From what I hear Pim Verbeek was considering staying in his air-conditioned hotel room rather than venturing out into the sauna of the Jakarta night for the Socceroos’ match against Indonesia on Wednesday – and it would have been a good move for all sorts of reasons.
It was a pretty grim affair from beginning to end, both sides failing to create a real shot on goal worthy of the name; though, to be fair, the pitch looked about as spongy and holey as a Wettex so fluidity of movement and clean passing was always going to be difficult.
Danny Allsopp and Dean Heffernan did nothing all game, Archie Thompson ran a lot but mostly into trouble, Tom Pondeljak was ineffective.
It’s difficult to say who could have performed better in the conditions, because Verbeek picked his team on form and there were no real shock omissions. But Australia clearly lacked penetration against a side ranked 144 in the world and to persist with such a European-free line-up in coming Asian Cup qualifiers is probably too great a risk.
Graham Arnold, given barking orders by the sideline-banned Verbeek, would have been hoping for a whole lot more from this rare chance to prove his smarts but got no joy.
He made a hell of a lot of racket, though, and on his showing on Wednesday night could get a job as an auctioneer when his tenure as national assistant coach inevitably ends.
There was talk he skipped the post-match press conference, which I’ve not been able to confirm, but what would he say anyway? “I yelled a lot but no one wants to listen.”
So slim pickings all round when it comes to positives.
But at least Football Federation Australia bods and their marketing partners will have seen now with their own eyes the potential of the Indonesian market for our own football: the passion of the fans, the atmosphere of the electric Gelora Bung Karno. Indonesia has also just thrown its hat in the ring for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
An annual Test match should be a priority for the FFA. Good for us. Good for them. Good for football in the ASEAN region of the Asian Football Confederation.
It’s a shame, however, none of the Indonesian players really stood up to get noticed by A-League scouts, Bambang Pamungkas and Erol Iba getting little time on the field by Benny Dollo, but a shrewd talent identifier will have noticed the thread of West Papuan players in the Indonesian team.
West Papua is right on North Queensland Fury’s doorstep. How hard is it really to explore recruiting opportunities in that part of the world? (Easy. It’s just a short hop away on a plane.
Though take my advice, Don, and don’t leave without a visa.
The all-A-League experiment in Jakarta might have failed for Verbeek but with a bit of rethinking and a long-term view Australia could still come away with a win.
It’s just going to take a lot more than 90 minutes.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Hey - I've had more than my fair share of reds this season!
Slippery Jim
Guest
Not that I saw the stoke game (I only got 1 hrs sleep as it was), but apparently it was for the same thing Gerrard did to Bosingwa when he was on the ground. Of course Stevie G got away without even a yellow (luckily for you)...
Pippinu
Roar Guru
sj I was praying (re Lampard being your captain) - but I honestly don't think you are that silly. Nothing against Frankie baby, it's just that the big names rarely score stacks points playing against each other - although Torres may have put paid to that little guide!! I watched a bit of that Stoke game, I must have just gone to bed only just before the red card to Delap. Shawcross went over the bar from a corner, could easily have scored - that would have been 15 points for the week - not bad from someone worth only 4.1 mill!!
Slippery Jim
Guest
I know - luckily Lampard wasn't my captain! I had to make a double substitution for next week...by the way, that red card against Lampard was ludicrous! I expect it to be rescinded on appeal and that ref will be playing in the championship next week, if he's lucky, I guarantee it!* One punter on the Guardian's minute by minute emailed tellingly: "Lampard's sending-off was a scandal," writes Sam Hankins in Texas. "Officiating in England is the hydrocephalic cyclops in the basement, the freakish horror that no one ever mentions, thinking as long as you don't talk about it, it will go away. It's not the odd error, it's an institutional abomination that pollutes the entire English game. Why do y'all put up with it?" Rob Smyth's blog put it this way: "Lampard was given a red card so harsh as to almost preclude schadenfreude; Mike Riley showed that red card, shattering what credibility he has left; Steven Gerrard was given a long-overdue yellow card for simulation." I will stop short of calling it an FA conspiracy, however ;) Bosingwa, on the other hand, should have earned a straight red for his kicking a Liverpool player in the back with his studs at the corner flag. *Not a real guarantee
Pippinu
Roar Guru
sj you're taking your eye off the main game - I just noticed that you copped two red cards in your fantasy team - that must be some sort of record!
