Sydney will host Uzbekistan in April and Bahrain in June.

Pimbo won’t get the two June games in one city as he requested and will have to travel to Melb for the Japan game. I wonder how imprtant the game will be and if it makes any difference.

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Adelaide was sitting back throughout the first half. Although Kuruvchi had the possession they couldn’t create a single good chance in the first half. I guess you can argue it was an even first half based on that.

Second half - Bunyodkor were controlling the match until Adelaide scored a goal against the run of play. Then it was adelaide onwards. i’ll say Adelaide deserve the victory and outplay the opposition but the style of football doesn’t match Fozzy words.

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Fozzy generally gets it right when judging the style of play. When a team is losing but played better football eg. Arnold Soccerroos lost to uruguay, TOm sermanni coaching U.20 matildas and getting knock out in group stages at the World cup. Fozzy is generally full of praise for the style of football despite the negative result

When a team wins ugly eg. Pim’s Soccerroos beating Ghana and Iraq, Asia cup victory over thailand
fozzy will be criticial

I think this match is one of those abberation (the other one was his over criticism of the lost to Iraq in UAE) where Fozzy gets it all wrong rather then a trend from Fozzy.It was certainly a commendable and good performance by Adelaide but It wasn’t the best passing performance by an A-league team. Hell it wasn’t the best passing football performance from Adelaide United.

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Kuruvchi certainly controlled the first 15 minutes or so of the 2nd half, and maybe they were the first ones to crack in terms of patience? All of a sudden, Cassio was finding a stack of space on the left - and all three goals came through him (it has to be admitted that there was more than a hint of handball in Diego’s opener, but he certainly played his part in the win).

When one is confronted by a 3-0 scoreline, it gets tougher to imagine that the other mob were in it for most of the game - it most surely must affect our perception of the whole game.

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I sometimes think SBS are trapped in their own South American tribal worship zone. A bit like you the first gaol was very much against the run of play, and how Fozzie had the first half as equal, aside from the score ……. well it says more about Fozzie than it does about the game.

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“Brazilians, Adelaide turn it on

One Adelaide United fan has written to say that, save only for the evening of that 2005 Uruguay qualifier, this week’s performance against Bunyodkor in the Asian Champions League was the greatest night of his life.

He called it an amazing experience which has captured the imagination of South Australia, a dream night which grew in splendour with each goal. As powerfully emotional as it was unexpected.

And what a performance it was, one of composure and intelligence, of patience and intent, and a win concocted in - where else? - but Brazil.

It has been a pleasure to watch the different styles of football in the Asian Champions League, almost as pleasurable as seeing Adelaide United transform from a boring, predominantly defensive team into one full of attacking intent with skill enough to - perhaps - knock off the first meaningful club trophy for an Australian team.

Kashima Antlers played some beautiful combination football with their technically accomplished home-grown players and Bunyodkor are a highly capable team with a genius - albeit an ageing one - in Rivaldo, who might yet have something to say about this tie in Uzbekistan.

But for all their quality the Uzbeks barely scratched a chance from open play, thanks to a side whose defence is the pillar on which the dream run was built.

Angelo Costanzo played an extraordinarily composed match, both without and particularly with the ball. His distribution and control of the game from the rear was a marvel.

Here was vindication also of the growth of Aurelio Vidmar at the reins, having spoken earlier this season of tightening the shaky defence of last year.

But the quantum difference is that the team has moved on from being defensive to defensively strong.

They are now producing some of the finest passing football seen in the A-League for a long time,

particularly from the Brazilian trio of Cassio, Diego and Cristiano.”

Fozzy was full of praise for the style of football. Very strange considering that the coach pretty much instructed his side to play direct. Although I’ll agree that it was one of the greatest moment outside Uruguay-WC2006 of my life. Although Kashima QF would top it. Also agree that the 3 goal were beautiful and passing football of the highest quality and Cassio is just fantastic. Also that Costanzo and Adelaide were incredibly strong in defence. However the first half both adelaide and bunyodkor - none of them had any realistic chance of scoring (too the credit of Adelaide for restricting the opponents). It certainly wasn’t champaigne football though and it was Adelaide playing defensively for the first 60 minute.

I seem to have watch different match to Fozzy

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http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/86564,adelaides-tv-boom.aspx

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Its looking like an Ashes double of England and Oz for 2018 and 2022 Fingers crossed Oz gets one…all to be revealed in 2011 but…the interest, media, speculation, discussions, planning etc until then is almost priceless also.

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Maybe the SA gov will think of building a decent stadium for football now ………. very interesting times ahead ……. gotta love Obie One .

