gave it away immediately. It was strange, with this in mind, that Sanchez didn't switch over to the left, with Maicon much more committed to getting forward. It never happened, and as a result Chile's main supply line never functioned.

Brazil v. Holland in the quarters...a match between two smash-and-grab sides likely to feel each other out for a considerable period. Both have looked ominously impressive so far; perhaps the Brazilians are slightly to be favoured, but there shouldn't be more than a goal in it either way.

Hurst and Lampard

2010-06-28T12:49:00.005+10:00

Another World Cup of gloom for England, then, and another quarter-final between Argentina and Germany. If nothing else, it was an evening that brought back some memories.

Germany v. England

For those who believe that England won the World Cup in 1966 thanks to a goal-that-wasn't, the ludicrous disallowing of Frank Lampard's goal last night is the ultimate case of poetic justice.

Chalk up another demonstration of FIFA's stupidity in refusing to countenance the use of video technology, and perhaps this time the IFAB will think about it a bit more seriously (if Sepp Blatter allows them to).

Although one could say that a 4-1 scoreline makes a single controversial non-goal less than relevant, the timing was crucial. England had pulled themselves back to 2-1 thanks to Matthew Upson's tremendous leap and header, and an equaliser in the space of a couple of minutes could well have left the Germans shattered. Instead, they regained their composure, settled back into the game and scored twice more in the second half as England left gaping holes at the back.

James Milner did start on the right instead of either Aaron Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips, and with the right-footed Steven Gerrard filling the left midfield role, England were horribly short of width in the opening exchanges...and, indeed, throughout the match. The Germans were not making much impact in the first twenty minutes either, however; whatever noises were coming out of their camp about England not being a special opponent for them, they were treating the match very ponderously.

Suddenly, a ridiculously simple goal. You know there's something wrong with the defence when the goalkeeper is credited with the assist, and Upson's failure to track Miroslav Klose from a goalkick was unforgivable at international level. Upson compounded the error with two more in quick succession, getting caught well upfield for a swift German counter that ended in a fine save by David James from Klose, and then repeating the mistake when Klose's delightful touch set Thomas Muller free on the right, to set up Lukas Podolski for the Germans' second.

By the end of the game, Germany were playing contemptuous possession football, reminding the English of their technical superiority at every turn, if you'll pardon the pun. England had clearly lost any remaining self-belief by that point, but the display of keep-ball was a stark indication of the difference between the two sides. If Lampard's goal had counted, the complexion of the game would undoubtedly have changed...but I still think Joachim Loew's team would have come out on top eventually.

For England at South Africa 2010, it was largely a story of two stars who completely failed to shine, namely Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Rooney at least has the excuse of being not 100% fit, but the desire to stamp his authority on a game seemed to be missing in South Africa. And Gerrard may not have been happy with his left-wing role (I don't blame him), but his leadership qualities must have been left out of his suitcase this time around. It was pitiful to see the Liverpool skipper slash three shots off target in the closing minutes against Germany; this was not the Gerrard we were hoping to see.

And the lack of width...why on earth was James Milner not replaced with a proper winger, rather than another basically central man in Joe Cole? It seemed to bespeak a defeatist attitude on Fabio Capello's part, and in the long run the Italian's reign, however successful the qualifying series, will probably be seen as little better than Sven-Goran Eriksson's. Like the Swede, he showed no courage in desperate situations.

Argentina v. Mexico

These two produced one of the best games of the 2006 tournament, and at least the crowd got to see some good goals this time, even if they didn't completely get their money's worth. Mexico looked like they might cause a shock early on, with Carlos Salcido's surprise effort from deep pinging off the bar and Andres Guardado's chance going agonizingly wide just minutes later.

In response, Argentina slowed the pace of the game down to a walk, and Mexico in turn were content not to force the issue. Leo Messi, drifting here, there and everywhere, finally found the room to run at the defence and play in Carlos Tevez; and then came the second atrocious refereeing non-decision of the day's action.

Again: a simple matter to disallow the goal after a five-second referral to the video. Instead, another classic refutation of the fatuous argument that recourse to video evidence would intolerably slow down the pace of the game; the Mexicans surround the referee for a full two minutes only to be eventually shooed away in disgust. Slowing down the pace of the game? Laughable.

But I digress.

Mexico's defence was obviously rattled, and a horrible mistake from the otherwise dependable Ricardo Osorio allowed an unforgiving Gonzalo Higuain in for a second, after which everyone knew that it was game over. Ultimately, for all the promise of their bright opener against South Africa and the determined win over France, it was a typical Mexican World Cup effort: dazzling interplay at times, plenty for the purists to savour, but...failure at the pointy end. At least Javier Fernandez, soon to move to Manchester United, provided El Tri fans with a real striker's goal to treasure at the end.

And so, a replay of the tumultuous quarter-final of 2006. Both teams are slightly weak in defence; Martin DeMichelis has been awfully vulnerable for Argentina (just ask the Koreans), while Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich still don't quite convince as a central pairing for the Germans. The key to the game could be Mesut Ozil, who has definitely been one of the players of the tournament to date. Diego Maradona is unlikely to reinforce his midfield merely to deny Ozil space, so Javier Mascherano - who can give away repeated fouls at times - will have his work cut out. Likewise, of course, the Germans will find Messi a real handful, especially if their fullbacks venture too far upfield and leave him the sort of space on the wing (especially the right) in which he thrives.

It will be a fascinating match-up.

One Epic Too Many

2010-06-27T21:58:00.002+10:00

Poor old Yanks. After a fantastic effort to claw their way back into the game against Slovenia, and a last-ditch winner in a vibrant game against Algeria, the Round of 16 encounter with Ghana was just one slugfest too many. Bob Bradley can be proud, however, of both his charges' and his own efforts; they have produced some of the most entertaining football of the World Cup thus far.

But first to:

Uruguay v. South Korea

An intriguing game which saw the team that played the more positive football go under. Conceding such a defensively awful early goal requires a resolute spirit for a team to get back into the game, and the Koreans certainly showed it; after an inconclusive period towards the middle of the first half, Huh Jung-Moo's men began to get on top; it was significant, shortly after the half-hour, to see the fullbacks Lee Young-Pyo and Cha Du-Ri (both veterans of the 2002 tournament, incidentally) taking up permanent residence in the Uruguayan half.

The increasing lassitude of Uruguay's efforts communicated itself to Luis Suarez, when he failed utterly to take proper advantage of Kim Jung-Woo's loose pass just after the break, in what could have been a crucial moment. Instead, Korea took the initiative again, and were ultimately rewarded with a deserved equaliser. Strange that the Asian sides, for so long considered weaklings at set-pieces, are scoring so many set-piece goals in South Africa!

Uruguay needed to reverse the momentum, and to their credit they did so. Interestingly, it was not Diego Forlan, their putative leader on the park, but Diego Perez who provided the extra thrust, and in the end a moment of individual class from Suarez was enough. Uruguay through to the quarter-finals then, for the first time in 40 years, but the manner of the victory was not completely convincing.

USA v. Ghana

Milovan Rajevac's Ghana side were unrecognisable from the shaky unit which scraped a lucky win against Serbia and played feebly to draw 1-1 with Australia despite their numerical advantage. Much was achieved by the replacement of the ineffectual Prince Tagoe by young Samuel Inkoom, one of the best players of the World Under-20 tournament in Egypt last year. Rajevac's re-organization of the side was excellent: Inkoom, nominally a defender, played on the right side of midfield but tracked back diligently, while Kwadwo Asamoah sat a little deeper than usual, ensuring that the Ghanaians outnumbered - and often outplayed - their opponents in midfield.

The USA, by contrast, looked tired after their exertions against Algeria, and there was little communication between the midfield and the frontline in the opening half. Ricardo Clark was a strange selection, and indeed he didn't last long, after giving the ball away for Ghana to score their traumatising early goal. With Maurice Edu restored to the midfield, the Americans gradually got a hold of the game, although Ghana still bossed the rest of the half, Andre Ayew in paticular causing Steve Cherundolo plenty of headaches on the left.

Another shrewd substitution from Bob Bradley at the break altered the complexion of the game. With Benny Feilhaber now reinforcing the midfield, allowing Bradley jnr. (among others) to break into attack more frequently, the USA started to assume control. Their equaliser was thoroughly merited, although Landon Donovan was a little lucky that his penalty crept in off the post.

But Ghana did not panic as they did against Australia, and although young Jonathan Mensah looked less than sure-footed in defence once again, his experienced namesake beside him thwarted dangerous-looking American offensives more than once. As normal time came to a close, it was obvious that the Americans were tiring.

Not least the central defensive pairing of Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit, who were simply beaten to a long ball by Asamoah Gyan early in extra time; a smart finish, and the game was won. Bob Bradley's troops simply didn't have the energy to mount a serious challenge after that, although some cynical time-wasting from the Ghanaians played its part as well.

Ghana deserve credit for picking themselves up from two winless games to halt the spirited Americans, but I favour Uruguay slightly against them. Without the suspended Ayew, they will be short of surprises in attack, and if Isaac Vorsah cannot reach full fitness before the match, the clever Uruguay frontline could make life difficult for Jonathan Mensah or Lee Addy.

Sweet Sixteen

2010-06-26T20:48:00.002+10:00

TFT is rejoicing at having reached the end of the group stage, and the busiest part of the match schedule, with his sanity and his marriage intact despite catching pretty much every game of the event. So a review of the remainder of the games below, including some catch-up material from the previous evening:

Group E

Many years from now, Japanese fans may look upon yesterday's 3-1 win over Denmark as a real turning point for their national side. They have beaten European opposition before, of course, even in the World Cup. But this one was away from home, in a crunch game, against a team with a history of making it past the group stage at the tournament. And the manner in which they achieved their victory was even more impressive than the result.

Denmark came out with all guns blazing, but the Japanese calmly repelled the early onslaught, scored two sumptuous free-kick goals, and soaked up the pressure maturely from that point on. It was a world away from the panicky performances of Asian sides at the tournament in the past.

Tulio Tanaka and especially Yuji Nakazawa were superb in defence, showing once and for all that the top Asian sides can no longer be intimidated in the air. Keisuke Honda's was one of the best individual performances of the World Cup so far; the CSKA Moscow youngster showed poise, adroitness and football intelligence in spades. His dazzling little run to set up the final goal for Shinji Okazaki was a moment of real class, worthy of the best South American playmakers.

Denmark ended up relying too heavily on the heroes of 2002, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst's wry comment that the Danes were playing like the Dutch in South Africa while the Dutch were playing like the Germans is not far off the mark. The Dutch have played colourless, low-risk but highly effective football, while the Danes have shown plenty of willingness to attack, but little co-ordination. The fading of Jon Dahl Tomasson has been one of the tournament's more poignant sidelights; had he been at his best, Denmark would surely have made Japan work much harder for the three points. At least he managed to get on the scoresheet, albeit in utterly unconvincing fashion.

One of the recurring themes of the first round of this tournament, in fact, has been the failure of teams under the aegis of long-time coaches who have stuck loyally to the same personnel for some time. Raymond Domenech, Otto Rehhagel, Morten Olsen...and the list goes on.

The Dutch marched on, with another workmanlike performance against a disappointing Cameroon. The further Bert van Marwijk's team go in this tournament (and they have the capacity to go very far indeed), the more cliches about "total football" one is likely to read in the football press. Truth be told, the current crop (an appropriate word, that, given their hairstyles) of Dutch internationals has little in common with the long-haired revolutionaries of 1974 beyond nationality. This is a highly disciplined side in which the team ethic is paramount, and it says a lot about van Marwijk's approach that the exciting Eljero Elia has been used so sparingly, and that the one-paced Khalid Boulahrouz was preferred to the more adventurous Gregory van der Wiel against Cameroon.

Pim Verbeek could perhaps learn something about the mechanics of his favoured 4-2-3-1 from Holland's performances; although the double midfield screen of Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong was there, van Bommel acted as a link-man, occasionally getting forward to join Wesley Sneijder and his colleagues in the three-quarter line. On the subject of Sneijder, he has had a very, very good tournament so far, continuing his excellent form from the latter stages of the Champions League. Holland's winning goal, featuring a menacing cameo from a slowly-returning-to-fitness Arjen Robben, should serve as a warning of more to come for their future opponents.

For Cameroon, it was a disappointing tournament, and Australian fans must be concerned about the possible appointment of Paul le Guen to the Socceroos' job, given his failure to settle on an effective system for Africa's most experienced World Cup nation. There was some consolation towards the close in the form of the lively, lanky young Vincent Aboubakar, definitely a player for the future.

Group G

The "Group of Death" ultimately played itself out in highly conventional fashion, with the two favourites settling for a draw in a game which was essentially a mutual tactical exercise. Portugal made no attempt to target Brazil's suspect left flank until the late arrival of Simao, while Brazil were able to give Nilmar a try in the three-quarter role in the enforced absence of Kaka. It would have been comforting for Dunga to note that Maicon and Dani Alves could indeed work in tandem on the right, with the latter tucking inside while Maicon raided down the touchline. A stalemate always looked the most likely outcome, however, one which suited both sides admirably.

The Ivorians never looked like they had any belief that they could rein in the Portuguese on goal difference after the 7-0 thumping of North Korea, and it's hard to blame them. Still, after they went two up early on, they might have pressed on in the hope of another psychological choke from the North Koreans. But they continued playing at a measured pace, and the Koreans in fact created a couple of chances of their own in the second period. The Africans received some fresh impetus when Aruna Dindane and Salomon Kalou came on, but one more was all they could manage. The Ivorians have truly been unlucky to have had their golden generation placed in the two toughest groups of the last two World Cups, and Brazil 2014 will probably be one step too far for the likes of Drogba, the Toure brothers, Dindane and a few others.

Group H

Since I passed this group by in the second round, a look back first of all.

Chile v. Switzerland was a very strange game. First there was the sendoff of Valon Behrami, a highly debatable decision probably influenced by some more play-acting, which is becoming sadly widespread at this tournament. Chile had already committed themselves to attack, and it looked likely that an avalanche of goals would follow. But the Swiss held out as they had against Spain, and for all Chile's excellent approach play, the dynamism of Alexis Sanchez, the thoughtful promptings of Matias Fernandez, they ultimately created little in the final third.

In the second half, the tide almost appeared to be turning in Switzerland's favour when the Chileans suddenly scored. Esteban Paredes may well have been offside in the lead-up, and after their stern defensive efforts it seemed a little harsh on the Swiss. Then came a bizarre final ten minutes, in which Switzerland pushed up to the half-way line and Paredes missed two easy chances on the break; Chile might regret these misses if qualification comes down to goal difference, as it may well do. Neither miss, however, was as glaring as the sitter squandered by Eren Derdiyok at the other end in the final minute of normal time.

Spain were a little laboured in the opening period of their game against a defensive Honduras, but once their trump card David Villa had put them two up early in the second half, they loosened up and began to play some beautiful football. Villa was unquestionably the star of the evening despite his missed penalty, cutting in from the left to great effect and consistently taking up the most effective positions. Jesus Navas was not an unqualified success on the right, often telegraphing his crosses and allowing them to be intercepted, and of course Fernando Torres' general play was considerably below par for such a gifted player.

Even in the final game against Chile he didn't impress. This encounter started vibrantly, with both sides striving to gain the upper hand by dint of sheer attacking intent. In a reversal of their game against Switzerland, this time it was the Chileans who just appeared to be getting on top when Spain scored; perhaps the only goal they will score on the break in this tournament, as they are unlikely to come across any other side as openly attack-minded as Chile. Villa's finish was again superb; the odds on his finishing top marksman in South Africa must be shortening.

The second goal was very well-crafted, and with the sendoff of Marco Estrada the result was never going to be in doubt. Estrada could be considered a little unlucky, since his contact with Torres was minimal (nonexistent?), but in fairness he should probably have received a second yellow already for a cynical foul a few minutes earlier. It was the second time in the tournament that the Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez has produced a red card for the right team at the wrong time. Chile did well to pull a goal back by throwing the kitchen sink at Spain just after the break, but the momentum was never going to last.

Brazil will pose a formidable hurdle for Marcelo Bielsa's talented side in the second round, especially since they will be without two excellent defenders in Waldo Ponce and Gary Medel, as well as Estrada. Still, at least Matias Fernandez will be back, and Alexis Sanchez - the player of the finals so far, in my opinion - should experience some joy against the defensively uncertain Michel Bastos on Brazil's left flank.

The right two teams definitely went through from Group H, so much was abundantly clear from the hit-and-miss encounter between Switzerland and Honduras. The Swiss simply didn't have enough quality up front to make much impression on a negative but fairly solid team, and the Hondurans were extraordinarily casual on the break, particularly in the second half when they failed to make the most of a number of 2 v. 1 situations. A disappointing tournament, then, for Honduras; David Suazo is still an able frontman, as Australia learned at the 2000 Olympics, and there were other commendable performers for Honduras, including Emilio Izaguirre and Walter Martinez. Had they been in a more lightweight group, they may have caused a surprise or two.

Champions No More

2010-06-25T14:34:00.005+10:00

Farewell to the champions. Italy join their fellow 2006 finalists in the first-round exit lounge...the first time since 1966 that the two finalists from the previous World Cup have failed to make the knockout phase. And the first time ever that both have finished on the bottom of their respective groups.

Finally forced to come out and play, Slovakia took the game to the Italians from the outset, and looked quicker and much sharper. Although they have not been, by any stretch of the imagination, the most impressive of the last 16, the fact that they have gotten through the group despite their nominal star being plainly out of form is a credit to them.

One of the things that struck me particularly about Italy at this tournament compared to 2006 was this: they no longer possess players with real personality (the footballing kind, that is), with the charisma to change a game. In 2006, there was Andrea Pirlo the deep-lying playmaker, Filippo Inzaghi the save-the-day poacher, Fabio Cannavaro the rock at the back, Gianluigi Buffon the irascible and formidable keeper, Gennaro Gattuso the indomitable epitomy of grinta in midfield. There was even Fabio Grosso, the adventurous fullback in the tradition of Facchetti, Cabrini et al.

Each one of these players, at various times during the Italian triumph in Germany, managed to become the central figure of a game, the man for the moment. Even Marco Materazzi, bad boy turned set-piece predator, showed such qualities now and then. In South Africa, there was no-one to do so. Riccardo Montolivo, to take one example, is a neat, intelligent, industrious midfielder, but he is not going to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it for you at international level.

It stood to reason that when Fabio Quagliarella, a player who did show some character, came on in the second half, Italy's improvement was immediate. Quagliarella, in fact, went very close to saving Italy's bacon, first with that shot that was blocked on the line (or behind it?) by Martin Skrtel, and then with a sweep-volley that was marginally offside. And, of course, he was centrally involved in both of Italy's goals.

