Well another of the hosts bowed out of the tournament last night but the Indonesians did not go quietly at all with Korea never able to find the goal to kill the game off and given the Saudi Arabia result a goal from Indonesia would have seen them through at the Korean’s expense…anyone watching on TV, as I was, would have seen the remarkable pictures coming from Jakarta where the cameraman appeared to have anything other than a steady hand on the camera….it was then that Fox’s man on the ground Andy Pascalidis told us that the whole stadium was shaking as all the Indonesian fans jumped up and down in unison to try and lift their team to find the equalizing goal….now that’s no mean feat to shake the foundations of a 100,000 seater stadium and I have to admit I found myself joining them on in the second half to see the response a home goal would brought. But they couldn’t find the goal and so they depart the tournament but with the players and the fans able to hold their heads high with three strong showings on and off the pitch in their group games winning one and losing two by the smallest of margins….one of those coming in injury time.
The quarter final line up is complete and whilst the obvious blockbuster is the Socceroos WC rematch with Japan…for me I think the pick of the bunch could just be Saudi Arabia against Uzbekistan match up. I was massively impressed with the Saudi striker Al Qhatani who scored the fantastic opening goal which showed a well timed run and jump can see smaller strikers score dramatic headed goals…in that respect (and the socks around the ankles may have added to it) he reminded me a bit of a modern day Gerd Muller. Uzbekistan have responded magnificently from their opening game reverse at the hands of Iran and have one of the in form strikers in the tournament in the shape of Maksim Shatskikh. I’ve got a feeling this could be a high scoring draw with either an extra time winner or penalties.
And so the countdown begins as to who should start the game against Japan….it will be very difficult to leave out some of the team that started against Thailand and performed when it mattered to get Australia into the knockout stages…but being a coach is about making those difficult decisions and the fact remains that Australia will have to lift to another level yet from the Thailand performance to have any hope of progressing to the semis. Experience will be a critical factor but also, as is increasingly the case in international football and as we saw in the WC against Japan and against Thailand it’s players starting on the bench having the decisive input in the course of the games. Many more games are lost in the first 30 minutes than are won either physically or mentally and whilst the temptation must be to start Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell I’d potentially keep both on the bench with a view to introducing them around the 55 minute mark (obviously depending on how those first 55 minutes play out). I’d also be tempted to throw Nicky Carle in from the start…the fact that he’s not had any game time means he will be a complete unknown factor to the Japanese and a player they may not have prepared to face…as those that watched him train in Bangkok his range of passing and his comfort on the ball in tight situations may be just what is need for the Socceroos to get their noses in front on Saturday. Giving Nicky Carle freedom to roam all over the pitch and with Wilkshire’s suspension confirmed I’d be tempted to start again with Carney who showed previously unseen defensive nouse in that left wing back role…..he’s no left back that’s for sure…but there isn’t one in the squad so anyone playing there will be playing slightly out of position. I’d bring back Neill to join Beauchamp and Milligan making a back three that would allow Emerton to get higher up the pitch and hopefully deliver some quality into the box for Aloisi and Viduka to feed off. Speaking of Aloisi…I’d leave him in to give him and Viduka chance to profit from the through balls and flicks from Nicky Carle…to me it would be counter productive to pick Carle instead of Aloisi…..Carle needs two players up front to link with, make those triangles and be most effective in my opinion. Grella and Culina remain with the brief to get in and disrupt Nakamura and Endo’s possession of the ball in midfield whilst giving away as few free kicks 25-30 yards out as possible of course! Bresciano is unlucky to miss out in my team but of course is there on the bench to come on at any stage.
Schwarzer
Beauchamp Milligan Neill
Emerton Culina Grella Carney
Carle
Aloisi Viduka
Below are some options coming off the bench with 35-25 mins to go….unless changes are enforced.
Kewell for Carney
Cahill for Carle/Aloisi
Thompson for Aloisi
Bresciano for Carle/Aloisi
As previously said…this game is likely to be decided in the last 30 minutes, as was the Thailand game and the contributions of Cahill and Kewell coming into that game fresh in the second half paid massive dividends with both players instrumental in the last 3 goals.
