Australia V. Chile

[Canard]

That match plus the others played so far put our complaints about NRL officials in perspective.

 

[Canard]

Cletus is right. Aussies were poor against a mediocre opposition. In the last 20 minutes, the Aussies didn't even play like they wanted to win. WQeren't even able to keep possession, weren't pressuring the opponents, and anytime they did get the ball, gave it away immediately. Can't pass properly, there's no movement off the ball, can't create space, they were just standing around hoping for an own goal from Chile. Got what they deserved.

What game did you watch???

 

[Danish]

Don't generalise. Our best tonight (Leckie) started in the A-L and the solid Spiranovic plays in it now.

started in the A league, yes. As in way too good for it and plays elsewhere now. The people who belong in the A League, like Milligan, are complete plodders.

It's no coincidence that the socceroos slide over the last few years is directly compatible with an increase in the amount of A league players featuring in the squad. I know the media likes to push this as a good thing but all it really means is that we are not producing as many class players anymore.

Honestly I think the A League is bad for the socceroos. Too many talented kids happy to aim for a career in Oz first and stunting their development instead of heading O/S as early as possible

 

[Raiders_Premiers]

That was a very good performance against what is regarded as one of the best Chilean sides ever. We punched well above our weight and certainly didn't embarrass ourselves - unfortunately the talent simply isn't there at present.

It's amazing to look back at the '06 Squad.

Premier League players:

Schwarzer
Neill
Moore
Cahill
Emerton
Skoko
Viduka
Kewell
Lazaridis

Serie A:

Grella
Bresciano
Kalac

La Liga:

Aloisi

Wind the clock forward and you have 2 - just two - players (Jedinak and Langerak, who's only a backup) playing in one of the big 4 leagues.

 

[Raiders_Premiers]

started in the A league, yes. As in way too good for it and plays elsewhere now. The people who belong in the A League, like Milligan, are complete plodders.

It's no coincidence that the socceroos slide over the last few years is directly compatible with an increase in the amount of A league players featuring in the squad. I know the media likes to push this as a good thing but all it really means is that we are not producing as many class players anymore.

Honestly I think the A League is bad for the socceroos. Too many talented kids happy to aim for a career in Oz first and stunting their development instead of heading O/S as early as possible

A lot of people in Australian football put that down to moving away from the ethnic ties/lines and towards a more unified, national development approach.

I think with the method FFA have gone with there was always bound to be a vacuum of talent of sorts, which is what we're seeing at the moment.

Plenty of people who are actually very involved in the game (coaching, developed, etc) will tell you that the A-League has now created at least a reliable pathway so players don't get lost in system and vanish off the face of the earth.

It happened to a few very talented players when I was growing up playing who were around my age, maybe could've been prevented if the A-League was in place/solidly established.

 

[Danish]

A lot of people in Australian football put that down to moving away from the ethnic ties/lines and towards a more unified, national development approach.

I think with the method FFA have gone with there was always bound to be a vacuum of talent of sorts, which is what we're seeing at the moment.

Plenty of people who are actually very involved in the game (coaching, developed, etc) will tell you that the A-League has now created at least a reliable pathway so players don't get lost in system and vanish off the face of the earth.

It happened to a few very talented players when I was growing up playing who were around my age, maybe could've been prevented if the A-League was in place/solidly established.

That's probably true too.

Perhaps if more A League clubs can align themselves with euro clubs like Melbourne City those development paths would be even more pronounced?

Thinking about it more I'm sure the modern helicopter parent is probably more to do with it really. Not too many parents play would be willing to ship their 15-16 year old off overseas and out of their control.

 

[Raiders_Premiers]

Yeah that's definitely a good idea and much needed. Man City have seen the potential for it so hopefully it's a catalyst for a few more to make the leap and connect with Aussie clubs.

European clubs have training/scouting partnerships with smaller clubs all around the world, it's just gotta be worthwhile for them I guess to agree to such a relationship. IMO that can only come from kids being taught the right way from a young age all the way through, which is going to take an age to not only fully implement but to bear fruits.

Having seen first hand some of the kids these days in the more advanced and elite teams, I must say as a whole what they're learning and the way they're learning is miles above anything what myself and others were doing at the same age.

 

[CC_Roosters]

What I saw was a Chile side who got 2-0 up and took their foot off peddle. Dont understand the babble in the media making it all out to be a positive. What is clear is the aleague players are so far behind its not funny

 

[Cletus]

What I saw was a Chile side who got 2-0 up and took their foot off peddle. Dont understand the babble in the media making it all out to be a positive. What is clear is the aleague players are so far behind its not funny

Yep, it was like the Chilean players started thinking about their next bitching haircut.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

I'm not surprised a lot of Australians liked that performance. They have very low standards and understanding of this game.

 

[some11]

Soccer isn't a sport for Australia because we don't like using gutless princess tactics to win a game.

Not one dive from us that entire game. Plenty from Chile.

We need to get Ennis on the team.

 

[Canard]

started in the A league, yes. As in way too good for it and plays elsewhere now. The people who belong in the A League, like Milligan, are complete plodders.

It's no coincidence that the socceroos slide over the last few years is directly compatible with an increase in the amount of A league players featuring in the squad. I know the media likes to push this as a good thing but all it really means is that we are not producing as many class players anymore.