For all but the final ten minutes, the New Zealand v. Paraguay game was played at a pace somewhere between glacial and somnolent, and the general intensity level was akin to that of a gentle training run. Neither side seemed to have any real ambition to win the game, although it needed another fine save from Mark Paston at the end, from Edgar Benitez, for New Zealand to keep the scoreline blank. The All Whites' achievement in going through the tournament undefeated is a splendid one, but it is a shame that they couldn't adjust their mentality when the second round was a genuine possibility. A draw seemed to be the limit of their ambitions against Paraguay for too long.

And now, a belated review of the conclusion to...

Group C

USA v. Algeria was a highly entertaining game, the second such encounter that the Americans have been involved in. There is plenty to admire about the current USA side; the sight of six or seven men swarming around the Algerian box at times was inspiring, although few teams are likely to follow the example.

Both sides spurned excellent chances in the first half; Rafik Djebbour volleying onto the bar and Jozy Altidore whacking the ball over from close range. Algeria's approach was subtle, slowing down the play after the bursts of American aggression while targeting Jay DeMerit in the USA defence (Ghana, take note), with the pace and movement of Djebbour and Karim Matmour. It was anyone's game in the second period, with the occasional effectiveness of Jozy Altidore's bulldozer style being matched by Algeria's frequent half-chances at the other end. But the USA were certainly the more deserving winners, and the momentum arising from the game could prove vital in the second round.

The excitement of the Algeria v. USA game had its counterpart in the generally sterile England v. Slovenia encounter, in which the Slovenes charitably allowed England to camp themselves in their back third in a 15-minute period of the first half, during which England scored their goal. Jermain Defoe may have engaged in some sly tugging of Marko Suler's shirt, but on the whole England's half-time lead was deserved.

Although the game opened up slightly thereafter, Slovenia never looked likely to get back into the match, even with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard wasteful and languid respectively. Valter Birsa's left foot was clearly going to be their only hope of salvation, but it was having a day off. A moment's inattention in the English defence allowed Slovenia three chances in quick succession halfway through the second period, but that was about it. A sad way for Slovenia to leave the tournament, but there is no real excuse for switching off in your final game.

The England v. Germany tie is very hard to call. All the clashes between the two countries at World Cup level have been tantalisingly close, and I would expect that most of the English underperformers will lift against the old enemy. The key could be the left flank of the German defence, which has looked somewhat vulnerable; although James Milner was probably England's best-on-field against Slovenia, he is no real winger, and Fabio Capello might prefer the pace of Aaron Lennon in the clash against the Germans. England has no equivalent to the creativity of Mesut Ozil, but whether the German strikeforce can pull their socks up after two disappointing displays against Serbia and Ghana is another matter.

Group E review coming up soon, along with tomorrow morning's action.

Pride

2010-06-24T12:57:00.004+10:00

When it comes to exiting a World Cup, there are ways and ways.

You can do it in disarray, disharmony and dishonour, as the French did on Wednesday morning. You can do it in heartbreaking fashion, as Slovenia did (unbeknownst to themselves) this morning. Or, you can do it with immense pride and a reaffirmed belief in your own abilities, as the Socceroos did.

This morning's effort against Serbia was far, far and away the finest Socceroo performance of the Verbeek era, and in fact one of the best of the last twenty years. Australia defeated a strong European nation, despite getting no help from the referee and little from Lady Luck.

If nothing else, the game was a stark reminder that the traditional virtues of Australian football - an aggressive approach backed up with impressive fitness levels, constant pressuring of the opposition and shrewd use of our physical attributes - can still succeed at international level. It took a desperate situation for Pim Verbeek's team to shake off the negativity of the last two and a half years, but shake it off they did, and in emphatic style.

A shame that, thanks to the catastrophic result in Durban, it wasn't quite enough.

Michael Beauchamp deserves great credit for stepping so ably into Craig Moore's shoes; in his first World Cup appearance, the Melbourne Heart stopper did a sterling job, putting in a number of key tackles (especially when Luke Wilkshire had become stranded upfield) and never losing his composure.

Although Milos Krasic caused havoc on the right in the early stages, something that the commentators didn't really acknowledge was that David Carney gained the upper hand in that little battle as the game wore on. He was given plenty of help on the left by the diligent Carl Valeri, who had another fine game.

Wilkshire was probably Australia's player of the tournament, and he was typically tireless again, ultimately running himself into the ground. With so many of the old brigade likely to make their way to the exit door before the Asian Cup, it's comforting to know that Wilkshire will probably still be around in 2014.

The Serbs would probably have run away with the game had they converted their three good chances in the first half, but on each occasion it was Mark Schwarzer, man-mountain incarnate, who did just enough to blunt the opportunity. It was a great shame that Serbia's consolation goal, which held more importance than most such animals, was partly down to Schwarzer's fumble. Certainly, he can be spared any castigation for that.

Verbeek has attracted plenty of criticism for the drubbing by Germany, so it's only fair to afford him some praise where it's due. His substitutions were well-timed again, although perhaps Jason Culina, rather than Valeri, should have been removed to make way for Brett Holman; perhaps Verbeek was hoping for one of Culina's long-range specials, which are becoming somewhat rare. As it was, it was Holman who provided the thrust from midfield, getting back to basics and simply running at the defence and letting fly. Sometimes, football is indeed a simple game.

So then, to the future. The new coach, whoever he may be, will have a bit of dead wood to clear out. The first names on the list should be Messrs. Grella and Culina, neither of whom have much to offer the Socceroos in the lead-up to 2014. Scott Chipperfield has been a magnificent servant of the side, but I'm sure even he would admit that it's time to say farewell.

As it is, sadly, for Harry Kewell. The temptation will be to keep him on, to hope for some of the same brilliance that he used to produce in his Leeds days (and once or twice at Germany 2006), but the world has moved on. There are other options on the left coming up fast, and Kewell is even less suited to a striking role in his dotage than he was in the Frank Farina era.

The 2006 generation will take some replacing, and the current crop of twentysomethings are finding it hard to establish themselves in Europe. But national teams need constant renewal, and the 2011 Asian Cup (in which the Socceroos will surely be under less pressure than they were in 2007) represents an ideal rehearsal space.

Briefly, to the other match in Group D overnight. It was a dramatic game without being a particuarly impressive one; Germany showed none of the panache they had evinced against Australia, and Ghana patently didn't do enough to win. The Ghanaians, for the second World Cup in a row, have been very, very lucky to make it through to the knockout phase: without Michael Essien, they are a callow, brittle unit, and the USA must be favoured to overpower them in the second phase. The Americans will be out for revenge, too, since it was against Ghana in 2006 that they suffered some abysmal refereeing decisions that killed their hopes of making the second round in Germany.

A review of the overnight action in Group C coming up...when I've had time to catch up with it!

The First Four

2010-06-23T22:39:00.003+10:00

Congratulations to Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina and South Korea.

Group A

Javier Aguirre may live to regret his sentimental decision to start the venerable Cuauhtemoc Blanco, rather than the younger and far more mobile Javier Hernandez, against Uruguay. The tempo of Mexico's play was thereby dampened, and Uruguay looked the sharper of the two sides in an interesting first half; the goal which decided the game was a disarmingly simple one, but not perhaps unexpected given the Mexicans' slight vulnerability at the back. Needing only a point to top the group, Uruguay allowed their opponents the run of the country in the second half, but it was back to the Mexico of old: lots of sumptuous interplay, lots of creativity in midfield, zero end product. Apart from Andres Guardado's fine shot on the turn in the first half and that header from Francisco Rodriguez that nearly crept in just after the hour, Mexico were disappointingly impotent in front of goal.

And so the Mexicans face Argentina, while Uruguay meet the South Koreans. Mexico will surely cause Diego Maradona's team some problems, as they did at the same stage four years ago, but I don't expect an upset. Argentina have long been Mexico's bogey team, and this Argentina squad is stronger than most.

You had to pull a wry grin on seeing France's starting eleven against South Africa. It had absolutely nothing to do with the tactical or practical demands of the game, and everything to do with the very public chaos within the French squad. Only those still on speaking terms with Raymond Domenech in the frame. No surprise, then, that this team put on a miserably dispirited performance against the hosts, who hardly played out of their skins. The harsh dismissal of Yoann Gourcuff didn't help, of course, but the French had looked a beaten side well before that. Farewell, then, to Domenech, whom the FFF are surely wishing they had removed after the debacle of Euro 2008. His final gesture of the tournament, the petulant refusal to shake Carlos Alberto Parreira's hand, says a great deal about the man and why French football will welcome his departure.

As for the hosts, it was heartening to see them exit the tournament with a creditable win. In terms of individual talent, they are still a fair way behind the West Africans, but Siphiwe Tshabalala may have earned himself a crack at Europe on the back of his performances in the World Cup.

Group B

I'm not sure about Diego Maradona's decision to ring the changes against Greece. There has been a tendency for teams to lose their momentum by fielding an alternate side after securing qualification in their opening two matches of tournaments...Euro 2008 was particularly instructive in this regard.

In any event, Maradona will be able to draw some conclusions from the game. Juan Sebastian Veron was one-paced and unimaginative in midfield again, and we are unlikely to see the Estudiantes veteran for the rest of the event, in my view. Gonzalo Higuain probably is a better fit for the Albiceleste's fluid system than Diego Milito, who found it hard to get into the action against the Greeks. And a comparison between the efforts of Gabriel Heinze and Clemente Rodriguez would favour the latter considerably.

It's worth remembering that the Greeks would have gone through had they kept the game scoreless. They certainly made every effort to do so, parking the double-decker against Messi et al. and holding them at bay for some time, although it took three inspired saves from Alexandros Tzorvas to keep Argentina from finding the net in the first half. Ultimately, though, quality and willingness to attack won out, to the delight of most neutrals. It was surely worrying for Maradona, however, that even though Greece were essentially playing with ten men in defence and Giorgios Samaras upfield, the Celtic frontman almost broke through the defence a few times.

Nigeria v. South Korea turned into an absolutely cracking game, very much a cup-tie in disguise, as the commentator Gary Bloom noted. It looked as if the Koreans might get physically overrun in the final ten minutes, but they kept their heads impressively and limited the Nigerians to only a few chances at the close. The Africans, in fact, missed their real opportunities much earlier.

I'm not one given to superlatives (of either the positive or the negative kind), but Yakubu Aiyegbeni's astonishing open-goal blunder must go down as one of the most egregious misses in the history of the competition, right up there with Julio Cardenosa against Brazil in 1978. Obafemi Martins also missed a very good chance some minutes later, but it was hardly as glaring an error as Yakubu's.

Nigeria were a little unlucky at this tournament. Some changes in personnel might have helped; it was a shame that we saw so little of Victor Obinna, who cut such an impressive figure at the Beijing Olympics. When he did come on this morning, two right-footed wallops near the end of normal time came very close to giving Nigeria the points and a place in the last 16.

As for South Korea, they have flattered to deceive somewhat, but they deserve their place in the second phase. Unlike most of the teams, they played their opening game in a positive manner, and it was good to see that they continued coming forward against Nigeria even after going 2-1 up in the second half. Uruguay, however, must be considered favourites in what will be an intriguing second round tie.

Acting Classes

2010-06-22T20:11:00.003+10:00

What with one thing and another I've fallen a bit behind in my crazy quest to watch more or less all of the World Cup. But I'm more or less up to date with Groups F and G, so...

Group F

If New Zealand snatching a draw with Slovakia was a surprise, their fully deserved point against the defending champions was nothing short of a sensation. And once again, they could consider themselves the moral victors, since Italy's penalty was painfully soft; it was foolish of Tommy Smith to grab hold of Daniele de Rossi's shirt, but the Roma midfielder's reaction was ridiculously overstated.

Throughout the game, in fact, the Italians reverted to their traditional histrionics, and were given plenty of encouragement in that respect by the abysmal Guatemalan referee. It was particularly distasteful to see Giorgio Chiellini pretending to have been mortally wounded by a trivial foul in the first half, only to slyly elbow Winston Reid in the face in the second.

And Fabio Cannavaro...how the mighty have fallen. Not only was he largely responsible for the New Zealand goal, Shane Smeltz reacting with his characteristic sharpness to the veteran's error, but he allowed Chris Wood to spin past him with astonishing ease late in the second half, to create a very good chance for the Kiwis to snatch the points. In any event, it was a fantastic achievement by Ricki Herbert's side, who are now still in with a slim chance of progressing.

As for the Italians, they simply don't have enough quality in the front third to be a serious threat in this tournament, I feel. Mauro Camoranesi, who should have been on from the beginning, offered a bit of drive in the second half, but by then the Kiwis' confidence was already at its peak. The likes of Claudio Marchisio and Domenico Criscito are not going to win you another World Cup.

In the group's other game, Slovakia were duly punished for adopting such a negative approach. Paraguay took the initiative from the start and never lost it, scoring two good goals and always appearing in control. This has been a marvellous tournament for South American teams so far, and Paraguay have been among the best of them, a very balanced team with enough quality up front to make up for the tragic absence of Salvador Cabanas.

Group G

So much for 1966. The contours of the Portugal v. North Korea game were actually quite interesting to follow; for the first half-hour, the Portuguese appeared almost as nervous and unambitious as in their opener, and Cristiano Ronaldo was not particularly incisive. It was lucky for Carlos Queiroz that Raul Meireles was: the Porto midfielder's inventive movement and well-timed runs from deep provided the spark that Portugal needed, and the gradual relaxing of the tension in Queiroz's side became more pronounced after the second goal went in.

Meanwhile, the Korean heads went down, and by the fourth goal it had become a comprehensive rout, with the Korean backline pushing high in a futile attempt to go on the offensive. The final three goals were down to elementary defensive errors which the Koreans would surely never have committed in the qualifying campaign.

This is not to detract from Portugal, however, who played some stunning football at times and made up for the mediocrity of their opening game. They will be full of confidence in their final encounter with a Brazil team now missing its key player.

And there lies another tale of abominable play-acting. Kader Keita deserves a fine and a lengthy suspension after those despicable theatrics that got Kaka dismissed; it was a lamentable comment on the refereeing that after a game in which the Ivorians had indulged in some increasingly violent play, it was a Brazilian who saw red.

Perhaps its was a case of what goes around comes around, given Rivaldo's infamous piece of chicanery at the 2002 tournament. Kaka, delicta maiorum immeritus lues.

Otherwise, Brazil played some lovely football against the Ivory Coast, their midfield stepping up a gear from the psychologically difficult game against the North Koreans. Sven-Goran Eriksson's decision to leave out Gervinho, easily the Ivorians' best player against Portugal, was quite inexplicable; as a result, the Africans started with three forwards but no real creator, and their play was consequently predictable, and countered without too much trouble by Brazil's experienced defence. Once Gervinho arrived, he made a significant difference, even managing to give the Ivorians their goal with an amazing box-to-box run.

The Portugal v. Brazil game is set up beautifully. Ronaldo is yet to hit anything like his top form, but his joyful back-of-the-head juggling in the lead-up to Portugal's sixth goal against the Koreans indicated that he, and his team, are beginning to enjoy themselves...always a good sign. Michel Bastos is a potential weak link on the left side of the Brazil defence, and I feel that Carlos Queiroz would be well-advised to favour that flank in attack.

The Strength of Ten

2010-06-20T12:06:00.004+10:00

The contrast between the Socceroos' performance against Germany and their efforts against Ghana, particularly in the second half, could not be greater.

After Harry Kewell's sendoff (for which the referee had no other option) and the subsequent penalty, escaping with a point would have been considered a godsend at the time. In fact, Australia went awfully close to taking the full three points against a Ghana side that went into complete psychological meltdown in the second period.

It was the second successive game in which the Ghanaians lost their heads after going eleven against ten, and although they scraped through with a penalty against the Serbs, they barely deserved it: Serbia should have opened the scoring by then, and the foul that gave away the penalty was inexplicably trivial.

The phenomenon of African sides panicking after going a man up is nothing new in the World Cup, in fact. Think of Italy v. Nigeria in 1994, or even more pertinently Germany v. Cameroon in 2002, a game in which the Germans looked much the poorer side...until Carsten Ramelow was sent off.

But back to the Socceroos.

Luke Wilkshire was a miracle of perpetual motion, contributing substantially at both ends (although he bore some of the reponsibility for Ghana's goal), and it was a great pity that his late shot was saved; there could have been no more deserving scorer. Mark Bresciano's drive in midfield was a welcome addition to the side, and Brett Holman performed the lone ranger role with admirable selflessness, running himself ragged and never allowing Ghana's inexperienced defence too much rest. Lucas Neill and Craig Moore were back to their 2006-era best in central defence, and Scott Chipperfield's efforts as substitute suggest, once again, that he is often better employed in midfield (in short bursts, at least). Carl Valeri, too, had an excellent game, although his partner in the engine-room, Jason Culina, looked vulnerable.

Pim Verbeek's substitutions were, for once, perfectly timed and well-considered. The battling Bresciano and the tireless Holman patently needed breathers, and just at the point when the initiative was shifting irrevocably in Australia's favour, Josh Kennedy arrived to terrify young Messrs. Mensah and Addy.

Talking of Lee Addy, referee Roberto Rosetti's failure to dismiss the youngster for that horrible studs-up lunge on Bresciano was a disgrace, and Australia can certainly complain of being harshly-treated by the refereeing in this game.

A final thought: the superb save that Mark Schwarzer made from Kevin Prince-Boateng just before the break was an absolutely crucial moment, not only in terms of keeping the scores level, but of giving the team renewed confidence as well. It really is impossible to overstate Schwarzer's importance to the entire World Cup campaign, both in the qualifiers and now at the tournament itself.

And so to the Serbia game. The best hope of progressing is surely for Ghana to pull off an upset against the Germans, since three unanswered goals against Serbia would surely be beyond Verbeek's men. With Moore out, the best choice for Neill's partner would probably be Michael Beauchamp, who showed some form in the lead-up to the tourament and would probably be the best-suited of the reserve defenders to deal with the height of Nikola Zigic.

David Carney deserves to keep his spot at left-back, as does Bresciano on the left side of midfield. With plenty of goals required, a Kennedy-Cahill combination up front is indicated...with plenty of service on the right from Wilkshire and Brett Emerton.

Briefly, the other games:

Netherlands v. Japan

Takeshi Okada's men were punished for taking an unduly deferential approach to the game. Holland are a fine team, without doubt, but that was surely no reason to reduce the likes of Yasuhito Endo and Makoto Hasebe to the status of static midfield water-carriers, while sticking young Keisuke Honda up front as an inadequate lone striker.

Nevertheless, they stifled the Dutch effectively until Wesley Sneijder's thumping goal, which was helped on its way by another piece of dire goalkeeping. From that point, the Japanese caused their opponents a fair few problems, not least the talented and incisive Yoshito Okubo, but it proved too hard to reverse the game's momentum.