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Reported in todays Age;

“Cup host bid gets a bonus push
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Matthew Hall
October 12, 2008

AUSTRALIA’S bid to host the 2018 World Cup has been boosted by a report to the Federal Government suggesting that the tournament would deliver a $5.4 billion bonus to the nation’s economy.

The Sunday Age understands the study, carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers on behalf of Football Federation Australia, is before the Department of Treasury, which is considering the Federal Government’s position on participation in a bid.

Minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson is understood to strongly support the bid and is keen to announce a formal declaration of intent by both the government and the federation.

“The minister understands more than most that just bidding for the World Cup will benefit Australia and the Australian tourism industry,” claimed a source with inside knowledge of the bid.

FFA remains confident a bid for the 2018 World Cup is a serious proposition and not just a dress rehearsal for a more realistic tilt at 2022 — even with both England and Russia lining up as rivals

Also working against Australia’s campaign is that 2018 would be the third consecutive World Cup to be held in the southern hemisphere after South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, a run of events that does not impress football’s international powerbrokers in Europe.”

Not a bad shot in the arm $5.4billion!

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Then again with politician - allies are often short lived and not relied upon.

With the 39th game

AFC Chief Open to ‘39th Game’ from 442

THE president of Asian football has cautiously welcomed the possible resurrection of the English Premier League’s 39th game proposal - but not if it is just a money-minded exercise.

Twenty-four hours after Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore revealed that the international round was still a possibility, Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam said he would welcome a game between two English sides in Asia.

Earlier this year, Bin Hammam ordered Manchester United to cancel their summer tour because it clashed with the Asian Cup finals and he did not want anything to detract from the regional competition.

But on Wednesday he said he was happy for a Premier League game to take place in the region on certain conditions.

“I would love to see any clubs come to my country but they have to leave some sort of legacy behind,” he said.

“At least let the youth of (AFC) countries benefit from any visit. It’s not every day Chelsea will visit Qatar or Manchester United Yemen but there must be a legacy.”

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Two things are obvious:
1. Europe will get 2018 (most likely England); and
2. For bin Hammam to have done a complete back flip on the 39th round means something is going down.

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Any News on the 2022 bid ……. to me England looks a shoe in for 2018 and Asian for 2022.

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If there’s anything going to stuff up local football in Asia even more is to have any top 3 league (if the EPL starts having matches there don’t expect other leagues to lay down and not give competition) having matches in the asian country.

In any case England has still pissed off Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter and they don’t seem like back flipping on their views. So I still believed the 39th match from the EPL will still screw up England’s bid for the World Cup. If the world cup is staying in Europe then I’ll think Russia will get it not England.

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More good news re WC 2018…from ESPN website;

” AFC chief backs Australia bid for 2018 World Cup

October 10, 2008

Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam is ready to throw his support behind Australia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup - but admitted England could also have a “fairly good chance” of hosting the tournament as the “birthplace of modern football”.

The World Cup will head to South Africa in two years time, followed by Brazil in 2014.

However, with FIFA’s controversial rotation policy now scrapped, there is a growing belief the showpiece event will then return to Europe - and England, along with Spain, Portugal and Russia, are among the nations to have expressed an interest.

However, there is also a strong intention to take the World Cup to Asia once again, with Australia - who only joined the confederation in 2006 - the front runners, while China and Qatar have also made some soundings.

With both Mexico and the United States, hosts in 1994, other keen associations, FIFA decided bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will run in parallel, with the final vote taken in June 2011.

As head of the Asian confederation, Qatar national Bin Hammam would naturally champion their own cause.

However, the 60-year-old - who also sits on FIFA’s executive committee - believes England would present a strong case, their last bid for 2006 having failed up against fellow UEFA candidates Germany.

“Although I would always support any bid coming from Asia as an obligation, I think England would have fairly good chances,” said Bin Hammam, who was in London this week as a guest of the Premier League at the launch of their international good cause projects.

“We all feel, in general, that every three times [12 years] the World Cup has to come to Europe,” he said.

“England does have positive points - they are the birthland of modern football and have hosted the World Cup once, and that was more than 40 years ago.”

Bin Hammam added: “However, maybe there are also some other countries who have positive points also.

“Any good bid will have a chance to win. They have to convince the people. It is more of a public relations business.”

Bin Hammam feels having the World Cup back in Asia, following the success of joint-hosts Japan and South Korea in 2002, would once again galvanise the region.

He said: “Qatar’s bid is only speculation, so far I have only seen one serious bidder, which is Australia.

“They came forward and said ‘we want to host the World Cup in 2018′, and I am definitely very much in support of them and for the World Cup to take place in Asia again after 2002.

