Australia v Kuwait, Asian Cup Qualifier

[csbowes]

... and people have the audacity to question Pim Verbeek's negative comments about the A-League. That match tonight back to back against that abortion of an effort against Indonesia, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the A-League players are woeful internationals and should never be considered up to standard. Watching that game tonight was nothing but 90+ minutes of total frustration watching a bunch of hacks lose 1-0 to an amateur side from Kuwait.

I freely admit, I watched Manchester United v Newcastle United this morning, so that was my mistake, watching real footballers play the morning before watching this rubbish. That's the last I want to hear from anyone defending the A-League players as potential internationals. They were given their chance against Kuwait and Indonesia (who lets admit, should be beaten by a mini-league side) and failed miserably. Now we need to get the Euro-based players back to rescue this campaign.

[Dogwatcher]

Ughhh. Awful game. One touch - non existant. We let them run at us, and past, in defence.
Archie - loves it when it's easy. Where was he tonight?
Mitch Nicholls, what a biggg boy.
Craig Moore, hard working as usual.
Can't kind much more positive stuff to say.

Be interesting what Pim does from here.
Bags the A League but then picks a team full of players from it.
Whose decision, his or FFA?
Will be interesting to watch next few Asian Cup qualies.

[csbowes]

Bags the A League but then picks a team full of players from it. Whose decision, his or FFA?

I dare say the FFA agreed with picking A-League players in order to give the Europeans a break. Plus my view is that it gives us more leverage next time when we ask for the Europeans, as its not like we constantly drag them away. That said, I think Pim can turn around to the FFA now and say from here on, no way, we cannot afford to do it unless the FFA decides that the Asian Cup will not be a priority and we will just use it as a training competition.

BUT... that to me would be a huge mistake for the development of the game here.

We need to compete and win this cup.

[Dogwatcher]

One thing to remember is that Asia is new to us. We're finding our feet and developing a selection system that's fair to the standard of the competition and to the players is going to be tough.

Not a great start by us in Asia so far though - a disappointing cup and then these first two games.

Could be that the WC is our focus. Might have to be the way we go. What will the AFC think about that though???

[Dogwatcher]

Sorry to keep going - but there are an awful lot of Australians playing OS that don't get a run for Australia as we play either our top side or our A League side. There's a middle tier, for example Djite and Burns, maybe we should be working them into the equation when we're selecting Asian Cup teams.

[csbowes]

Sorry to keep going - but there are an awful lot of Australians playing OS that don't get a run for Australia as we play either our top side or our A League side. There's a middle tier, for example Djite and Burns, maybe we should be working them into the equation when we're selecting Asian Cup teams.

That is actually a good point. I think that's well worth looking into as you are right, there are plenty of players playing in the Championship and League 1 and second tier (or lower) European Leagues. I disagree with your other comment about us getting used to Asia, as you might not have meant it to sound like an excuse, but it came across to me like one. What tonights game and the Indonesian game come down to is whether the A-League players can gel like the Europeans and beat the opposition. Indonesia is ranked extremely low, yet we couldn't even put one goal in the back of the net. One has to wonder if Melbourne Victory played Indonesia, would they have found the job a lot easier. I did say to my wife tonight, would we have been better off picking Melbourne Victory minus foreigners, filled those few gaps with say Adelaide United / Queensland Roar players and put them on the field. Maybe fielding 7-8 Melbourne players would of meant a much more cohesive team, albeit less talented.

[Dogwatcher]

Certainly not an excuse. We should have won.
However, we haven't found the right mix yet by the looks.
We need to find that if we are to succeed in Asia as it appears A League players aren't going to cut it and we can't have our top flighters all of the time.
I think finding our way in Asia means we are still experimenting.
But tonight's performance was no way good enough.

[Dogwatcher]

That goal should never have been scored tonight.
The commentators said it was a quality ball in that Galekovic couldn't stop.
They also said that the players were defending too close to goal.
It is Galekovic as the keeper who should have been telling his players to push the Kuwaitis deeper out.

However, it wasn't that that I noticed about the goal. What i noticed was that there were two Kuwaitis goal side. If the first hadn't got the header, the second would have.

[csbowes]

What i noticed was that there were two Kuwaitis goal side. If the first hadn't got the header, the second would have.

Absolutely spot on there. It was poor defending and likely poor direction from the goalkeeper too. By the games end, we were lucky not to have lost 2-0 or 3-0, it was that bad. If we had their chances, we would of bagged 4-5, but we weren't even that good.

[brod]

Cant be good as we were such HUGE favourites to win, Kuwait paying $8.50 to beat us

[Pidge]

Dodd should have played. I agree with DW too. Bring these guys in for a taste of the action. They are the future in Verbeeks eyes. The A Leaguers arent.

