Football Analysis

Interview with Branko Culina - the Jets off-season.

Interview with Branko Culina - the Jets off-season.

OK, it's the off-season at the Jets and there are hardly any games to discuss. And not being a journalist, I have generally been too lazy to generate content from my own mental machinations (unlike our esteemed 442 Perth commentator, who seems to be able to come up with dossiers of material). ... 24 Jun 2011
Phoenix at the crossroads

Phoenix at the crossroads

Terry Serepisos will always be remembered as the man who saved professional football in New Zealand.  The arrival of Wellington Phoenix in 2007 marked the beginning of football's recent rise to prominence.  In coming to the sport's rescue in the wake of the failed New Zealand Knights, ... 23 Jun 2011
Copa América Group A Preview

Copa América Group A Preview

With no A-League still for four months and the European leagues in hibernation it's an opportune time to have a look at one of the most exciting continental competitions going around in the form of the Copa América. You even get the bonus of still getting to see Lionel Messi play in an ... 21 Jun 2011
Finals Fever

Finals Fever

"Traditionalists" often tell us as football fans that a final series is not the way to decide a championship. Proper leagues are of course decided by a first past the post system. But when it comes down to it there is little that can match the drama and excitement of a final to decide who wins ... 17 Jun 2011
Back on the grass

Back on the grass

118 days is an awfully long time. But with the new A-League season still that far away, Wellington Phoenix took to the training field yesterday for the first time since the end of the last campaign to begin preparations for A-League 2011/12. In many ways, it's perhaps fortunate the season ... 13 Jun 2011
The War

The War

"Three billion lives ended that fateful day; the survivors of the nuclear fire called the war Judgment Day. They lived only to face a new nightmare – a world without football."    -- Sarah Connoropolos     Anyone who has ever had the fortune of ... 12 Jun 2011
Talk is cheap

Talk is cheap

It's been a ridiculously crazy few weeks in the world of FIFA politics and the saga looks set to drag on for some time yet. While the man who oversaw the rise and rise of Asian Football over the last decade, Mohamed Bin Hammam, was being suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee, accused of ... 9 Jun 2011
Pole Polishing Pollies

Pole Polishing Pollies

Ever since the FIFA corruption scandal broke free of the football press and into the mainstream media it seems everybody in this country wants to take a pot shot at the game's governing body, from newspaper columnists through to the average bloke at the pub. Even our elected federal representati... 6 Jun 2011
Tempered Expectations

Tempered Expectations

Two months ago I was quietly confident about the Westfield Matildas' World Cup campaign, having been surprised by just how well their preparation was going. They were coming off the back of an absolute blinder of a W-League season, where enough players to fill more two teams shone technically ... 6 Jun 2011
Pros and Cons of the 1- 4-3-3 System of Play

Pros and Cons of the 1- 4-3-3 System of Play

The National Curriculum is much more than a system of play. It is method of teaching modern football and moves us away from "wrestle ball" and "kick and chase". The NC has mandated that all our youth representative teams play the 1-4-3-3 system. The system has been chosen as the best way to ... 6 Jun 2011
Can You Buy The A-League Title?

Can You Buy The A-League Title?

"You can't win anything with kids", Alan Hansen once claimed, only for Sir Alex Ferguson's young Manchester United side to prove him wrong in 1996 by taking out the FA Cup and the English Premier League. That said, Manchester United teams of late have favoured spending and good recruitment over ... 6 Jun 2011
STAR STUNTED

STAR STUNTED

They were unstoppable last season. They shot out of the gates and quickly turned heads to lead the premiership race. No it's not the Roar I refer to, rather Perth Glory. For five weeks last season the Roars eventually dominant season was over shadowed by the all conquering star studded ... 4 Jun 2011
Football, Frank and the Playboy Bunny

Football, Frank and the Playboy Bunny

Right now I'm thinking I should have paid more attention during those high school commerce classes. For the life of me I can't remember which economist it was who said the quickest route to fiscal nirvana was tapping up the first billionaire who crossed your path? Come to think of it, maybe it ... 1 Jun 2011
Midweek marathon mars A-League draw

Midweek marathon mars A-League draw

There's a lot to like about the 2011/12 A-League draw - the later start avoiding the AFL and NRL finals, the grand final rematch on the opening day of the season, blockbuster features spread across the opening few rounds, regional visits, more consistent timeslots, and midweek matches dramaticall... 31 May 2011
One Night at Wembley

One Night at Wembley

Dear David Meacock We are pleased to inform you that as a result of the lottery process, your application with the customer reference number: 504550 for the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 has been successful. *Expletives* So began my Wembley 2011 sojourn - a ... 31 May 2011
Maradona magic to inspire UAE?

Maradona magic to inspire UAE?

When David Beckham moved to LA Galaxy in early 2007 the move was seen by many as giving the MLS some much needed credibility and the league has only continued to grow and attract big names from that time. Finding a bigger name or "brand" than Beckham isn't easy, but there is one man who ... 24 May 2011
FFA scores own goal in Victoria

FFA scores own goal in Victoria

Sometimes you have to wonder whether Football Federation Australia truly understands the football culture it needs to help develop. Perhaps they're so consumed by making the game commercially viable in such a challenging climate, that they cannot see the bigger picture. Their decision to ... 19 May 2011
What's the point of the State League?

What's the point of the State League?

If you were asked the question, how would you describe your local state league's premier division? Is it a production line of future A-League stars? Does it provide you with the assurance of quality football all year round? Do you even know it exists? In Western Australia, we ... 17 May 2011
Victim of invective

Victim of invective

So there we have it. When referee Kovalenko Valentin blew his whistle to end Melbourne Victory's clash against Jeju United it not only brought to an end our season but it also brought an end to the illustrious career of Kevin Muscat. It also left me wondering whom the haters were going to hate ... 16 May 2011
The kids are alright

The kids are alright

It was hoped it would provide a pathway for young footballers to progress to professional football but the National Youth League has out performed all expectations becoming more of a conveyer belt for producing and nurturing talent. When it was announced that the 2008-2009 Hyundai A-League ... 13 May 2011
Can the FFA win you back?

Can the FFA win you back?

The new issue of FourFourTwo magazine won't be well received at Football Federation Australia offices - and I'm not referring to the Tim Cahill-loving Everton sympathisers bemoaning the cover that proclaims the rise of 'New Liverpool'. I am, of course, referring to the 2011 Fan Census results, ... 12 May 2011

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