Sunday, August 29, 2010

Holger What Now!

The Australian national football team is in crisis. And not a pretend crisis like the news throws at you like a teenage kid who has hot faeces wrapped in a newspaper aimed at the side of your head.

No. This crisis is real. It’s the first real one since the 1997 Iran game. With cries for a Revolution by some journalists and ex-players trying to “junta”  Harry Kewell out of the team  and Mark Bresciano stating that he threatened to leave the World Cup after being dumped from the first game against Germany. New boss Holger Osieck has walked into the Socceroos at their most vulnerable and in needing of a big group hug

The biggest challenge for Holger What Now! Is that he has to re-generate a group of players who have been part of the Socceroos most successful team ever. They qualified for two consecutive World Cups and made it out of the group stage. Four years ago the Socceroos were Australia’s favourite national team. There last minute goal scoring exploits against Japan and Croatia and the subsequent last minute heartbreak against the Italians led to a whole bunch of Aussies falling in love with the World Game even if it was and will be a bandwagon quadrennial experience.

The South Africa World Cup experience will be and has been viewed as a failure and with the recriminations starting to be public the finger pointing and the blame game as everyone has seen and heard with the Kewell /Slate -gate debacle is threatening to ruin the Socceroos goodwill and make them out to be a bunch of overpaid, diva, cry babies.

Verbeek the junior World Cup coach copped the brunt of it. Rightly accused of negative tactics, of being too close to his player’s and making daft player decisions has led to Pim suffering the worst accusation of all: the famous label un-Australian. Weird especially that his ancestors helped with the discovery of Australia.

The decision to regenerate the so called golden generation  with players who have yet to dominate their own leagues and have failed to even make first team squads in Europe with regularity is going to be pretty, pretty tough to do.

Smells like no teen spirit
New German coach Holger Osieck will be no stranger to the German concept that is called “jugendgeist” (teen spirit, or spirit of youth). Even though the decision by Holger Osieck to name a similar squad that competed in South Africa shows that the German coach is singing Evolution not Revolution. Quite simply the Socceroos  wether Messrs Slater or Cockerill like it or not the Socceroos will still need the likes of Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton, Harry Kewell, Lucas Neil, Jason Culina, and Mark Schwarzer around the Socceroos squad for the next four years to make sure the Socceroos qualify for the their third World Cup. And then after the World Cup comes around those same players that helped get us to Brazil 2010 should be expected to be punted and bunted out of the team, for any young player that is coming through. That should be the coach’s talk to all those in their 30’s.

It’s not even worth listing potential replacements for these players because they are not there yet. 

A lot can happen in four years, players can make the step up but it will not be a quick fix. Already anytime a young  player shows promise they are hyped up as the next Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill or Mark Viduka. Before these players and other members of the golden generation made their name in Europe only a couple of players held any reverence or served as an inspiration to those who were to follow in their footsteps save for say  Johnny Warren, Craig Johnson, Joe Marston and  a few more. Now there are plenty of Heroes to follow and be inspired by but that pressure could be too much. Being termed the next “whatever” must surely rankle with your individuality and identify.

Getting to know Holger
So what do we know about Holger Osieck? I asked the German blogger from The Offside website: http://bundesliga.theoffside.com/ Jan Duldrup and he had some quite unflattering statements about the 1990 World Cup winning assistant  German coach. Particularly striking was the comment that in Germany he is not considered good enough to get a job even in the third division of German football.

“I really mostly remember him for being Franz Beckenbauer's assistant during the 1990 World Cup. I was a little kid and had a sticker album with World Cup stickers from chocolate bars and there was a Holger Osieck sticker”, Jan replied when I asked who the hell is Holger?
Speaking about his credential in coaching Jan said:

“Though I later read that he was only there because they needed someone with a coaching license, since Beckenbauer didn't have one. So I'm not sure how much of that World Cup triumph he really masterminded - if at all”.

“His Bundesliga coaching career was completely unremarkable. He isn't a name that is ever discussed when a club in the top three divisions is looking for a new coach either. I couldn't tell you what his football philosophy is and what brand of football his teams play”.
Jan finished off the critique saying that:

“ He's travelled the globe and spent time with FIFA. He could have grown into a very good coach without anyone in his homeland noticing. At the end, I presume the Australian FA did some research before hiring him and know what they are doing. Unless they just signed the next best German coach, feeling it was the thing to do after the World Cup in South Africa”

So it’s never a dull time being a Socceroos fan and as is the true Aussie way of giving someone a fair go let’s see what this German who no-one has ever heard of can do before we start throwing in the knives, there seems to be too much of that going on already.

