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Joeys showing signs the production process is starting to bear fruit

10th September, 2014
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The Joeys celebrate after scoring a goal against Japan
Expert
10th September, 2014
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2625 Reads

While the Socceroos have dominated the headlines in the past week with friendlies against Belgium and Saudi Arabia, those with an eye beyond the Asian Cup have also been looking at our national youth teams.

While the Young Socceroos have been anything but impressive at the AFF U-19 Youth Championships in Vietnam, go three or four years down the chain to the Joeys, currently playing in the AFC U-16 Championship in Thailand, and the signs look very encouraging.

Indeed, the work of these 15 and 16-year-olds so far at this tournament, which double as qualifiers for next year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, has been among the most eye-opening from any of our youth teams in a very long time.

What they have demonstrated in the three wins so far against China, Hong Kong and Japan is that they are playing to a default template that they all know and understand.

There is a chemistry and understanding that almost appears automatic.

Yes, some of the decisions and connections in the final third may have been better at times, but the broader picture is that these kids have a confidence and ability in their work, borne from years of mastering their technique through hard work.

What we are seeing are players that have come through playing the “curriculum” way, that being a proactive possession-based game built around tactical control.

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The understanding appears to come from the work being put into the squad this year via the FFA Centre of Excellence based at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. These kids that have spent the past decade moving through a cycle, starting with a 3-3 formation in the Under-9s to the 4-3-3 they’re playing in Thailand.

They are in touch with the tactical requirements, from playing a high defensive line, to pressuring high to win the ball back, to getting the fullbacks integrating, to encouraging the wide players to take their man on and create.

While Tony Vidmar and the technical team at the FFA Centre of Excellence have clearly played a significant role in the development process this year, the team’s work here points to a broader system that is starting to produce kids comfortable with their game and on the ball.

By virtue of the fact I’ve been involved in coaching youngsters the past few years, I’ve seen first hand how those that are doing it well across the Skills Acquisition Programs (SAP) and various institute programs and private academies, are doing it really really well.

While, as I wrote a fortnight ago, there is still some way to go to get this ideology embedded more broadly, there are a mountain of good kids being produced, as we are starting to see.

Having watched Australian youth football for the past few decades, and seen the ups and downs, I don’t want to get too carried away with what we’ve seen from this Joeys squad so far.

Indeed, with a quarter-final still to win to qualify for the World Cup, it would be a big let-down if this talented team didn’t get the opportunity to test its technical blueprint on the world stage next year.

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But it’s hard not to be excited by the work we’ve seen in the three games. What has impressed me the most is their ability to control opponents through a tactical understanding of the way to control a game.

It appears inbred, as if they only know the one way. That way is to be proactive, get on the front and have a go.

Right from the opening whistle against China the ball was at the feet of the diminutive wide right attacker Daniel Aranzi and he demonstrated not only a wonderful technical make-up, but an ability to link-up with the likes of midfielders Joe Caletti, Jamie Dimitroff, Charlie Devereux and attackers Cameron Joice and Kosta Petratos.

Drifting infield to link or getting on the outside to create, the work of the wide kids in Aranzi, Petratos and flyer Daniel Maskin has been a real feature of the technical and tactical output of this team.

Elsewhere, Caletti and Dimitroff keep things ticking simply and efficiently from the deeper midfielder spots, almost going unnoticed. Ahead of them there has been a mountain of fun produced from attacking midfielder Jake Brimmer in the past two games.

The player scouted in Melbourne when Liverpool FC were out here last year looks to have a very bright future, and is also very handy at the set piece.

Behind them I’ve also been impressed by the integration from left back Jackson Bandiera. His is a fascinating insight into the development work taking place.

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When I first saw him three years ago at the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) in Parklea, the then 12-year-old was playing in the number nine role under Ian Crook. His older teammates at the time included Aaron Calver and Alex Gersbach (now at Sydney FC), Tom Slater and Liam Rose (Central Coast Mariners) and Martin Lo (Western Sydney Wanderers).

Due to his age Bandiera hung around at NSWIS and was used mainly as a left attacker by Crook’s successor Ante Juric. Now he is playing as a left back for the Joeys, showing the potential for an interchangeability of positions under the modern structure.

Importantly, what these kids have demonstrated in the three games so far is that proactive football can also lead to winning football.

While there has been much impatience over the past few years as the results haven’t been coming at youth level, there has been the odd ray of sunshine from the likes of Danny de Silva and Awer Mabil.

But the current batch of Joeys provide hope that the seeds planted over the past decade are starting to bear fruit, and the exciting bit is what might follow over the next decade and beyond.

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