Australia at the WC

[Nate]

 

So Matt Ryan won the goalkeeper of the year award in Belgium and now the whole world will watch him at the World Cup.

Small rumour Real Madrid are interested in him but I reckon more big clubs will chase him after the tournament ends

Saw it coming as soon as he signed with Club Brugge. It's a lesson to to other young Australian players, make a smart move to Europe, not just a move to Europe. The Belgian league is a step up from the Australian, but not too high that good young Aussie players will disappear off the radar due to lack of game time. It's also a country that has produced boat loads of talent in recent times, just look at their WC squad, not many countries that can leave a guy like Nainggolan out, or even leave out a guy like Batshuayi despite the first choice in his position being ruled out with an injury. So much depth.

Not to mention the team he signed for is one where he can really shine, being one of the best clubs in the country, and it's also a club with proven youth development credentials.

 

Yep.

 

I wonder if Langerak gets the hint and decides to leave Dortmund.

[Shahanga]

In the squad for that disgraceful performance against Brazil September last year, but left out of the 30:

 

• Cornthwaite
• Duke**
• Holman*
• Kruse+
• Neill*
• Ognenovski*
• Schwarzer*
• Thompson**
• Williams+

 

* Started

** Substitute

+ Currently injured

[perthheart]

                        Mat Ryan

Wilkshire Good Spiranovic Davison

                  Jedinak Milligan

     Leckie         Cahill                Oar

                      Kennedy

 

Subs: Galekovic, Langerak, Franjic, McGowan, Wilkinson, Bresciano, Holland, McKay, Rogic, Sarota, Vidosic, Taggart

 

Cut: Birighitti, Brillante, Wright, Luongo, Bozanic, Troisi, Halloran

 

If we had a more experienced centre back to pair with Good I'd be more confident in the teams chances. Then we may have be able to hold out in games and use Kennedy as a target man with Cahill, Leckie and Oar potentially picking up some scraps to potentially nick a result. Being realistic though not being hammered in every game will be a good result.

[Tesla]

If we had a more experienced centre back to pair with Good I'd be more confident in the teams chances.

Why does everyone seem to think Good will be first choice? He has played 7 league games in the last 2 seasons, 3 in league one and 4 in the SPL which isn't much better.

If anything, he should be the CB cut from the team. Seems everyone thinks Bailey Wright is most likely to be cut, but Bailey Wright has played more games this season than Curtis Good has in his entire professional career, I'd take him to the WC before I take Curtis Good.

[Baresi]

 

If we had a more experienced centre back to pair with Good I'd be more confident in the teams chances.

Why does everyone seem to think Good will be first choice? He has played 7 league games in the last 2 seasons, 3 in league one and 4 in the SPL which isn't much better.

If anything, he should be the CB cut from the team. Seems everyone thinks Bailey Wright is most likely to be cut, but Bailey Wright has played more games this season than Curtis Good has in his entire professional career, I'd take him to the WC before I take Curtis Good.

 

Spira & McGowan will probably be the starting two.

Ange will want Davidson at LB and Franjic at RB, so that pushed McGowan to centre, and Spira has been in solid form.

Sainsbury would probably be right up there if he is fit enough, and Ange likes Curtis from all reports.

That suggests to me that Wright would be cut.

[Nate]

Jedinak confirmed as captain of the Socceroos for the World Cup with Bresciano and Cahill named as vice captains.

 

No real surprises here.

[perthheart]

 

If we had a more experienced centre back to pair with Good I'd be more confident in the teams chances.

Why does everyone seem to think Good will be first choice? He has played 7 league games in the last 2 seasons, 3 in league one and 4 in the SPL which isn't much better.

If anything, he should be the CB cut from the team. Seems everyone thinks Bailey Wright is most likely to be cut, but Bailey Wright has played more games this season than Curtis Good has in his entire professional career, I'd take him to the WC before I take Curtis Good.

 

 

I was posting who i'd go with from the squad selected. No idea who will actually go. Sad fact of the matter is Davidson and Wilkshire are the only players not playing in a third rate league. The eredivisie isn't exactly known for producing quality defenders either, is a reason every game in the dutch league finishes 4-3. Find it laughable that Franjic is ahead of Wilkshire in the pecking order. Our lack of defensive talent is why I was surprised FFA went with AP, Ange's teams are great when they can dictate the play and maintain possession but I have extremely strong doubts that he has the ability to organise a team to defend against vastly superior individual talent. 

Even more laughable is that we will have only played Ecuador, Costa Rica and South Africa reserves as his only games pre world cup to try and sort it out. I don't doubt we will be better to watch against Asian teams through qualifying but this world cup is going to be a blood bath.

