With Graham Arnold’s bold, unpredictable and, as some have put it, absurd Olyroo selection now having been digested by both the Australian media and Australian football community, it has taken only a few days for the fallout from those not selected to voice their feelings.
Nathan Burns has been quoted as being gutted and Dario Vidosic has been quoted as saying he now wants to play for Croatia.
It seems the rule that has allowed Tim Cahill to play for Australia after representing Samoa at youth level has now come back to bite Australia in the ass and is being used as a bargaining tool by young Australian players with dual citizenship and their agents to hold Australian selectors to ransom.
Dean Bouzanis, for instance, who was also omitted from the Olyroos squad is about to play for Greece in the under 19 European championships.
I gave the Socceroos the benefit of the doubt when I saw them lose against China 1-0.
I was there with my brother and some mates. We paid for the good seats. I forgave the team because players like Djite, Holland and David Williams where getting quality game time prior to the Olympics.
How is being selected for the Socceroos first eleven not good enough to even be in the Olyroos squad? Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite, David Williams and James Holland have every right to ask that question.
The players I fear who will suffer most from, and may affect Australian football in the future due to their exclusion, are Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite, Dario Vidosic David Williams, and Nick Ward.
All these players currently are, or are about to, play in Europe and have been involved with the Olyroos for almost two years, some playing fifteen games or more.
These are our best up and coming attacking players. The talent pool in Australia is not so large due to our small population.
Graham Arnold has looked at the performance and form and testing of these players over the last two years and have come to the conclusion they are too young and can’t handle the heat.
The manner in which the selection occurred has also caused some in the football community to suggest that Arnold had an autonomy over the make-up of the squad and did not include Pim Verbeek, the national coach, and Rob Baan, the technical director, in the final decision-making process.
All in the football community hope the Olyroos do well, and if we are lucky, we can bring home a medal.
But I suspect the fallout from the non-selection of a lot of our best young players may hurt Australian football in the long run more than just a few bruised egos.
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