Socceroos / Matildas / World Cup / Asian Cup

[mightytiges]

In the Asian Cup qualifier, the Socceroos drew 2-2 with Kuwait in Kuwait on a dodgy pitch after being 2-0 up after just 5 minutes.

A disappointing yet good enough result as we only now need a draw at best at home against Indonesia to qualify. Tough when you have the crowd shine lasers in our Aussie players' eyes and playing a shocking pitch .

[one-eyed]

No action on 'Handball' Henry ZURICH
January 20, 2010

FRANCE'S captain, Thierry Henry, has escaped punishment for his infamous handball in the 2010 World Cup finals play-off against Ireland, FIFA has announced.

France was losing 1-0 at the Stade de France on November 18, having won the first leg 1-0, when Henry set up William Gallas in extra-time for what proved to be the decisive goal after illegally controlling the ball with his hand.

FIFA's disciplinary committee said it was powerless to punish the striker because the original misdemeanour had not been seen by match officials. ''There is no other legal text that would allow the committee to impose sanctions for any incidents missed by match officials,'' it said.

Bernard Escalettes, president of the French Football Federation, said he hoped this finally drew a line under the episode. ''Thierry Henry not being punished is not astonishing, it is logical,'' Escalettes said.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/no-action-on-handball-henry-20100119-mj5f.html

[one-eyed]

Socceroos have qualified tonight in Brisbane for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.


Australia   1 ........ Milligan '42
Indonesia  0


Group B (top 2 qualify)
 
              P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Australia  6  3 2 1  6   4  +2  11
Kuwait     5  2 2 1  6   5  +1   8
Oman      5  2 1 2  4   4    0    7
Indonesia 6  0 3 3  3   6  −3   3

[mightytiges]

Job down but with 25 shots at goal and 75% possession one scrambled goal off the bar isn't much to boast about against weak opposition . We need our guns back for the World Cup to score as we won't dominate a game like that and need to take all our chances to get through the group stage.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Aussies unfortunantely this time round will be very lucky to get out of the group stage European based players or not.

Germany and Serbia are certainties. Their current form is heaps better than ours too.

[mightytiges]

Aussies unfortunantely this time round will be very lucky to get out of the group stage European based players or not.

Germany and Serbia are certainties. Their current form is heaps better than ours too.

We'll need help from the others in our group. Need Germany to beat both Serbia and Ghana and for Serbia to draw with Ghana. The Socceroos then will need to beat Ghana (not unrealistic) and then hang on for a draw with Serbia to get through.

Btw the first game against the Germans looks like it's in a footy stadium lol

[the_boy_jake]

We'll need help from the others in our group. Need Germany to beat both Serbia and Ghana and for Serbia to draw with Ghana. The Socceroos then will need to beat Ghana (not unrealistic) and then hang on for a draw with Serbia to get through.

Btw the first game against the Germans looks like it's in a footy stadium lol

Its all up against us this time though... If Germany win against us and the second game, there is every chance they will rest players in the last game handing whoever that is crucial point/s

Last time around we had Brazil second and that was a big plus for us as it meant they had already beaten Croatia. We beat Japan in the first game and from then on we were in the box seat and only needed a draw vs Croatia.

[mightytiges]

We'll need help from the others in our group. Need Germany to beat both Serbia and Ghana and for Serbia to draw with Ghana. The Socceroos then will need to beat Ghana (not unrealistic) and then hang on for a draw with Serbia to get through.

Btw the first game against the Germans looks like it's in a footy stadium lol

Its all up against us this time though... If Germany win against us and the second game, there is every chance they will rest players in the last game handing whoever that is crucial point/s

Last time around we had Brazil second and that was a big plus for us as it meant they had already beaten Croatia. We beat Japan in the first game and from then on we were in the box seat and only needed a draw vs Croatia.

True it's no doubt tougher in many ways including the order of the fixture but Germany plays Serbia in their second game and Serbia will be the main threat to us securing 2nd place in the group. If Ghana has just one point after two games then their enthusiasm won't be as high either knowing they are off home.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Serbia will beat Ghana easily.
Unfortunantely by the time we play Ghana it will be all academic.

[mightytiges]

Serbia will beat Ghana easily.
Unfortunantely by the time we play Ghana it will be all academic.

We play Ghana second so if we and Serbia beat Ghana and the Germans as expected beat both us and Serbia then it'll come down to the last game against Serbia and goal difference (if a draw) as to who goes through.

[one-eyed]

31-man preliminary Socceroos squad for the WC. It'll be trimmed down to 23.


Michael Beauchamp
Mark Bresciano
Tim Cahill
Nick Carle
David Carney
Scott Chipperfield
Jason Culina
Brett Emerton
Adam Federici
Eugene Galekovic
Richard Garcia
Vince Grella
James Holland
Brett Holman
Mile Jedinak
Brad Jones
Josh Kennedy
Harry Kewell
Shane Lowry
Scott McDonald
Mark Milligan
Craig Moore
Lucas Neill
Jade North
Tommy Oar
Nikita Rukavytsya
Mark Schwarzer
Carl Valeri
Dario Vidosic
Luke Wilkshire
Rhys Williams

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/australia-coach-pim-verbeek-names-socceroos-squad-for-world-cup-2010/story-e6frf9if-1225864948114

[Hellenic Tiger]

Unfortunantely they will not qualify for the knockout phase this time. Too much of an ask with that squad.

[mightytiges]

Unfortunantely they will not qualify for the knockout phase this time. Too much of an ask with that squad.

Yep would be a big effort and surprise to get through the group stage this time around. There's an obvious lack of depth in the Aussie team in terms of world-class quality. Centre defence the major worry with Kisnorbo out injured and us still relying on veteran Craig Moore who has hardly played. Compare that to the Germans who will have a number of players battle-hardened playing in the Champions League final for Bayern Munich.

[Hellenic Tiger]

German captain Michael Ballack ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury to his ankle sustained in Saturday nights FA Cup Final against Portsmouth. I guess that is good news to Australia as they face Germany in their first Group game in South Africa.

[mightytiges]

Losing Ballack will hurt Germany as far as winning the WC but they have the depth to cover him against us. It'll be the games against Serbia and Ghana that will decide if we get through the group stage or not. The Serbian game especially. Lose to them obviously and it'll be bye-bye time.

Trying to think of what the starting 11 will be. I guess it depends on what formation we'll use. Either the standard 442 or we could go for a lone striker against Germany in a more defensive mode (swap Kennedy for Bresciano with either Cahill or Kewell as striker)

                   Schwarzer

Wilkshire     Neill       Moore     Chipperfield

Emerton      Grella     Culina      Kewell

                 Cahill      Kennedy

Subs: McDonald, Bresciano, Carney, Jones (gk)