[Dirko]

No panick. When we play Oman & Kuwait away the Euro's will be in, and we'll smash 'em...We play Indonesia again next year on the 3rd of March

[smithy]

... and people have the audacity to question Pim Verbeek's negative comments about the A-League. That match tonight back to back against that abortion of an effort against Indonesia, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the A-League players are woeful internationals and should never be considered up to standard. Watching that game tonight was nothing but 90+ minutes of total frustration watching a bunch of hacks lose 1-0 to an amateur side from Kuwait.

.

Agreed.
The A League is a crap standard IMO.
The old NSL teams of Melbourne Knights, Adelaide city, South Melbourne, Marconi etc would destroy the current A League teams.
Back in the NSL days, overseas clubs were reluctant to recruit any australian players.
Standard was much higher as Aussie players weren't accepted as being good enough to recruit.
Now even an average Korean side can outbid any A League side for 1 of their players as well as any talented lad going to europe and happy to play in the lower leagues.
The A League is just a retirement home for returning australian players or brazilians whose agents manage to gather a good enough highlights package onto DVD so a club can sign them on that basis.
The rest that are left are obviously not good enough bar 1 or 2.
Whilst I'll admit the crowds and atmosphere in the A League are much better than the last dying seasons of the NSL, better coverage and promotion has a lot to do with that as well as the lack of ethnicticity.

[drebin]

Sorry to keep going - but there are an awful lot of Australians playing OS that don't get a run for Australia as we play either our top side or our A League side. There's a middle tier, for example Djite and Burns, maybe we should be working them into the equation when we're selecting Asian Cup teams.

Bingo! The line-up last night just proved how poor some of the A League opposition are when they make Thompson, Pondejlak etc look like stars. Both of those guys last night were like an ashtrays on a motorbike.

What is it with some recent Australian line-ups (including with the top Euro based players) and their fear of attcking the opposition and playing with some urgency???

[Bully]

hence the reason i dont follow the A league, its boring as bat shit and the players are not up to international standards. When robbie fowler makes his debut for north queensland in sure he will tear it up out there.

[whufc]

Can only agree with all those comments expect for Dodd should of played, he is A league rubbish as well. Why didn't Joel Griffiths play he is only in China, was it because of Champion League duties. What about Jade North isn't he playing in Asia somewhere.

And i agree why can't we get the second tier players back like Djite, Burns, Jedinak, even blokes like Chris Coyne. They are handing out Socceroo caps for charity, hence players wearing numbers like 107 or 111

[Dogwatcher]

Joel Griffiths has had an issue with Pim for a while, hence he's not playing.

[Swooper16]

Clubs only have to let players leave on international duty on FIFA sanctioned dates. seeing as there were midweek premier league games i am 99% sure that last night wasnt a FIFA sanctioned release date. This means that the clubs of players like Djite, Burns, Kennedy etc are not likely to allow them to fly 20+ hours to compete in a qualifier - even if they are not in the teams starting 11 for that weeks games.

I dont think any of these Asian Qualifiers would fall under the release dates meaning that we are stuck with the A league reps.

[The Dutchman]

Have to disagree Bulldog, the A League is not as boring as bats**t. I think the tens of thousands of people attending games, and others watching them on foxtel would share my view. Compare the growth in the A league over the last few seasons with the dwindling crowds at NRL and some AFL games (eg Port Power). Evidence suggests the A league is worth watching!

Also have to disagree with you Smithy about the old NSL teams destroying A League teams. The old NSL teams had to share more players across more teams. Melbourne Victory of this year is as good a team as i have seen in the NSL/A League since those Adelaide City/South Melbourne and Marconi days. There were also not so good teams back then in the NSL like Heidelberg, Morwell, Canberra Cosmos, Collingwood, Gippsland, West Adelaide (just said that one to tease), etc which brought the quality of the league down, and ultimately led to the end of the NSL.

Simple fact is Australia was capable of winning last night but they didnt. It happens in football sometimes where the best side on paper doesnt always win. I dont mind giving home grown players a chance to impress. A few years ago you wouldnt have thought Djite and Burns were "international standard", and i wouldnt consider their respective moves as career defining in terms of being quality international players (yet).

It will be interesting to see if Fowler does tear it up in the A League. We all remember what reputation John Aloisi had coming into the A League after playing in Italy and Spain and he has done nothing to suggest he is of any quality these days.

I do agree that some of Pim's selections are puzzling though...

[RoosterMarty]

hence the reason i dont follow the A league, its boring as bat s***t and the players are not up to international standards. When robbie fowler makes his debut for north queensland in sure he will tear it up out there.

So are you saying you are not a football fan? You can't really like the game if you only want to watch 'international standard' football....

Fowler will need to get on the park before he can tear it up.