EXCLUSIVE: Asian based ex-Socceroo striker Scott Ollerenshaw says Australia's reputation as an Asian superpower continues to give our sides a mental advantage, despite the difficult climatic conditions.
“I’ve no doubt that there is a fear factor from both Asian club teams and national teams when it comes to Australia,” Ollerenshaw tells au.fourfourtwo.com from Sabah, Malaysia, where he is based.
“They know we’re physically strong and mentally tough. On top of this they see our top players playing in Europe every week which creates an inferiority complex.
“Twenty years ago we had this inferiority complex but nowadays we have our own Aussie style and we no longer rely on being organised and hoping for the best.
"We combine quality football with mental toughness and physical strength. I think this is fantastic,” said Ollerenshaw, an ex-Wallsall forward.
Ollerenshaw is well placed to judge the Asian football mentality. The 18-times capped Socceroo, now 40, last played for the national team in 1989 but has spent much of the last 13 years in Malaysia.
“A lot of Asian teams play beautiful short-passing football,” he notes, “but there is no end product. Their finishing is woeful whereas we don’t need as many chances as the Asian teams to score as our strikers are collectively more clinical.”
Wednesday's World Cup qualifier between the Socceroos and China would seem to bear this out. A missed penalty in the dying seconds and a timid approach by the Chinese against a weakened Socceroos stood as a good example of this pervading mentality.
Ollerenshaw is a keen follower of both Asian and Aussie club football. And, along with Aussie media personality Andy Paschalidis, he is running the inaugural 2008 Borneo Football Cup to encourage more grassroots Aussie players to have a kick in Asia.
The tournament – which mixes fun and football on the island of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - is open to juniors, womens and veterans in the Over35 category. www.borneofootballcup.com has details.
“They know we’re physically strong and mentally tough. On top of this they see our top players playing in Europe every week which creates an inferiority complex.
“Twenty years ago we had this inferiority complex but nowadays we have our own Aussie style and we no longer rely on being organised and hoping for the best.
"We combine quality football with mental toughness and physical strength. I think this is fantastic,” said Ollerenshaw, an ex-Wallsall forward.
Ollerenshaw is well placed to judge the Asian football mentality. The 18-times capped Socceroo, now 40, last played for the national team in 1989 but has spent much of the last 13 years in Malaysia.
“A lot of Asian teams play beautiful short-passing football,” he notes, “but there is no end product. Their finishing is woeful whereas we don’t need as many chances as the Asian teams to score as our strikers are collectively more clinical.”
Wednesday's World Cup qualifier between the Socceroos and China would seem to bear this out. A missed penalty in the dying seconds and a timid approach by the Chinese against a weakened Socceroos stood as a good example of this pervading mentality.
Ollerenshaw is a keen follower of both Asian and Aussie club football. And, along with Aussie media personality Andy Paschalidis, he is running the inaugural 2008 Borneo Football Cup to encourage more grassroots Aussie players to have a kick in Asia.
The tournament – which mixes fun and football on the island of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - is open to juniors, womens and veterans in the Over35 category. www.borneofootballcup.com has details.
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