QANTAS SOCCEROOS SQUAD – Tuesday 24 August 2010

Player
Club, Country
A-International matches (goals)
Michael BEAUCHAMP
Melbourne Heart, Australia
22 (1)
Nathan BURNS
AEK Athens FC , Greece
2 (0)
Tim CAHILL
Everton, England
42 (21)
David CARNEY
FC Twente , Netherlands
28 (3)
Jason CULINA
Gold Coast United, Australia
52 (1)
Brett EMERTON
Blackburn Rovers, England
75 (17)
Adam FEDERICI (gk)
Reading FC , England
2 (0)
Richard GARCIA
Hull City FC , England
10 (0)
Brett HOLMAN
AZ Alkmaar , Netherlands
35 (4)
Mile JEDINAK
Genclerbirligi SK , Turkey
13 (0)
Josh KENNEDY
Nagoya Grampus , Japan
22 (7)
Harry KEWELL
Galatasaray SK , Turkey
46 (13)
Scott MCDONALD
Middlesbrough FC , England
16 (0)
Lucas NEILL
Galatasaray SK , Turkey
60 (0)
Jade NORTH
Tromsø IL , Norway
29 (0)
Mark SCHWARZER (gk)
Fulham FC, England
79 (0)
Matthew SPIRANOVIC
Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan
4 (0)
Carl VALERI
U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, Italy
26 (0)
Dario VIDOSIC
FC Nurnberg, Germany
8 (1)
Luke WILKSHIRE
FK Dinamo Moscow, Russia
46 (2)


Upcoming Match Details 

Switzerland v Qantas Socceroos
3 September 2010
Kick-off 8:15pm CEST (4:15am AEST, 3:45am ACST, 2:15am AWST)
AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland

For more information, please visit www.football.ch

Poland v Qantas Socceroos
7 September 2010
Kick-off 8:30pm CEST (4:30am AEST, 4:00am ACST, 2:30am AWST)
Wisla Krakow Stadium, Krakow, Poland

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Kofi Danning to face the Roar: Feels Good, Strong, Confident

Yesterday I was at Sydney FC training were I spoke to cult hero Kofi Danning. It was after they finished training and lunch and before the interview started and he seemed upset that his team had lost twice in the four on four games they played. You can tell from the way he plays he has a strong competitive streak but meeting him up close it's even stronger.

I was there so I could interview him for the One Year Anniversary Edition of  Half Time Heroes it's out next week.

So after finding out that Alex Brosque is injured today  it was interesting to read that Sydney FC boss Lavicka says that Danning will start: the match against Brisbane Roar this weekend. Sydney FC only have a point to show after a draw and a loss in their first two games of the season.

Reading from the World Game website Lavicka says:

"Kofi Danning is ready to start and help the team with success. He had a long term injury but he's back and he's trained well. He played some games during the pre-season and has picked up confidence ... he will be okay."

Yesterday when I asked Danning how he was feeling he said:

"I would say I’m back to full fitness, I feel good, I feel strong, I feel confident"

When I asked Danning if the reason he had started on the on bench the first two games was because the coach wanted to ease him into the team after such a long layoff he had this to say (This was before the Brosque injury had ruled the Sydney striker out of the Brisbane game):

"Yes of course, it’s been a long preparation just to get back playing. I think coming off the bench is good for me at the moment, getting used to everything again, once I’m really confident, once there are opportunities to play a full game the coach will put me on."

With Brosque and Bridge out it's a great opportunity for the young Ghanaian born Aussie. All of the Sydney FC fans hope Kofi comes through his first full game without a hitch and a winning goal would be a great bonus. 

For the full Kofi Danning interview go to  Half Time Heroes  on Friday for the One Year Anniversary Edition.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Aussies Abroad and the Cult of Youth

  Did You Know 135 Aussies play Overseas?
Damian Davies does a monthly update on all the Aussies Abroad that you can find on Half Time Heroes. http://halftimeheroes.com.au/aussies-abroad/players/
And taking a look at the 135 Aussies playing overseas I see a lot of young players. Of the 135 Aussies abroad, 69 players are under 23 years old and 32 players are under  20 years of age, Some of the young Aussies are playing in clubs like Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Valencia, Panathinaikos, and  Manchester United just to name a few.


After that Socceroos showing in Slovenia last week let’s hope some of these young players can break through into their respective clubs because we are going to need them.    

