Harry Kewell of Australia is challenged by Mohammed Addullah of Oman and team-mate Mohamed Rabia Jamaan Al Noobi during a FIFA Asian Cup qualifying match. AAP Image/Joe Castro
Technical director Han Berger claimed that it’s an “interesting” draw, and on the whole the Socceroos will be pleased to have been grouped with India, Korea Republic and Bahrain in Group C of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Kicking off in cool January climes, the fifteenth Asian Cup pits Australia against 2008 AFC Challenge Cup winners India in a fascinating opening clash, with the Indians an opponent we’re more familiar with from the dusty pitches of Mumbai and the lush outfields of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
But it’s an encounter with old foes South Korea that will have Australian pulses racing, with the Socceroos no doubt keen to avenge their most recent 3-1 friendly defeat in Seoul back in September 2009.
The question is: can Australia field a competitive squad in Qatar, or will a post-World Cup rebuilding phase put the Socceroos on the back foot?
With the likes of Craig Moore and Scott Chipperfield expected to retire from international football after their South African sojourn, and questions over whether Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill will even turn out in the January tournament, the Socceroos’ yet-to-be-named coach could field an understrength squad in the Gulf.
AFC chief Mohamed Bin Hammam has already warned European clubs that they will be expected to release their eligible Asian Cup stars, but there’s no guarantee that every member of the Socceroos will put their hand up for international duty in the middle of the European club season.
That shouldn’t really constitute a major problem, as far as I’m concerned, since the Asian Cup represents the perfect opportunity for several fringe squad members to establish themselves in the national side.
For years we have relied on names like Schwarzer, Cahill and Kewell in the international arena, but the 2011 Asian Cup represents the perfect opportunity for a new generation of Socceroos to step up and make a name for themselves – not least because the 2014 World Cup in Brazil should also figure in our thoughts.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t take the Asian Cup seriously, it’s simply an acknowledgment that we can use our continental championships to launch a new generation of talent, rather than go hell-for-leather to farewell an old one.
I’m a firm believer that the Asian Cup is a tournament of undoubted importance, but we can take it seriously as part of a four-year cycle, as opposed to viewing it in isolation in our determination to win some silverware.
Every Australian fan is entitled to believe that the team will be “in it, to win it” in 2011, but hopefully the Socceroos approach next year’s tournament with a good deal more humility than they did in 2007.
Back then, the total ignorance of players and staff alike about what it takes to compete in Asia failed to prevent Lucas Neill from proclaiming that Australia would “go through the tournament undefeated.”
There should be no repeat of such unbridled arrogance this time around.
The fact that the Socceroos were not seeded for the Qatar draw following their humbling quarter-final exit in 2007 proves that we have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a genuine force in Asian football.
It’s probably a good thing that the Socceroos are not ranked as one of the outright favourites to win the 2011 Asian Cup, since the underdog tag can be a powerful motivating factor.
By the time the Socceroos take on Bahrain in their final group stage game in Qatar, I certainly hope that they are well on their way to progressing to the knock-out stages of the Asian Cup.
But with so many questions over coaching staff and the composition of the squad to be answered, there’s no reason to view Australia as favourites to win what should be a truly absorbing 16-team tournament.
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
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Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
