The Mighty Socceroos

[nev]

over here in australia there was talk that the socceroos will walk away with the asian cup

what went wrong beaten by the might iraq a country torn apart by war not a reknowned football nation.

hang your heads in shame socceroos a team with such stars as kewel viduka ect comming home in disgrace no ticker tape parade in sydney then

[nev]

i have just read that they can make the next round if they beat thailand,,,,,,well GO THAILAND!!!!!!!

[mrtoad]

As a Pom, I'm not going to say too much about the Socceroo's, but

[Torv]

*shamlessly jumps on a bandawangon*

THAILAND THAILAND THAILAND!!!

[nonthaburial]

I was extremely pisched off that the game was not shown live on ESPB/Star Sports, There was I sitting comfortably at 1720 rearing to go and all I could see was a 9 ball tournament. strange decision that by the powers that be as it promised and as it turned out, seemed to be a good game !

[Jockstar]

Look like Asia wont be an easy ride to the WC after all.

[tw25rw]

Look like Asia wont be an easy ride to the WC after all.

Seem to remember Iraq doing well in the Olympics, so they were never going to be a walkover.. Plus they are more used to the heat, even if it's a drier heat at home. Can't imagine playing in Bangkok heat and humidity.

[MrSquigle]

Would you throw in the towel if threatened with beheading ?? or you sneaked a peek of your oponent wearing a lumpy vest under his t-shirt ??

[jingjoe]

4-0 to the aussies, The thai team was very good, and well in it with 10 or so minutes to go... 3 late goals from the aussies made the win seem far more comfortable than it was.

Oh hard lines to the champs pouring scorn on the aussies.

[tw25rw]

4-0 to the aussies, The thai team was very good, and well in it with 10 or so minutes to go... 3 late goals from the aussies made the win seem far more comfortable than it was.

Oh hard lines to the champs pouring scorn on the aussies.

Does this mean Thailand are out?

[Torv]

Ahh, good job Thailand.

[Simmo]

I went to the Iraq game and was firmly in the hate wagon after that abysmal performance , but we pulled it out of the fire. The Thai team showed why they'll never be contenders outside the region - no size, no spirit.

[Doza]

Went to the game last night and it was a BEAUTY!!!! Both teams played really positive attacking football. There were more chances and shots on goal in the first 20 mins than the last two games combined Aus have been involved in.

Thailand looked VERY good and only just missed a few chances on goal. But Australia also defended exceptionally well at times.

In the end it was a magic cross and header which kicked it off, then some Viduka and Kewell individual brilliance which kept the scoreboard kicking over.

The atmosphere in the stadium was awesome. A packed crowd, almost completely full, all chanting strongly. Great night.

But the entry and exit plans for the organisers were woeful. Queuing forever to get in meant most of the crowd wasn't sitting down till 20 mins in.

Cmmmmoooooooooooonnn the Socceroos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Doza]

I thought they had HEAPS of spirit. But they do lack size...

And yes they are now out.

[Torv]

THAILAND THAILAND THAILAND!!!

*still on the bandwagon*

[bendix]

Shame for the Thais. I thought they played well this tournament and the 4-0 scoreline last night highly flattered the Aussies.

C'mon Vietnam!

[jingjoe]

I would appreciate it if most of you tip, and support the Japanese in our next game, we may need every advantage we can get.

[mrtoad]

I thought it was a really scrappy game, where Australia never reallt created much until the last 15- 20 minutes. Thaialnd, did plenty to attatck but it often broke down in the final third.

4-0 was a flattering score, but it shows that players like Viduka, Cahill and Kewell just have that extra little bit of class which makes such a big difference in these type of games.

Thoroughly enjoyed the evening out and it would be great if there were more quality opponents coming over to Thailand to play so could go and watch a few more games.

I think the Thai players could certainly benefit from more exposure to a more proffesional league, and it would begreat to see a Sout East Asian league, with the best teams from S'pore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia. Not sure about Laos,Burma and Phils, but that would be a format that would certainly be intersting and may improve the standard

[jingjoe]

Mr.Toad did you get the impression, like I did, watching from the grandstands that the thai players were too focused at 1-0 on hunting personal glory, rather than building pressure as a team?

[mrtoad]

Mr.Toad did you get the impression, like I did, watching from the grandstands that the thai players were too focused at 1-0 on hunting personal glory, rather than building pressure as a team?

