The Socceroos need to rediscover their passion

Columnist

By Mike Tuckerman, 31 May 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: 2010 World Cup, Craig Foster, football, Socceroos, Team spirit for the jersey, World Cup, World Football

Related coverage

“Team spirit for the jersey!” is one of Craig Foster’s most enduring quips – uttered during Australia’s penalty shoot-out win over Uruguay in 2005 and a line that still makes me chuckle every time I hear it.

No one can blame Fozzie for barely managing to contain his emotions during the shoot-out: after all, the former Socceroos midfielder is one of an elite few to have enjoyed the privilege of pulling on the Australian jersey.

It’s a privilege that 23 of Australia’s finest footballers will soon experience at the most watched sporting event in the world.

But judging by some of the insipid football displayed against New Zealand last week, the Socceroos could well do with a reminder that passion is a commodity that will not be in short supply at the World Cup.

Pim Verbeek blamed the unusually flat performance against the Kiwis on a rigorous pre-World Cup training regime, so it will be interesting to see if one or two of his star players lift their intensity in tomorrow’s friendly against Denmark.

Australia were beaten 3-1 by the Danes when the two nations met in a friendly at Craven Cottage in back in 2007, and while there’s no reason to read too much into friendly results, the Socceroos will need to step up a gear to compete with a side which cruised through European qualifying with ease.

Indeed, you have to go back to Australia’s 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Limerick in August 2009 to recall a really vibrant, committed Socceroos performance, and in the interim Pim Verbeek seems to have struggled to motivate his players against supposedly weaker opponents.

That won’t be a problem at the World Cup, however a higher public profile and rigid adherence to results-driven football appears to have taken some of the joy out of playing for Australia.

Skipper Lucas Neill admitted that he was glad to get away from “the circus” of media and promotional commitments back home in Australia, and the way that the ‘QANTAS Socceroos’ were herded from event to event before their departure, you can hardly blame him.

But Neill would do well to remember just how little media interest there was in the Socceroos at the start of the century, before he starts to complain about having to flash those pearly whites in front of yet another set of TV cameras.

And while media promotion might be considered little more than a time-consuming hassle by the players, it’s a necessary evil for fans to gain an insight into a national team that they pay good money to support.

At least the players can turn their attention to the football side of things when they run out at Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort, and they’ll want to generate some confidence by turning in a decent performance – even if the end result means little.

That means playing some personnel into form, with the likes of Vinnie Grella and Mark Bresciano looking like they desperately need to shake out some cobwebs.

Others, such as Brett Holman and Nikita Rukavytsya are still trying to impress, but with Verbeek set to stick steadfastly to his 4-2-3-1 formation and his tried and true personnel, it’s likely to be bench spots rather than a place in the run-on side that they’re battling for.

Whatever the result against Denmark, it would be nice to see a bit of passion return to the national team following a dismally drab display against New Zealand.

Here’s hoping that the Socceroos can take a leaf out of the Matildas’ book – Asian champions following their dramatic shoot-out win over North Korea last night – and start showing some “team spirit for the jersey” once again.

Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.

The Crowd Says (21) | Page 1 of Comments

Trusters said | May 31st 2010 @ 7:32am | Report comment

Some have just come from Europe from major clubs like Everton and have the world cup ahead of them. I think we can forgive them for not really caring about a game against New Zealand.

Reply
sheek said | May 31st 2010 @ 7:39am | Report comment

Why do we need the Socceroos to be performing at their peak RIGHT NOW for everyone to have a nice, cosy feeling about themselves?

We want the Socceroos at their peak for the opening WC match against Germany. What happens between now & then is largely irrelevant. Or I should say the focus should be bringing the Socceroos to their peak to then. Which I believe Verbeek is doing.

No-one is going to give us the world cup for beating NZL, Denmark & USA in friendlies…..

Reply
- Redb said | May 31st 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
  
  Spot on Sheek. Pim Verbeek has delivered what he has to date that is necessary each time, despite the hoopla.
  
  Bring on the real stuff!
  
  Reply
- Peter said | June 8th 2010 @ 10:03am | Report comment
  
  being at your peak is one thing, and I dont care what side of the world cup games we are sitting on, a team without passion or drive which is what the socceroes look like, is a team which is going to get a massive wake up call…probably sooner than later….
  
  I have beem hearing about all these hard training sessions which have made us over worked as excuses for the usa and nz games-sounds all too familer…… good luck boys
  
  Reply
AndyRoo said | May 31st 2010 @ 8:42am | Report comment

I’m glad they were one of the first in South Africa. As long as they don’t go stir crazy then it should be a big positive to be their embracing the tournament and enjoying Africa.

I think it’s a much better mentality than wholing up in the Alps which a lot of teams seem to have done.

Reply
Tom said | May 31st 2010 @ 9:11am | Report comment

I think you’re looking at the problem the wrong way, Mike. I don’t think motivation was the issue on Monday. Cahill and Grella obviously cared enough to lay some pretty awful tackles, and Vidosic, Jedinak, Valeri, Holman, Milligan and others seemed to have plenty of energy, just not always the execution.

Everyone seems to forget that Australia didn’t look all that convincing in our warm-up friendlies four year ago either.

Reply
Harvey the Scouser said | May 31st 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment

I remember one recent Pim interview
first they told me qualifying through Asia would be tuff, pffff, jah zo,
then they told me that it’s no big deal qualifying through Asia, pffff, jah zo,

Reply
Australian Football said | May 31st 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment

Firstly: well done Tom Sermanni and the Matildas. Australian Football and the FFA’s first major piece of silverware for their trophy room. Tom Sermanni should now fly to South Africa and lend a hand to the ailing Men Roos––armed with a suitcase of DVDs of the Matilda’s performances. How do we extract that passion and cohesion shown by the Matildas and instil it in the Roo’s camp?

