Socceroos still have to call Europe home
Columnist By Davidde Corran, 27 Oct 2011 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert
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Socceroos youngsters shine in draw against Serbia. AAP Images
Hyperbole and Australian football seem to go hand-in-hand together these days. Usually it’s self-defeatism or pessimism reigning supreme, but this week, with Holger Osieck calling a two-day camp for domestic based potential Socceroos and Olyroos, all of a sudden the A-League has become a hot bed of national team talent.
The discussion has gone from the reasonable query of which A-League player could contribute to the national team, to the stratospheric question of who will be the next domestically based Socceroo star. At best, this is a misguided approach.
On Tuesday the hyperbole seemed to reach new heights when comparisons began to be drawn between Brisbane Roar midfielder Eric Paartalu and one of the finest midfielders in world footballer, Spanish puppet master Xavi Hernandez.
I’m all for championing the local competition, especially as it continues to reach such promising levels, but it remains a young and naïve competition.
We should be looking to the A-League for the next generation of potential Socceroos and those with the ability to play above their station as part-time contributors to the Socceroos. I’d list Terry Antonis and Joshua Rose as examples of these two categories.
Even Osieck admitted as much last week when he announced the list of players he’d invited to his Socceroos camp.
“With such a long campaign, we are always looking for more depth to our squad and it’s logical to see if these players from the Hyundai A-League can provide that depth,” the German tactician said.
This is the essence of what the A-League can offer the Socceroos.
Even the hunt for the next Matt McKay, who rose from a consistent A-League performer to regular international player, is a fool’s errand.
While McKay’s run for the national team has both empowered Australian based players to raise their game, it has also inflated expectations. It is high unlikely that the next A-League player to get a Socceroos cap will have as much success as the former Brisbane Roar captain did.
Yes, a player can come out of the A-League and contribute to the Socceroos but the best litmus test of an Australian footballer’s ability to perform at international level is still European football.
In other words, Europe still remains the best place for Socceroos to call home.
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October 27th 2011 @ 5:52am
nordozzz said | October 27th 2011 @ 5:52am | Report comment
well re Paartalu … i’d take him over someone at a second division Italian club or a mediocre Turkish team. No disrespect to the other DM options!
But the mentality that goes with being a player at a leading club in any league (even an emerging one like ours) versus an also-ran in Europe… There’s Europe and then there’s Europe, it ain’t all equal. Well i think that merits some discussion as the camp has provoked.
Even if the comparisons to Xavi are a little ambitious … but hey nothin wrong with a *little* of that at least! Like u say things can veer too far to self-defeatism sometimes.
October 27th 2011 @ 6:44am
Punter said | October 27th 2011 @ 6:44am | Report comment
This is not un-common, the great Romanian Hagi, was known as the Romanian Maradona, quite often when we play some of Asian teams, you will that certain players are referred to as the Thailand Beckham or the Qatar’s Messi, these comparisons are not un-common.
Most one eyed A-League fan would understand why Paartalu was on Aus$200k a year & Xavi probably on Aus$200K a week.
We are not saying Paartalu should be in the socceroos side because he is as good as Xavi, we are saying, he is equal to or better than Valeri, Jedninak or Kilkenny, all running around not for Baracelona but 2nd tier teams around Europe. But this is only an opinion.
October 27th 2011 @ 7:39am
Eamonn said | October 27th 2011 @ 7:39am | Report comment
Asia Davidde? Ever heard of it?
So Mile Jedinak, Matt McKay, Robbie Kruse, David Carney, Sasa Ognenovski, Alex Brosque, Michael Zullo – this is a fool’s errand Davidde?
All these players started life in the A-League – made their Socceroos debut whilst in the A-League – so it would seem to me that there is a good reason why Holger is the National Coach and you aren’t!
How many players need to come from the A-League for you to see it as a hot bed of Socceroos talent?
Terry Antonis, Eric Paartalu, Ivan Franjic, Luke Devere, Mitch Langerek, Matthew Leckie are a number of A-League and fmr A-League players likely to become Socceroos down the track.
As for Europe being the best place? – well tell that to Matt McKay, Josh Kennedy and Sas Ogenovski, Lucas Neill, and Alex Brosque.
Asia? Ever heard of it?
Think you need to revisit this article!
October 27th 2011 @ 9:21am
Lucan said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:21am | Report comment
That was a compelling assessment until you referenced “Lucas Neill”. But, seriously, many of the Asian leagues are still viewed as retirement homes/one last payday for fading players.
