McDonald deserves Socceroos chance
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A knee injury to Josh Kennedy has opened the door for striker Scott McDonald to rejoin the Socceroos and perhaps finally bag an elusive international goal.
McDonald – a polarising figure among Australia’s football fans and yet to find the back of the net in 25 internationals – was named in a 20-man squad that will tackle Scotland in an Edinburgh friendly on Wednesday.
While Kennedy, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill will be absent, 28-year-old McDonald will return to the country where he made his name as a star striker for Celtic, banging in goals for fun.
Australian coach Holger Osieck expects Kennedy to return for the side’s next 2014 World Cup qualifier – against Jordan on September 11.
But Osieck says McDonald could still play a role in the Socceroos’ final round of World Cup qualifying.
“If you look at our attacking group, some of the boys are not ready – so I included him (McDonald) again,” Osieck said.
“I’m always following all the boys and I think he’s doing pretty well in pre-season. He’s scoring goals for his club team (Middlesbrough).
“I want to see him help the team and be a serious contender for an attacking spot for the upcoming games.
“When you recall his recent history, he was very unfortunate after a very good performance in Wales.”
McDonald, who was cut from Australia’s 2010 World Cup squad on the eve of the tournament, played one of his best games, under Osieck, last year on August 10.
However, after the 2-1 friendly win over Wales, he was beset by hamstring and knee issues.
McDonald fell behind a long queue of promising attackers, but never became the forgotten man of Australian soccer.
“Nobody’s ever forgotten. I’m still monitoring everybody very closely,” Osieck said.
This is something 33-year-old Archie Thompson, the A-League’s sole representative in the squad, can attest to.
After serving as right-back in the Socceroos’ last-start drawn World Cup qualifiers against Oman (away) and Japan (home), Jade North was omitted due to a calf injury.
Kewell, yet to sign a new club deal after cutting ties with A-League side Melbourne Victory and returning to England, wasn’t considered.
However Lucas Neill, also without a team, will captain the Socceroos for the 50th time.
“He (Neill) has been working with teams and clubs and he’s close to re-signing again with one of the Middle Eastern teams,” Osieck said.
“In his role as captain, he’s very important to me and the team.”
Defenders Jason Davidson and Ryan McGowan were given their first call-ups, while Chris Herd is also in line to make his national debut after withdrawing from two previous squads due to injury.
Osieck wouldn’t promise the untried youngsters time on the pitch, but suggested “there’s a lot of open questions and I think we’ll get the answers in the upcoming camp in Scotland”.
© AAP 2013
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The Crowd Says (20) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
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- football, Josh Kennedy, Scott McDonald, Socceroos
August 9th 2012 @ 6:47am
Cpaaa said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:47am | Report comment
Well, lets just say “In Football, every striker deserves a 26th chance ?”
August 9th 2012 @ 8:18am
agga78 said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:18am | Report comment
How many of those caps were in the starting eleven Cpaaa and how many have been as a subsititute, Scott has been harsly treated by a lot of people in Australian footall, he has never been given a sustained go at international level it has been in for half a game here or come on for 10 minutes.
The opportunity was there a while back when Australia got a penalty in a friendly and we were winning and they never let him take the penanlty to break his duck and I thought that summed up his international career right there, he was a bit part player and was never allowed to flourish at international level.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:39am
Kasey said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
I really hope Scotty Mac can break his duck. Lets face it with Holger wedded to his Dad’s Army squad, anybody under 30 who could potentially score an international goal should be a welcome sight in the gold kit. As agga says though, the key is if he will get a start and thus a chance to get into the rhythm of the game from the beginning?
August 9th 2012 @ 9:09am
Cpaaa said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:09am | Report comment
Agga I for one have never put down Macca, alright my comment may have been a tad sarcastic but I think everyone deserves a 26th chance especially when you have scored over 30 goals in a season for a club like Celtics.
But lets be Real.
Every manager/coach that has had Macca in his squad has said the same thing..” im sure the goals will come, he works hard”
The goals dont come, and lets say he puts one away against scotland, are we meant to think that finally that this is the turning point and now it will rain with M’c Goals in the back of the net ?