[Nate]

Good not going 

 

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/in-a-huge-blow-to-the-socceroos-defensive-stocks-curtis-good-will-not-travel-to-brazil/story-e6frf4l3-1226930903348

[hakz7]

This is not Good.

[Tesla]

Meh, as I said, I think he was the weakest cb. At the very least, I would have had Spiranovic and McGowan ahead of him so he wasn't a starting 11 player IMO.

[Begbie]

Good has been injured a lot for us since he arrived and with Pardew the clown in charge he has had next to zero game time, minus a few games in the SPL and a few reserve team run outs. I like the lad but he's been with Newcastle for 2 years and I've seen him play once. Surprised he even made the 30 tbh

[Young Polak]

Friendly game tonight against South Africa. 8pm I think

[Dylan]

Yep and everyone is injured

[Nate]

Ryan

 

Franjic, Wilkinson, McGowan, Davidson

 

Holland

 

Milligan, Troisi

 

Leckie, Cahill, Oar

 

...interesting starting XI, that's for sure

[Nate]

Typical Sydney turnout too ahaha

[silva10]

So how do you guys think you will do tonight and in the WC in general?

[Nate]

So how do you guys think you will do tonight and in the WC in general?

Hopefully a comfortable win tonight although it'll be disjointed with the allowance of 6 subs throughout the game. 

Most Aussies have already written us off which is fair enough when you look at the quality in our group but I'm of the opinion we can steal a point or two.

[marn11]

Never seen a larger congregation of fucktards in my life. Hoping to God these aren't the fans that are going to Brazil, will embarrass the green and gold.

[silva10]

Playing some nice football here

[kingofhearts]

So how do you guys think you will do tonight and in the WC in general?

We'll win tonight, but we're fucked world cup wise

[Nate]

fuck

[Nate]

oh, never mind

[kingofhearts]

Lol what was the goalkeeper doing? No wonder their not going to the world cup.

[Tesla]

McGowan is shit

[Tesla]

Leckie, Milligan and Cahill only players that look like they've played football before

[Tesla]

Maybe Oar as well

[silva10]

Well nice to get a quick equaliser after some poor defending allowed them to score

[Tesla]

Milligan and Leckie basically carrying the team.

[Nate]

Milligan and Leckie basically carrying the team.

I disagree, Oar, Franjic and Davidson have all been great too.

[Tesla]

Mcgowan should be playing in the VPL.

Let it be a lesson to the Curtis Good fanboys, this is a guy that played regularly in a league Good could only get a few games in.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Tesla

[mus-28]

Holland is fucking horrible on the ball, every single pass seems to be aimed at a teammates crotchal region. Keep it on the deck you mong.

Troisi doing a great job of doing fuck all, would rather see Luongo out there.

Franjic, Davidson, Leckie, Oar & Cahill all looking the part. Centre of the park is dogs balls.

[marn11]

Thank fuck Jedinak will come in for Holland. McGowan/Wilkinson is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Tesla]

Holland is fucking horrible on the ball, every single pass seems to be aimed at a teammates crotchal region. Keep it on the deck you mong.

90% of what he has done has been horrible and would put him up there with McGowan as worst on field, but then twice he has put in some absolutely fantastic passes.

Troisi doing a great job of doing fuck all, would rather see Luongo out there.

Agree.

Milligan and Leckie basically carrying the team.

I disagree, Oar, Franjic and Davidson have all been great too.

Milligan went a bit quite since my comment, but really seemed to be running the show with Leckie at the time. Davidson has been very good too, but if only he could cross, then we'd have a real talent on our hands. Oar has been good too. Franjic has been decent, doing his job, nothing exceptional.

[Jestr]

If we don't get a LOT better and I mean a real lot virtually over night, we going to get slaughtered in Brazil

[Dylan]

a league standard so far

[marn11]

It's only just hit me how dire our current situation is, especially when I compare this squad to the 2006 one.

What the fuck has happened, and what is this "active support"? Bizarre.

[marn11]

Bring on Stefan Mauk.

[Dylan]

Good McKay is on, need more players with their shirts tucked in.

[mus-28]

McGowan, Wilkinson, Holland, Troisi out, Spiranovic, Bresciano, Jedinak and Sarota in once we hit Brazil.

Our only hope is to exploit the wings and get balls into Cahill. The midfield trio need to be tidy on the ball and maintain their structure. Milligan needs to partner Spiranovic, because McGowan and Wilkinson are shambolic. Other than that were not completely and utterly being prepared for a reaming.

[Dylan]

cool Franjic is down