The Soccer thread

[Macca 16,967]

The BBC are covering all the games ... the audio feed can be found mostly through their 5live service

Just go to www.bbc.co.uk then click on the 'more' dropdown tab then click on 'sounds' ... then scroll across to 5live and there you have it

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,243]

Did anyone else watch the A League GF? 

It was quite an entertaining match ... Melbourne City 3 - Sydney 1.

Sydney had a player sent off after 38 minutes ... Luke Bratton. What a fool !!

 

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by bingers

[layzie 33,796]

Big win for the 3 lions 

[layzie 33,796]

The dreaded penalty shootout. Always England's Achilles heel. Hard one to take for those lads they were relentless all tournament. Italy deserved winners though. 

[Macca 16,967]

1 minute ago, layzie said:

The dreaded penalty shootout. Always England's Achilles heel. Hard one to take for those lads they were relentless all tournament. Italy deserved winners though. 

Happy to see the Italians win but I've never liked penalty shoot-outs and probably never will

By all accounts Italy were the better team anyway but I favour the 'Golden Goal' in extra time with reduced numbers every 5 minutes ... play the actual sport to decide the outcome

Don't like the penalty shoot-out in other sports such as Ice Hockey as well.  Next goal wins and keep reducing the numbers to heighten the chances of scoring

Oddly enough, I don't mind the 'draw' in footy (except for finals)

[layzie 33,796]

11 minutes ago, Macca said:

Happy to see the Italians win but I've never liked penalty shoot-outs and probably never will

By all accounts Italy were the better team anyway but I favour the 'Golden Goal' in extra time with reduced numbers every 5 minutes ... play the actual sport to decide the outcome

Don't like the penalty shoot-out in other sports such as Ice Hockey as well.  Next goal wins and keep reducing the numbers to heighten the chances of scoring

Oddly enough, I don't mind the 'draw' in footy (except for finals)

Yeah I'm not a big fan of the shootout either. Its sometimes ok if there is a real definitive winner in it (eg 3 saves by a keeper) but it always seemed to me like they ran out of ideas on how to decide a winner. 

I was a fan of golden goal so I'd be keen on that. Survival of the fittest!

[Demonstone 22,517]

Given the way England "won" the most recent cricket world cup, I have not a skerrick of sympathy for them and could not care less that they choked and lost on penalties.

Can you imagine the gloating had they won this?  Suffer in yer jocks Poms.

Having said that, I would also like to see golden goal in future tournaments.

[Macca 16,967]

Here's a handy/easy-to-navigate website catering to the Socceroos campaign

Ultimate Guide Socceroos FIFA World Cup Qualifying Qatar 2022 Final Group Stage

And here are the all-important dates for the Aussies (the times are approximate only based on all the games being played in the evenings)

Around 20 points should get it done but last time we got to 19 points along with Saudi Arabia but finished 3rd (Japan finished on 20 points) We then had to defeat Syria on aggregate (Home & Away) who finished 3rd in their group.  Finally we then had to defeat Honduras on aggregate (Home & Away)

Couple of tough games to finish with so we'll need to get our points up early

• Thurs Sept 2nd vs China 7.30pm
• Tues Sept 7th @ Vietnam 10.30pm
• Thurs Oct 7th vs Oman 7.30pm
• Tues Oct 12th @ Japan 9.30pm
• Thurs Nov 11th vs Saudi Arabia 7.30pm
• Tues Nov 16th @ China 10.30pm
• Thurs Jan 27th vs Vietnam 7.30pm
• Wed Feb 1st @ Oman 1.30am
• Thurs March 24th vs Japan 7.30pm
• Wed March 29th @ Saudi Arabia 2.30am

Edited July 12, 2021 by Macca

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,243]

Olympic match Austalia 2 - Argentina 0.

Good match. Argentina had a player sent off just before half time. 

[Macca 16,967]

Completely forgot that the EPL started today ... Arsenal lost to Brentford and Man Utd put 5 on the board against Leeds

Spurs at home to Man City (1.30am Monday) is the standout match

[Macca 16,967]

Socceroos at Vietnam on Tuesday evening (World Cup Qualifier)

On Ch10HD live from 9.30pm

n.b. we defeated China 3-0 last Friday to kick off the campaign (highlights are up on youtube)

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,243]

Anyone watching the Socceroos World Cup qualifier v Japan.

Socceroos down 1-0 after 8 minutes. Terrible defensive blunder.

Nearly half time. Some of the turnovers by Socceroos have been poor.

[Macca 16,967]

Japan the better team tonight

Still, that will be the hardest game out of the 10 matches and we're still in the box seat in the group

[Macca 16,967]

Hammers!?!