Honestly I think the A League is bad for the socceroos. Too many talented kids happy to aim for a career in Oz first and stunting their development instead of heading O/S as early as possible

I think your drawing conclusions that are based on gut feel. How do we explain all those years prior to 06?

Australia had a once in a generation team in 06, A-League or not these guys were not just good but stars at their respective top level clubs. This is more like the level Australia realistically should be on a world scale.

I don't think any player aims for the A-League only, there is a shitload of young kids trialling for overseas clubs all the time, the A-League is more of a fallback position.

 

[hellteam]

When you consider that the average age of the team that finished qualifying (vs Iraq) was 31, and the average age of the team that played this morning was 24, it's a damn good effort if you ask me. Massive generation change.

Australia just isn't going to be a world powerhouse at football whilst league/union/and afl are around. At the moment nearly all the best athletes go towards these sports, of course in the next generation that will change slightly but will never be close to 100 percent like most the world leaders.

I don't think it's out the realms of possibility that by next world cup we will be ranked 25/30 in the world, and on the way up. Have to remember that we were also missing Kruse this morning.

Chile did take the foot off the pedal slightly but they were stressing, you could see it in their players/coaches.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

tleast it was exciting. not like that f**kn germany game 4 years ago.

timmy rules.

dunno about the keeper didnt look that confident.

we would have been lucky to get a dew. thought we had got it when bresciano had his chance though.


we need to develop a striker of real quality

 

[Big Sam]

started in the A league, yes. As in way too good for it and plays elsewhere now. The people who belong in the A League, like Milligan, are complete plodders.

It's no coincidence that the socceroos slide over the last few years is directly compatible with an increase in the amount of A league players featuring in the squad. I know the media likes to push this as a good thing but all it really means is that we are not producing as many class players anymore.

Honestly I think the A League is bad for the socceroos. Too many talented kids happy to aim for a career in Oz first and stunting their development instead of heading O/S as early as possible

Not a clue. Maybe if you watched more frequently than once every four years, you'd have some idea.

 

[Misanthrope]

Don't generalise. Our best tonight (Leckie) started in the A-L and the solid Spiranovic plays in it now.

Agreed. It wasn't so long ago that Leckie was in the A-League, and it's not like he was such a dominant force that he looked out of place in it. Danish will say that he did, but I doubt Danish watches much A-League.

What game did you watch???

He didn't ;-)

started in the A league, yes. As in way too good for it and plays elsewhere now. The people who belong in the A League, like Milligan, are complete plodders.

It's no coincidence that the socceroos slide over the last few years is directly compatible with an increase in the amount of A league players featuring in the squad. I know the media likes to push this as a good thing but all it really means is that we are not producing as many class players anymore.

Honestly I think the A League is bad for the socceroos. Too many talented kids happy to aim for a career in Oz first and stunting their development instead of heading O/S as early as possible

What a stupid argument. It's the A-League's fault that, overall, there are less Australians playing abroad in top flight leagues than there were in 2006?

The A-League's standard in the past few years has bested anything the previous model meted out. You've been spoiled by a golden generation where our entire squad could be European top flight based, and you're overlooking the damage that the death of the NSL and the need for a replacement did to development. There were 2-3 years there where Australian based players were playing well below standard just to get game time, and that gulf takes time to close.

If you followed the A-League closely at all (or its predecessor) you'd know that it's rare for players to choose to stay in the A-League any longer than is absolutely necessary. Almost universally, they take the very first offer for European or Asian club football they get and they piss off. I'd struggle to think of a young player that chose to stay in Australia to play his club football, in fact.

Ange chose a side with a lot of A-League players because he knows them, and that knowledge converted into a game plan that very nearly secured us a point this morning against opposition we weren't given a snowball's chance in hell against.

More than that, he was forced to choose A-League players because our elder statesmen are either retiring or struggling in fringe leagues, and our next generation - these A-League guys you rubbish - have not yet made that leap abroad.

Of the A-League guys represented last night, Ivan Franjic set up our only goal; Matthew Spiranovic is a fairly recent return who has played European football and acquitted himself well; Mark Milligan has played in Asia and was far from our worst; and James Troisi is shit but has also fairly recently returned from a lengthy spell in Turkey.

Hardly a 'bunch of nuffies dragging us down'.

And for the record, Leckie was far from 'too good for the A-League'. He was one of many promising young talents who came through and looked good at club level. He wasn't tearing opposition lineup's apart.

Of course he's better for his time abroad in a higher standard league, but we wouldn't have the Leckie's, Oar's, Rogic's, Halloran's, Vidosic's, and Ryan's if it weren't for the A-League putting them out there for the world to see and helping them get their start in professional football.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

I'm 38 and haven't played soccer for 2 years but would run rings around most of these nuffies in the Australian team, they're pathetic players.

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm 38 and haven't played soccer for 2 years but would run rings around most of these nuffies in the Australian team, they're pathetic players.

You're also an adult virgin and panty-sniffer.

 

[Big Sam]

Amazing the amount of morons who thought we were supposed to beat Chile.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Personally I didn't think they should have beaten them. I know they're rubbish.
I don't hink anyone actually thought Aussie had a chance. But some delusional idiots think they played well.