Denmark v. Cameroon

A very entertaining but error-strewn game which has set up the Denmark v. Japan game very nicely. Morten Olsen had an attack of nostalgia, picking a midfield five who had all played prominent roles in Japan and Korea eight years ago. Initially this looked like a blunder, with Christian Poulsen's lazy pass gifting Cameroon their opener. But Dennis Rommedahl showed some of his old quality to make, then score, a good goal.

It was ironic that Benoit Assou-Ekotto, easily Cameroon's best player against Japan, was culpable on the occasion of both goals. For the first, he allowed Rommedahl to slip past him far too easily, and his insouciant jog back through the midfield in the lead-up to the second doomed his team, with Jean Makoun forced to cover for the out-of-position fullback, and being comprehensively beaten by Rommedahl.

Japan have the quality to beat Denmark, let alone get the draw they need, especially with the talented if mistake-prone Simon Kjaer suspended. But European sides often find an extra gear (or a measure of extra toughness) when the chips are down, and ruthlessness has not always been a quality associated with Japanese sides. I get the feeling that the Danes might squeak through, for all their mediocre play in the group stage thus far.

Unheralded Epic

2010-06-19T16:20:00.003+10:00

This second cycle of matches has produced plenty of fine games already, but last night's Slovenia v. USA match topped the lot. It had everything you could want from a football game: four fine goals, plenty of goalmouth action, positive play from both sides, subtle shifts of the initiative, and...a talking point.

In short, it was marvellously exciting throughout, and a great advertisement for the World Cup. Neat skills and impeccable organisation faced speed, physical power and an unbending spirit, and the two finished deservedly equal.

It's particularly enjoyable when two of the tournament's unheralded teams produce a spectacle like that, since one is left with the feeling that there might be even better to come. But both teams looked very much on song at different periods of the game, and both are now a reasonable bet to progress from Group C, which has been much tougher than expected.

Slovenia were totally in control for the first half-hour, dealing with the physical threat of Jozy Altidore and the speed of Robbie Findley almost contemptuously. Although the USA enjoyed a brief period of dominance after the half-hour, when an equaliser looked quite likely, Zlatan Ljubijankic's sucker-punch just before the break would have been decisive against most teams.

But Bojan Jokic's unfortunate slip let Landon Donovan through on the right early in the second period, and once the USA star had scored his remarkable goal, it was game on at both ends. Curiously, Donovan probably only elected to shoot rather than play a ball across goal due to the lack of support in the box...had a helpful attacker been running through the central channel in anticipation of a quick cut-back, the Americans might not have scored!

The final half-hour was absolutely thrilling, with plenty of chances at both ends and the momentum swaying between the two sides. Michael Bradley's equaliser was a much better finish than it looked; half-volleys are never easy to keep down, and to steer it between an advancing keeper and the crossbar would not have been easy.

The USA were certainly moral victors given the bizarre annulment of Maurice Edu's goal. If anything, there appeared to be more pushing and shirt-pulling from the Slovenians in the area, although plenty of the underhand fouling that goes on at set-pieces goes unpunished. But the attacking side never, ever, gets the benefit of the doubt in such situations.

Speaking of things that referees constantly refuse to do, just when are we going to see a goalkeeper actually punished for sneaking off his line at a penalty? Serbia's Vladimir Stojkovic was the latest culprit, and indeed Lukas Podolski's weak penalty was saved; it should have been retaken, as Stojkovic had clearly moved, as even the commentator, Gary Bloom, noticed.

Not that Germany really deserved to get back into a game they never quite got to grips with. The card-happy, officious Spanish referee tipped the scales a long way in Serbia's favour with the harsh dismissal of Miroslav Klose, but the Serbs already looked very comfortable. Keeping the sort of deep defensive line that the Socceroos should so obviously have employed, they limited the space available to the likes of Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger in midfield, and made full use of the wide avenues in attack. This time, Milos Krasic was a torment on the right, and his mastery of Holger Badstuber was directly responsible for the only goal of the game.

The group is at an interesting stage. If Australia can get a result against Ghana tonight, things will be open wide for the final game. I still rate the Socceroos' chances of doing so as quite reasonable, despite the absence of Tim Cahill and the childish media spat surrounding Harry Kewell. The injury to Vince Grella is the ultimate blessing in disguise.

England? Very ordinary once again, with the midfield never linking properly with the front two, Wayne Rooney looking a long way off full throttle, and Steven Gerrard badly out of form. Fabio Capello must surely be thinking twice about the use of Emile Heskey as the point-man as well: he may be an aerial nuisance, but his first touch let him down regularly against the Algerians. The North African side looked more lively than against Slovenia, with Karim Ziani out-pointing any of the English midfielders throughout the game, Gerrard and Frank Lampard included. Given the imperturbable manner in which Slovenia have approached the tournament, England must be seriously concerned about their prospects of even making the last 16.

Argentina and Arsenal

2010-06-18T20:42:00.002+10:00

Another splendid day's action at the World Cup, suggesting that the negativity that characterised many of the initial matches was merely opening-night nerves. Let's hope so.

Argentina certainly looked like the contenders they ought to be against South Korea, who fought well but couldn't match the albiceleste in this sort of form. Diego Maradona (or, more likely, one of his advisors) appears to have hit on an effective system, with Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, acting as twin three-quarter men, taking turns to drop deep in order to run at the defence. In such a setup, where considerable fluidity is required, Gonzalo Higuain is probably a better choice up front than the less mobile Diego Milito; at any rate, no-one could disagree with the use of Higuain after his three goals last night.

The fullback positions still look a little problematic for Argentina, with Gabriel Heinze not quite up to the quality of the rest of the side, and Jonas Gutierrez vulnerable to a canny winger. But it will take a very good team to beat Maradona's men.

For the first half-hour against Nigeria, Greece were almost as bad as in their opener against the Koreans. Nigeria bossed the game early on, and if not for the shocking ill-discipline of Sani Kaita, the trend may have continued. As it was, the sendoff was decisive; not only because Nigeria were playing with a man less, not only because Vasilios Torosidis now had the chance to get forward, but because the Greeks finally gained some self-belief. Giorgios Karagounis, for one, shook off his lethargy and began spreading the ball around and cleverly drawing fouls like the Karagounis of old.

Nigeria lacked a leader to rally them; Jay-Jay Okocha was never so dearly missed as in this game. Still, Vincent Enyeama thwarted attack after attack as he did against Argentina, and it was bitterly poignant that he ultimately spilled a relatively straightforward ball to give Torosidis the winner. Shades of poor Oliver Kahn in the 2002 final.

The group is interestingly poised. I somehow get the feeling that Greece, South Korea and Nigeria might all finish on three points (if the Koreans can lift themselves from the canvas to get a result against Nigeria, they fully deserve to make the Round of 16), in which case it would be a question of what sort of a defeat Argentina can inflict on Greece.

Among those watching France throw themselves vibrantly into attack against Mexico in Polokwane was Arsene Wenger, and one could have been forgiven for thinking that he was watching his own charges in action. The super-high-tempo passing game that the French adopted (a contrast to their rather more timid efforts against Uruguay) has been Arsenal's stock-in-trade almost since Wenger arrived at the club. When it works, it's exhilarating. When it doesn't, Arsenal can often find themselves beaten by lesser sides.

This is not to demean Mexico, who played extremely well and deserved their win. But it's worth considering just why the French, despite their often scintillating play, went under. For one thing, it represented something of a change of tack for them; perhaps they felt that a 100-mile-an-hour tempo would avoid the alert defensive stifling that blunted the mid-tempo possession game of Spain and Brazil. But Mexico adapted to the pace of the game, something that might have been beyond them 30 or even 20 years ago, but not now that the majority of their players have experienced European-style football rhythms.

For another, there was no real focal figure up front for Raymond Domenech's side, pace Nicolas Anelka. There's nothing wrong with this, of course (I should be the last one to decry such a policy), but when you're "missing the point" you need players able to run from deep straight into the area, whereas most of France's individual forays - from Franck Ribery, Florent Malouda et al. - actually took place in the wide channels. The whole game reminded me how much the French miss David Trezeguet, for all his occasional failings.

But thirdly, and most importantly, the French achieved absolutely nothing from set-pieces. Not once did they create a serious chance from a dead-ball situation, which was an indictment given how many fouls were committed by the Mexicans. And as the game wore on, the frantic tempo took its toll on one of the older members of the side, Eric Abidal...

Mexico, with an inferior goal difference, will undoubtedly go for the win against Uruguay (so as to avoid Argentina in the second round) and they could well get it. In any event, I can't see France or South Africa pipping either of these for a spot in the last 16 as the group currently stands. So much for my earlier prediction.

Swiss Tease

2010-06-17T20:01:00.002+10:00

In the midst of the best day's football at South Africa 2010 so far came the upset of the first round. In many ways, though, the signs were there: but for a breathtaking goal, Brazil might have suffered a similar fate against the totally unfancied North Koreans.

Picture this: a team knocking the ball around nicely, creating intricate patterns in midfield, holding onto possession with consummate ease, almost teasing their opposition. But said opposition is powerful in the air, so working the ball out wide for a cross isn't likely to work. Similarly, shuttling it through the middle with a series of one-twos is a low-percentage option, because the enemy has stacked that area. Shots from distance, then? The aerodynamic qualities of the Jabulani beachball will militate against them. What to do, then?

In Brazil's case, it took a fullback to hit the byline and actually shoot rather than cross or cut the ball back, but the goal was a freakish one. Alas for the Spaniards, Sergio Ramos couldn't do the same. The commitment to the short pass was total, and given the strength of the Swiss defence and the lack of height throughout the side, long balls would have been a waste anyway. Once or twice, Spain did force their way through the middle, but Diego Benaglio knew he would have to be quick off his line, and he was. One shot from distance, from Xabi Alonso, came down off the underside of the bar, but the others went into the now familiar Jabulani orbit.

By the end of the game, after their messy goal, it was the Swiss who were doing the teasing. Jesus Navas did make an impact, but it wasn't quite enough. And Fernando Torres appeared to be at only 50% of his full capacity, if that.

Spain could now be in real trouble: Chile looked menacingly effective against Honduras despite the low score, and the Swiss proved awfully hard to beat at the last tournament. I sincerely hope that Vicente del Bosque's team can pull themselves together and make it to the Round of 16; the tournament would be much the poorer for the absence of the European champions from the knockout stage.

The Spanish are not in quite as much trouble as the hosts, however. In a pleasingly open game (a marked contrast to Uruguay's opener), the South Americans always looked to have just a little more football nous than their opponents. Credit to Oscar Tabarez for fielding a more attacking line-up, including Edison Cavani, which allowed Diego Forlan and the talented Luis Suarez to see much more of the ball. Suarez could yet be one of the stars of the tournament; certainly, South Africa found his swift turns too much to cope with at times.

Caution!

2010-06-16T15:36:00.003+10:00

Yes folks, in the midst of parent-teacher nights, reports and teaching, I've managed to keep up with the World Cup...just.

And what a dreary specatcle it has been, on the whole. Commentators are running through their repertoire of polite terms for dull football: "cagey", "cautious", "a chess match", "patient", "probing", etc. In other words, dour, unambitious, grab-a-goal-at-a-set-piece football which is unworthy of the World Cup and an insult to the fans who have paid good money to see the games.

Not all of these strictures are applicable to all the games, of course, but there has been a fair bit of knocking the ball across the back four while both midfields are reluctant to go for more than the occasional brief stroll.

Group E

Two deadly dull games here, with Holland nicking the points against a Denmark side horribly short of ideas thanks to an own goal and a late tap-in. The Dutch look short of a genuine target-man up front, while the Danes simply look short of quality in midfield. The wing power of Gronkjaer, Jorgensen and Rommedahl might have been effective eight years ago in Japan and Korea, but it's hardly threatening now.

But if Denmark were poor, Cameroon were woeful. Even after they went behind against Japan, their attacks were languid at best and plain uninterested at worst. They were expected to be the poorest African team on show, and they certainly looked like it. Credit to the Japanese for gaining their first win away from home soil, but they have played much, much better than that in the qualifiers.

Group F

Good old Kiwis. Ricki Herbert's side, one might glibly say, did all the things right that Australia did wrong: a system that fits the personnel, a mix of caution and aggression, and ultimately a well-deserved point was the result. New Zealand were in fact the moral victors in a sense, given that Slovakia's goal was clearly offside. The Slovaks have a compact and competent team, with some bite on the wing provided by Vladimir Weiss (junior), but they must be considered underdogs in the group compared with Italy and Paraguay...who produced a very watchable game, Italy's greater fluency balanced by Paraguay's tightly organised defence. A pity that it took yet another goalkeeping error to give Italy their goal.

Group G

The first half of Ivory Coast v. Portugal was stupefyingly boring, but at least the game opened up in the second period. The Africans looked the more likely winners, troubling Portugal in the air, but 0-0 looked a likely scoreline from the outset. In the other game, North Korea did themselves proud: very strong in the air by Asian standards, and offering a little up front thanks to the speedy Jong Tae-se, they certainly made the Brazilians work. Maicon's goal was an absolute peach...Amarildo, eat your heart out.

So who has looked the most impressive in their opening hit-out? I'm tempted to say Germany (for obvious reasons), and Brazil would not be far behind. Spain are yet to take the field...let's hope they can provide a spectacle that the tournament has been lacking as yet.

The Shock

2010-06-14T17:09:00.003+10:00

Positives?

Well, it's pretty hard to find any. But we'll try.

Luke Wilkshire did well with his crossing and delivery from set-pieces again, although, as always, he was far more effective in the middle and final thirds than in defence. Mark Schwarzer kept the score moderately respectable with some good usage of his massive frame, showing that he has improved his command of the area over the years. And at least Pim Verbeek did make an unexpected tactical change, even if an untried system is not really ideal for a World Cup opener against the group favourites.

To paraphrase Suetonius, so much for the Socceroo positives. Now for the Socceroo horrors.

The re-jigged midfield was, to put it bluntly, completely overrun. The strategy of keeping the defensive and midfield lines closely linked failed to prevent the subtle Mesut Ozil from finding space in between, and the idea of reinforcing the left with the presence of Jason Culina, to limit Philipp Lahm's jaunts upfield, was successful...for about five minutes.

It's easy to say that things might have been different had that early Tim Cahill header (and Richard Garcia's subsequent shot on the turn) found the net. Yes, the game might have taken on a different complexion. But it's hard to imagine the Germans not taking the initiative at some point.

And the defence has never, ever looked older. Scott Chipperfield pathetically diving in on Thomas Muller on the occasion of the third goal was a true head-in-hands moment, as was the nonexistent marking that allowed Miroslav Klose all the space in the world to pick a header for the Germans' second. The truth is that Chipperfield was overworked in the course of the game, being expected to contribute to attack (thanks to Australia's typical lack of width on the left without Harry Kewell) yet having to cope with a double thrust in defence from Lahm and Muller constantly.

The red card for Tim Cahill was somewhat harsh, but in fairness it must be noted that Carl Valeri was quite lucky not to receive a second yellow for a clumsy foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger soon after Cahill was dismissed. And the penalty claim? Per Mertesacker did handle, but plenty of referees would consider, as the Mexican official did, that it was ball-to-hand.

To use one of my favourite phrases, all is not lost. Not least because neither Serbia nor Ghana were particularly impressive in the other Group D game (see below), and because the Socceroos will be all the more keen to make up for what was, in anyone's language, an absolutely disastrous start to the event.

Kewell's fitness is quickly becoming a mystery that Dan Brown would have a field day with, but if fit, he should probably start on the left in the next game. If not, perhaps even the use of Chipperfield along with David Carney on the left side, Chipperfield probably moving into midfield, would be a better option than the system used against Germany.

Josh Kennedy must surely come into the line-up, and Verbeek may (stranger things have happened) finally decide to ditch the twin midfield screen in the interests of actually scoring goals, with Brett Holman or Nikita Rukavytsya joining Kennedy up front. Brett Emerton showed signs of the class that Australia have been lacking on the right recently, and although still very ring-rusty, he should definitely be in the starting 11 once more.

Briefly, the other games:

Slovenia v. Algeria

A match which barely got out of third gear, both sides not risking anything beyond a brisk canter. Although neither side really deserved to win, full marks to the Slovenes for pushing on and grabbing the points after Abdelkader Ghezzal had so foolishly gotten himself dismissed. As so often happens, it was the best player in green, Robert Koren, who scored the winner...aided by another forgettable piece of goalkeeping (rather unfortunate for Faouzi Chaouchi, who did fairly well otherwise).

Slovenia are tough and organised (as Shane Davis remarked, they are the most settled team in the tournament), and Algeria at least play with a little individual flair. But I don't think that either side has the power or intensity to match the two favourites in Group C.

Serbia v. Ghana

Another game which did not reflect particularly well on either side. Ghana looked the more fluent side on the whole, and Serbia's celebrated wingers made much less impact than expected. The blond Milos Krasic, in particular, found it hard to get hold of the ball, and was not particularly constructive in his use of it.

Once the Serbs had gone down to ten, however, Ghana lost the plot. They were not particularly shrewd in the final third at any point, but their attacks were very listless once they went 11 against 10. The Serbs, in fact, had three excellent chances at the other end before the second silly handball of the day gifted Ghana a rather hollow win.

Ghana's attackers appear gifted but a little callow: Prince Tagoe has plenty of pace, but seemed to lose his composure once he got near the 18-yard area. It might seem frivolous to say this, given Australia's collapse against the Germans and the loss of their key player, but both Serbia and Ghana are potentially beatable.

Day (Two Thousand and) Two

2010-06-13T11:23:00.003+10:00

So then. South Korea post a 2-0 win against a creaking European side, Argentina squeak through 1-0 against a Nigeria team that might have conceded more but for a defiant goalkeeping display, and England score an early goal but a crass defensive error costs them a quite unnecessary equaliser.
I'm referring, of course, to some first-up matches at the 2002 World Cup.

The parallels are very close. Poland went into the 2002 tournament as potential dark horses but fared very poorly; Argentina played much thoughtful, incisive football against the Nigerians in Ibaraki but were thwarted constantly by the obscure keeper Ike Shorunmu, who played out of his skin that day. Oh, and England went into the lead early against Sweden but a silly giveaway by Danny Mills allowed Niclas Alexandersson to score a fine left-footed goal.

Greece really were awful in the first half against South Korea last night, and only came to life after the hour, when they were already 2-0 down. Overall, they made the Koreans look a lot better than they were; during that concluding period of the game, when the Koreans were being outmuscled with worrying ease by the Greeks in their own half, their efforts on the breakaway were stilted and ineffective.

Otto Rehhagel clearly believed that hoisting the ball into the area was enough to get a result against an Asian side, and although one might say that this is an outdated attitude...the final thirty minutes might have given him the impression that he was right.

After a fluent and exciting opening ten minutes, Argentina simply didn't quite click. Messi posed danger, as expected, but he found Vincent Enyeama in fine form. As in 2002, a certain Juan Sebastian Veron was at the heart of the midfield, and as in 2002, he didn't have the best of games. Nor did Angel di Maria, who could well be replaced for the South Korea game.