“We have seen the positive impact of the World Cup when it was organised in Asia in terms of reviving the interests of the people, especially those who are involved in governing the football.

“Having the World Cup again in Asia would have a very positive impact.

“I support an Asian bid, and that is going to be much easier for me and my colleagues on the committee if only one bid comes from Asia, that would be an advantage.”

Australia was, along with New Zealand, a founding member of the Oceania Football Confederation.

However, given the OFC was the only body which did not gain direct entry to the World Cup, instead facing a play-off with a team from another confederation, the Socceroos pressed for a switch to the AFC and an improved chance of qualification as well as providing access to the AFC Champions League for their A-League clubs.

Bin Hammam believes it has proven a “win-win” situation.

“Both parties have benefited out of this relationship,” he said.

“I led the discussions with the Australians, but it was not an AFC initiative, it was an Australian one.

“They felt, rightly so, that they could not improve their competitions, or their programme, with the situation they were in.

“Australia were miles ahead of anyone else in Oceania.

“It was a very clever move from them to come more towards to Asia, and we were very clever to welcome them.

“Now the stadia are relatively full and the clubs begin to get more revenue to spend, there is the new A-League, also, our competitions have also gone up, so everything has benefited.”

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I just know him as “Sir Scottish One” winner of everything and slayer of Chelski’s…

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So I don’t recognise sir
It’s just plain Alex for me

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~~~~~~
KB

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Interesting news today on the FFA site sorry folks totally off topic but KB all this is good news ……….

……..Optus and FFA say YES!
Saturday, 11 October 2008

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Optus today announced an exciting new agreement in support of football from grassroots to the Qantas Socceroos.

The three year multi-million dollar agreement sees Optus become official partner of the Game Development Program, a key component of FFA’s national strategic framework to improve football at all levels of the game. Optus will also be the Official Telecommunications Partner of FFA, all national teams including the Qantas Socceroos and the Westfield Matildas, as well as the Hyundai A-League.

“This is another very good day for FFA and the entire football family,” said FFA CEO, Ben Buckley.

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Optus and we appreciate their support for our ambitious plans to be the sport of first choice for players and fans.

“The Game Development Program is critical to building for the future.

“It is part of a long term plan to help make Australia a world leader in the game and to achieve sustained success at international level.”

Buckley said that, as part of the agreement, Optus will provide football equipment for thousands of young football players in regional and urban areas around Australia.

Football has had the highest participation rates of any sport for boys aged 5-14 years for more than a decade and is also the fastest growing team sport for girls with an average annual growth rate of more than 6% over the past five years.

“Almost 1 million Australians enjoy playing football – whether it be formally through registered competition, or informally.

“Optus’ support will help children around the country play the game,” Buckley said.

“The larger our participation base, the more likely our international success as we draw on a bigger pool of participants to be future Westfield Matildas or Qantas Socceroos.

“In addition, more children playing the game will result in healthier lifestyles and a healthier population.”

Optus Chief Executive, Paul O’Sullivan, said that Optus was proud to be involved with football.

“This is a strategic partnership for Optus. Both Optus and FFA are challenger brands committed to taking on the local incumbents and winning in our respective markets,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Football is the biggest sport in the world with one of the highest youth participation sport rates in Australia, so our backing in this area will help secure the game’s future success on both domestic and international levels.

“Optus is keen to support this important program and encourage even greater participation, especially in regional Australia where Optus is investing significantly to expand its 3G Mobile Network,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Optus is also proud to support the Qantas Socceroos in their quest to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.”

The Qantas Socceroos will play Qatar in a 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian group qualifier in Brisbane next Wednesday.

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It actually ..Sir Alex Ferguson these days

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~~~~~~
KB

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KB

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Roma manager said that Manchester United were more Italian then italian teams when he lost to them at home.

However Man. U played very differently in the EPL.

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Usually man-u have a fairly simple game plan and every player, within limits, is encouraged to express himself. When watching Adelaide, one has the impression that they are all ultra aware of each-other and are all reading from the same script. The back 4 are almost in a straight line when an opposition winger is dribbling down the flanks. It reminds me of the Roman Legions keeping battle formation.
PG

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~~~~~~~
KB

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For the second goal Dodd climber all over the back of the Uzbek defender before the ball fell to Barbiero. Could’ve been a free kick the other way.

And of course the third was a penalty, but how many times have we seen defenders bump into the attacking players in the box and not given a penalty.

Like most, I thought the referee had a good game, but a different referee might have meant a different result.
How would the Manchester United of the A-League have felt about going to Tashkent after a 0-0 home leg.

If it was Victory and Breeze refereeing they would have had players sent off and lost.

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