I look forward to the days when Asian leagues draw world class players who are still in their prime, but at the moment it isn’t quite there. The best Japanese talent in the J-League and Korean talent in the K-League still leave for Europe when the offers come in.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:04am
phutbol said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:04am | Report comment
is that why the majority of the Japanese team still play in Japan?? I’m sure they could all be playing in lower level Euro leagues if they wanted to but why should they when only the very top tier (say 3 or 4) leagues are of a better standard. thats the reality.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:07am
MelbCro said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:07am | Report comment
only 3 or 4 leagues in Europe are better than the J-league? hahahaha, wow.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:25am
Lucan said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:25am | Report comment
You’re saying the J-League is the 4th or 5th top league in the world? Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:39am
Punter said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:39am | Report comment
While I too don’t agree with him either (French, Dutch, Portuguese) outside the top 4 are probably still bigger, I wouldn’t say they are that much better.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:39am
jmac said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:39am | Report comment
I agree with the intention of your argument phutbol. just maybe not 3 or 4 leagues, but certainly no more than the top 6 or 7 european leagues.
October 27th 2011 @ 12:48pm
mahony said | October 27th 2011 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
Yep – Agree totaly – bigger is not better. Better is better and there is a lot of football in Rurpoe, most of which is A-League standard or below.
November 13th 2011 @ 6:07pm
Delta said | November 13th 2011 @ 6:07pm | Report comment
not when u have to play in world cup,
Europe n south America still ahead of
Asia . So to be able to play football in
any club in Europe it a dream for our
Boys.
October 27th 2011 @ 8:05am
JAJI said | October 27th 2011 @ 8:05am | Report comment
In agreement. Our best players still have to head to Europe after a solid stint in the A League. Every World Cup has been won by countries where the majority of its players ply their trade on the Continent. I want to see players such as Ognenovski, De Vere, Milligan, Spiranovic all head to Europe as thats the litmus test. The Brett Emerton and Tommy Oar approach – head to a country like Holland after a few seasons here is a model approach. the David Carney approach is not
October 28th 2011 @ 11:07pm
Evan Askew said | October 28th 2011 @ 11:07pm | Report comment
So i guess the domestically based Brazillian, Argentinian and Uruguyan teams that won the world cup don’t count? Never mind the fact that significant portions of the Argentinan team in 1986 and the Brazillian team in 94 were also domestic based.
October 27th 2011 @ 8:17am
jamesb said | October 27th 2011 @ 8:17am | Report comment
thats why its important that the A-league continues to improve as a competition. I also believe the HAl can become a better competiton than most 2nd tier european comps and some established 1st tier comps in europe.
therefore you won’t have many players playing in second tier comps, rather they be staying in the HAL. Such as Jedinak, Williams, Kilkenny, Valeri, are examples of this
sure the HAL will never be the EPL, bundesliga, La Liga or Serie A, but if the HAL can be at the next level of competitions like turkey, j-league etc, then i’d be happy.
……….and even reaching to the level of those comps will be a challenge
October 27th 2011 @ 9:05am
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:05am | Report comment
This is a surprisingly poorly thought out article, with distinct trappings of the football cultural cringe that we are now finally putting behind us. As other posters have pointed out, Europe can’t be considered as one “block” of elite football competitions, Davidde, and you have left Asia out the equation.
The fact is that the football world is changing faster than any of us could have imagined 10 years ago, and blanket assertions that players need to plying their trade in Europe are now redundant, qualified out of any veracity by the disparity between the different European leagues.
“Europe” in this context is now meaningless as a football concept. The argument can only made on a league by league basis. The fact that Lustica, who could not break into the Gold Coast team, and Milicevic, a workmanlike A-League player, went straight into a top Croatian club team is an interesting comment in itself on the standard of the A-League. And don’t try to argue that Lustica was Bleiberg’s problem – he wasn’t. He simply didn’t perform when given the chance. Furthermore, to assert that future A-League players to be given a NT chance are unlikely to replicate McKay’s success is a completely pointless argument – upon what do you base this view, Davidde? In fact, what you base it on is a stereotypical and outdated negative view of the A-League.
A broader perspective on the football world is now needed, and certainly one that includes Asia.
October 27th 2011 @ 9:32am
MelbCro said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:32am | Report comment
You don’t know what you are talking about, Lustica will be a Socceroo and you’ll be eating your words. And let me tell you Hajduk Split would beat any team in the A-League.
October 27th 2011 @ 10:28am
Danny Bhoy said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:28am | Report comment
The Roar would smash any team containing Lustica and Milicevic!
October 27th 2011 @ 10:37am
MelbCro said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:37am | Report comment
you live in a fantasy world
October 27th 2011 @ 11:43am
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Pot calls kettle black.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:46am
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:46am | Report comment
What you have to understand, MC, is that this is in no way a criticism of Croatian football. Quite the contrary – my point is that it says good things about the A-League. You have interpreted me the wrong way around.