There were a few troublesome moments in defence for Argentina as well, with Jonas Gutierrez looking ill-suited to the right-back role and Sergio Romero having some difficulties in goal. For the Nigerians, there was plenty of power in the forward line but not much in the way of direction; they should really have equalised twice. South Korea v. Nigeria will be a fascinating game, probably the group decider.

The England goalkeeping problem continues. No-one of real international class has emerged to replace David Seaman (Paul Robinson was not really up to it in 2006), and it will be hard for Robert Green to pick himself up for the rest of the tournament after that shocking blunder. Otherwise, it was much the same as the England of 2002. Nine years on from the glory of Munich, the obsession with Emile Heskey's head continues: although he remains laudably unselfish and a constant problem for opposition defences, he is hardly a terror in front of goal.

The lack of pace in central defence, which was exposed badly by Jozy Altidore in the second period, must be a worry for Fabio Capello. The USA looked a well-organised, competitive side in the main, just as they did against Australia. Without wishing to demean Slovenia or Algeria, whose debut we will get to see tonight, the Americans must still be favoured to get out of the group along with England.

Beyond the quarter-finals for Capello's men this time? On this morning's form, they will be lucky to make it past the last 16. But there's a way to go yet.

Day One

2010-06-12T15:16:00.002+10:00

It's always good for the World Cup to start with a vibrant game, and South Africa and Mexico certainly provided one. There were plenty of chances, lots of good football, and a gem of an opening goal, already a contender for the title of best team goal of the event. And it was fitting that Siphiwe Tshabalala, South Africa's man of the match, scored it.

In truth, the Mexicans should have killed the game off before half-time. They looked far superior in the first period, their flexible system working superbly well. Rafa Marquez drifted adroitly between defence and midfield, while the nominal fullbacks spent most of their time in the South African half, allowing the three strikers to play off each other in the middle. But poor finishing, Mexico's eternal World Cup problem, reared its head again.

Those who wrote South Africa off before the tournament may yet have to eat their words. After a nervous and unambitious beginning, they moved the ball around sweetly in midfield at times. The ability of Tshabalala and Teko Modise to switch the play rapidly meant occasional danger for the Mexicans, with their fullbacks so far upfield and the wide defensive areas potentially weak (Franck Ribery, take note). The pace of Katlego Mphela looks likely to trouble the other teams in the group as well.

Mexico will need their match-shy young duo of Carlos Vela and Giovanni dos Santos to find their range in the next two games; although dos Santos forced one brilliant save from Itumeleng Khune, there were a fair few efforts that missed by some distance. Potentially, this is one of the finest attacking arrays that the Mexicans have ever had, but they will need to find some consistency in front of goal. At the other end, the eccentric veteran Oscar Perez looks just as much of a liability as he did in Japan in 2002.

The second match was a much duller affair, although at least the French made some attempts to attack in numbers. The first half was a grim reminder of the template that dominated the knockout stage at Germany 2006: packed midfields, isolated strikers, and zero commitment to attack. Uruguay seemed to be relying solely on the striking power of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, since none of their other players showed any aggressive intent whatsoever.

Franck Ribery struggled with his delivery, and France's other main creative outlet, Yoann Gourcuff, had a very poor game. It's not quite clear what is happening up front, either; Nicolas Anelka is not really suited to the pivot role, but neither does he appear an ideal partner for Thierry Henry.

I'm still happy with my pre-tournament prediction that France and South Africa will advance from Group A. The French will surely improve as the tournament progresses (as they did in 2006), and although Mexico showed signs of class, home support could do wonders for South Africa, particularly against a defensive Uruguay.

A final word about the Jabulani ball: there were some more worrying signs. Plenty of passes were overhit (this was particularly noticeable when the Mexicans attempted to switch the play to Paul Aguilar on the right), and shots from distance sailed into the upper atmosphere even more readily than in 2002. Expect some strange things in the coming weeks.

The World Cup

2010-06-11T12:33:00.003+10:00

It's finally here. The biggest event on the football calendar begins late tonight.

Work and family demands have meant that I haven't been able to devote as much blogging time to the preparations as I would have liked, but don't for a moment get the impression that I'm not excited! Answers to my last quiz can be found here, by the way.

I would dearly have liked to get to South Africa, but it wasn't to be this time. Herewith, though, a series of verbal snapshots from the last tournament, which I did manage to get to, as an introduction to the current one.

The army of drunken yet mostly friendly English fans in Frankfurt and Nuremberg, so many of them the supporters of obscure third- or fourth-division clubs. I learnt very soon that, perhaps uniquely, the most passionate England fans tend not to be the followers of the big clubs.

The magnificent Korean fans in Frankfurt. Whatever the claims of the Dutch, the Brazilians et al., I still consider these to have been the most impressive group of fans at the tournament. The sound of A-ri-rang echoing around the Waldstadion will stay with me forever.

A wonderfully kind young family in Munich who offered my friend Shane Davis and me accommodation for the night following the Australia v. Brazil game, once we realised that we weren't going to make the last train back to our hotel just outside of Frankfurt. They now have my Australia shirt.

A generous Croatian fan who patted me on the back when I croaked "bad luck" in broken German following the seething melodrama of Stuttgart. Not the reaction I was expecting, and all the more welcome for that.

A Thai journalist who was clearly just as much of a World Cup nut as I was, joyfully recalling past milestones from an event his country had never qualified for while helping the venerable Brian Glanville with his luggage before another game in Frankfurt.

The enthusiastic surge of the Dutch fans through a cobblestoned street as they warmed up for their first round clash with Argentina. The ancient walkway was turned orange in a matter of minutes.

Two tongue-tied Argentina fans, on the same day, being interviewed by a TV reporter (in English) about the evening's game. They were polite but monosyllabic until the reporter asked them "what they were going to shout" that evening. Then, it was a sneaky conspiratorial grin, and the two ripped into "Esta noche vamos a ganar!" at top volume.

Seeing Franz Beckenbauer...absolutely everywhere.

Welcome to the World Cup. May it be a memorable and amicable one.

Craig's Catechism

2010-06-08T20:58:00.002+10:00

A temporary break from World Cup matters, to review a book released to coincide with the tournament.

Now, to clear some ground first. Alert readers of this blog may recall that I've had some harsh words to say about Craig Foster in the past. Strangely, though, I still have mixed feelings towards SBS's chief football analyst; although so much of what he says and writes is either naive, condescending or wretchedly pretentious, a genuinely articulate former Socceroo who is a cogent real-time game analyst is in some ways a rare commodity. Further complicating my attitude is that fact that in person, I found him immensely likeable.

So I felt obliged to give his book a go, even if football friends had warned me that it was, well, more of the same.

To a large extent, it is. Those who've followed his column in the Sun-Herald, and his various tirades from the soapbox on SBS, will find little new in the 300-page collection of opinions and advice contained in the book. There is the same Barcelona fetish, the same haughty denigration of Australian football, the same patronising tone. But there are some redeeming features.

The early part of the book, which is essentially an overview of the game as Foster sees it, is awash with quotes; at times, Foster appears more anthologist than author. By far the most interesting chapter in this "first half", which contains plenty of sociological ruminations of dubious value, is the ninth chapter, "Football is Space". Here, Foster gets into specifics a little, and his description of a Socceroo training session under Terry Venables is actually fascinating.

This, in fact, leads us to one of the strange little dichotomies in the Foster world-view; he has always paid generous tribute to the coaching acumen of Venables, who took Australian football "twenty years into the future" (Foster's own words, from a 2008 interview). How does he reconcile such admiration with his well-known distaste for all things English? As Foster says in the previous chapter:

I often wonder how [Venables] acquired his knowledge, because it was conspicuous by its rarity in an English coach...once I had seen the system of play under Venables I could confidently say that I learnt more in a short time with him than in all my previous years as a player...

It is truly remarkable that Foster does not examine his anti-English slant in more detail in light of this, or adopt a more nuanced attitude towards the difference between British and continental coaches. In fairness, however, I should add that his Anglophobia is rarely expressed openly in the book; if anything, it is implied by omission, since whenever a list of great players, coaches or systems is offered (and there are many in the course of the book), anyone or anything from the British Isles tends to be excluded.

Another worthwhile chapter in the first part of the book is Chapter 16, "The Football 'Matrix'", in which Foster gives an interesting list of Socratic questions that inform his half-time and full-time commentary on live games (UEFA Champions League ties, in the main). Worth a read for any aspiring pundit.

The second half of the book, in which Foster deals with football in Australia, is far more familiar. Here we find the cliches, the empty generalisations, and the crass scapegoating that often makes Foster's articles so open to ridicule. Chapter 21, "Footballholics Anonymous", is a truly nauseating outpouring which takes cultural cringe to the level of utter self-abasement.

The only section of real interest after half-time in the book is Chapter 24, "Adopt and Adapt", which deals largely with the implementation of a new curriculum for Australian football. Foster can't quite seem to make up his mind about the new Dutch template (for which I don't blame him in the least), and he does bring a pertinent point to light:

Sadly, in the absence of a National Technical Committee to oversee the work of imported Dutch coaches on a regular basis, these decisions are being made without adequate oversight, and the ramifications will only be reflected in ten years' time. This is why it is critical that more football expertise is utilised at FFA...

Round of applause. I couldn't have put it better. But, bizarrely, Foster essentially contradicts himself in the very next paragraph:

Nevertheless...the methods being implemented are an outstanding start, and no revision or additions should take place until Australia has adopted the curriculum, and understands it very well. This will take a decade...

Eh?!?

As is usual with such books, there are a few typos, misspellings and factual mistakes here and there. In an early chapter, the tragic tale of Colombia's Andres Escobar is given an unintentional comic tinge when he is decribed as having scored "an unfortunate owl goal" against the USA. Perhaps the crowd was hooting at him. I shall move on.

On the whole, the book is probably worth perusing if you are new to the peculiarities of Planet Foster. If you are not, then there is frankly little to learn.

We Could Be Heroes - update #8

2010-06-07T17:07:00.002+10:00

The Half-Time Heroes have pulled out all the stops for their World Cup edition. Sally Shipard talks about the Matildas' Asian triumph, with Shane Davis and Russ Gibbs providing some related analysis, and all the regulars contribute some World Cup-related material. Yours truly commemorates some great own goals from the competition's history.

Enjoy.

The Dress Rehearsal

2010-06-06T10:23:00.003+10:00

Bad dress rehearsal, good first night, say the acting fraternity.

In other words, it's not too bad to have a wake-up call just prior to the big performance, and one could say the same about last night's Socceroo hitout against the USA. Although the Americans created a worrying number of chances and should probably have scored more than three (or rather four), at least Pim Verbeek knows where the problems lie. At least, we hope so.

There were a couple of positives. Given Australia's lack of drive from the centre of midfield, the fullbacks are clearly going to play an important role going forward, and Luke Wilkshire and Scott Chipperfield both look to be in decent form. Not that Wilkshire will remember Edson Buddle's second goal all that fondly, of course.

It seemed at times as if Verbeek was testing out a more attacking approach, with the defensive line pushing a little higher than usual (and getting breached now and then). It resulted in rather more chances for the Socceroos, but the patent lack of pace at the back - Craig Moore came under fire once more - makes such a strategy decidedly risky.

And: Vince Grella.

Verbeek seems to be living on the hope that the Blackburn man will lift for the big occasion as he did in Germany four years ago, when he managed to curb his over-aggressive tendencies and play a pivotal role in the Socceroos' run to the last 16. But to describe his form in the lead-up friendlies as worrying would be an understatement; right now, he looks a serious liability in more than one respect.

The decision to keep Harry Kewell under wraps will no doubt excite more wringing of hands, and Verbeek can hardly blame the media for focusing on the issue. For a team so palpably short of ideas, the readiness or otherwise of Australia's most gifted player is clearly going to provoke comment. And for Kewell to be going into the tournament without any game time in the lead-up is obviously far from ideal.

The Americans? Tough, good on the break, but with some defensive problems that mirror Australia's. They should make it past the first round in what is one of the easier groups, but a place in the last eight might just be beyond them.

World Cup Quiz, Part 10

2010-06-04T15:51:00.003+10:00

One week away! One week! The pulses of football tragics the world over are starting to quicken. Answers to the last quiz can be found here.

Last but not least:

The Goals

1. Which World Cup final featured two opening goals that were almost perfect mirror-images of each other?

2. How many Belgian players did Saudi Arabia's Saeed Al-Owairan dribble past on his way to scoring his famous goal at the 1994 tournament?

3. How many passes were completed before Argentina scored their memorable team goal against Serbia-Montenegro in 2006?

4. There have been plenty of own goals at the World Cup, but one was particularly unusual. A defender slammed the ball straight into a team-mate, after which the ball fizzed into the goal. It occurred in 1966; who were the two teams?

5. Which West German player, on the way to the 1974 world title, scored a goal in which the ball rebounded off both goalposts before going in?

6. "Toto" Schillaci topped the goalscoring charts in 1990 with six goals at the tournament, but it should have been seven. Why?

7. At the 1998 World Cup, a player scored a goal (a very good one too) literally only a few seconds after coming on as a substitute. Which player, in which game?

8. One of the most narrow-angled goals in World Cup history was scored in the 1962 final. Who was the scorer?

9. The Brazilian team of 1978 once scored after hitting the woodwork twice in the seconds preceding the goal. Who were their opponents?

10. Who scored the first-ever penalty goal at the World Cup?

Beachballs and Danes

2010-06-02T16:42:00.002+10:00

Although much of the football was dour once again, last night's Socceroo performance against Denmark was much improved from the New Zealand outing. The defence looked far more assured with the addition of Messrs. Wilkshire and Chipperfield (Wilkshire's crossing was a definite asset, for one thing), and even the midfield axis of tedium functioned a little bit better than usual. There was, once again, an improvement in the second half...for which, see below.

But the main issue to arise from the game was surely the flight path of the much-discussed Jabulani ball. The vast majority of long passes were badly overhit during the game, and although the altitude probably didn't help, the beachball-like trajectory is a concern. Plenty of teams are sure to keep the lines stringently tight (as both sides did at times last night) in order to force their opposition to go long...straight into the arms of the keeper, or harmlessly over the byline.

Mark Bresciano needed little inducement to offer some criticism, and other players probably feel the same. The 2002 World Cup featured a similarly eccentric "space-age" ball, which, as Gordon Strachan remarked at the time, belonged in outer space...where no-one could use it.

Back to the Socceroos. As against New Zealand, the team offered much more in an attacking sense once Jason Culina moved to the right, displacing the willing but essentially mediocre Richard Garcia, and linking well with the frontmen. If Brett Emerton cannot work his way back to full fitness before the opening game against Germany, it would surely be optimal for Pim Verbeek to start Carl Valeri in the middle with Culina on the right rather than in his usual immobile anchor role. Vince Grella, sadly, is bound to start, whatever his propensity for thuggery (there were a few more crude fouls from Grella in the Denmark game, with some petulant gesticulation the inevitable sequel).

The Danes were surprisingly short of ideas. In the first half, once they found that "getting in behind" with lofted balls was going to be difficult, the sole strategy seemed to be working the ball across to the right for Thomas Enevoldsen and the overlapping Lars Jacobsen. Although a couple of useful crosses came in from that flank, Verbeek's men rarely looked troubled. The much-hyped Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen made no impact whatsoever.

One warm-up game to go, then, with the Socceroos looking depressingly predictable, but hard to break down nonetheless.

The First Champions

2010-05-31T12:27:00.003+10:00

Champions of Asia. Three big, sincere and lasting cheers for the Matildas.

To win any proper continental championship (pace Oceania) is a major achievement, but to triumph in a very strong confederation, in difficult conditions, without three key players, is just fantastic.

There were plenty of heart-in-mouth moments last night. Clare Polkinghorne's agonising miss, just after the Koreans had equalised; Sam Kerr's looping cross to no-one when a simple prod across to Kate Gill would surely have put Australia 2-0 up; and, last but not least, the three excellent chances that fell to the Koreans in extra time, when the exhaustion began to catch up with Tom Sermanni's charges.

Indeed, there were times during the second half (particularly the opening fifteen minutes) when North Korea looked likely to overrun the Matildas, who lost control of the midfield and were fortunate that many of the crosses from the team in red drifted harmlessly over the byline. On the whole, the Koreans looked technically the better side, and one could say that perhaps the Matildas were favoured by the appalling conditions, although Korean women's teams have made light of such heavy surfaces in the past.

But as against Japan in the semi-final, the fighting qualities of the Matildas counted for a great deal, as did the maturity and concentration of the younger brigade. Elise Kellond-Knight did particularly well patrolling the left side of defence, towards which the Koreans directed many of their midfield moves. Sam Kerr's calm finish for the Australian goal belied her age and relative lack of experience. And Kyah Simon...

Let us not understate the achievement. Australia entered the Asian confederation expecting to fill the trophy cabinet fairly quickly, but the men's teams have been less than convincing on the whole. By contrast, the Matildas have reached two senior continental finals since the move from Oceania, succeeding at the second attempt.

It is traditional to express some sympathy for the losing finalists, particularly after a penalty shootout. However, given the Koreans' despicable antics in their recent friendly against the same opponents, I can only offer them a message similar to that directed at certain Argentinian journalists by Diego Maradona a few months ago.

World Cup Quiz, Part 9

2010-05-28T19:10:00.002+10:00

It's only two weeks away...anyone getting excited?

No-one seemed to get all that excited about the last quiz, but the answers are appended here for the record. Perhaps this one might be more to the taste of fellow World Cup hounds out there...

The Quotes

For each quote, name the speaker and the World Cup occasion.

1. "Right, who's going to be the first to score against these bastards?"

2. "We don't swap shirts with animals!"

3. "Without Maradona, Argentina would have no chance of winning the World Cup. That's how great he is."

4. "Other nations have their history. Uruguay has its football."

5. "I can't believe I'm in the quarter-final of the World Cup. I've never even been in the quarter-final of the League Cup before!"

6. "I care a great deal about Roberto Baggio."

7. "We have been eliminated brutally. I would say, scientifically."

8. "Don't show them any mercy. This is the World Cup!"

9. "We'll equalise before the other team has scored."

10. "You're not even Irish, you English c--t!"

Finalists

2010-05-27T20:12:00.003+10:00

With the (men's) World Cup in South Africa grabbing most of the attention lately, Australian fans can celebrate another fine achievement tonight: the Matildas, in beating Japan by a solitary goal in their Women's Asian Cup semi-final tonight, have qualified for next year's Women's World Cup in Germany.

This is an achievement not to be understated. Yes, Australia qualified for the last World Cup in China in 2007, but on that occasion they had the advantage of contesting the Asian event, which doubles as a qualifying series, on home turf. This time it was the muggy altitude of Chengdu that played host to their matches, and they came through in fine style despite losing Lisa de Vanna, their quickest and most dangerous attacker, to injury in the first round against South Korea.