….but i do understand the coaches, for Macca is like my pommegranite tree in the back yard. 4 years ive been watering that thing, and every year it shines with new branches, buds and greenery and every year i say the same thing ” yep this is the year”.
I simply just cant get rid of it and try another one, for i have faith that one day this one will come good.
But the truth is, Macca, and like my pomme tree, both have never given me any fruit.
August 9th 2012 @ 9:32am
MelbCro said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:32am | Report comment
Why on earth does Archie still get picked.
August 9th 2012 @ 9:44am
Kasey said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Buggered if I know, that decision is single handedly harming my ability to get excited about a National team fixture. I just can’t seem to move past it in my focus on this team. I will always cheer for whoever pulls on the Gold shirt representing my country, but it seems not one of the sycophantic members of the football media in this country has the guts to ask Herr Osieck why on Gods green earth is Archie fecking Thompson at 34 and almost barren in front of goal at HAL level still being picked in the squad?
August 9th 2012 @ 10:05am
Fussball ist unser leben said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:05am | Report comment
In my opinion, the addition of Archie in the final Group qualifier against KSA turned the game.
When Archie entered the pitch at 62′, AUS was losing 1-2. Immediately, he made intelligent runs behind the defence. His “pass & move” linking play with Brosque, Bresciano & Emerton was a delight to watch.
And, within 15 mins of Archie being on the pitch, AUS were 4-2 up. If I recall correctly, Archie was involved in every one of those 3 goals.
Then, in Muscat against OMA I thought that, when Archie came on in the 58′, he added a potency to our attack that was nonexistent in the opening hour. Once again, Archie inserted a mobility & energy to our attacks – getting in behind the OMA defence to create meaningful chances – instead of speculative long-range shots that AUS relied on in the 1st half.
Yes, we all know Archie missed some sitters that day. But, if I were a coach, I’d be looking at the opportunities he created.
August 9th 2012 @ 10:09am
Kasey said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:09am | Report comment
That might be the case and it could be the case in the AUS v KSA game that Archie fed off the ‘home’ crowd at AAMI Pk – I was there and the intensity of the stadium lifted several notches…crowd favourites often have that effect. , but do you not think it[his selection ] a waste of a chance to experiment with players that are a realistic chance to be used in Brazil 2014(assuming we qualify)? Why not at least call Porta(only 29) into the squad? I am not somebody who has dedicated his life to being an expert football manager like Osieck, but if he’s not careful, he will lose the support of the Australian public if he fails to offer some glimpse of hope for an improved WC finals performance, after experiencing the backlash from the meda after SA2010, I honestly feel that we as a football/sporting country have moved beyond just being happy with making it to the final 32.
August 9th 2012 @ 11:52am
Nephilim said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Not sure why people are banging on so much about Porta? I realy don’t know much about him other than a you-tube vid I just watched, the defending was terrible so it realy didn’t highlight any skills other than a few nice first touch’s. Don’t get me wrong if he can do the job well and good, but to me he’s a bit obscure playing in the UAE in what should be his prime?
August 9th 2012 @ 11:55am
Kasey said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Honestly I think its just nerves. Many fans are starting to get the feeling we’ve hired Pim Mk2, Sure he’ll get us to the WC, but then what? Perhaps Porta represents the change we have hoped for since Sth Africa but are yet to see.
August 9th 2012 @ 12:13pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
Maybe fans need to stop and look at things logically, rather than emotionally?
3 months after Holger took control of the AUS NT, we made the final of the 2011 Asian Cup – smashing a highly-fancied UZB team 6-0 in the SF – before losing to a world-class, technically-perfect volley in the 2nd half of ET, in a match that AUS had so many opportunities to score that the MOTM was awarded to JPN’s GK for keeping a clean sheet!
Under Holger, AUS has beaten the highly-fancied GER – in Germany (albeit in a practice match). It was the 1st time GER had lost since ESP beat them in the SF of WC2010.
