AT the Sydney golf course I frequent is a poster advertising the club’s tuition facilities. Strewn across the top of the poster is the famous Arnold Palmer quote: “The more I practise, the luckier I get”.
Luck is a part of sport, but it has also been described as what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Pim Verbeek and his Socceroo team seem to have been branded by many as the Australian sporting version of being told by a confused Charlize Theron during a fire drill that she “doesn’t want to die a virgin”.
In the wake of Australia beating Uzbekistan, elation of nearing a second consecutive World Cup finals and only the third in the history of Australian football, turned back to those negative muses. The Socceroos rode their luck during qualification; they need to be more entertaining; they’ll struggle against stronger opponents; Verbeek hasn’t got the experience to manage on the world stage.
“I have the idea that the glass is more half-empty here in Australia,” snapped Verbeek after the game this week. What a hugely germane comment that was. One that can be widely applied to the attitude of Australians to almost every sport we partake in.
There seems to be this perception that the Socceroos have stumbled their way through qualification. Bahrain away was fortunate, no doubt, but it is not worth dwelling on. We got the result. Apparently Japan was too negative and Uzbekistan this week wasn’t convincing enough. What matters is played five, won four, 13 points and not a single goal shipped.
However believing in luck rather than judgment isn’t confined to Australia’s qualification. After leading England to a fifth qualifier win in five, Fabio Capello was told by a visiting Ukranian journalist that “you win because you are lucky”.
When anointed into the Socceroos hotseat over a year ago, the target set by the FFA for Verbeek was fairly clear: qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
After the debacle of the 2007 Asian Cup, there was hesitancy by some fans and media outlets towards qualifying through Asian for the first time. It was a tall task apparently.
However, despite the stellar achievements to date, [bizarrely] questions still remain around Verbeek and his team’s abilities. Ignorance from fans is a common global disease, but it is more worrying when a respected Australian pundit says we need to source an internationally experienced coach before the World Cup. Apparently Pim is good in Asia, but hasn’t proven himself on the world stage. He’s earned the right to prove himself at the World Cup.
Then there is the Guus Hiddink talk. Guus was and is a great manager. One of the best at taking average nations to above average achievements. Unfortunately Guus is a rare commodity. Even the riches at Chelsea are struggling to retain his much coveted services. He made the World Cup through the penalty lottery, you need luck there too. Now he no longer manages Australia, move on.
However Guus is a good yard stick for quashing the next negative suggestion. Entertainment versus results. Do you think that Guus was encouraging his players to entertain when qualifying against Uruguay in 2005? “Harry, you’re playing well, but throw in a few lollipops for the punters will you.”
Qualification this time won’t be through a dramatic penalty shoot-out. It is likely to be a far less spectacular event. But it will be the most convincing Australian World Cup qualification ever. But let me guess, qualifying with such gusto through Asia is boring – bring back the South Americans they’ll say.
The autopsy on South Africa seems to have taken place while our journey is still alive and kicking. Many think we’ll get embarrassed at the showpiece event next year. I guess we’ll just have to hope Pim, clad in four leaf clovers and rabbit feet, can fluke another few results.
Luck is a part of sport, but it has also been described as what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Pim Verbeek and his Socceroo team seem to have been branded by many as the Australian sporting version of being told by a confused Charlize Theron during a fire drill that she “doesn’t want to die a virgin”.
In the wake of Australia beating Uzbekistan, elation of nearing a second consecutive World Cup finals and only the third in the history of Australian football, turned back to those negative muses. The Socceroos rode their luck during qualification; they need to be more entertaining; they’ll struggle against stronger opponents; Verbeek hasn’t got the experience to manage on the world stage.
“I have the idea that the glass is more half-empty here in Australia,” snapped Verbeek after the game this week. What a hugely germane comment that was. One that can be widely applied to the attitude of Australians to almost every sport we partake in.
There seems to be this perception that the Socceroos have stumbled their way through qualification. Bahrain away was fortunate, no doubt, but it is not worth dwelling on. We got the result. Apparently Japan was too negative and Uzbekistan this week wasn’t convincing enough. What matters is played five, won four, 13 points and not a single goal shipped.
However believing in luck rather than judgment isn’t confined to Australia’s qualification. After leading England to a fifth qualifier win in five, Fabio Capello was told by a visiting Ukranian journalist that “you win because you are lucky”.
When anointed into the Socceroos hotseat over a year ago, the target set by the FFA for Verbeek was fairly clear: qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
After the debacle of the 2007 Asian Cup, there was hesitancy by some fans and media outlets towards qualifying through Asian for the first time. It was a tall task apparently.
However, despite the stellar achievements to date, [bizarrely] questions still remain around Verbeek and his team’s abilities. Ignorance from fans is a common global disease, but it is more worrying when a respected Australian pundit says we need to source an internationally experienced coach before the World Cup. Apparently Pim is good in Asia, but hasn’t proven himself on the world stage. He’s earned the right to prove himself at the World Cup.
Then there is the Guus Hiddink talk. Guus was and is a great manager. One of the best at taking average nations to above average achievements. Unfortunately Guus is a rare commodity. Even the riches at Chelsea are struggling to retain his much coveted services. He made the World Cup through the penalty lottery, you need luck there too. Now he no longer manages Australia, move on.
However Guus is a good yard stick for quashing the next negative suggestion. Entertainment versus results. Do you think that Guus was encouraging his players to entertain when qualifying against Uruguay in 2005? “Harry, you’re playing well, but throw in a few lollipops for the punters will you.”
Qualification this time won’t be through a dramatic penalty shoot-out. It is likely to be a far less spectacular event. But it will be the most convincing Australian World Cup qualification ever. But let me guess, qualifying with such gusto through Asia is boring – bring back the South Americans they’ll say.
The autopsy on South Africa seems to have taken place while our journey is still alive and kicking. Many think we’ll get embarrassed at the showpiece event next year. I guess we’ll just have to hope Pim, clad in four leaf clovers and rabbit feet, can fluke another few results.
.jpg&h=115&w=225&c=1&s=1)