Although their victory this evening owed a little to good fortune - Kate Gill's deciding goal was a slightly messy affair - their determination and cool defence at set-pieces made them deserved finalists. In the second half, the Japanese were awarded a number of very soft free kicks, and although the delivery of the talented Aya Miyama was excellent, Japan's finishing was anything but.

Were they to achieve victory in the final against either North Korea or the hosts, the Matildas' achievement would take on even greater lustre. Asia is a powerhouse of the women's game, and the top nations are gaining ground on the likes of Germany, Brazil and the USA; at the Women's Under-17 World Cup in New Zealand in 2008, which I had the pleasure of attending, North Korea took out the title, while Japan were (by practically universal consent) the most impressive team of the opening round.

The Matildas have done their country proud, once again. The old stagers have proved their quality, and youngsters like Teigan Allen have shown impressive maturity. And I for one would suggest that Tom Sermanni is a far more flexible coach than his colleague at the helm of the men's team.

Rethinking the Blah

2010-05-25T10:49:00.003+10:00

Perhaps the only positive that we can take from last night's execrable Socceroo performance against New Zealand is that many key players were missing. Messrs. Kewell, Kennedy, Emerton, Chipperfield and Schwarzer were all badly missed. But there the silver lining ends.

In a competitive game, the Socceroos would surely have been reduced to nine men before the half-hour mark; Vince Grella's horrific lunge on Leo Bertos certainly merited instant dismissal, and Tim Cahill's uncharacteristically clumsy challenge on the same player minutes later was probably worthy of a red card as well.

Both of these dreadful fouls were probably borne of the frustration that Verbeek's men felt at being completely outplayed early in the piece by a side practising fairly straightforward methods. Worryingly, the New Zealanders were utterly dominant in the air in the first period; the Australian defence never got to grips with Rory Fallon, and there was no excuse for Shane Smeltz to be left all alone in the midst of four gold shirts when he flicked a header on for Chris Killen's opener.

If the defence was a worry, it was in midfield that the Socceroos' painful mediocrity in the first half was most readily apparent. And yet again, it was the Grella-Culina axis of blah which set the tone.

It is becoming blindingly clear that this combination simply provides no drive, no ideas and no fluency in this vital area of the park. Against worthy opposition they can be simply overrun, as we saw in the friendly against South Korea. Against teams prepared to sit back and absorb possession, they are essentially filling up space.

Australia's revival in the second half can be put down to a number of factors, including the canny running of Brett Holman and the aerial presence of Mile Jedinak, but the key change was in the midfield engine-room. Culina was shifted to the right flank, where he has produced all his best performances for his country, and he reminded the fans that he is, after all, capable of doing more than pivoting three times on the ball before prodding a pass back to the defence. Carl Valeri proved far more effective than Grella on the night, and Jedinak, although he gave the ball away needlessly once or twice, did at least help to take the sting out of the aerial bombardment from the Kiwis.

What of the fringe dwellers, then, with a place in the final 23 up for grabs? Despite his well-taken goal, Dario Vidosic didn't do much to suggest that he is of international standard as yet. Neither Tommy Oar nor Nikita Rukavytsya were really given enough time to prove themselves. Scott McDonald suffered in the lone striker role again, but he just looks listless in the green and gold. He will be lucky to make the cut.

Michael Beauchamp, though not put under much pressure, enhanced his chances of a berth, putting a creaking Craig Moore's inadequate display in the first half into sharp relief. And no game time for Nick Carle - Verbeek has clearly not been having enough lattes in Darlinghurst lately.

A final word on Ricki Herbert's team. Although they looked sluggish and one-dimensional in the second half, their efforts in the first were enough to suggest that they won't be complete pushovers in South Africa. Simon Elliott was an efficient leader in midfield, and their tall timber up front could cause the likes of Slovakia and Paraguay the odd moment of concern.

The Milito Show

2010-05-23T20:35:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to Inter Milan, champions of Europe for 2010. And with all due respect to their many detractors, they are thoroughly deserving champions.

Jose Mourinho's tactics worked a treat; with Thiago Motta suspended, he moved Javier Zanetti into midfield, slotting the more mobile Christian Chivu into the left-back position to deal with Arjen Robben. Although Robben, not surprisingly, got the better of Chivu at times, the Romanian proved enough of an impediment to prevent the game becoming another Robben Show.

Instead, it became the Milito Show, and there could hardly be a more deserving man-of-the-match than the veteran Argentinian.

The former Racing Club, Real Zaragoza and Genoa forward has taken a long time to scale the summit of European football, but what club wouldn't want him now? Strong, adept on the ball and an excellent finisher, he is perhaps the most in-form striker going into a World Cup which is a little short of star power in the forward lines. A shame, then, that Milito will be fighting with the likes of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain for a starting place. A pleasant dilemma for Diego Maradona, at any rate.

Not only did Milito score Inter's two goals, but he set up three good chances during the game, two for Goran Pandev and one for Wesley Sneijder, who once again proved himself a very fine No.10, a real Sandro Mazzola for the new millennium.

If Milito's finish for the first goal was classy, his second was an absolute jewel, the best goal in a European Cup final since Zinedine Zidane's stunning volley in 2002. The feint that fooled Daniel van Buyten was performed exquisitely; Milito looked up at the key moment, and appeared to be measuring up a pass to connect with Samuel Eto'o's clever run in the inside-right channel. Just at the moment when one expected the killer ball, instead there came a perfectly-timed flick to the left, and van Buyten was out of the picture. The finish, reminiscent of Alex del Piero's against Germany at the last World Cup, was just as impressive.

The fact that Inter took the field without a single Italian in their line-up will no doubt excite plenty of comment, but that shouldn't detract from the team's achievement. They have been resilient, superbly organised, and lethal in the front third throughout the campaign; there just seemed to be a sense of destiny about Inter this season once they entered the knockout phase. They wouldn't let anything get in their way.

And the sight of Javier Zanetti holding up the famous trophy will bring a smile to the face of many a football fan. No-one could possibly begrudge this outstanding footballer, one of the most consistent players of the last twenty years, such a triumph as his career comes to an honourable close.

World Cup Quiz, Part 8

2010-05-21T12:13:00.004+10:00

Almost there...three weeks to go! In the meantime, another dip into the well of football obscurity below. Answers to the previous quiz, for all those breathlessly awaiting them, can be found here.

The Referees

1. Who was the first referee from outside Europe and South America to oversee a World Cup final?

2. Twice in World Cup history, two successive World Cup finals have been entrusted to referees from the same country. Which were the two countries, in which World Cups?

3. A referee once famously dismissed a player with whom he did not have a common language "for the look in his eye". Who was the referee and the player?

4. Linesmen tend not to attract the headlines that referees do, but the linesman who allowed Geoff Hurst's controversial second goal in the 1966 World Cup final was an exception. What was his name, and where was he from?

5. The infamous Byron Moreno of Ecuador was lambasted for his refereeing in the South Korea v. Italy game at the 2002 tournament, but the referee in the Koreans' next game against Spain, Gamal Ghandour of Egypt, also attracted criticism for something he did (not a decision as such) during the game. What was it?

6. Who was the first Australian to officiate at the World Cup?

7. Two of the referees on the panel for the 2010 World Cup will be taking part in their third successive World Cup. Who are they?

8. Which World Cup final referees had the following real-life professions: (a) butcher, (b) customs official, (c) bank manager?

9. Australia, oddly enough, has been involved in the two recorded games in which World Cup referees have forgotten to send off players who have collected two yellow cards. The second referee to do this was, of course, Graham Poll in 2006; who was the first, and in which game?

10. In 2002, a referee who took charge of the European Cup (Champions League) final officiated in a World Cup semi-final, and another referee got a European Cup semi but the World Cup final. Who were the two refs?

Stutterers Beware

2010-05-19T19:32:00.004+10:00

It's rare that you will find me writing anything positive about the International Football Association Board, that misguided, anachronistic body that has helped Sepp Blatter to keep football officiating twenty years behind the times. But they have made a good call with their decision to punish the "feinting" so common at penalty kicks (especially in penalty shootouts).

This is an unsporting and annoying habit, and certainly goes against the spirit, if not the letter, of the laws of football. I should reiterate that goalkeepers are frequently guilty of skullduggery at penalties as well; the sly dash off the line before the ball is kicked remains a blight on the game. But the IFAB is right to institute sanctions against the penalty stutterers.

A good recent example of a penalty stutter achieving its object occurred in the recent Asian Champions League, when Al Gharafa's Brazilian Araujo scored an outrageous penalty to eliminate Uzbek side Pakhtakor from the competition. The incident can be viewed at the end of this wrap, where Scott McIntyre punningly refers to "a match dominated by the Cheetahs".

As so often with the IFAB, however, the left hand giveth and the right hand taketh away. Later in the above-linked article, there is a bizarrely vague edict giving the fourth official the power to "assist the referee to control the match". How exactly would that work, why is it necessary, and has the august body paused to consider the confusion (not to mention the delay) that tends to result when two officials with two sets of eyes try to reach a consensus?

And then there's the matter of the farcical experiment involving two extra goal-line officials, which was played out to general derision during this season's Europa League. Even the most sober and tight-lipped of pundits expressed qualified disapproval, and those less inclined to mince their words stated the bald truth that the innovation was confusing and utterly pointless. As a strategy to ward off the continuing pressure on FIFA to introduce video technology, as they should have done a generation ago, it was transparent and frivolous.

Yet the IFAB has seen fit to allow the silliness to spread.

There's No Substitute - another update

2010-05-16T11:12:00.002+10:00

Another rumination from me on the issue of substitutions and the appropriate timing thereof, to add to some earlier posts. The spur for this one? Last night's lively NSW Premier League match between Sutherland and Sydney Olympic.

Former Central Coast midfield general Andre Gumprecht, having completed his coaching qualifications recently, is now in charge at Olympic, following the sacking of the unfortunate Pat Marando. (Gumprecht thereby becomes Olympic's ninth coach in five years, which says a lot about the management of the club during that time. But I digress.)

Gumprecht may have completed his coaching course to the FFA's satisfaction, but to my mind he showed his inexperience in the dugout in instructive fashion during the game at Seymour Shaw. Olympic had looked the better side in the first half, deservedly going in front on the half-hour. Thirteen minutes into the second, the hosts equalised, a silly handball from the talented but unpredictable Dimitri Petratos handing Sutherland a cheap penalty, which was slotted away confidently by an under-the-weather Panny Nikas.

So, 1-1 with half an hour to go. Both sides were in dire need of three points. Soon, Sutherland coach Robbie Stanton made a change, replacing Nikas with a quick youngster. Olympic's midfield started to lose the thread of the game. On and on the game went: 70 minutes, 75 minutes, and Sutherland are getting on top...still no movement from Gumprecht.

On comes Sutherland's second sub Misha Hardwick on 80 minutes, and immediately the young winger sets up the winning goal for Ben Vidaic. Suddenly, all is panic on the Olympic bench. Gumprecht springs into action, readying young Aleks Jovovic for his entrance. Off comes defensive lynchpin Angelo Petratos (father of the aforementioned Dimitri), and Gumprecht signals for the new man to join the forward line.

And now we see just what happens when substitutions are made out of desperation rather than deliberation. Without the vastly experienced Petratos senior, Olympic's defence is made up of a converted midfielder in Tayfun Devrimol, the attack-minded Nick Tsattalios, and the inexperienced Jerry Kalouris.

Not surprisingly, the defence becomes a disaster area at a stroke, and in the brief interval between the substitution of Jovovic and the final whistle, Sutherland have no fewer than five excellent chances to finish Olympic off...all spurned by their teenage forward line. At the other end, Olympic offer next to nothing, since their young sub has not yet really had time to adapt himself to the game.

To quote those pertinent words of Gordon Jago again:

"For a tactical switch involving a substitute to have any chance of working, it should be made at least fifteen to twenty minutes before the end. That is really an absolute minimum time to allow the substitute to get into the game; for others on the field to adjust to his arrival, and for any change of tactics to become workable."

A Bit of Griffo

2010-05-15T13:11:00.003+10:00

Long-time readers of this blog will know that I'm not exactly Pim Verbeek's greatest fan, but some of the criticism coming his way over the selection of the provisional World Cup squad is frankly excessive. SBS's blogger-in-chief has continued to champion the cause of Eddy Bosnar and Sasa Ognenovski in somewhat hyperbolic terms, and now we have a Milicevic-style spray from Beijing Guoan's Joel Griffiths. Maybe it's something in the Novocastrian water.

For Griffiths to implicitly accuse Verbeek of having thin skin in the midst of his rant is hilariously ironic. His strictures about Verbeek's failure to communicate with him over his non-inclusion might have had some merit were they delivered with a little more dignity, but all national coaches have been accused of this at one time or another...particularly those, like Verbeek, who are dealing with a truly far-flung group of candidates.

Griffiths may have settled well in China, but the Chinese league has had its reputation sullied badly in recent years, and its status as one of Asia's elite competitions is open to dispute, given Chinese clubs' recent indifferent form in the Asian Champions League. Add that to the fact that Griffiths is already the wrong side of thirty, and one can understand Verbeek's reluctance to rank him ahead of the likes of Nikita Rukavytsya and Dario Vidosic.

But there is a further and far more important reason why Griffiths may have been consigned to Verbeek's bad books at an early stage. A-League fans hardly need reminding of Griffiths' notorious targeting of a linesman's private parts in his last season in Australia, or his tendency to go down suspiciously easily in the box, or his occasional stoushes with members of the opposition.

He is without doubt a talented finisher and a very intelligent player, perhaps the most shrewd off-the-ball runner in the A-League before he headed overseas, but his temperament is not always to be trusted. An interesting comparison can be made with Johnny Rep, the Dutch striker of the seventies (whom Griffiths actually resembles strikingly); a gifted forward, a maverick, a subtle and sly baiter of defenders, and an occasional hothead, who was mistrusted by some of his coaches.

As a final salvo, Griffiths (like countless others) makes some cheap mileage out of Verbeek's infamous comments about the standard of the A-League. Yes, we've heard it all before. Yes, it's true, the Dutchman has been tactless and self-serving in his denigration of the local competition. But the criticism is opportunistic and, in the current case, essentially irrelevant.

World Cup Quiz, Part 7

2010-05-13T21:01:00.005+10:00

The secrets of the sixth instalment can be found here. Meanwhile, TFT's severe bout of trivialitis continues below:

The Qualifiers

1. Which two countries fought a real-life war following a tense World Cup playoff match?

2. Which World Cup playoff match notoriously featured only one side taking the field, interpassing among each other, putting the ball in the "opposition" net and then leaving the field?

3. Which team, qualifying for only its second World Cup in 2010, once won a World Cup qualifier 5-0 away against a side that subsequently qualified for the tournament four times?

4. A World Cup host once actually had to qualify for the tournament. When?

5. In terms of World Cup qualification, what do the following coaches all have in common: Joao Saldanha, Gabriel Calderon, Jo Bonfrere, Carlos Queiroz?

6. What was unusual (to use a polite term) about the North/Central American qualifying series from 1974 through to 1982?

7. In 1958, the intention was to have a representative from Africa or Asia at the tournament. It didn't happen, for a bizarre reason. Why?

8. Which was the last team to qualify for the World Cup without playing a single qualifying match? (Hosts and defending champions aside, of course.)

9. France needed the hand of Thierry Henry to qualify for South Africa 2010, and avoid becoming a losing finalist from one tournament that fails to qualify for the next one. Which was the last team to suffer this fate?

10. Australia have truly been world travellers in World Cup qualifying. Of the following, which is the only team they have never faced in a World Cup qualifier: Canada, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, China, Argentina, South Korea?

The Contenders

2010-05-11T20:13:00.003+10:00

Socceroo fans have long since given up on expecting any selection surprises from Pim Verbeek, and sure enough, the 31-man provisional squad announced today for the World Cup is a case of same old, same old.

Tommy Oar's selection could hardly be called a surprise, given the hints Verbeek has dropped about the Brisbane youngster in recent weeks. No prizes for guessing that James Holland would be among the candidates as well, despite the fact that he is still playing only reserve football in Europe.

It's good to see Nikita Rukavytsya there. He has emphatically found his feet in Belgium after the initial disappointments in Holland, and he deserves his place (I feel he deserves a spot in the final 23 as well, but that's another matter). In the fullness of time, a Kennedy-Rukavytsya pairing could be just what the doctor ordered for Australia, particularly against Asian opposition. The chances of such a forward partnership taking the field in South Africa, however, are close to nil.

The main talking points are at the back. Sasa Ognenovski? Never a Verbeek favourite, of course, but his form in Korea should probably have put him ahead of Jade North and Michael Beauchamp in the reckoning. Beauchamp's career has stalled badly following his stellar 2005/06 season with the Mariners, while North has been disappointingly inconsistent in the green and gold.

There have been sentimental calls for Nathan Burns, golden boy of a few years ago, to be called up as well, but I feel his omission is reasonable enough. Although he has had an excellent season in the Greek second division, playing and scoring regularly, it is hardly the apex of European football. He seems to have gotten his career back on track, though, and he should be in the reckoning for 2014.

Harry Kewell's fitness will probably remain the focus of media interest leading up to the tournament, but a more pertinent question is whether Australia's creaking defence, with its inexperienced understudies, will be able to withstand the challenges of tougher opposition than they have faced in competitive play for some years. If they can, Australia might yet scrap their way out of their very tough group.

The Halfway Marc

2010-05-09T20:40:00.003+10:00

The 2010 NSW Premier League has reached its halfway point, and perhaps the only surprise is that Marconi, last season's losing grand finalists, are two points clear at the top of the table. Behind them is a pack of three, all of whom were considered likely to thrive this year, with the rest of the field trailing by a considerable distance. As usual, your tragic correspondent has been taking in plenty of NSWPL action, and below are some reflections on the top four...and brief comments on the rest.

Marconi

For Marconi to be anywhere near the top of the pile, let alone out in front, at this point is a great tribute to Lee Sterrey and his men, given the blow they were dealt at the start of the season. Last season saw the club from Bossley Park invest in some foreign talent, and two young Ivorians in particular, Messrs. Ousmane Toure and Vamana Diarra, were impressive throughout the 2009 campaign. Marconi's other overseas star of 2009, Iraqi refugee Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi, went on to join the Newcastle Jets.

Toure and Diarra were set to adorn the NSWPL again this season, but Marconi found themselves caught up in red tape. The sorry tale has been related elsewhere, notably by Mike Cockerill in the SMH. Although the story is probably a little more complex than Cockerill makes out, the FFA were undoubtedly short-sighted not to supply a supporting letter; these two youngsters could have been crowd-pullers in the A-League.