Anyway…football’s all about opinions..that’s why we love it and to be honest it’s a tough side to pick….we’re in knock out now…no second chances and a repeat performance of the games against Oman and Iraq and the Socceroos will surely find themselves out of tournament…if they can build on the more promising performance against Thailand, raise another level against Japan and win they will enter the semi finals full of confidence to take on the winner of Saudi Arabia/Uzbekistan quarter final…if I’ve read my wallchart right! Could the re-match possibly reproduce the drama of that afternoon in Kaiserslautern just over a year ago? I’m sure most Socceroos fans would take the win however it came….and I’ve had a sneaking feeling for a while that one of the Socceroos games will go to penalties…it could well be this one.
The quarter final line up is complete and whilst the obvious blockbuster is the Socceroos WC rematch with Japan…for me I think the pick of the bunch could just be Saudi Arabia against Uzbekistan match up. I was massively impressed with the Saudi striker Al Qhatani who scored the fantastic opening goal which showed a well timed run and jump can see smaller strikers score dramatic headed goals…in that respect (and the socks around the ankles may have added to it) he reminded me a bit of a modern day Gerd Muller. Uzbekistan have responded magnificently from their opening game reverse at the hands of Iran and have one of the in form strikers in the tournament in the shape of Maksim Shatskikh. I’ve got a feeling this could be a high scoring draw with either an extra time winner or penalties.
And so the countdown begins as to who should start the game against Japan….it will be very difficult to leave out some of the team that started against Thailand and performed when it mattered to get Australia into the knockout stages…but being a coach is about making those difficult decisions and the fact remains that Australia will have to lift to another level yet from the Thailand performance to have any hope of progressing to the semis. Experience will be a critical factor but also, as is increasingly the case in international football and as we saw in the WC against Japan and against Thailand it’s players starting on the bench having the decisive input in the course of the games. Many more games are lost in the first 30 minutes than are won either physically or mentally and whilst the temptation must be to start Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell I’d potentially keep both on the bench with a view to introducing them around the 55 minute mark (obviously depending on how those first 55 minutes play out). I’d also be tempted to throw Nicky Carle in from the start…the fact that he’s not had any game time means he will be a complete unknown factor to the Japanese and a player they may not have prepared to face…as those that watched him train in Bangkok his range of passing and his comfort on the ball in tight situations may be just what is need for the Socceroos to get their noses in front on Saturday. Giving Nicky Carle freedom to roam all over the pitch and with Wilkshire’s suspension confirmed I’d be tempted to start again with Carney who showed previously unseen defensive nouse in that left wing back role…..he’s no left back that’s for sure…but there isn’t one in the squad so anyone playing there will be playing slightly out of position. I’d bring back Neill to join Beauchamp and Milligan making a back three that would allow Emerton to get higher up the pitch and hopefully deliver some quality into the box for Aloisi and Viduka to feed off. Speaking of Aloisi…I’d leave him in to give him and Viduka chance to profit from the through balls and flicks from Nicky Carle…to me it would be counter productive to pick Carle instead of Aloisi…..Carle needs two players up front to link with, make those triangles and be most effective in my opinion. Grella and Culina remain with the brief to get in and disrupt Nakamura and Endo’s possession of the ball in midfield whilst giving away as few free kicks 25-30 yards out as possible of course! Bresciano is unlucky to miss out in my team but of course is there on the bench to come on at any stage.
Schwarzer
Beauchamp Milligan Neill
Emerton Culina Grella Carney
Carle
Aloisi Viduka
Below are some options coming off the bench with 35-25 mins to go….unless changes are enforced.
Kewell for Carney
Cahill for Carle/Aloisi
Thompson for Aloisi
Bresciano for Carle/Aloisi
As previously said…this game is likely to be decided in the last 30 minutes, as was the Thailand game and the contributions of Cahill and Kewell coming into that game fresh in the second half paid massive dividends with both players instrumental in the last 3 goals.
Anyway…football’s all about opinions..that’s why we love it and to be honest it’s a tough side to pick….we’re in knock out now…no second chances and a repeat performance of the games against Oman and Iraq and the Socceroos will surely find themselves out of tournament…if they can build on the more promising performance against Thailand, raise another level against Japan and win they will enter the semi finals full of confidence to take on the winner of Saudi Arabia/Uzbekistan quarter final…if I’ve read my wallchart right! Could the re-match possibly reproduce the drama of that afternoon in Kaiserslautern just over a year ago? I’m sure most Socceroos fans would take the win however it came….and I’ve had a sneaking feeling for a while that one of the Socceroos games will go to penalties…it could well be this one.