October 27th 2011 @ 10:16am
crazyfap said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:16am | Report comment
I have to agree with this article.Comparisons of Paartalu to Xavi and Brisbane Roar to Barcelona are laughable.
I would prefer our Socceroos to be playing week in , week out in Europe and not in the A-League.A lot of A-League players got their chance under Verbeek and showed their ineptitude.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:14am
Punter said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:14am | Report comment
I think you would find that they play a style similar to Barcelona, they try to play out from the back, no-one ever said they are of the standard of Barcelona.
Yes week in week out, the Socceroos should be playing in Europe, no doubt, especially if they are playing in the top 6-7 leagues in Europe, but I think you have a good arguement against if the Socceroos are running around in the 2nd tier competitions or in some of the lesser leagues in Europe.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:27am
jmac said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:27am | Report comment
or, a lot of A-League players got their chance under Verbeek, and Verbeek showed his ineptitude.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:47am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:47am | Report comment
+1
October 27th 2011 @ 10:33pm
Jupiter53 said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:33pm | Report comment
+ another
October 27th 2011 @ 11:49am
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:49am | Report comment
If you think a comparison between Brisbane and Barcelona is laughable, you don’t know much about football. The comparison is in style of play.
As for a comparison of Paartalu to Xavi or Inesta – well, where? It would have been helpful Davidde, if you had cited your source for this. Frankly, it looks awfully like you made it up for effect.
In any case, anyone who compares Paartalu to these players is woefully ignorant of the different roles that these players have.
October 27th 2011 @ 12:28pm
Rangaraider said | October 27th 2011 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
I think it was the High Priest of Hyperbole A. Harper on foxsports FC who made the comparison. What David failed to point out is he was merely saying Paartalu played a similar role in Roars system to Xavi in Barcelona’s and even qualified it say he was not comparing the skills of the players directly…
But lets not let the facts get in the way of a good story hey Davidde…
October 27th 2011 @ 12:46pm
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
In other words, Davidde, what you have done here is a shameless beat up.
Highly unprofessional and very disappointing.
October 27th 2011 @ 10:52am
Futbanous said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:52am | Report comment
The distinction between Europe A & Europe B or C is a valid one.
Chesterfield or Scunthorpe or indeed Greenock Morton where Erik Paartalu was is Europe.
Nobody can dispute that if the Socceroos had the luxury of picking all players from the EPL/La Liga/Serie A/Bundesliga who were first team regulars then that is the obvious choice. Maybe even the French & Dutch or Portuguese Top leagues.
It aint going to happen simply because Europe is a cattle market of ravenous players from all parts of the globe.
If we get one or two in the top leagues then be thankful.
I agree with those who advocate the top Asian leagues for our players. Give me Josh Kennedy at Nagoya Grampus over Josh Kennedy at any English championship team or second tier European league.
Not only because of its standard(& now maturity) but because its in our zone its who we have to play(their National team) to qualify for the Asian & World cups. That in itself requires a mindset change from the days when the likes of Erik Paartalu suffered in the snow because “Europe was best”
Personally I dont see where anybody is claiming that the A-League is a hot bed of National talent.
All that has happened is that Holger is giving everybody a chance. Something that Pim ignored. I will then trust the judgement of this man to determine who will & will not play for the national team.
The fact that some former A-League players & some present A-League players are contenders or established Socceroos means the league has players who can step up.
In fact the NSL had players who could step up to International level.
Sure adding the sum of all its parts its naive in certain areas compared with established traditional Europe,but it is improving & whether Erik Paartalu makes it as a Socceroo or not I guarantee he has learned more in 5 minutes under Ange at the Roar than all his time in Scotland.
October 27th 2011 @ 10:34pm
Jupiter53 said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:34pm | Report comment
Yep, well put.
October 27th 2011 @ 11:52am
Realfootball said | October 27th 2011 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Frankly, this is a mischievous and heavily slanted article that seems designed to illicit extreme comment and bring out all the A-League bashers. How else to explain the nonsensical and unreferenced comparison between Paartalu and Xavi?
Thanks, Davidde. Just what we need, again. More A-League bashing.
October 27th 2011 @ 12:09pm
whiskeymac said | October 27th 2011 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
the HAL will breed talent, some of it will stay and some of it will be polished off in Europe. Langerak, Amini for example. Some of it will come back like Djite and Vidosic. and as it evolves it gets better to watch and better talent is drawn in and developed. am not aware of too many over enthusing about the HAL, but there are plenty who are rightly proud of it.
High hopes for lots of players – Lustica, Oar, McGrath, Herd etc and locally Antonis, Kantarovski etc.
Not heard of anyone calling Paartalu Xavi. Then again as others point out he is certainly a viable candidate for the roos.