SURNAME
FIRST
Age
CLUB
COUNTRY
POSITION
Jacob
Liam
15
Manchester United (Yth)
England
Goalkeeper
Davies
Julius Doe
15
Bayern Munich (Youth)
Germany
Midfielder
Carter
Anthony
15
Vicenza Calcio (Youth)
Italy
Baird
Alex
16
Newcastle United (Youth)
England
Goalkeeper
D’Arcy
Aidan
17
Huddersfield Town (Yth)
England
Defender
Tombides
Dylan
17
West Ham (Youth)
England
Striker
Terezakis
Nick
17
Hellas Verona (Youth)
Italy
Midfielder
Lambadaridis
George
18
Club Brugge (Youth)
Belgium
Midfielder
Bulut
Kerem
18
FK Mlada Boleslav
Repub.
Striker
Fletcher
Matthew
18
Sunderland (Youth)
England
Striker
Inman
Bradden
18
Newcastle United (Youth)
England
Midfielder
Parish
Cameron
18
Preston North End (Youth)
England
Midfielder
Wright
Bailey
18
Preston North End (Youth)
England
Defender
Centofanti
Adam
18
Bassano Calcio (Youth)
Italy
Midfielder
Modaffari
Nick
18
Vicenza Calcio (Youth)
Italy
Defender
Ucchino
Adrian
18
Frosinone (Youth)
Italy
Midfielder
Vartaci
Chris
18
Bassano Calcio (Youth)
Italy
Oar
Tommy
18
FC Utrecht (Europa)
Netherlands
Striker
Markelis
Theo
18
Valencia (Youth)
Spain
Midfielder
McGrath
Brent
19
Brondby IF (Europa)
Denmark
Striker
Austin
Mitchell
19
Rotherham United
England
Midfielder
Bouzanis
Dean
19
Liverpool
England
Goalkeeper
Du Chattelier
Gazet
19
Portsmouth
England
Striker
Ireland
Daniel
19
Coventry City
England
Goalkeeper
Meehan
Patrick
19
Sheffield Wednesday (Yth
England
Midfielder
Watts
Jack
19
Ilkeston Town
England
Striker
Stambolziev
Robert
19
Panathinaikos (Youth)
Greece
Striker
Marafioti
Domenico
19
Laigueglia
Italy
Striker
Maselli
Stephen
19
Vicenza Calcio (Youth)
Italy
Midfielder
Stella
Francesco
19
A.C. Siena (Youth)
Italy
Midfielder
Davidson
Jason
19
Pacos de Ferreira
Portugal
Defender
McGowan
Dylan
19
Hearts
Scotland
Defender
Hatzimouratis
Dimitri
20
Alki Larnaca
Cyprus
Midfielder
Jones
Cameron
20
Bromsgrove Rovers
England
Striker
McEntegart
Michael
20
Hemel Hampstead Town
England
Goalkeeper
Mooy
Aaron
20
Bolton
England
Midfielder
Giannou
Apostolis
20
AO Kavala
Greece
Midfielder
Esposito
Christian
20
Novara
Italy
Striker
Spano
Riccardo
20
ASD Athletico Torino
Italy
Striker
McGowan
Ryan
20
Hearts
Scotland
Midfielder
Cisak
Alex
21
Accrington Stanley
England
Goalkeeper
Herd
Chris
21
Aston Villa (Europa)
England
Midfielder
Lowry
Shane
21
Aston Villa (Europa)
England
Defender
Langerak
Mitchell
21
Borussia Dortmund (Euro.)
Germany
Goalkeeper
Govas
Andreas
21
AO Kavala
Greece
Midfielder
Tomaras
Christos
21
AEP Kozanis
Greece
Striker
Bazi
Andrew
21
Fylkir (Europa)
Iceland
Goalkeeper
Holland
James
21
AZ Alkmaar (Europa)
Netherlands
Midfielder
Sarota
Adam
21
FC Utrecht (Europa)
Netherlands
Midfielder
Zullo
Michael
21
FC Utrecht (Europa)
Netherlands
Striker
Jovanovic
Aleksandar
21
Novi Sad
Serbia
Midfielder
Forsberg
Xavier
21
Ottawa Fury
USA
Defender
Georgievski
Daniel
22
NK Medimurje
Croatia
Defender
Meredith
James
22
York City
England
Midfielder
Wesolowski
James
22
Peterborough
England
Midfielder
Williams
Rhys
22
Middlesborough
England
Defender
Burns
Nathan
22
AEK Athens (Europa)
Greece
Striker
Spiranovic
Matthew
22
Urawa Reds
Japan
Defender
Downey
James
22
Sparta Rotterdam
Netherlands
Midfielder
Park
Matthew
22
Hearts
Scotland
Midfielder
Troisi
James
22
Kayserispor
Turkey
Striker
Rukavytsya
Nikita
23
Hertha Berlin
Germany
Striker
Vidosic
Dario
23
FC Nurnberg
Germany
Striker
Gaitatzis
Harris
23
Panserraiokos
Greece
Midfielder
O’Hare
Chris
23
Carrick Rangers
N.Ireland
Striker
Subara
Goran
23
Gombak United
Singapore
Midfielder
Djite
Bruce
23
Genclerbirligi
Turkey
Striker
Gulum
Ersan
23
Besiktas
Turkey
Defender
Patterson-Sewell
Caleb
23
Miami FC
USA
Goalkeeper