Not used to these lofty heights ... still adjusting to the new stadium, the 2nd coming of David Moyes and a talented group of players

We don't beat Liverpool very often although I noticed we did ok against the Reds in 2015/16

3rd place!  (mozz factor deactivated)

And the Socceroos have got 2 games coming up in the next week (live on Ch10)

Thurs 11th 7.30pm vs Saudi Arabia

Tues 16th 10.30pm @ China

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by Macca

[Macca 16,967]

The A-League kicks off on the 17th of November ... the free to air commitment is a Saturday evening prime-time live game every week (Ch10HD)

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,794]

What about those Hammers!!!!!

 

[Macca 16,967]

A must-win for the Socceroos tomorrow night (Thursday 7.30pm Ch10 Bold)

Versus Vietnam at AAMI Stadium ... win and automatic qualification is still in play.  Lose or draw and we're in trouble!

[loges 6,767]

On 1/26/2022 at 10:16 PM, Macca said:

A must-win for the Socceroos tomorrow night (Thursday 7.30pm Ch10 Bold)

Versus Vietnam at AAMI Stadium ... win and automatic qualification is still in play.  Lose or draw and we're in trouble!

Let's face they are a very average side atm, often dominating possession with no reward, need a class goal scorer. Will be a miracle if they make this world cup.

[Macca 16,967]

3 hours ago, loges said:

Let's face they are a very average side atm, often dominating possession with no reward, need a class goal scorer. Will be a miracle if they make this world cup.

Automatic qualification seems a stretch but we might still be able to qualify via the 3rd place playoff scenario ... but if we're in that scenario and then win that playoff we will then have to defeat the 5th best qualified team out of South America (probably either Uruguay, Peru, Chile or Colombia)

And that's a tall order

Our likely 3rd place playoff opponent (if it falls that way) will be one of 3 underperforming teams (UAE, Lebanon or iraq)

I reckon we sit about where we sat last time ... we're not that good a team both in terms of quality & depth but we're still in with a chance anyway

What we do know is that we have definitely qualified at least 3rd in our group so it's not quite over yet

I'm a realist so my expectation of the Australian team is a hope that we can qualify for the World Cup (in any given 4 year cycle) Do that, and that's a high achievement (in my view)

Anything above that is a total bonus.  We are not a strong soccer nation and I highly doubt that we will ever be

In terms of adult participation, we are miles off at least 30-40 nations.  We seem to have good infrastructure & pathways and great fighting spirit so there's all that

We were a terrific side in '06 though ... really punched above our weight then.  Kewell, Viduka & Cahill were very good

More of an aberration era though

We often struggle to qualify for World Cups for good reason ... talent

Edited February 2, 2022 by Macca

[loges 6,767]

1 hour ago, Macca said:

Automatic qualification seems a stretch but we might still be able to qualify via the 3rd place playoff scenario ... but if we're in that scenario and then win that playoff we will then have to defeat the 5th best qualified team out of South America (probably either Uruguay, Peru, Chile or Colombia)

And that's a tall order

Our likely 3rd place playoff opponent (if it falls that way) will be one of 3 underperforming teams (UAE, Lebanon or iraq)

I reckon we sit about where we sat last time ... we're not that good a team both in terms of quality & depth but we're still in with a chance anyway

What we do know is that we have definitely qualified at least 3rd in our group so it's not quite over yet

I'm a realist so my expectation of the Australian team is a hope that we can qualify for the World Cup (in any given 4 year cycle) Do that, and that's a high achievement (in my view)

Anything above that is a total bonus.  We are not a strong soccer nation and I highly doubt that we will ever be

In terms of adult participation, we are miles off at least 30-40 nations.  We seem to have good infrastructure & pathways and great fighting spirit so there's all that

We were a terrific side in '06 though ... really punched above our weight then.  Kewell, Viduka & Cahill were very good

More of an aberration era though

We often struggle to qualify for World Cups for good reason ... talent

Good summation, we had several players in top leagues back then makes a big difference.

[Macca 16,967]

40 minutes ago, loges said:

Good summation, we had several players in top leagues back then makes a big difference.

Sure does

Back in '06 we might have reached the S/F's if we had have somehow got past Italy in the round of 16

Ukraine were next up in the Q/F's but then Germany & France were after that! 