Tom Sermanni has that secret and he would do well by showing our lads how it is done. Fossie’s call do it for the shirt “Team spirit for the jersey!” in that emotional penalty shoot out. You can laugh Mike, but it is what is lacking in the Roos team at present that spirit the gals have and which was evident in 2005 with Roos––is sadly missing now. We basically have the same starting XI in 2006 but there is a lack of understanding amongst the lads in what their individual roles are on the park––playing a system that is not so different to Guus. But under Guus each player new what his role was. It has come unstuck under Pim. He has not expressed clearly to the team what roles they need to be playing for the team.
_____
AF

Reply
- Mike Tuckerman said | May 31st 2010 @ 10:55am | Report comment
  
  Not laughing at Fozzie at all! I think his enthusiasm sums up the way many of us feel about the Socceroos, and the spirit we’d like to see rekindled in South Africa.
  
  Reply
  - Australian Football said | May 31st 2010 @ 11:37am | Report comment
    
    That’s OK Mike, I misunderstood your line.. My apologies and love your work…
    
    Reply
    - Cpaaa said | May 31st 2010 @ 6:11pm | Report comment
      
      Thats right Mike, you must choose your wording carefully when speaking of the Fozz.
      Us Foz deciples will ‘strike down upon thee with great vengence and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy the name of our brother Foz”……(i love that line)
      
      but AF allow me to expand on that great idea. How about the FFA fly down several of those Matildas to South Africa in support of the boys. No need for any speeches but simply their presence in the stands would be enough. Womens Football Champions of Asia- Australia. The cameras also pick up on it and “WOW” 10second shot to international stardom. We support you for you support us, Im sure the boys would pick up that spirit Mike has mentioned in the article. But will FFA think of these things?????
      
      The future is Women. Now lets give them the respect they deserve and send them to SA to inspire others
      
      Reply
Horza said | May 31st 2010 @ 12:19pm | Report comment

FFS, I’m sick of these sort of articles. That 2006 magic will never come back. We will never qualify for a world cup for the first time in thirty two years on the back of a rollercoaster sudden-death playoff again.

This is what world cup qualification is like with every other team: training hard and playing crap in friendlies (you know, games where the results aren’t important) – the only team going into these games with passion is NZ because they’re where we were four years ago.

We’re a normal, some would say mediocre football country that qualifies routinely. It’s what the 2004 reforms were all about. Get used to it.

Reply
- Mike Tuckerman said | May 31st 2010 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
  
  I’m not talking about 2006.
  
  I’m talking about the fact certain players appear to be going through the motions for the national team, others have taken to brutally scything down opponents to express their “frustration,” while criticism of performances is howled down as either irrelevant or unpatriotic.
  
  It’s precisely the fact that the likes of Russia, Ireland, Norway et. al. would like to be in our shoes that makes me wish that some of the Socceroos would rediscover their passion for representing the nation – be it in a friendly, or otherwise.
  
  Reply
  - AndyRoo said | May 31st 2010 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
    
    Grella comes to mind. He just seems an angry man at the moment and I wish he had of got a transfer back to Italy in January.
    
    Reply
    - Mike Tuckerman said | May 31st 2010 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
      
      I definitely had Grella in mind.
      
      Simon Hill has some interesting things to say on the “siege mentality” that Verbeek and his players have adopted. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27201474-5014539,00.html
      
      Reply
      - AndyRoo said | May 31st 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
        
        Obviously I have no real insight in to what is the matter with Vinnie. Could just be frustration with injuries but I was pretty dissappointed with his form (when compared to how good he was in Germany) and how he handled himself in the media at the 07 Asian Cup and the NZ game (was very testy in the media before and after).
        It might be a home life thing which coupled with the injuries is why I would prefer he went back to Italy which I think would make him happier on both counts.
        I still hold hope that after a couple of games he gets into form and we get the old Grella back.
        
        Thanks for the link too, I hadn’t seen it before. I don’t really use fox sports news but they probably along with SBS will get the best access to the players.
        
        Reply
Chook said | May 31st 2010 @ 12:22pm | Report comment

Passion for football????

We should well stoked that we are in SA.

Just getting thier is enough passion, you can see it in the players when they get interviewed they are all fully primed .

But I can safely say that Russia, Ireland, Norway, Columbia, Croatia, Egypt, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Sweden, Finland and the list goes on would love to be where Australia is right now.

Reply
- Axel V said | May 31st 2010 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
  
  you forgot the Czech republic, don’t forget them!
  
  For me, Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden and Croatia are big misses from this world cup, their absence has made all the European teams that were not in pot 1 all that much squishier. I mean, every team wants to have Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland in their group! It’s no coincidence that all these teams are in the groups of life and the 4 easiest groups!
  
  Reply
  - Axel V said | May 31st 2010 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
    
    I said to my brother during the draw, that France, Portugal and Serbia are the teams we don’t want to face, 5/8 chance of not facing them! As Serbia gets placed in our group *I place my palm on my forehead*
    
    Reply
Ben of Phnom Penh said | May 31st 2010 @ 9:12pm | Report comment

Given the way players have made themselves available to play all over Asia I’m not so sure about the need to question their desire to play for the shirt, nor their commitment once on the field. What may be more of an issue is players who feel complacency about their position in the side. This is part of the reason why Valeri, Jedinak and Vidosic throw so much into every game; they can ill afford not to, friendly or no.

Reply
Joe FC said | May 31st 2010 @ 10:52pm | Report comment

With all due respect Mike this is not one of your better articles. Am I to conclude that you lacked passion when you wrote it? Or is it more of a case that you, the Socceroos and I on average generally deliver average performances? Passion like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Reply