Nevertheless, Marconi have picked themselves up and gotten on with the job this term. The team revolves around their thoughtful and vastly experienced captain, Nahuel Arrarte, who has been playing with typical acumen in central midfield. Two young wingers, Mitchell Mallia and the very quick Nathan Jagelman, have shown some impressive form, while former Newcastle Jet Jason Naidovski has been a good addition up front.

Although the absence of their foreign brigade has meant that they offer a tad less flair this season, they are still effective and hard to beat.

Sydney United

Last season's premiers also survived an off-season blow, with the departure of player-coach Ante Milicic to the new Melbourne Heart franchise. Another former Socceroo striker, David Zdrilic, stepped into the hot seat, and after an uncertain start his methods appear to be working well. Mirjan Pavlovic has been snapped up from the Newcastle Jets, and the burly frontman has slotted neatly into the lone striker role vacated by the out-of-form Luka Glavas.

On either side of Pavlovic in United's 4-2-3-1 system are Elsid Barkhousir, whose pace and finishing have netted United plenty of goals already this season, and an outstanding young prospect in the teenager Ante Tomic, who has quickly become Edensor Park's new golden boy. A fulminating goal against Sutherland, and an astonishing run along the byline to make a goal for Pavlovic against Bankstown, have been the highlights of his season so far, but there have been many such moments. A definite star of the future, although his decision-making is still a little hit-and-miss.

Elsewhere, the team has been typically solid, although a lack of pace at the back was discernible in their 3-2 loss at home to Blacktown, when Tolgay Ozbey ran riot at times; Joe Vrkic and Damon Collina will undoubtedly be targeted by other pacy forwards this season. Pete Markovic, such an important contributor to United's 2006 title success, has returned to the first team at right-back after a long spell on the sidelines.

Blacktown City

With the return of Aytek Genc, as well as Tolgay Ozbey, Luke Roodenburg and other heroes of 2006 and 2007, all the stars aligned for a much improved Blacktown performance in 2010, and so it has proved. Ozbey has not been the only force to be reckoned with up front, however; Mitchell Long, recently of Penrith-Nepean United, is a clever little striker who has suitably complemented the searing pace and trickery of Ozbey.

Blacktown are grimly effective at the back, with Mirko Jurilj in far better form than last season (a common phenomenon for players leaving Sydney Olympic). It's hard to see Genc's men dropping out of the top four: they are the Blacktown hard men of the mid-noughties brought back to life, fiercely competitive and modestly creative.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles

The "Chelsea of the NSWPL", as Olympic's then-coach Pat Marando aptly dubbed them, have not quite gelled fully. A side featuring former Sutherland goal machine Brad Boardman and free kick specialist Daniel Severino was bound to rack up plenty of goals, especially with the likes of Jamie McMaster, Shane Webb and now Nathan Elasi in support.

They did indeed look like worldbeaters early in the piece, gaining a much-desired victory over eternal rivals United, but a loss to Blacktown in Round 7 took the wind out of their sails, and they have since conceded draws to Manly and, this afternoon, the West Sydney Berries. They were, in fact, very lucky to take a point away from Homebush, with the Berries missing several excellent chances to seal the points against a sluggish-looking Bonnyrigg.

The question remains: will it be Ranieri-era or Mourinho-era Chelsea?

The Others

Promoted Rockdale have had an excellent start to the season. Despite fielding a team with no real stars (in fact, with few players even considered NSWPL regulars), they have battled their way to several good results, including wins over Bankstown and Olympic and a very creditable draw away to Blacktown. They are a compact counter-attacking side fully aware of their limitations, and capable of making light of them.

The omens did not look good for Sutherland this season: Brad Boardman gone to Bonnyrigg, Panny Nikas to the Mariners, and Mike Katz out for the season with a knee reconstruction. But they have managed to reach the halfway mark in equal fifth place, and Nikas has returned to add his vision and drive to the midfield.

APIA have picked themselves up well after a horror start. Manly United have had a wretched time of it considering their successes of the last few seasons; local talent has not been quite enough this time around, with Robbie Cattanach still working his way up to full fitness. Bankstown have found this a season too far for their creaking defensive line, with the fans at Jensen keen for player-coach Peter Tsekenis to stick to the bench rather than directing traffic from the centre of defence. The South Coast Wolves (the re-named Wollongong FC) and the Berries presumably came into the season with limited expectations, and they have not exceeded them.

And Sydney Olympic? Two words...don't ask.

World Cup Quiz, Part 6

2010-05-07T19:54:00.002+10:00

Those who have been fretting all week over the answers to Part 5 can find them in the comments here. I am pleased to announce that Craig Foster has personally examined the latest instalment of the quiz, to be found below, and pronounced it technically and tactically sound.

So:

The Groups

1. When was a group system (as opposed to a straight knockout) first used at the World Cup?

2. A team once topped its opening round World Cup group scoring a total of one goal in its opening three games. Which team, at which tournament?

3. A World Cup group once ended with all four teams level on points and level on goal difference. Which group, at which World Cup?

4. Another World Cup group featured six games in which no team scored more than one goal in a single game. Again, which group at which tournament?

5. Which World Cup featured an actual group that had only two teams in it?

6. Only once ever has there been a World Cup group in which all teams were either past or future winners of the tournament. When?

7. FIFA adopted a second group stage for the tournament in 1974, but the experiment was relatively short-lived. When did the World Cup return to having a single first-round group followed by knockouts?

8. What made the group stage unique at the 1954 World Cup?

9. How many times has the host nation failed to qualify from the group stage at a World Cup?

10. A group at the 1998 World Cup featured no fewer than three teams making their debut at the tournament. Who were the three, and which was the other team?

Blessed Barca

2010-05-05T12:23:00.003+10:00

Barcelona's exit from the Champions League has prompted some predictable hand-wringing in certain quarters, Les Murray directing some frankly juvenile vitriol at Jose Mourinho in the wake of Inter's cling-on-for-dear-life success in the semi-final.

Thirteen paragraphs in, we finally get to the nub of the matter: Thiago Motta was (wrongly) sent off, and Inter played most of the second leg with ten men. Away from home. In a cauldron of a stadium. Against a side that desperately needed goals.

Does Mourinho, whatever his undoubted tendency towards pragmatism, really deserve such an art-critic's bollocking in such circumstances?

One gets the feeling that Mourinho's real crime in all this is not adopting negative tactics, but simply beating Barcelona.

There are some football pundits (not all of them working for SBS, incidentally) who have recently invested Barca with an immaculate halo of sanctity, and treated any attempts to besmirch that halo with the derision of the self-proclaimed cognoscenti. Craig Foster gave Manchester United a similar verbal lashing when they held the blaugrana to a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp in the 2008 semi-final; Foster proclaimed Barca the philosophical victors, while relegating Sir Alex Ferguson and his men to the ranks of the uneducated.

Cloying Barca-love pieces have appeared even more often following their outstandingly successful 2008/09 season, to the extent that Champions League success in 2010 was presumably considered a mere formality. It did not happen, and the more honest critics have been quick to acknowledge that Inter deserved their victory.

There is no doubt that Pep Guardiola's team is a brilliant football side, who play as most of us believe the game should be played. It is admirable, too, that their first team features several players who have come through the cantera. But in this particular tie, they suffered from a relative lack of organisation in the first leg, and an inability to adapt to a truly desperate situation (in which they rarely find themselves, of course) in the second. The absence of Andres Iniesta was an important factor as well.

End of story. Life goes on. As Murray's colleague Phil Micallef, incidentally, has sensibly pointed out, pausing to mention something that Les didn't: that the Barca saints proved distressingly cynical on the occasion of Motta's sending-off.

As for the Helenio Herrera comparisons, Mourinho may be arrogant and pragmatic, but I can't quite see him involving himself in some of the underhand activities commonplace at the Inter of the mid-sixties - for an account of which, see Jonathan Wilson's section on catenaccio in his excellent recent book.

Bayern v. the Machine

2010-05-03T19:00:00.003+10:00

Inter Milan versus Bayern Munich in the European Cup final should be a fascinating clash. Although the edge has been taken off stylistic differences between clubs of different nations in the post-Bosman world, it's fair to say that the two clubs do represent perceptibly different styles, and perhaps philosophies.

Inter are the masters of the patient game, holding on to possession without ado, playing effectively without the ball, and gently probing for an opening. Bayern, like their coach's Ajax side of the mid-nineties, play in a more expansive style; the quick release to the wings is a common feature, and every single member of the back four has been known to get forward when the situation demands.

So tight-knit and smooth have Inter been in the latter stages of the Champions' League that they have resembled a ruthless machine. In the second leg against Barcelona, they survived the removal of a vital cog, Thiago Motta, by employing the tactics that other sides have used to blunt Barca at the Nou Camp in recent times: compressing the space between defence and midfield while sitting nice and deep, with the offside trap employed astutely. Manchester United in 2008, and Chelsea in 2009, were successful with such a strategy; Jose Mourinho had done his homework.

Lionel Messi found himself squeezed out of the game, and the absence of Andres Iniesta was felt very keenly. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, too, gave ammunition to those who claim that he is not to be relied upon when the chips are truly down. Barca found themselves unable to adapt to a real football scrap, and even Gerard Pique's eventual goal had a hint of offside.

The result of the tie was surely more than just, too, considering the cynical histrionics (not just from Sergio Busquets, incidentally) that got Motta sent off. My mind went back to the similar dismissal of Monaco's Andreas Zikos after some disgraceful play-acting from Claude Makelele of Chelsea in the 2004 semi-final; again, on that occasion, justice was done, with the French side advancing to the final.

Bayern's progression, of course, was even more convincing. Claude Puel seemed to approach the second leg with surprisingly little ambition, leaving both Bafetimbi Gomis and the talented youngster Miralem Pjanic on the bench. Bayern were thus invited to take the initiative, and they did. On the left flank, Hamit Altintop proved a very capable replacement for Franck Ribery. The dismissal of Cris - probably Lyon's best player in the knockout stage - was a killer blow, but the tie was effectively done and dusted well before the Brazilian made his exit.

I favour Inter slightly in the final. Although Bayern should be better rested after sealing the German title this weekend, Inter's fearsome determination in Europe this season simply seems to brook no failure. Despite keeping a clean sheet, Bayern's defence looked uncertain at times at the Stade Gerland, and Mourinho's men will be all too aware of any gaps that can be exploited after a turnover in the middle third. Nevertheless, another polished Robben show is not out of the question. An intriguing end to what has been one of the more interesting Champions' League seasons of the last ten years.

World Cup Quiz, Part 5

2010-04-30T18:11:00.002+10:00

The answers for the fourth instalment have been revealed here, so it's time for another journey into football nerd territory.

The Substitutes

1. Who was the first player to appear as a substitute in a World Cup?

2. And who was the most recent?

3. Once, in a World Cup final, a substitute was himself later substituted. Who was the player and what was the year?

4. After coming on as a substitute in the 1990 World Cup final, Argentina's Pedro Monzon made history. How?

5. In three successive World Cup finals, three substitutes got on the scoresheet. Who were they?

6. A second-half substitute once scored a hat-trick at the World Cup. Who was he?

7. The dismissal of Gianfranco Zola only twelve minutes after he came on at the 1994 World Cup caused general indignation, but the next World Cup featured an even quicker dismissal for a substitute. Who was he?

8. "But that's mad!" - the cry of the player who went off in one of the most infamous substitutions in World Cup history. Who was the player, who replaced him, and why?

9. In the substitute "era", only two sides have won a World Cup final without making any substitutions. Who?

10. Of Roger Milla's four goals at Italy 1990, how many did he score as a substitute?

The Road to Madrid

2010-04-27T18:35:00.002+10:00

It's hard to imagine a better mise-en-scène for the respective second legs of the Champions League semi-finals. Barca requiring at least two goals without reply against a resolute Inter, and Bayern Munich, the masters of the away goal, defending a lone-goal victory in Lyon.

For the latter tie, Bayern must be the favourites, even without Franck Ribery. As for the other...it's too close to call.

It is another tribute to Inter's determination under Jose Mourinho that they didn't fall to pieces after an early goal against the run of play, scored when they were exposed badly on the right. Instead, they gradually and patiently gained control of the game, and ran out deserved 3-1 winners.

It was significant that Lionel Messi, who seemed not entirely certain of his role, was only once left one-on-one with his putative opposite number, the venerable Javier Zanetti. There was usually an Inter midfielder shielding Zanetti from single combat with his compatriot, and in fact the Inter captain often slid into a virtual third centre-back role, to shadow Messi's drifts into the middle. The resultant space on the right was not properly expoited by Barca; Dani Alves's crossing, not for the first time this season, was poor.

At the other end, Wesley Sneijder has received some deserved plaudits, but don't forget Diego Milito, who was involved in all three goals. The hard-working Argentinian might not receive the gushing reviews that some of his colleagues regularly attract, but he has shown himself to be one of the most reliable and dangerous strikers in Europe over the last few seasons - another South American late bloomer, along with the likes of Lucho Gonzalez and Lisandro Lopez. Proof that you haven't quite missed the boat if you're not a European star by 21.

The other semi was a rousing affair, even if only one goal was scored. Just when the tide seemed to be turning (even before Franck Ribery's dismissal), Lyon somehow froze, allowing the reinforced Bayern midfield to blossom, and Arjen Robben to dictate matters in his usual imperious style. When it was back to 10 v. 10, it seemed only a matter of time, but it took another brilliant strike from Robben to make Bayern's pressure pay.

Louis van Gaal's substitution of Robben towards the end was quite inexplicable. Bayern seemed in a menacing groove, and a second before the full-time whistle seemed more than likely. Instead, Robben went off, Lyon assumed the initiative, and the Germans were in fact lucky to reach the end with a clean sheet.

It should be enough to get them through in France, however. Lyon's defence has been admirable of late - Cris, the Brazilian centre-back, was magnificent in the quarter-final against Bordeaux - but there should be enough firepower in the Bayern ranks, even without Ribery, for a goal at the Stade Gerland. Thomas Muller looked surprisingly effective operating on the left in the second half in Munich, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the youngster starting there in Ribery's place in the second leg.

World Cup Quiz, Part 4

2010-04-23T22:32:00.002+10:00

The World Cup anorak festival continues. I am pleased to announce that the following quiz has been deemed acceptable according to the FFA's National Football Curriculum. Answers to Episode 3 can be found in the comments here.

Here we go:

The Numbers

1. Which World Cup featured the highest ratio of goals to games played?

2. And which World Cup had the lowest?

3. Which is, to this day, the only team to have racked up double figures (of goals, that is) in a single World Cup match?

4. Which is the only World Cup game to have finished with nine players playing against nine?

5. Which team scored the most goals at a single World Cup?

6. How many goals were scored in World Cup opening matches between 1966 and 1982 (inclusive)?

7. Which postwar World Cup embarrassingly attracted fewer than 6,000 spectators for one of its semi-finals?

8. Which has never been the sum of both sides' goals in a World Cup final: 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8?

9. Which team in the 16-team World Cup era used 19 of its 22 allotted players on the way to winning the tournament?

10. 1+1+1=2. Which referee and which game am I referring to?

Bringing Them Home

2010-04-20T17:07:00.002+10:00

Is this desperation on the FFA's part?

Perhaps not, although College Street at least seems to have woken up to the fact that the A-League needs to attract new fans, and fast. Although the "Aussie marquee" initiative is a perfectly good idea, it's hard to see how it will affect matters substantially. Few of the Australians in Europe likely to return in the next couple of years would be box office for fairweather fans.

SBS's blogger-in-chief has used the announcement as the spur for another suggestion to splash the cash in Asia, but I still feel that Latin America (not necessarily Brazil, incidentally) will ultimately prove a more fertile hunting ground if the clubs are interested in bringing genuine quality to the league. Yes, there will be a few misses for every hit, but if the hits are of the calibre of Carlos Hernandez, Fred or Cassio, it's a worthwhile undertaking.

The main problem with Asian recruitment, as Aurelio Vidmar pointed out at the FFA's coaches' conference a couple of years ago, is simply the cost. The wages in Asia are often astronomical compared with Australia, yet the standard is not significantly superior to the A-League (with the exception of Japan). Mark Rudan and Sasa Ognenovski, two defenders on the downhill run of their careers, forsook the A-League for a massive pay increase in Asia, Rudan in the Japanese second division. To offer good Asian players a suitable incentive to stray is not easy.

Newcastle may be satisfied with their acquisition of Song Jin-Hyung, but other Asian imports have been less than dazzling. Brisbane's fans are probably still wondering who was ultimately responsible for the Zhang Yuning embarrassment.

But back to the state of the A-League. An Aussie marquee player, sadly, will not fix the more fundamental problems: invisible marketing, colourless generic club branding (the spirit of Matt Carroll lives on), persistent on-field mediocrity, and poor management of the expansion issues. The FFA have been prudent to retain and gradually loosen the salary cap, but clubs seem to be getting less value for money with every season.

A change of mentality in the coaching ranks would be most welcome as well...but that is unlikely to happen as long as the current smug merry-go-round continues.

World Cup Quiz, Part 3

2010-04-16T11:25:00.003+10:00

Third instalment of the KNVB-approved World Cup quiz below. Answers to the second exciting episode can be found in the comments to this post.

Up next:

The Goalkeepers

1. Two players have appeared at five World Cups, and one of them is a goalkeeper. Who is he, and which country did he represent?

2. Which of the following distinguished goalkeepers never appeared at a World Cup: Pat Jennings, Ricardo Zamora, Peter Bonetti, Neville Southall, Lev Yashin?

3. Which World Cup-winning goalkeeper subsequently ran an auto repair business named "Liar Motors"?

4. A goalkeeper who appeared in four World Cups is probably best known for an embarrassing moment at the 1970 tournament in which Pele memorably wrong-footed him by moving away from a through-ball. Who was he?

5. Another highly embarrassing goalkeeping gaffe occurred at the 1990 tournament, when a goalkeeper attempted to dribble past a striker near the half-way line, and failed spectacularly, thereby leaving the forward with an empty net. Who was the goalkeeper (and the striker)?

6. A goalkeeper at the 1998 World Cup appeared in probably the most colourful outfit ever seen at the tournament. Who was he?

7. Who was the first goalkeeper to make a save in a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup?

8. In 1982, a goalkeeper committed perhaps the worst foul in World Cup history, one which necessitated a lengthy stay in hospital for the sufferer. Who was the goalkeeper and the man fouled?

9. Which World Cup-winning goalkeeper wore the number 5 on his back throughout the tournament? (Supplementary question: why?)

10. Two goalkeepers kept four successive clean sheets at the 2006 World Cup. Who were they?

Spider Bites

2010-04-15T14:53:00.002+10:00

A bomb disposal squad would be required to defuse the various explosives lobbed at the A-League by Zeljko Kalac in this "exclusive".

