Emerton and Kewell needed in A-League kick-off, not Socceroos warm up

 
Tony Tannous Columnist

By , 14 Sep 2011 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert

Tagged:
 , , , , , ,

44 Have your say

Related coverage




Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell shouts during his AFC Asian Cup group C soccer match against South Korea at Al Gharafa Stadium (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

When the Socceroos take the field against Malaysia in Canberra on October 7, in a warm-up game ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Oman a few days later, Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell should be left to watch it from the comfort of their accommodation in Melbourne.

With the A-League set to kick-off 24 hours later with a triple-header, headlined by a blockbuster between Kewell’s Melbourne Victory and Emerton’s Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium, the competition’s headline acts should be conveniently excused from the international friendly.

With so much riding on the success of the national competition this season, and the FFA undoubtedly keen to get it off to a flying start, the blockbuster weekend of national team and national league football provides a great opportunity for all concerned.

In many ways, it is a win-win situation for both the Socceroos and the A-League.

For Holger Osieck, the Malaysia and Oman games, on an international weekend, provide an opportunity to continue his rejuvenation of his Roos by selecting a mix of young and old overseas based players.

Meanwhile, for the A-League, the appearance of Emerton and Kewell on the opening day would be just the kick-start the competition needs.

While there have been claims that the omission of Kewell and Emerton from the national team would devalue the Socceroos jersey, claims I would generally support, this club versus country conundrum is different from most others.

Here, on this occasion, the benefits to the A-League of having Emerton and Kewell available on October 8 clearly outweigh the benefits to the national team.

Rather than looking at it as devaluing the Socceroos brand, this puzzler should be looked at as an opportunity to add value to the national team and the domestic competition for weeks, months and years to come.

While the result of any World Cup qualifier should never be taken for granted and the preparation never compromised, Osieck is in a real position of strength, able to push through his stated want of regenerating the side as it builds towards Brazil 2014.

Things have fallen well for him.

With two wins from the opening two games giving him an early buffer, Osieck has an opportunity to not only field a very strong overseas-based squad, but take it further down the path he desires.

Most of his squad is likely to have featured in the wins over Thailand and Saudi Arabia, while other youngsters doing well in Europe, like Tommy Oar and Mathew Leckie, could possibly come into calculations.

In no way should this interfere with the quality of whichever 11 takes the pitch at ANZ Stadium on October 11.

Indeed, for someone like Robbie Kruse, knocking on the door for a start, a polished display or two down the right side could give Osieck a handy headache going forward.

The German manager, of course, is responsible for ensuring that whoever he selects is mentally up for the job. With Thailand hosting Saudi Arabia on the same matchday, Australia has an opportunity to just about book its spot in the next phase with three points over Oman.

Meanwhile, the A-League, having been launched with a bang a few days earlier, gets an opportunity to consolidate in week two, with Kewell’s Victory venturing over to Adelaide for his first instalment of the epic rivalry, while Emerton’s Sydney host the defending champions, Brisbane Roar.

If all of this is handled smoothly by Osieck and the FFA, both the Socceroos and A-League will be better off for the experience.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA
Wild Turkey - find out more
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.

Get a daily football email

Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it.

We value privacy. More.