Yes, too much over elaboration and I wasn't impressed with some of the diving. There were times when Thialnd needed to be a little more direct rather than playing fancy passes into dead zones and trying to dribble through the defence.

"Zico" was a complete waste of time, his legs have gone, and I really don't now why they are continuing to persevere with him? If anyone can give me a answear to that one and justify his selection then I'd be relly happy to hear it.

The Thai coach only seems to have one plan, and is always looking for excuses - this time it was the rain and that they had one player missing. He got his selection wrong, his tactics wrong and clearly some of the Thai players have their own game plan. I think the fact that the game remained close up until the last quarter wasn't a reflection of how well Thialand played, but more a reflection of how poor Australia were up until Cahill came on.

[Amethyst]

Thats it to the Socceroos.

Japan 1-1Australia

Japan won 4-3 on penalties.

Life is not that easy in Asia

Overall good experience for the Aussies

[binnsy]

I would appreciate it if most of you tip, and support the Japanese in our next game, we may need every advantage we can get.

I can see the Jap's knocking you out maybe on penalty's

[nev]

pretty disapointing touroment for the socceroos,watch the game in the agincourt hotel sydney, the home of the socceroos supporters club in sydney.

japan deserved there win.

[jingjoe]

I can see the Jap's knocking you out maybe on penalty's

clever

Bad luck to the aussies, without mentioning disputable red cards etc. It was Japans day today...

[Jockstar]

This from soccernet.

pdated: July 21, 2007, 8:00 AM UK

Japan beat Aussies on pens to reach Asian Cup semis

Reuters

HANOI, July 21 (Reuters) - Yuji Nakazawa blasted in the decisive penalty to give holders Japan a 4-3 shootout victory over Australia in an absorbing Asian Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

A match many had thought would be the final finished 1-1 after extra time following a second-half goal by John Aloisi and a rapid Japan response from Naohiro Takahara.

Goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi saved from Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill before Nakazawa smashed home Japan's fifth spot-kick to avenge their 3-1 defeat by the Socceroos at the 2006 World Cup.

'Penalties are not good for the heart so I left the pitch,' Japan coach Ivica Osim told reporters. 'I didn't want to collapse and die. I also didn't want to jinx my team by staying to watch.'

Alaves striker Aloisi had put the Socceroos in front in the 68th minute, pouncing from close range after Japan's defence had failed to deal with Kewell's fizzing low corner.

Japan struck back three minutes later when Eintracht Frankfurt's Takahara capitalised on some sloppy defending to fire a left-footed shot in off the post for his fourth goal of the tournament.

Australia's situation was further complicated when Vince Grella was controversially sent off for catching Takahara in the face with his arm in the 76th minute.

Japan never took full advantage, Celtic's Shunsuke Nakamura going closest to the winner by forcing a superb reflex save from Mark Schwarzer in the last minute of extra time.

Nakazawa's successful spot kick triggered wild celebrations from the Japan players.

'I hit it really hard,' Nakazawa told Reuters. 'There's nothing wrong with my heart. I didn't feel pressure. Yoshikatsu saved two so he's the real hero.'

Takahara told Reuters he had forced Australia defender Mark Milligan into the mistake that led to Japan's equaliser.

'I faked to swing at the ball and he took his eye off it,' said Takahara, who was responsible for Japan's only miss of the penalty shootout.

'That's probably where experience comes in. It feels good to beat Australia because it's a rivalry that looks like running for some time.'

Australia coach Graham Arnold complained that Grella's red card had left his players with too much to do in Hanoi's clinging humidity.

'In these conditions if you play with 10 men it's murder,' he said. 'It's especially hard against a quality side like Japan. It is always a lottery with penalties.'

Japan, bidding to win a third successive Asian Cup title, play the winners of Sunday's game between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

[scousemouse]

I've got to say that after watching the ozzies in this tournament I think they should be re-labelled the "not so mighty socceroos".

Most of their squad came in to this competition and thought it was going to be a walkover , what they didnt count on was meeting some teams who could actually play a bit of football.

All of their european based players ( Aloisi the exception ) did not perform to the standard they usually do.

I'm sure the Ozzies will be better prepared for the teams from Asia when it comes to qualifiying for the world cup next year

[Jockstar]

Australia order review into Asian Cup flop

HANOI, July 22 (Reuters) - Australia have ordered an urgent review into their failed Asian Cup campaign amid fears their plan to find an easier route to the World Cup could backfire.

