No Moore time left for the Socceroos
Columnist By Davidde Corran, 6 Jun 2010 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- 2010 World Cup, Craig Moore, football, Harry Kewell, Lucas Neill, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos, USA, Vince Grella
Related coverage
Australian Socceroos Craig Moore. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill).
So, the key part of Australia’s World Cup preparation, three friendlies against New Zealand, Denmark and the USA, are now over. And after the Denmark game it was hard to decide which of Australia’s performances had been the most disappointing, yesterday’s pitiful 3-1 loss to the US left us in no doubt.
At times the Socceroos were skinned alive by the USA’s domestically based strike force of Edson Buddle and Robert Findley. Despite the presence of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, this was still an experimental US line-up against an almost full-strength Socceroos side. But how Australia missed the two starting players who weren’t present, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.
Despite valiant efforts from Richard Garcia and Mark Bresciano, both of whom are trying to find their game feet again after injury disrupted seasons, the Australian front-line struggled to find any fluency.
In the end Tim Cahill was forced into dropping deep and pulling out wide to help Bresciano and Garcia. While that worked to a small extent, it meant Cahill wasn’t where he is most dangerous: in and around the opposition’s penalty area.
Australia’s stifled creativity isn’t news and so the biggest concern must be in defence.
Craig Moore quite simply had a nightmare. Australia’s back line in general isn’t exactly blessed with pace and so it comes as no surprise that against Denamrk and the US, Australia have played a high defensive line, trying to catch their opponents offside. On a number of occasions it didn’t work and this will continue to plague the Socceroos.
Meanwhile, I have some sympathy with Vince Grella’s much-maligned performance against the US. Gone were the brutal red-card worthy tackles we’d seen in the two previous friendlies. Instead it was Grella’s distribution that had most people worried.
Not only was ‘Vinnie’ responsible for the first goal, after coughing up possession 15 metres in front of Australia’s penalty area, but also his passing often went astray.
When considering Grella’s game yesterday it bears remembering that his position in the middle of the park is where it is most obvious when a player misses the target with one of his passes. The Blackburn Rovers midfielder was also quite isolated with Culina given a bit more freedom to push on. There was a marked improvement when Valeri came on and sat deep with Grella. His distribution improved and Australia were cut open much less.
Yesterday’s loss to the US was the first time Australia has conceded three goals in quite a while, so should Australian fans be concerned by this performance or grateful for the “wake-up call”?
Personally I’d go with the later. Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek is about as dogged as they come. Fitness concerns aside, he knows who is going to start against Germany this weekend and how he wants them to play as well.
Going into a major tournament you want your players fit, in-form and confident. Australia will struggle on almost all those fronts.
Yet I was surprised to see the buoyant mood in the Australian camp despite a 3-1 loss. I spoke to a number of the Socceroos after the game and while disappointed to have lost, they really weren’t too fussed. Clearly the Socceroos wont carry the weight of this loss into their opening game.
In looking for positives, Australian fans can take a little hope from an Australia v USA scratch match played between the substitutes and reserves from both squads after the final whistle. It was in that run around that Harry Kewell got his first taste of football in the green and gold this year.
Harry’s return can’t come quick enough but I’m not sure if that will solve all of Australia’s problems.
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- 2010 World Cup, Craig Moore, football, Harry Kewell, Lucas Neill, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos, USA, Vince Grella
June 6th 2010 @ 8:02pm
sheek said | June 6th 2010 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
First off, we’re not that good really & I’m just being realistic. We need a lot of things to go right for us to progress to the 2nd round, & I think most Aussie fans with their feet planted firmly on the ground, know this.
That said, the loss can do more good than harm. Would you rather lose a friendly or the opening WC game? Of course, we might end up losing both but the hope is we will learn from this.
You learn more from adversity than good times. It’s noses to the grindstone stuff. The guys are in heavy training also. The hope is once they taper off they’ll be raring to go.
There are positives. We haven’t lost anyone seriously to injury yet. Kewell & Emerton appear to be approaching something like top fitness & form (well, on the training paddock anyway). Hell, there are no prizes for what is happening now, that all starts when the first round of games begin.
The Socceroos have been alerted to their sloppy defence & midfield, both usually our strong suit. It’s a bit like preparing for the start of a yacht race. When the gun goes, you want to be just behind the line but already flying.
We have to believe that the Socceroos will have their timing right!
June 6th 2010 @ 8:45pm
Farqwar said | June 6th 2010 @ 8:45pm | Report comment
Problem is Sheek, we are playing like we think we aren’t that good. And we are being coached like the coach doesn’t think we are that good. We punched above our weight last world cup because we figured maybe we are good.
Positives for me are that our best players aren’t necessarily the old guard. In the short time that they were on, the most encouraging signs came from Valeri, Vidosic and Rukavytsya.
Kewell is still the best player we have but I just can’t see him being able to do more than a cameo. But fingers crossed the players are just priming for the big one and it all comes together then.
June 7th 2010 @ 10:57am
sheek said | June 7th 2010 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Farqwar,
Interesting perception. I think the Socceroos & Pim are realistic about their abilities, but I don’t think for one second they put themselves down.
Last world cup there was a lot of euphoria about us making the world cup after 32 years, & Huus was ever the showman.
I actually like the quit way the Socceroos have gone about things in 2010. Like the movie Life of Brian, fans are looking for a sign, any sign, that things are going to happen. It’s getting a bit ridiculous.
The team will give its best, they’re very much united. A united team will play better than a team of individual champions. I really like the way they’re quietly going about things. It might mean nothing, then again it might lead to something good…..
June 6th 2010 @ 8:42pm
AA said | June 6th 2010 @ 8:42pm | Report comment
We didn’t play all that badly. Grella made a boo-boo and got spanked for it.
Besides Grella, the team wasn’t all that bad, including Moore.
June 6th 2010 @ 9:41pm
MattG said | June 6th 2010 @ 9:41pm | Report comment
Just hurry up and find the obvious solution of replacing Moore with Milligan. Done.
June 7th 2010 @ 11:31am
Phutbol said | June 7th 2010 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Have to say, Moore showed a surprising turn of pace to get back in position when Findley broke down the left wing in the second half. He ran him down from about 3 meters behind. Didnt look that slow to me.
June 7th 2010 @ 1:31pm
duncan said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
EXPOSED.
June 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm
Theo said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
I think all the debate, they changes, the tactics are all over. I would hope that Pim has already in his mind baring injuries the team that will be on the park and it appears Moore is part of it agree or disagree Pim has Moore in the Central back role.
June 7th 2010 @ 4:17pm
Mick of Newie said | June 7th 2010 @ 4:17pm | Report comment
It appears Pim will stick with Grella and Moore until they are suspended (my bet both will be suspended for the Serbia game, if not earlier).
Assuming Emo doesn’t play I now hope Valeri plays alongside Grella and Culina plays wide right. There has been some positive comment on Garcia but for me he was anonymous.