Kalac has quite a history of, to use a polite term, frankness. Long-term followers of the Socceroos will not have forgotten his self-serving, unprofessional digs at Mark Schwarzer just prior to the 2006 World Cup, which rebounded on him spectacularly in Stuttgart.

Now, apparently, Sydney FC's players are "brain-dead", A-League coaches "have no idea", Branko Culina (among others) is "paranoid", and, wouldn't you know it, players would "kill" to have the likes of himself in charge. Not that there is any opportunism involved in his scattergun diatribe, of course.

The condescending attitude shown by Kalac towards domestically-based players has already been evinced by two former Socceroo colleagues of his, Paul Okon and David Zdrilic, at state league level. And this goes to the heart of Kalac's argument that ex-Socceroos with impressive Euro club resumes should be given preferential treatment: in the first place, this is already happening, and in the second, it occasionally blows up in the face of their employers.

When one examines the recent history of Australian football properly, Kalac's complaints are shown to be frivolous. Paul Okon is not the only recently-retired former Socceroo to have had some involvement with the national team setup; Ante Milicic and Ante Juric have been in the mix as well. As for jobs at club level, how much coaching experience had Aurelio Vidmar gained before being plumped in the Adelaide hot seat?

Frank Farina was made Australia coach only a few short years after his retirement. Graham Arnold went straight from his first senior coaching job, an unimpressive one at that, into the Socceroo assistant's chair. After having his career curtailed by injury, Tony Popovic (perhaps the only one of the above whose coaching career has been, thus far, a genuine success) found himself a gig at Sydney FC instantly.

Former Euroroos not getting the breaks? Laughable.

Kalac does have a point when he asserts that the A-League is in need of a shake-up, but he, like the rest of the SBS crew, is barking up the wrong tree. Coaches who did not have stellar careers as players, but whose ability to motivate their charges and display their tactical acumen has been displayed at lower levels of Australian football, currently appear to have no chance of breaking into the select A-League clique.

But far from being ignored of sidelined, the returning Euroroos are habitually given a substantial leg-up. To pretend otherwise is simply disingenuous, not that this prevents certain commentators from doing so with monotonous regularity.

It is surely no coincidence that by far the most successful recent-ex-Socceroo coach in the A-League has been Gary van Egmond, who did spend some time coaching below Australian football's visible surface. The likes of Kalac could perhaps learn something from such humility.

KNVB-all and End-all - another update

2010-04-12T11:53:00.003+10:00

The glorious Dutch revolution continues apace, with an innovation which would have provoked widespread ridicule had it been introduced by an Australian.

At the current National Junior Championships:

Although teams will still gain points in the traditional manner for wins and draws, an FFA Technical Committee will also assess the technical performance of each team during the tournament and will award an extra five (5), three (3) or one (1) bonus point(s) based on the manner in which the teams played throughout the week and in relation to their adoption of the principles of the National Football Curriculum.

Football as synchronised swimming or figure skating. How delightfully progressive. Never mind the five goals you shipped, the 4-3-3 shape was impeccable throughout, and the coach manfully resisted all temptation to change things tactically as required.

Yes, football at junior level is about development as much as results. But combining the two in such a cack-handed manner can only produce confusion in the minds of both the coaches and the kids.

And an obvious question needs to be asked: who is doing the judging? One would imagine it is the aesthetically refined "FFA Technical Committee" referred to at the end of the article:

Qantas Australian Under 13 Boys Football Team Head Coach Ante Juric will join the FFA Technical Committee for the 2010 FFA National Junior Championships for Boys alongside Han Berger (FFA National Technical Director), Gary van Egmond (AIS Senior Assistant Coach) , Arthur Pappas (AIS Scholarship Coach), Ron Corry (AIS Goalkeeper Coach), Mike Milovanovic (ACT Academy of Sport Head Coach) and Paul Bentvelzen (Football NSW High Performance Manager).

Note that last name. Scroll down a little, and we find:

Under 13 Boys - Group A - Squads

NSW Metropolitan 1:
...
Coach: Paul Bentvelzen

Oh dear. Can anyone spot what's wrong with this picture?

World Cup Quiz, Part 2

2010-04-09T07:15:00.002+10:00

Time for the second instalment of the TFT World Cup Quiz - answers to the first batch of questions can be found in the comments to this post.

Up next:

The Strikers

1. In the eyes of many, the select club for World Cup strikers contains those who have reached double figures at the tournament. Who was the first to reach ten?

2. Which other member of the double-figure club also boasts the rare distinction of never being sent off in his entire career?

3. Another member of the club, Miroslav Klose, scored five goals at his first World Cup in 2002. What did all five goals have in common?

4. There are a few players who have played in World Cups 16 years apart, but most are either goalkeepers or defenders. Who is a striker to have done so?

5. Which World Cup strikers, all of whom have scored hat-tricks at the tournament, had the following nicknames: (a) Der Bomber, (b) El Buitre, (c) O Pantera Negra?

6. The World Cup Golden Boot award is rarely shared. Who were the last two strikers to do so, and which countries did they represent?

7. One particular forward at the 1974 World Cup, who scored one of the most spectacular goals of that tournament, had a particularly apt name for a striker. Who am I referring to?

8. Gerd Muller held the record for World Cup goals for 32 years until Ronaldo broke it in 2006. How many of Muller's 14 World Cup goals were scored from outside the penalty area?

9. Which of the following great strikers never played at a World Cup: Matthias Sindelar, Alfredo di Stefano, Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law, Angel Labruna?

10. A striker who appeared at the 1998 World Cup was the second-top scorer in his confederation in the qualifiers for the 2010 tournament, and is a certain starter in South Africa, if fit. Who is he?

An Early Final

2010-04-07T16:21:00.002+10:00

So it is to be Barcelona v. Inter Milan in the semi-final of the Champions League.

It's a great pity that the draw matched these two at the penultimate stage, since it was surely the final many neutrals were keenly anticipating. Expansive Catalan flair versus shrewd Italian pragmatism. Eto'o versus Ibrahimovic. And, of course, the fresh-faced decency and dignity of Pep Guardiola versus the endless mind games of Jose Mourinho.

The manner in which both sides advanced this morning gives some indication of how the tie is likely to pan out. Barca were less convincing against Arsenal than the 4-1 scoreline suggested, and for all their impressive cohesion and combination play, it was individual brilliance that made the difference.

Mindful of his re-jigged defence, Guardiola had presumably advised his team to ease their way into the game; in the opening twenty minutes, the backline sat much deeper than usual. When Nicklas Bendtner scored the opener, it looked like a boilover might be on the cards. But no-one told Lionel Messi.

The incorrect offside call against Bendtner on the half-hour proved crucial, and becomes yet another monument to the continuing foolishness of FIFA in refusing to allow such decisions to be referred to a video replay (after a goal has been scored, please note). Instead, Messi scored twice in five minutes, and the tie was all but over.

Against Inter, Guardiola is unlikely to start in such a circumspect manner at the Nou Camp. Inter may be the masters of the breakaway, but Barca's best chance to advance would surely be to stick to their natural style.

As Zeljko Kalac mentioned in the SBS studio, Inter are a very well-balanced team, adept in every department, and seem to be playing with a real sense of purpose in Europe this season. There is a calmness and sense of effortless control about Mourinho's side that must worry Guardiola; one felt that seeing off CSKA Moscow - not a European giant, but hardly a poor side - only required them to play to 75% of their capacity (if that). Wesley Sneijder is quickly becoming the most effective No.10 in Europe, the South American quartet are grimly formidable in defence, and there is no lack of talent, or opportunism, in attack.

The winner of this tie will probably take out the competition. Even if they can get past Bayern, Manchester United are not quite the same proposition without Cristiano Ronaldo (and with Rooney not likely to be fully fit for a while yet), while the other three in their half of the draw probably lack the quality to topple Barca or Inter, although a Bayern with both Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery firing would be a tough nut to crack.

World Cup Quiz, Part 1

2010-04-02T10:12:00.005+11:00

It's now 70 days until the World Cup begins in South Africa...and time to resume a TFT tradition. A tradition, in fact, that began well before yours truly began calling himself the Football Tragic.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm something of a World Cup nut; not surprising, really, since it was largely the France 1998 tournament that turned me from a football fan into a football anorak. Before the last two World Cup tournaments in 2002 and 2006, I've conducted a World Cup quiz on some of my usual forum haunts, but this time TFT seems the proper place.

First prize in this series of ten quizzes, one per week on a separate World Cup theme, will be advance tickets to the new film about a future Australian technical director, Dr. Strijnloeuw, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the 4-3-3.

First up:

The Coaches

1. A coach once took a club side to the European Cup final and a country to the World Cup final in the same year. Who was he, and who were the two teams?

2. How many times has the World Cup been won by a team coached by a foreigner?

3. Famously, in 1970, Mario Zagallo won the World Cup presiding over a team including his former World Cup team-mate, Pele. In 2002, another coach had the charge of a player whom he'd previously played beside at World Cup level. Who was the coach, the player, and the country?

4. The first two African teams to appear at postwar World Cups were coached by the same man. Who?

5. Bora Milutinovic has coached five different nations at the tournament. With which country did he get the furthest in the World Cup, and when?

6. Which coach at the 2006 tournament quit his job prior to the very first game (only to subsequently relent)?

7. One player each from the 1962 and 1966 World Cup-winning teams ended up taking a different country to the World Cup as coach. Who were the two and which countries did they manage?

8. Two Argentina coaches at successive World Cups were nicknamed respectively El Polaco and El Flaco. Who were they?

9. The following are anagrams of which World Cup-winning coaches: (a) Radical or Slob, (b) Nice Oval Feet?

10. At the 1998 World Cup one of the coaches was officially sacked by his federation after the first two matches. Who was he?

1999 in Reverse

2010-03-31T19:40:00.003+11:00

In recent years, there have been few games in the Champions League as thrillingly open as this morning's Bayern Munich v. Manchester United encounter. In more ways than one, the vibrant match was a mirror image of the incredible 1999 final at the Nou Camp.

An early goal for one side, the lead maintained throughout most of the game, and two late goals - one in the last minute of extra time - to turn the tables. But that is only the beginning.

With the ceaselessly incisive Arjen Robben absent, most of the home side's penetration looked likely to come through Franck Ribery on the left. But United sensibly double-teamed the Bayern go-to man for much of the evening, and although he got the drop on an aging Gary Neville once or twice, Ribery never quite forced the openings that Louis van Gaal would have been hoping for.

On the other flank, Hamit Altintop did not pose as much danger, and it was only when Philipp Lahm started to come forward with more regularity in the second half that Bayern posed a serious threat from the right.

Importantly, the charges of Martin Demichelis into midfield were less dangerous than against Fiorentina, largely because United were not being forced to double-team two wingers rather than one.

Ribery played a more important role when he began cutting inside after the break. In Jonathan Wilson's most recent Guardian blog, he looks at the phenomenon of "inside-out" wingers (concentrating, not surprisingly, on the dazzling Lionel Messi), and the shift in Ribery's play as the game wore on bore out Wilson's points aptly.

And...the deciding goal. I've always liked Ivica Olic as a player, not least because he habitually "fights to the finish". He has scored more than his fair share of crucial late goals in his career, and last night's classic piece of opportunism was characteristic.

Rewind eleven years, and what do we have?

A winger (Ryan Giggs) played on his wrong foot and therefore forced to cut inside frequently, because of a key absence (well, two, actually). United offering little on the other wing, where Jesper Blomqvist rarely broke through. Two strikers brought on late, to good effect. Enough parallels there?

United probably still have the upper hand in the tie, but if Bayern can carry their momentum through to the second leg, it could be a memorable night at Old Trafford.

We Could Be Heroes - update #7

2010-03-27T12:34:00.002+11:00

More Half-Time Heroics this month, with highlights including an in-depth interview with Trans-Tasman turncoat Raul Blanco, more World Cup team previews from informed bloggers, and a preview of the South Australian Super League from Goal! Weekly's redoubtable Nat Adamopoulos. Enjoy.

Pim in Retrospect

2010-03-23T15:10:00.004+11:00

The expected has come to pass, with Pim Verbeek announcing he will relinquish the Socceroo role following the World Cup.

Of course, it's a little early to pass final judgement on his tenure with the World Cup still to come, but it's worth taking a broader look at his period in charge in the wake of the announcement. There are, after all, lessons to be learned for the future.

His stewardship of the national side is very difficult to assess, given that this is the first proper qualifying campaign Australia has ever faced. Virgin territory all around, and some doubt as to whether the Socceroos' limp performance at the 2007 Asian Cup represented their real standing in the region, given the poor preparation, the unfamiliar conditions and some players' apparent lack of effort.

Well, an Australian side with its European elite on board has no need to fear anyone in Asia unduly, that we know by now. The question remains: could it have been done with anyone in charge, or was Verbeek's acumen partly responsible?

I tend to think in retrospect that the job (to use a favourite word of Verbeek's) was an arduous one but perhaps not an overly difficult one, if that makes sense. The rigours of travel, unusual conditions (not to mention food) and personnel changes had their effect, but the comparative weakness of the opposition gave the Socceroos a major helping hand, as did a hefty slice of luck along the way.

Verbeek's first game in charge raised plenty of hopes; here was a coach prepared to stick two genuine strikers up front, and to allow the fullbacks to roam. It didn't last, of course. After scraping a dour draw in China, the Socceroos only ever played with the attacking intent they had shown against Qatar...against Qatar again.

Fortune continued to smile on Verbeek's charges: following that missed penalty in Kunming, there was Iraq's abysmal finishing in Brisbane, the unexpected late goal in Manama, the painfully one-sided 0-0 draw in Yokohama. And in the midst of it all...the 2011 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

What should have been a formality turned into a nail-biting run to the finish, and despite the best efforts of Verbeek (and certain others) to blame it all on the A-League, his judgement was shown to be suspect on many occasions. The triple-digit shirt numbers on display against Kuwait in Canberra (and subsequently) told their own story, despite the laughable attempts by the FFA - inexplicably accepted without question by a compliant media - to claim that such shirt allocations were necessary. Verbeek evinced an undisguised contempt for the local competition from the outset, and his lack of tact in regard to the A-League was breathtaking at times.

He has even attracted some misplaced criticism for missing the A-League final last weekend, but he deserves far more criticism for systematically denigrating the local game in the eyes of the fans. Those praising the Dutchman for his "straight talking" were often blind to the slyly self-serving nature of his remarks.

On the plus side: he, like only Rale Rasic and Guus Hiddink before him, has overseen Australian qualification for the World Cup, and that is worthy of considerable credit despite all the above strictures. Whether he can provide the fans with a World Cup performance to be proud of is yet to be seen.

In finding a replacement, the FFA are bound to make Dutch nationality a sine qua non, but I'd like to make an alternative suggestion: how about Gabriel Calderon, the Argentinian whose Oman side made monkeys of the full-strength Socceroos in Bangkok in 2007? He has considerable experience in Asia, has tasted success at international level (guiding Saudi Arabia to the 2006 World Cup), and is currently at a loose end as far as I know, having left Saudi club Al-Ittihad in January. Worth a passing thought?

Goal Fever

2010-03-20T22:45:00.002+11:00

It was a night of many firsts: the first A-League grand final to go to extra time, the first in which both teams have scored, the first won by the away side (ignoring the "neutral territory" 2008 showpiece), and, last but not least, the first penalty Kevin Muscat has missed in a very long time.

Congratulations to Sydney FC, and especially to Vitezslav Lavicka. A double in his first season, after four years of mediocre football and mediocre coaches, is all the fans and the club board could have asked for. To win the grand final without your two most experienced players is an especially laudable achievement.

As finals go, it was a pretty good one: the thrilling second half largely made up for the awkward first period and the exercise in mutual exhaustion that constituted extra time. Penalties remain a rotten way of deciding such games, and few would disagree that the two teams deserved the status of joint champions in many ways. But Sydney's players kept their cool from twelve yards, and deserved their success in the shootout.

One has to feel a little sorry for Mitchell Langerak, who had a fine game, making three excellent saves during the match. Sadly, he showed some inexperience in the shootout, committing himself a little too early and thus making matters simpler for Hayden Foxe and Karol Kisel. His save from Shannon Cole was spectacular, but should not really have counted, given that he was well off his line before the ball was kicked.

It was a game in which the sides appeared very evenly matched...until they conceded. Both teams suffered from a serious case of goal fever when their opponents scored; Melbourne had begun the second half brightly, but fell apart at the back after being caught with a sucker-punch after a disallowed goal at the other end. Twice in the succeeding minutes, Sydney really should have gone further ahead, and it was only Chris Payne's horrific choke that kept the hosts in the match.

On Sydney's goal, incidentally: some might consider it poor sportsmanship to restart play so quickly after a disallowed goal, when some members of the opposition are still in a state of celebration. I tend to think that if the invalidation of the goal is signalled clearly and immediately (and it was in this case), the "conceding" side has every right to play on. A similar situation occurred in the notorious 1998 World Cup second round match between England and Argentina, when a Sol Campbell goal was ruled out, and Argentina rushed into attack while some England players were still crowded around the corner flag.

Sydney showed that they could suffer from goal fever as well. They looked composed, organised and full of confidence following Mark Bridge's header, but as soon as Adrian Leijer stole ahead of the Sydney defence to equalise, all was suddenly chaos. You could only describe Lavicka's side as limping to the end of normal time, and it was a tribute to their sense of purpose (and perhaps a sign of Carlos Hernandez's palpable tiredness as well) that they matched their opponents thereafter.

A good end, then, to a season in which the news has often been bad. The A-League is still alive and kicking, even if the problems appear to be multiplying.

Stuck in the Mud

2010-03-14T16:46:00.003+11:00

And so the FFA's dream final has come to pass, for the first time in the A-League's history. And it is to be hoped that the pitch at Etihad Stadium will be in a better condition than SFS turf was last night; the shocking surface left both teams stuck in the mud to some extent, but Sydney FC ultimately adapted better.

In the event, things were much easier for Sydney than expected, largely thanks to Paul Ifill's injury and resultant anonymity, which took all of the life out of the Phoenix. In a mostly dire first half, the Wellington go-to man was painfully ineffective, and it was extraordinary that the away side didn't make more of an attempt to work the play down the other wing, where Leo Bertos was faced by the defensively suspect Sung-Hwan Byun. The result was a thoroughly sterile performance from the visitors.

In truth, Sydney FC weren't much better in the opening period, doing surprisingly little with the mountains of easy possession they were vouchsafed by their opposition, who were perhaps too keenly aware that their chief attacking threat was incapable of moving beyond second gear. As so often, Alex Brosque was the star of the evening, moving intelligently and creating openings while many of his team-mates looked unsure of themselves.

