Socceroos / Matildas / World Cup / Asian Cup

[cub]

Some advantages being a shiftworker - Time to sit back relax and watch the aussies kick some jap butt.

Hope it doesn't send me to sleep - lol 

[Moi]

Japan goal 

[Moi]

Japan 1
Australia 1

Go Aussies

[Moi]

2 - 1 Aussies
Tim Cahill (sp)

 

[cub]

frawleyen awesome - 2 goals in the last 8 minutes - most excited I have ever been watching soccer - 

[Moi]

3 goals in junk time

And i had the Aussies winning by 2 or more 

[mjs]

was that better than sex....................

probably not ...but it was bloody good 

[mightytiges]

83 minutes of Aussies playing boring dumb soccer then 8 minutes of brilliance . Lucky but we'll take it   .

Guess who has Timmy Cahill in his dreamteam  .

[tiga]

83 minutes of Aussies playing boring dumb soccer then 8 minutes of brilliance . Lucky but we'll take it   .

Guess who has Timmy Cahill in his dreamteam  .

Me too. 

MT, I didn't think it was boring dumb soccer. They players were playing to the coaches instructions and the setup was all wrong.Sure there were moments of dumb footy, like the long range kicks to nobody. However, As soon as Kennedy went on and gave us a second striking option we looked much more threatening. It also took some of the heat of VIduka. Not sure why Guus played Kewell down the middle. I think it was a fitness thing but we all know how lethan he can be down the left flank. I'm tipping a much different setup against Brazil in the first half.  Japan did defend well in the first half but I think the fitness of the Aussies with the clever interchanges and more direct gameplan gave us the win for sure.
We'll learn from that game because if we don't...the Brazilians will slaughter us.

[mightytiges]

MT, I didn't think it was boring dumb soccer. They players were playing to the coaches instructions and the setup was all wrong.Sure there were moments of dumb footy, like the long range kicks to nobody. However, As soon as Kennedy went on and gave us a second striking option we looked much more threatening. It also took some of the heat of VIduka. Not sure why Guus played Kewell down the middle. I think it was a fitness thing but we all know how lethan he can be down the left flank. I'm tipping a much different setup against Brazil in the first half.  Japan did defend well in the first half but I think the fitness of the Aussies with the clever interchanges and more direct gameplan gave us the win for sure.
We'll learn from that game because if we don't...the Brazilians will slaughter us.

I agree with what you say tiga but we kept wanting to play the ball through the middle of the pitch instead of getting it out wide to the wings (especially down the left) and behind the Japanese defence. We played some predictable and dumb stuff. Long balls from our half up the middle to our centre forwards are easy to defend against. It was like Spud was our manager lol. All credit to Viduka and Kennedy for having such great games that they able win the ball outnumbered and hold up it at times and score a free kick. It was ironic that it took a Japanese defensive clearance to the touchline to force us to attack from the left side and the long throw-in resulted in Cahill's first goal.

Guus putting on Kennedy was a great move as Viduka was continually being isolated and his hard fitness regime paid off in the end as we ran over the Japanese. But there were some odd positioning and moves out there last night. Kewell, Emerton and Wilkshire were all played out of position and unless Brescianno did have an ear infection it was a odd move to take him off instead of Wilkshire or Emerton. Totally agree tiga we need a different set-up for the Brazil game. Play like we did for most of last night and we'll get thumped. 

[Bulluss]

What an amazing night, i went down to The Linc in Essendon to watch the game. There a decent crowd there to watch the game and it was worth the trip by the end of the game.

I stood near a table of Essendon footballers who appeared to be having an early Mad Monday 

Everyone sang the national anthem with great voice and everyone cheered each time we went close. The atmosphere was electric when we levelled the game and then went a ahead the play was rocking. I have been totally caught up in the emotion of it all and was cheering as if it was the Tigers playing off in the Grand Final.

I feel pretty stuffed tonight after getting very little sleep and having to work today.

Bring on Brazil 

[om21]

What can I say? The Aussies left me gob-stopped. I dont rate the NT but I was chewing on my words last night. I was very impressed with last night's performance ALTHOUGH I get bitterly frustrated at the continual lack of support for our overrated striker in Dukes. I swear Aloisi has copped it hard over the years and with the emergence of Kennedy, I would be please to see two up front against the Cros.

Great performance....it was watchable football and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.

BTW the Japs were sloppy and terrible. I didnt expect them to be so 'rough around the edges'. Simple things like passing to a guy when he has space IN FRONT OF HIM would have left the Aus NT dead and buried.

For Ramps, u will not see my opinion of this game on any other forum lol!!!

[mightytiges]

Let's hope Brazil wins in a few hours and then Japan and Croatia draw. Then we only need a draw against Croatia and we're through to the second round no matter what happens in our game against Brazil.

[tiga]

Just reading at Everton FC how there is massive argument about trading Cahill. The debate was pretty even until after his recent double in the World Cup.
Now most of them want to keep him at all costs. Talk about going from Houlihan to Simmonds in just a couple of hours of footy. 

[mightytiges]

Brazil won (just) so everything is going to plan so far. Now for a Croatia-Japan draw.

Just reading at Everton FC how there is massive argument about trading Cahill. The debate was pretty even until after his recent double in the World Cup.
Now most of them want to keep him at all costs. Talk about going from Houlihan to Simmonds in just a couple of hours of footy. 

Cahill's value has probably shot up a cool $10 million  . Everton may have to watch their backs with the big clubs circling for gems from the World Cup.