Australia
Champions Of Asia: A Review
Two heavy weights of Asia met in the Final, after already playing each other in the group stage, with both teams making some changes from when they played last. Ange opted for a more defensive start, starting Milligan ahead of Troisi in the midfield, who would play alongside our captain Jedinak as two holding midfielders. This change I think probably won us the game, if we had stuck with two attacking minded midfielders, the South Koreans would have easily over-run us in the middle of the park, and they would have scored plenty more.
We managed to score 2 goals against a team that had no goals conceded against them during the entire competition. They were all over us in the first half, controlling the entire game, until Luongo showed them up with a superb goal. Then in the second half, they were more aggressive and direct with their plays, allowing us to control the game better, and they continued with that until the final minute of the game. There are three big things to take away from this competition (not including the trophy!) that I think will benefit Australia in the long run.
We Won Without Cahill:
We won the final without the help of our mighty lord Tim Cahill, and that’s a huge moment for the Socceroos. Not having to rely on the 35 year old veteren to score all our goals during the competition, and while he did have a big impact on our overall performance, it’s good for us to slowly let go of our hero. Tim Cahill has said that he’s eyeing up the chance to play in his fourth world cup in 2018, at the age of 38, and with his talent in the air, it’s not totally unrealistic. While he certainly won’t be starting games, because his overall stamina would have dropped dramatically compared to our other strikers, but he can most definitely come on as a super sub, Japan 2006 World Cup style.
Massimo Luongo:
What a legend he is now. Massimo Luongo has thrived under Ange’s coaching style, and theres no doubt that his stock within clubs has been raised dramatically. While currently under contract at Swindon Town in League One over in England, he certainly won’t be staying there long with his current performances. The club has reportedly turned down offers from a Turkish Club, and he is currently linked with Sevilla form Spain.
Luongo has to seriously think about his career over the next few years, he needs consistent playing time at a top club if he’s to reach the level everyone hopes and knows he’s capable of. He should take a lesson from Tom Rogic, a superstar for Australia who has lately been troubled with multiple injuries, missing both major competitions. After moving from the Central Coast Mariners to Celtic over in Scotland, while they play European football, the Australian has only had 11 appearances over the two years he’s been under contract there. Being paid to sit on the bench and not develop into the player he knows he can become is something we don’t want for Luongo.
Ange Postecoglou:
A large amount of the credit for Australia’s success in this Asian Cup has to go to Ange Postecoglou, he has been the head coach for Australia for just over a year, he inherited an old and out of date team, and in a short amount of time, he’s managed to drastically change the quality of our squad, and even won out first major piece of silverware in Football. No one can doubt his ability now to lead our international team, and he has the whole nations faith in him.
He knows the players very well, and he’s excellent at getting the best out of his players, and particularly what he needs to win games. He doesn’t rely on the Golden Generation like his predecessor Holger Osieck did with the likes of Lucas Neill. He’s had to completely change the squad and find a new starting team ridiculously close to the World Cup, but he managed to pull it off, and he’s calling up the likes of Juric and Antonis, who are the future for Australian Football.
I have all my faith in Ange, and so does Australia.
Australia’s World Cup Run
Back in last 2013, when they drew the teams for the group stages, I couldn’t help but feel that we would get a decent group this year, one with some lower and less experienced teams. Boy was I wrong. We got hit with the group of death. Chile, Spain AND Netherlands. From this point onwards, everyone dismissed Australia completely, and they were right to, we are no match for those three teams with Spain and Netherlands picked to advance through, especially when we are missing some key players. Kruse, Williams and Kennedy all out injured, and Schwarzer deciding it was time to hang up his international boots. Everyone new this was just going to be experience for our next golden generation, a chance for the players to show that they deserve to be representing Australia.
Match 1: Chile v Australia (3-1)
The two teams met in Cuiaba, after their first meeting in the 1974 World Cup, where Australia gained their first ever world Cup points. Some poor defending and mistakes gave Chile a 2-0 lead after just 15 minutes, but Tim Cahill did what he does best and headed one into the back of the net before half time. After conceding a final goal, Chile finished the game winning 3-1. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best game for our defenders, but the pressuring and tactics that Ange had put into place was fantastic.
Match 2: Netherlands v Australia (3-2)
This game was Australia’s best performance in this World Cup. The high pressure Ange placed against the Dutch worked effectively, and we looked like the team on top for most of the game. Netherlands opened the score, and the one and only Tim Cahill responded within the minute with one of the best goals in his career, and certainly one of the best goals of the World Cup. Australia then later went into the lead after Jedinak converted a penalty, but it didn’t last long as the Dutch scraped together two goals to win 3-2. Some poor defending from Davidson which lead to Robin Van Persie’s goal, but other than that, I think Australia deserved to win that game.
Match 3: Spain v Australia
For the first 30 minutes of the game, I honestly thought Australia was going to smash Spain. Again we had a very good high pressure and the Spanish were making plenty of mistakes. Although we were missing Tim Cahill, we have Taggart up front, and he finally had his time to shine. Unfortunately he seemed to enjoy hugging the grass after slipping over more than actually playing the game. It was a depressing end to our campaign, because although we looked very confident and played very well, it was again that one mistake in our defence that lost it for us. In this game, it was McGowan, who must have thought David Villa was invisible, because we was never marking the major threat that he is. It was a shame that Franjic was injured and couldn’t play, because he played very well in the first game.