The issue looking ahead (in terms of qualification) is that the Asian countries are getting better each time

Iran, the Saudi's, South Korea & Japan are all quite strong and other nations like China & Iraq can be expected to get better

So again, just qualifying for the World Cup is a real achievement in my eyes

Fast forward to right now ... our last 2 games are against Japan (home) and then Saudi Arabia (away)

But the Saudi's might have already qualified before that last game

A big ask but if we defeat Japan by at least 2 goals we're in with a chance of automatic qualification.  Japan beat Australia 2-1 in the earlier match-up (stand corrected but overall placings are decided by head-to-head results and then it goes to goal difference)

Points Table (all teams have played 8 games)

Saudi Arabia 19 (GD +5)

Japan 18 (GD +6)

Australia 15 (GD +9)

Oman 8

China 5

Vietnam 3

 

n.b.  Our next game is in Sydney ... Thursday 24th March vs Japan

The last match at Saudi Arabia is to be played in the early hours of the 30th March (AEDT)

Edited February 2, 2022 by Macca

[Pates 9,660]

Am I the only one the think the creation of the A-league may have actually hurt our ability to produce top line players? Days gone by players would identified as having something special and go overseas in their early-mid teens to train under the best academies. Now there’s a pathway through the system here but let’s be honest the competition isn’t as hot and certainly not as brutal. 

Perhaps that’s unfair to the A-league but the standard of Oz football has been on the steady decline since it’s inception. Is it possible for each academy that is connected to the A-league clubs to have a system that sends two of their best to one of the major academies overseas for a brief stint/trial?

Either way something needs to change otherwise we will be left behind as the other Asian nations continue to improve. I mean we have no players in the premier league, that’s incredibly disappointing. 

[Macca 16,967]

6 hours ago, Pates said:

Am I the only one the think the creation of the A-league may have actually hurt our ability to produce top line players? Days gone by players would identified as having something special and go overseas in their early-mid teens to train under the best academies. Now there’s a pathway through the system here but let’s be honest the competition isn’t as hot and certainly not as brutal. 

Perhaps that’s unfair to the A-league but the standard of Oz football has been on the steady decline since it’s inception. Is it possible for each academy that is connected to the A-league clubs to have a system that sends two of their best to one of the major academies overseas for a brief stint/trial?

Either way something needs to change otherwise we will be left behind as the other Asian nations continue to improve. I mean we have no players in the premier league, that’s incredibly disappointing. 

A big issue is the access to the best young athletes ... Footy, League, Cricket, Union, Basketball and other sports all take their fair share

So where does soccer sit? ... perhaps 1 from every 10 top athletes where as in most other countries, soccer gets the cream of the crop unhindered.  Often from a much larger population base

In numerous other countries soccer is clearly the number #1 sport and it's often daylight to the next most popular sport

To be honest, I'm not sure that soccer in Australia can do anything about it as the pathways here in those other sports is often quite well mapped out

Sending young soccer players overseas is a good idea but soccer is missing out on the Oliver's, Petracca & Bont types ...and that's just footy and that's just 3 examples

Across all the other sports, there are literally hundreds of other top talented sportsmen where soccer is not their chosen sport

As previously stated, we punch way above our weight in terms of world cup qualification

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Macca

[layzie 33,796]

23 hours ago, Pates said:

Am I the only one the think the creation of the A-league may have actually hurt our ability to produce top line players? Days gone by players would identified as having something special and go overseas in their early-mid teens to train under the best academies. Now there’s a pathway through the system here but let’s be honest the competition isn’t as hot and certainly not as brutal. 

Perhaps that’s unfair to the A-league but the standard of Oz football has been on the steady decline since it’s inception. Is it possible for each academy that is connected to the A-league clubs to have a system that sends two of their best to one of the major academies overseas for a brief stint/trial?

Either way something needs to change otherwise we will be left behind as the other Asian nations continue to improve. I mean we have no players in the premier league, that’s incredibly disappointing. 

I don't think it's helped. The biggest issue was always the divide between the FFA and each state's football governing body. They were never in sync and there wasn't the same 'flow down' effect that you see in leagues in Europe for instance. So you get some really reputable football clubs like Melbourne Knights, Oakleigh Cannons, Heidelberg who have produced amazing talent over the years struggling to pay the bills. 

On the other hand this means a league like A-League would make the perfect 'development' league but the problem is that it's been marketed as some kind of super league (almost like the Big Bash in with cricket) that stands on it's own, with private owners that want to win, so you get a lot of youngsters sitting on the bench and not really getting the minutes they need to develop. In my opinion this has and is only going to get worse now that they separated from the FFA and joined a streaming service like Paramount + who couldn't give a rip about the state of the game. The theme of trying to attract the next aging champions league star will still be priority for a lot of these people to bring people through the gates. 

It's a mess, I'm really no fan of the system in Australia at the top level at all. Especially after experiencing first hand the work that goes in to these clubs all throughout the FFV.

I definitely think players have their best opportunity overseas but because of everything mentioned I'm not even convinced we're getting young players ready for that step adequately enough.

[Macca 16,967]

Liverpool closing the gap on City ... looked a forgone conclusion but Man City are dropping points and Liverpool keep winning

Much might depend on the result of when they play against each other but that match-up is in 2 months time.  A lot to play-out in the meantime