John Aloisi's injury could be considered a blessing in disguise. Chris Payne's first goal was very well-taken (he showed that he has developed the physical side of his game when shrugging off the challenge of Tony Lochhead), and although his second was, of course, a travesty, at least he had managed to get himself into prime position at the set-piece, something which could not always be said of Aloisi this term. The various conspiracy theorists might note that soon after Payne's handball, he would have been one-on-one with Liam Reddy had Peter Green not prematurely called for a foul on Brosque. The officiating was poor throughout...not for the first time in a preliminary final.

The game did liven up in the second period as both sides rediscovered their rhythm somewhat, but Wellington simply didn't have enough firepower to trouble the premiers. It was entirely fitting, too, the Sydney's two second-half goals sprung from the Bridge-Brosque partnership, displaying all the mobility and invention that they have shown at times under Vitezslav Lavicka.

There must be questions over Ricki Herbert's judgement in keeping Ifill on the field for as long as he did, and in holding back Eugene Dadi until the game was all but over. But in general terms, all the confidence and verve that characterised the Phoenix in recent weeks seemed to disappear when it mattered most.

So back to the Etihad, where Sydney didn't quite do enough the last time around. One feels that they have a better chance this time, with Melbourne tired and perhaps demoralised by their Asian Champions League exertions, and Sydney showing admirable resilience after a heartbreaking semi-final loss last week. But Ernie Merrick's side have won two home grand finals already, both of them against teams that showed a similar ability to bounce back from disappointment in an earlier playoff.

It's a very hard one to call.

And Then There Were Three

2010-03-08T17:46:00.002+11:00

Two thrilling finals games, both going to extra time, both played out in front of bumper crowds, and both featuring lengthy periods of end-to-end action and many fine goals. After all the disappointments and blunders of season 2009/10, perhaps Ben Buckley and Archie Fraser deserved such good news.

Wellington deserve great credit for emerging triumphant from the sudden-death gang of four below the top two. They have truly been the outstanding success story of the fifth A-League season, their crowd numbers and football likewise impressive. Paul Ifill has been the league's best import since Carlos Hernandez, and although his finishing was not up to its usual standard against the Jets, you still knew that he was the man likely to make the difference...as indeed it proved. A word of congratulation, too, for Andrew Durante: one of the most habitually under-rated players in Australian football, he has certainly shown his quality this term.

The possibility of the Phoenix taking out the toilet seat is becoming a strong one, much to the potential embarrassment of both the FFA and the AFC. But overcoming Sydney FC will still be a tough ask, despite the fact that Vitezslav Lavicka's team has lost some of its cohesion with the loss of Steve Corica.

Mark Bridge didn't quite convince in the No.10 role, although his goal was superbly taken. Given that the Brosque-Bridge combination up front looked so menacing in the middle rounds, and given that John Aloisi has developed something of a penchant for dropping behind the front line, would it be an idea to play Aloisi in the hole against Wellington? He is far from a natural No.10, of course, but none of the other candidates have fitted the bill (although Karol Kisel did quite well there for a while in the final regular-season game).

Sydney can certainly have no complaints about the result, despite those two penalty claims for hand-ball; twice in the second half Melbourne were denied one-on-ones with Clint Bolton due to a flag-happy linesman. Not that these premature adjudicators will ever stop raising their flags until FIFA finally sees sense and allows access to video technology for disputed goals...but I digress.

It is out wide that Wellington could well do the damage against Sydney; Seb Ryall looked far from comfortable against Melbourne (not surprising given his lack of first-team action this season), and although Sung-Hwan Byun had his best game of the season going forward, he is still not entirely trustworthy at the other end. Most importantly of all, though, Wellington have patently gotten into the habit of winning...and at this stage of the season, that can be hard to break.

Set against this is Sydney's impeccable record against Wellington this season, which all the players, not to mention the two coaches, will remember. It should be a beauty.

Disrespect

2010-03-07T09:27:00.002+11:00

Hearty congratulations to the Matildas on a fine win over the powerful North Korean side in their international friendly yesterday. To give some idea of where their opponents stand in the women's game, they have been finalists in the last two Under 20 Women's World Cups, and won the inaugural Under 17 event in New Zealand in 2008.

As it happened, the Matildas were moral as well as actual victors, due to some disgraceful behaviour by the Koreans towards the end of the first half.

With the score still at 1-1 - a far-post bullet header cancelling out Sarah Walsh's superb early strike - the Australians were awarded a penalty for some pushing in the box at a free kick.

Now the call was soft, there is no doubt about that. But that in no way excuses the reaction of the North Korean team (apparently at the behest of their officials): the entire eleven marched towards the sideline, in an apparent walkoff.

The fact that they returned to the pitch after a few minutes, incidentally, suggests that the whole rigmarole was merely an elaborate piece of gamesmanship. Luckily, Katie Gill was not to be unsettled, and slotted the spot-kick away with aplomb.

Gamesmanship or not, however, the petulant display constituted an act of gross disrespect to the referee, the hosts, the fans, and the sport. A hefty fine and a temporary ban from international football would be a reasonable and appropriate reaction.

Most worryingly of all, the Matildas' coach Tom Sermanni commented at half-time that his charges were entirely used to such behaviour, and that he was glad that local fans had gotten the chance to see the sort of thing that the Matildas have to face in Asia on a regular basis.

All of which suggests that the women's game needs to be policed a little more closely by the various governing bodies. Such incidents cannot be allowed to pass without sanction.

Trouble at the Front

2010-03-04T17:37:00.003+11:00

The Socceroos' largely insipid performance in last night's qualifier against Indonesia was not overly surprising; after all, caution has always been Pim Verbeek's watchword, and an upset in this match would have been profoundly embarrassing (not to mention costly, in every sense of the word). And there were some consolations, not least the performance of Tommy Oar, who played with great vigour and enterprise out wide, and that of Shannon Cole, who showed a pleasing response to the big occasion.

If there was a worrying aspect of the performance, it was surely the ineffectiveness of Josh Kennedy up front. Yes, the Japanese season is yet to start, but Kennedy has performed well for the Socceroos on the back of scant game time in the past. Last night, against a far from imposing defence, he looked surprisingly uncertain in the air...despite the fact that the team's tactics in the first half were based firmly around the space just above his head.

In fairness, not all of the punts from out wide (and deep) were particularly well-directed, but Kennedy should surely have taken one of the many chances that came his way in the second half. If they were watching last night, the 2011 Asian Cup hosts must be wondering how the forward who comprehensively destroyed them in the World Cup qualifiers could be so wasteful against substantially inferior opposition.

There's little doubt that Verbeek will stick with his 4-2-3-1 in South Africa. Barring an injury, Kennedy is likely to be the 1, with Tim Cahill scooping up the second balls in his approved style. But if Kennedy cannot rediscover his aerial prowess, and continues to offer little on the deck, it's hard to see how Australia's attack will function particularly well. And, needless to say, the midfield and defence will be put under far more pressure than they were by a craven Indonesian side last night.

The news is not all bad. This was, after all, a virtual C team, and it was probably the best performance by an A-League-based side under Verbeek (which is not saying very much). Oar may have secured the coveted World Cup bolter spot, although Verbeek will no doubt be hoping for a quick European move for the talented youngster. Jason Culina, operating in an advanced role for once, offered more incisiveness than usual, especially after the break. Come South Africa, however, it is likely to be square balls and pirouettes again from the Gold Coast marquee man.

Coalface 2010

2010-02-27T16:06:00.003+11:00

As the A-League lurches through its unbalanced, prolix six-team finals series, a competition with a far more sensible finals schedule kicks off in Sydney today. Yes, it's time for the NSW Premier League again.

The power balance seems to have shifted this year, with the Serbian-backed Bonnyrigg White Eagles making a none-too-subtle attempt to purchase the title. Brad Boardman, who led the line so forcefully and effectively for Sutherland during their 2009 triumph, has arrived at the Serbian Centre, as have several other highly-rated NSWPL regulars.

Bankstown City have provided two key players for the Bonnyrigg revolution in Shane Webb and Daniel Severino. Webb, who didn't quite make the most of his A-League stint with Newcastle, is an all-action left-back or midfielder who provides dynamism and grit in spades, along with neat skills. Severino is a tad over-rated in my opinion, but his left-footed free kicks are certainly a great asset.

David Zdrilic is now in the coaching hot-seat with Sydney United, following Ante Milicic's move to Melbourne. It will be very interesting to see how he fares; he cuts quite a thoughtful and insightful figure on SBS's analysis panel, and United certainly found a player/manager setup suitable in 2009. The squad at King Tom still looks good, with influential midfielder Pete Markovic apparently recovered from his recent injury problems.

Another new coach on the block is Pat Marando at Olympic. Long-suffering assistant to the string of high-profile coaches at Belmore over the past few years, the affable Marando knows the game and the NSWPL scene well, but how he copes with the legendarily prickly egos of the Olympic dressing-room is another matter. The squad has a few new faces, but none to really inspire.

Little change at Manly United, who will be grittily competitive again. Bankstown and champions Sutherland both have a familiar look as well; Sutherland may find it hard to cope with their two serious losses, namely Boardman and Panny Nikas, who has joined the Mariners (and should really have been given a chance by Lawrie McKinna towards the end of their disappointing season).

The interesting outsider this season is that fallen giant of the NSWPL, Blacktown City. After a truly grim couple of years following their 2007 title win, the club has been re-united with Aytek Genc, who had such success in the Blacktown dugout previously. Genc has re-acquired some of his most effective troops from that era, including bustling striker Luke Roodenburg and defensive lynchpin Mirko Jurilj. The Demons are not to be underestimated in 2010.

Bonnyrigg go into the season as clear favourites, but a good five or six others could challenge for the title this year. And a rising star to watch? Hard to say, but keep an eye on Sutherland's Blake Powell, who played with precocious maturity in the 2009 grand final.

Mr. Ten Per Cent Right - yet another update

2010-02-22T18:08:00.003+11:00

More choice ranting from Mr. Foster in yesterday's Sun-Herald, with, as usual, a good point obscured by the facile blather.

The coach of the year award is little more than a professional popularity contest in any case. I personally would have given it to Vitezslav Lavicka, but the brief history of the A-League has shown how hard it is to carry on from a succesful season, especially when one loses a key player. Given Danny Allsopp's departure for the Gulf cash and Melbourne's lengthy injury list this term, Ernie Merrick's achievement in guiding Melbourne into the top two is worthy of respect.

But not for Foster. Apparently Lavicka "built a team around John Aloisi", which is something of a surprise for thousands of Sydney FC fans who were under the impression that the Brosque-Bridge partnership up front solidified into Lavicka's automatic first choice. And if he had possessed a "19-goal-a-season striker", he would apparently have won the league by 20 points. The mind boggles. Are the other coaches allowed their if onlys as well?

Branko Culina was apparently incapable of "interpreting" Lavicka's football when Sydney posted a lucky home win over the Jets early in the season. To an impartial observer it might have appeared that Sydney were poor that afternoon and Newcastle deserved a point, but clearly Stephan Keller's long balls were philosophically far superior to Iain Fyfe's.

But enough of that. Wherein lieth the 10% this time?

Well, it is certainly true that there is a dearth of ideas in the A-League; even the competition's most ardent defenders would find it hard to argue otherwise after three seasons of underwhelming football. But, as always, it is a mistake to equate "A-League coaches" with "Australian coaches".

Let us look at the coaching recruitment in the league this season. First coach down was Frank Farina, to be replaced by a Fox crony and former member of the national team setup. At the end of the season, Lawrie McKinna endured his long-anticipated kick upstairs. Into the hot seat came...a Fox crony and former member of the national team setup.

And what of the two new franchises? A former A-League coach, and an assistant at an A-League club (that in itself was a bit of an innovation).

In the dugout, the A-League is simply a closed shop, and it is partly this which has made it such a dreary spectacle in recent years, I feel. Such a mates' club (and coaching merry-go-round) is not unique in world football, of course, but the phenomenon of promotion and relegation at least ensures some new blood gets a look-in occasionally. In the A-League, it just doesn't happen.

If Foster and others hazarded a look below Australian football's top tier, they may just find coaches with progressive ideas, coherent philosophies, and the ability to read a game and make necessary changes in real time.

We Could Be Heroes - update #6

2010-02-19T14:12:00.001+11:00

If it's half-time, there must be some heroes about. February's issue features, among other goodies, informative interviews with bloggers specialising in our three opening-round opponents in South Africa. Not to be missed.

Inside Agents

2010-02-18T18:37:00.002+11:00

A story on SBS's World Game program this Sunday which deserved a second look was the feature on the PFA's new Player Management Agency.

The story was quite partisan, of course (Craig Foster's PFA links are hardly a secret), but at least the other side, in the shape of the well-known agent Leo Karis, was given a hearing.

The question of possible conflicts of interest was brushed over fairly quickly, but it remains a concern. Would the PFA have a vested interest in keeping players in the A-League? There are certainly reasons to think so.

Having said that, there is no question than some players are jumping ship to Europe too early. Very few of the moves from the A-League in the last few years have been successful, and it's a sobering thought that hardly any Australian players under 26 are holding down first-team places at first division Euro clubs.

The instant-soup star status of youngsters in the A-League is partly responsible for the early leap to Europe, in my view. The likes of Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton and Scott Chipperfield proved their quality and resilience over several years in the national league before heading to the northern hemisphere, and found their feet with little trouble. By contrast, plenty of A-League hopefuls tagged as worldbeaters by a breathless media have foundered at the first hurdle.

Pim Verbeek's incessant belittling of the A-League has also played a role, but probably a minor one. If anything, the main result of his constant hinting has been to drive slightly older players into the arms of the Asian leagues - a move sideways rather than forwards, in my opinion.

I still feel that the FFA, as well as the PFA, has a role to play here. Some time ago I suggested engaging an advisor, not an agent as such, to offer impartial guidance to young players who might otherwise be dazzled by the blandishments of agents. Conflicts of interest would be possible here as well, but we wouldn't be talking Eddie Thomson-style shenanigans, merely disinterested advice.

At least the next time that a Nikita Rukavytsya or Nathan Burns goes out on loan to Last Chance FC after a period acquainting themselves with a European bench, we will know that one organisation is aware of the problem.

Rolling Back the Years

2010-02-15T08:54:00.002+11:00

Sydney FC have won the premiership (there's nothing minor about it). Beating their eternal rivals. On a steamy, stormy afternoon. In front of a bumper crowd.

Those are the bare facts, but of course the significance is much greater. The whole occasion was, for the first time in four years, unequivocally joyful for the fans. It was a throwback to the A-League's first season...but this time, the crowds were not there to see Dwight Yorke. They were there because their city's team is finally playing consistently good football, and is a genuine contender for top honours once more.

It is a real tribute to the spirit and discipline instilled in the troops by Vitezslav Lavicka that Sydney did not fall to pieces with the departure of Corica. Instead, Karol Kisel, with plenty to play for, adapted excellently to the three-quarter role, and Brendan Gan played a diligent game on the right flank, contributing substantially in defence to make up for his predictable lack of attacking punch.

John Aloisi, for so long an underachiever, chose to produce his best-ever performance for the club when it really mattered. Dropping back just behind the front-line, to allow Alex Brosque to play off the last defender, he finally looked confident and composed. No petulant ranting at the referee from the marquee man this time, he simply got on with the job.

The football was not always a pleasure to behold, especially in the second half. But this game is about defence as much as attack, and Sydney kept their shape and their heads impressively as Melbourne began to come forward in numbers towards the close.

Carlos Hernandez? Lavicka wasn't going to alter his system in order to man-mark him. Instead, Sydney played pass-the-parcel with the stocky playmaker, double-teaming him whenever possible, and stifled him very effectively. Nik Mrdja? Apart from a couple of dangerous moments at the start and that deflected shot that hit the post in the second period, he did very little. I felt that starting him was a mistake on Ernie Merrick's part; he was clearly going to cop plenty from the fans, and Mrdja has been known to show some frailty in such situations.

In fact, Melbourne never looked comfortable with their makeshift system, and Tom Pondeljak and Grant Brebner were often to be found dwelling uncertainly on the ball in midfield, unaware of whose run to connect with. Sydney, by contrast, shuttled the ball through the midfield smoothly for the most part, even when their link-man was replaced.

Sydney FC are back in business, after the mismanagement and on-field mediocrity of the Lowy years. And it's no longer just about the Bling.

In Praise of Bimbi

2010-02-12T16:21:00.004+11:00

In many ways, Steve Corica couldn't have timed his retirement better. Fairweather Sydney FC fans now have a twofold reason for turning up to the vital game on Sunday (not to mention the finals series); even those fans who drifted away from the fold after the 2005/06 campaign will remember who scored the winner in the inaugural grand final.

Of course, his spell with Sydney FC was only a small part of Corica's career, and it is a sure sign of his class that he so often looked the club's best player, even during his twilight years. His skill on the ball, his off-the-ball awareness and movement, and his ability to sense an opening were commodities possessed by few players indeed in the A-League.

Like so many others of his generation, perhaps the finest crop ever to come out of Australia, Corica suffered from some less-than-ideal club moves. In the early days at Marconi he was already earmarked as a star, and there were those who felt that he was worth a Socceroo shirt during the historic World Cup playoff against Argentina in 1993. The late Johnny Warren was among those pushing his claims.

Then a move to Europe at a young age, a strange departure from Leicester, five injury-plagued seasons with Wolves, and a demure retreat to Japan in his prime. It was during his time there that he rejoined his old Bossley Park comrade-in-arms, Paul Okon, for one of Australia's finest tournament performances ever: the 2001 Confederations Cup.

In hindsight, one can argue that some of the sides Australia faced at that event were well below full strength. But Australia too were missing Messrs. Kewell and Viduka, perhaps their two key players at the time, and they still managed to post victories over France, Brazil and Mexico.

Corica played the link role in Frank Farina's favoured 4-4-1-1 system, and in fact looked more effective there than Harry Kewell did in the eventual World Cup playoff with Uruguay. Showing creativity, adroitness and admirable industry, Corica was a solid contributor to a memorable Socceroo showing.

Sadly, he was barely to be seen in a Socceroo shirt thereafter. But Sydney FC provided a welcome breath of fresh air for "Bimbi", and he never flagged in his efforts for the club. Amidst the boardroom chaos, the procession of eccentric or second-rate coaches, the frequent personnel changes, Corica was always there, professionalism personified. He often ran out of energy towards the end of the season, but who could blame a man in his mid-thirties for that?

This season, in fact, he has stayed in better fettle towards the close than usual. Against Perth last weekend, the Corica of old shone through now and then: a twisting run through the midfield, or a ball sweetly laid off followed by a canny far-post run (how many other A-League players bother to keep on moving once they have completed a clever pass?).

In person, Corica has exuded a warmth and a common touch which has endeared him to the entire fanbase. Loyal, affable and dedicated, he can count on plenty of goodwill from the football fraternity in years to come...even if the inside word at Sydney FC is that he doesn't appear well-suited to an eventual senior coaching role.

Never mind. Youth development could be a fruitful area for Corica to devote himself to in the future, and I envy any young players under his tutelage.