Although we came last in our group losing all three of our games, we definitely played well, and have improved as a team. There are definitely some stand out players in our squad after the world cup, Taggart has been bought by Fulham and they are also reportedly interested in Davidson.
Matthew Leckie (Aged 23):
Matthew Leckie was one of, if not the best performing Australian at the World Cup. His sprints and runs down the wing were a major threat, and his aggression and excellent pressuring was one of the reasons why Australian’s can hold their heads high after this World Cup.
Tim Cahill (Aged 34):
As expected, Tim Cahill was majestic in this World Cup. Adding two more goals to his tally of World Cup goals, he become the one of very few players to play in three consecutive World Cups Finals. He was a constant threat to every opposition, with Chile and the Dutch resorting to fouling and pulling on his shirt for every cross, most of which were ignored by the referee.
Ange Postecoglou:
Ange deserves a big round of applause for his work in the World Cup. No one expected us to do anything big at the World Cup, no one but Ange. Even with our backs to the wall, Ange come out fighting like a true Australian and gave us a performance we would all be proud of. The tactics and formations he put in place were carefully planned and thought out, and worked very effectively. Even with several major injuries, resulting in Ange picking players that had only several caps under their belt.
Even though we didn’t get a point on the table, we still played some very competitive games, and we have started nurturing our new golden generation. Every single one of them put 110% into every game, and that’s all we could have asked from them. Now we have to look forwards to the Asian Cup, and how to combat the major Asian teams that we’ll have to face. But i’m sure Ange has a plan. #InAngeWeTrust
Australia v Ecuador
Tomorrow morning is the Australia v Ecuador match. This game, even though it’s just a friendly, is actually so important for the Australian manager, Ange Postecoglou. This is because he is bringing in several new faces, and has axed most of the older Socceroos, known as the “Golden Generation”. One of the most notable players missing is Lucas Neill, Australia’s captain. During his prime, Lucas was crucial to their success, and lead from the back to improve Australia’s international reputation. Having no club for many months, he recently signed for Watford FC in England, but his recent form and age has forced Ange to remove him from his squad indefinitely.
So the spot for Captaincy was available. Many people expected Tim Cahill to receive it, because of the impact he’s had for the squad (he even scored Australia’s FIRST World Cup Finals goal against Japan in 2006). But the role fell before the very worthy Jedinak, the Midfielder from Crystal Palace in England.
I think Mile Jedinak totally deserved to be Captain for Australia, even though he scored an own goal when we faced Oman in the Qualifying rounds for the World Cup. His recent performances for Crystal Palace have been amazing (in my opinion), he is alway full of so much energy, and is never scared of a tackle. He leads the team even when he wasn’t the Captain for Australia, and the fact that he is Captain for Crystal Palace already shows that he knows what he’s doing. Plus, Jedinak’s style of play is perfect under Ange, High Pressure. And I’m sure we will be seeing this against Ecuador.
One of the largest threats we face tomorrow, is Antonio Valencia, who plays on the right wing for Manchester United. Now, even as a United supporter, I can admit we’re having a bit of a crappy year. One of the worst for decades. And hopefully this form and morale can stick to Valencia during tomorrow’s game, otherwise Ange will have to mark him closely.
I’m predicting a 4-2-2-2 formation, which Ange used a lot at Melbourne Victory. With Kruse missing, I think he will give Rogic a chance to show his potential with a starting position, and I think he’ll place Leckie and Cahill up front, almost in a False-9 type of formation. He’ll play aggressive with high pressure, and try to capitalise off every mistake.
I’ll be up watching it live before I go to Uni, and I’m sure I’ll do a Post-Match thread later in the week.
UOW Discovery Day
I recently attended the University of Wollongong’s Discovery Day, which essentially is a chance for year 12 students to take a few lectures in the Uni, and experience what it is like, see the campus and just generally check it out.
I thought it was pretty cool personally, they had a wide variety of choices in topics to look at, but unfortunately I didn’t get into the main lecture I wanted to get in.
They organised it very well, and I was impressed with the Lunch Time DJ, especially at the beginning when he mixed some generally older songs, which personally I love to mix myself. Im hoping to attent Wollongong Uni myself, because it’s close, its got a good reputation and the campus/people there seem pretty cool.
Just to sound unbiased here, I would love to get into UNSW, but the course I would like to study requires an ATAR of 99, which is realistically impossible for me.
Anyway, UOW sounds and looks great, and I can’t wait for the HSC to be over and to attend Uni already. Plus I was snapped in several photo’s making it to their Facebook page.
“Citizens Day”
Alot of people around Australia are starting to call Australia Day “Citizens Day”. They feel that they are being “not included” because the name “Australia Day” does not include their religion and/or culture, and people want to remain “politically correct”.
Frankly this disgusts me. Majority of these people have come from other countries to seek our hospitality and fair living, and then try to change it because they don’t like it. Australia Day celebrates the First Fleets arrival to Australia, and everyone in Australia if free to celebrate it. Its the day where everyone feels proud to be Australian.
It’s true that we rather “invaded” the land from the Aboriginals at the time, but since then, they have been given equal rights and we have formally acknowledged and apologised for the mistreatment they felt.
But to change a name of a public holiday just to stay politically correct is absurd. I can understand the reasoning of being politically correct, but its just come to far.
My Australia day activities included being towed around behind a boat on a donut in the bay, and then going to a party and having some drinks. All in all it was pretty good, and very Australian.
jakepascoe.com 