Under the command of Herr Holger, the AUS NT has played 28 matches (16 competitive, 12 friendly).
Osieck’s record is:
W: 18 (11, 7)
D: 6 (3, 3)
L: 4 (2, 2)
So, in competitive games under Holger we’ve lost:
0-1 in the heat of Muscat
0-1 to an extra-time, wonder-volley in the final of the Asian Cup.
Call me deluded, but I reckon I’ll put my faith in Holger’s football knowledge & managerial acumen rather than the AUS NT fans, who have proven to be perennial whingers.
Sometimes, I wonder how AUS NT fans survived during really unsuccessful years 1975-2004 … if this is how they react during the successful years?
August 9th 2012 @ 12:57pm
Griffo said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
What is everyones’ comment on Pim after he qualified Australia for the 2010 World Cup with a fairly impressive record, in light of some calls after qualification that Pim should be sacked because of the style of football played?
I never agreed with that call, even in hindsight of the opening Germany game.
Not counting the chickens before they hatch but I wonder out loud if those calls will arrive from similar quarters again, particularly if we scrape through rather than comfortably top the group (ahead of Japan as was the case in 2010 WCQ).
I think they will be particularly loud if we keep breaking the ‘oldest Socceroo team fielded’ record consistently over the next year.
August 9th 2012 @ 3:51pm
Nephilim said | August 9th 2012 @ 3:51pm | Report comment
ok, just wondering.
I think that Holger will want to make certain that we qualify before making any drastic changes or experimentation to the squad, or that’s how I am taking all this.
No need for panic, still a ways off till the WC.
@Griffo
Some comments regarding Pim were a bit harsh, but that German game he made a lot of mistakes that he corrected in the next games, some decisions were very poor. But it’s all in the past and hindsight is a wonderful thing when you can afford it.
August 9th 2012 @ 12:49pm
Griffo said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
From what I remember Holger saying around the Saudi game, it was what Archie brings off the park (likeable relaxed character) and what he showed for the Saudi game that has him front and centre of Holger’s thinking.
Including him to me is very much keeping Archie in contact with Holger’s plans as an option for the team if he is needed for WCQ and perhaps some match practice during the long Aussie off-season.
Not ideal if you want younger gun strikers to get experience but that should be seen as the call going out to those said young gun strikers to work hard and get noticed with efforts on the pitch to make Holger think about replacing Archie.
August 9th 2012 @ 9:34am
Bondy. said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:34am | Report comment
I think we need to figure out how we get consistant play moving into the final third and around that region,it doesnt matter who you have up front if theres no genuine and consistant service.
August 9th 2012 @ 10:16am
Titus said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:16am | Report comment
I think we need to play Bresciano central with, or just behind, Holman.
August 9th 2012 @ 11:55am
Nephilim said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:55am | Report comment
I like Bresc central and Holman has been playing as a winger/inside forward of late, maybe put him there.
August 9th 2012 @ 12:30pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Interview with AUS NT head coach, Holger Osieck where he clearly states they’re constantly looking at potential new players for the squad. Right now, the full senior coaching staff are in Europe visiting training, watching, talking …
It’s up to the players to prove themselves worthy of selection to the National Team and, once selected, they then have to prove they deserve a spot ahead of the incumbents.
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/Coaching-staff-search-Europe-for-potential-Qantas-Socceroos/48470
August 9th 2012 @ 4:43pm
Nephilim said | August 9th 2012 @ 4:43pm | Report comment
Thanks Fusster, I liked that interview. Like I also said before, I’m sure he also wants to make sure we qualify for the WC before he makes any sweeping changes or experimentation to the team.
August 11th 2012 @ 10:04am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | August 11th 2012 @ 10:04am | Report comment
I feel a little sorry for Mcdonald,in the run he got in the team under Pim he was played up front on his own which is a role for a striker who is blisteringly quick or a Viduka/Berbatov type player,Scotty is neither obviously.His strengths lie in link up played in and around the area so having him up front with Brosque could work.