OT: Association Football

[Eelementary]

I think in terms of creativity and flowing soccer, that was the best we’ve played in years. We overloaded the backs for obvious reasons and Duke isn’t a solo forward and even then was poor. No we didn’t generate any chances and the goal was luck but the effort and attitude with and off ball was good.
We’re just really really far behind Japan. Who I think outside tournament play are in top dozen teams in world. They are very strong across the park

I think the men's national side has been bereft of individual skill for a decade now, which is a big issue.

And our finishing abilities are well below world standards.

As I said - we're tenacious, and we fight, but we are so far behind our competitors, it's scary.

 

[hindy111]

I think the men's national side has been bereft of individual skill for a decade now, which is a big issue.

And our finishing abilities are well below world standards.

As I said - we're tenacious, and we fight, but we are so far behind our competitors, it's scary.

Agree. I can't wat it he A-League. The quality is so poor. It would be great to have a league where it was as strong as say the English championship.

 

[Eelementary]

Agree. I can't wat it he A-League. The quality is so poor. It would be great to have a league where it was as strong as say the English championship.

I kept hoping we would improve our quality, with all the imports we've brought to the A-League.

I'm still waiting.

 

[the phantom menace]

Yep, unfortunately A-League has been pretty gash quality for two decades now, unless you can get excited about any of the confected "rivalries" between the franchises.

 

[Eelementary]

Yep, unfortunately A-League has been pretty gash quality for two decades now, unless you can get excited about any of the confected "rivalries" between the franchises.

It's a real shame.

We can certainly produce quality - Cahill, Kewell, Neill, Schwarzer, and Viduka were all genuinely world-class players.

But our national team is now filled with A-League players - a competition that is barely above park football standard -, and it shows.

What is the answer?

I honestly don't know.

I've thought for a long time that we need to overhaul how we coach football at grassroots level; while it is a team sport, we need to promote individual flair, and skill.

My favourite Socceroo recent times was Tom Rogic - he had some really silly dribbling, and was a pretty decent shooter of the ball.

It's no surprise that Rogic had a background in futsal, where individual skill is highly regarded.

The Socceroos seem to want to play a style that does not suit us - using our keeper to deliver the ball long, pressing the middle third, and using our wingers to cross the ball into the box.

I reckon we should start focussing more on physicality, and aggression, while promoting individual skill at lower levels of the sport.

 

[84 Baby]

I think the men's national side has been bereft of individual skill for a decade now, which is a big issue.

And our finishing abilities are well below world standards.

As I said - we're tenacious, and we fight, but we are so far behind our competitors, it's scary.

Agree. I can't wat it he A-League. The quality is so poor. It would be great to have a league where it was as strong as say the English championship.

We’re sort of victim of our geography. I think it’ll happen in other sports too if not already. We don’t/can’t play enough games more broadly because travel makes it infeasible. Even interstate is a fair distance. So we don’t get different ideas and styles regularly

 

[84 Baby]

The Socceroos seem to want to play a style that does not suit us - using our keeper to deliver the ball long, pressing the middle third, and using our wingers to cross the ball into the box.

The keeper long ball is only under pressure otherwise we do try to play it out. The problem was we’d try to control it through the backs in the middle third but it was so slow/placid that the gaps never appeared. Which meant because we don’t have anyone really able to beat half dozen players by themselves, we looked awful.
Early days but we’re being more aggressive with moving to space even if we’re still a bit slow.

 

[bazza]

It's a real shame.

We can certainly produce quality - Cahill, Kewell, Neill, Schwarzer, and Viduka were all genuinely world-class players.

But our national team is now filled with A-League players - a competition that is barely above park football standard -, and it shows.

What is the answer?

I honestly don't know.

I've thought for a long time that we need to overhaul how we coach football at grassroots level; while it is a team sport, we need to promote individual flair, and skill.

My favourite Socceroo recent times was Tom Rogic - he had some really silly dribbling, and was a pretty decent shooter of the ball.

It's no surprise that Rogic had a background in futsal, where individual skill is highly regarded.

The Socceroos seem to want to play a style that does not suit us - using our keeper to deliver the ball long, pressing the middle third, and using our wingers to cross the ball into the box.

I reckon we should start focussing more on physicality, and aggression, while promoting individual skill at lower levels of the sport.

Is the issue with gressroots soccer that the players are mainly B-grade athletes with the better athletes still going to other sports

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Is the issue with gressroots soccer that the players are mainly B-grade athletes with the better athletes still going to other sports

The same reason the only NRL-class Poms are all forwards. The backs over there are the kids not good enough for soccer.

 

[bazza]

The same reason the only NRL-class Poms are all forwards. The backs over there are the kids not good enough for soccer.

just need Dom Young to pack into a few more scrums

 

[Poupou Escobar]

just need Dom Young to pack into a few more scrums

I forgot about him. And that redhead who used to play for the Broncos. Maybe Young was too unco for soccer? He is a winger. I suppose he could've played as a centre back.

 

[bazza]

I forgot about him. And that redhead who used to play for the Broncos. Maybe Young was too unco for soccer? He is a winger. I suppose he could've played as a centre back.

must not have had Peter Crouch as his hero

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Crouch had less physicality than Young but would've made at least ten times as much money in his career than Young ever will. Maybe running over the top of merkins was always too appealing for a young Dom Young?

 

[bazza]

Crouch had less physicality than Young but would've made at least ten times as much money in his career than Young ever will. Maybe running over the top of merkins was always too appealing for a young Dom Young?

Assume that becoming a regular starting striker in the premier league is a bit harder than a starting NRL winger

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He wouldn't even need to be a starting striker in the Premier League. The average salary in the Championship is on par with the top earners in the NRL:

Championship Salary & Wage Data (England) | FootyStats

Detailed Salary & Wage Data of Season 2024/25 for England Championship. We show you the statistics for all 24 teams.

footystats.org

 

[84 Baby]

Is the issue with gressroots soccer that the players are mainly B-grade athletes with the better athletes still going to other sports

I think so. Especially with AFL. It’s an easier step for them to make a decent lifestyle opposed to a seemingly longer apprenticeship with soccer.

 

[Suitman]

Is the issue with gressroots soccer that the players are mainly B-grade athletes with the better athletes still going to other sports

That's a good question. I don't think so.
I think it has more to do with coaching and pathways. It's not as if there is a shortage of players coming through the system. Football has an extraordinary amount of juniors and is pretty much the highest participated sport in the country both male and female.
The elite pathways are horrendously expensive and I have seen for myself over almost 2 decades, so many talented kids lost to football because their parents could not afford to pay for elite training and academies.
Unfortunately, I think our lack of producing better footballers comes back to the lack of money in the sport in this country to be able to subsidise better pathways, as well as better technical direction and coaching.

 

[Eelementary]

We’re sort of victim of our geography. I think it’ll happen in other sports too if not already. We don’t/can’t play enough games more broadly because travel makes it infeasible. Even interstate is a fair distance. So we don’t get different ideas and styles regularly

Really valid points.

It's a shame.

 

[Eelementary]

The keeper long ball is only under pressure otherwise we do try to play it out. The problem was we’d try to control it through the backs in the middle third but it was so slow/placid that the gaps never appeared. Which meant because we don’t have anyone really able to beat half dozen players by themselves, we looked awful.
Early days but we’re being more aggressive with moving to space even if we’re still a bit slow.

I am a believer of the Socceroos needing to keep their passes short.

We simply don't have the skill level to complete medium-long passes with accuracy.

 

[Suitman]

We simply don't have the skill level to complete medium-long passes with accuracy.

There is no reason why we shouldn't though.
The problem is far deeper than that.