The Australians ditched Oceania for Asia last year for the promise of stiffer competition and a direct qualifying path to the World Cup, but now admit Asia is harder than they thought.

The Socceroos had been critical of FIFA's insistence that the Oceania winners had to play off against South American opposition to qualify for the last two World Cups instead of receiving an automatic berth.

Australia managed to beat Uruguay on penalties to qualify for the 2006 World Cup and end a 32-year absence from the sport's biggest event, but went ahead with their plan to join Asia because it offers four automatic berths.

That decision was initially vindicated when Australia became the only Asian team to make it to the second round of the World Cup but the Socceroos efforts at the Asian Cup have forced them to re-think their strategy.

Despite boasting that they would win the tournament at their first appearance, Australia flopped. They drew with Oman, lost to Iraq then beat Thailand to sneak into the second stage as Group A runners-up.

They produced their best performance in the quarter-final against defending champions Japan, only to bow out on penalties after they finished extra time locked at 1-1.

'This experience has shown us all that the road ahead is going to be very, very difficult,' said Australia coach Graham Arnold, who is likely to be the first major casualty of the failed campaign.

'The conditions here are very tough. It's going to be very difficult to come here and play World Cup qualifiers in this sort of heat when all our players are based in Europe.'

Football Federation of Australia (FFA) chief executive Ben Buckley said the Socceroos would have to learn from their mistakes and find a way to cope with the extreme heat and humidity in Asia if they were to succeed.

'What's important is that you do a really thorough assessment and review of what worked and could have worked better and what you learn,' Buckley said.

'We've seen what the conditions are going to be like and if we need to adjust our planning then we'll do that.'

Despite the disappointment of an early exit, Buckley said Australia remained excited about their future and were exploring the option of hosting the Asian Cup in 2015 and capitalising on their rivalry with Japan by scheduling regular matches.

'The good thing is that this is our first Asian Cup and we've all seen the potential scale of it and that augers well for the future both off the field and on the field,' he said.

[jingjoe]

Having our pants pulled down this time around is the sort of failure that will motivate us for years.

As jingoistic as it sounds, Aussie teams do love their holy grails... We'll never make the same mistake, in an Asian Cup comp, of going into it with the same self-inflated ego and arrogance of this lot.

[Jockstar]

Aussies hunt for new coach after Asian Cup exit

HANOI, July 22 (Reuters) - Australia are planning to fast-forward their search for a new national coach after the Socceroos were bundled out of the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) said they were conducting an international search to find a new coach to replace Graham Arnold in time for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Arnold was given the job of leading the Australians at the Asian Cup on a temporary basis but the Socceroos' loss to Japan on penalties has prompted the FFA to accelerate their search for a replacement.

'We've always said we were undertaking a global search for a national team coach that would take us through to 2010 and that continues,' FFA chief executive Ben Buckley told reporters on Sunday.

'We hope to do it as soon as practically possible, within the next couple of months.

'It's always a bit difficult to put a timeline on these things but we'd hope to conclude it as soon as possible.'

Buckley said Arnold would remain in charge of the Australian under 23s team, but the FFA wanted a higher-profile manager to guide the national senior team through their World Cup qualifying campaign.

'Graham's been aware that we've been conducting a global search,' Buckley said.

'We've been very happy with his performance, we understand he's in a challenging situation and we think his preparation was very good.

'He's conducted himself well throughout the tournament.'

Guus Hiddink coached Australia at last year's World Cup in Germany and his Dutch compatriot Dick Advocaat has already been linked to the new job, but Buckley said there had been no decision on a replacement yet.

The Asian World Cup qualifying campaign starts next year but an appointment could be made before Australia's next game, a friendly against Argentina in Melbourne in September.

'We're conscious that we have a game scheduled but we want to get the decision right and make that as soon as possible,' Buckley said.

'The search is still going on. It could take an indefinite period of time.

'I won't comment on anyone that we've spoken to in the past but at this point in time we don't have an agreement with anyone.'

[Nignoy]

I think that from the australian teams attitude going into the competition , they have learned a lesson they can build on, if they build on the talents they have in the home states ,not just the leg weary primadonnas who play in Europe,and if the selectors were to take off their rosecoloured glasses and cross the border into queensland and have a look at the local boys whose names dont end in ski or vic or von schiessen hausen, have a look at the lads in toowoomba , Roma, and all points north , it works in all the other codes why not in soccer!! Nignoy