Slippery Jim
Guest
"Did we check with Roy and HG? No… but we reckon they’re big enough to take it given what they dish out!" Hmmm, quite an assumption - and the self styled attack dog/enfant teribble is not it seems, despite also dishing it out every week. Fair enough. That said, we need to be very careful not to limit the freedom of speech and valid criticism from bloggers, after all, most of the articles from some writers are filled every week with criticism for sports personalities, ranging from insults to their personal appearance to calling for their public resignation. Where is the line drawn? In contrast, I fail to see a personal attack in any of the posts above - they are all directed at lines of reasoning and facts. There can be no meaningful discussion without fair, open and honest expression.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Ok - just freed myself from a weekend dedicated to FM09 - did I miss anything?
Zac Zavos
Editor
Guys - just tackling one or two issues raised in this thread regarding our policy on publishing articles. We work very hard to encourage respectful, informed debate on The Roar. Articles directed at writers (our columnists or Roar of the crowd writers) will likely create an environment where personal attack rules. So we tread carefully with these matters. It's very easy to criticise an argument. But it's very hard coming up with columns on a week by week basis and we're respectful of this. Did we check with Roy and HG? No... but we reckon they're big enough to take it given what they dish out! Cheers, Zac The Roar
Jesse Fink
Guest
Fair dinkum, Slippery Jim, you need to get a life!! The fact of the matter is, whether you want to split hairs or not, Pim Verbeek, the last I spoke to him, does not rate Nicky Carle as a worker in the system he requires. Fact. I disagree with that analysis. Fact. I am not anywhere near the football expert Pim Verbeek is but I respect his judgment. Pim didn't want him in the team, even when he was available. So don't try to rewrite this whole history as Nicky skipping games and Pim being caught unawares. He didn't want him!
Midfielder
Guest
Das Say this over and over again ..James Troisi , James Troisi , James Troisi ... leaves em both for dead.
dasilva
Guest
FOster vs Awaritefe. If Pim had one policy over another. It didn't really bother me as both were valid. However my problem with Pim getting results and picking the strongest possible side to beat indonesia and not blood youngster for the sake of youngster is that he didn't really go far enough. If he wanted expediency and a side to win in indonesia he should have went and picked european players who weren't playing regularly for their clubs like a carney or a luke wilkshire (whose russian league is now finish and he is off season), steffanuto, nathan burns, vidosic and drafted them into the squad. We could have tested out his theory that training in europe is better then playing regular in the A-league. If result was the only thing that matter and we didn't want to give out gratuitous caps to youngster then there's no reason why a Luke Wilkshire shouldn't have been picked. I'm quite sure he would like some matches before the all important WCQ.
dasilva
Guest
Nah I'm not getting into this Holman vs Carle debate By the way I don't believe Holman played absolutely fantastic either. For all the great work he did off the ball and disrupting the netherland defence. He couldn't have finish the job and shoot the ball in the back of the net. That's the big conumdrum about holman. Poor finishing undoing all the good work he does. I think if we somehow morph Scott McDonald with a Brett Holman you have an unstoppable striker
Koala Bear
Guest
Das, That's wonderful, I was delighted we beat Holland as well, and Holman in your opinion was the man of the match .?.. Nicky Carle was man of the match in England playing against Nigeria ... So here we go again on the merry-go-round; Holman v Carle... And if you don't mind I shall jump off here.... I watched The World Game today and Francis Awaritefe's comments surprised me, as they just about summed up what I said in my very first post about the HAL Roos outing against Indonesia ... I feel wonderful now, and delighted that, at least one Chelsea man agrees with me... ;) ~~~~~~~~ KB
Captain Random
Guest
And another thing I totally agree about the England game. We were leading when they made all those substitutions.
Captain Random
Guest
In any case, the Netherlands only had a man sent off because they were pressured into making mistakes (Heitinga's horrible attempt at a backpass and Stekelenberg's mistimed tackle). Surely the Socceroos deserve some credit for that. For what it's worth, I didn't think Brett Holman played particularly well, but what do I know really?
dasilva
Guest
KB Australia played against 11 men for half of the match. The send off was the last event in open play (that led to the penalty, after the penalty the half ended). In the first half - australia outplayed the dutch and we should have been leading at half-time with Brett Holman playing frustratingly well (eg. He was very threatening and made a lot of intelligent runs but he missed some chances) The second half Australia actually played poorly against 10 men and were lucky not to concede the goal. Although Josh Kennedy scored the winner it was against the run of play. People who try to downplay the victory over netherlands due to a send off are the same sort of people who try to downplay our victory over england just because there was mass substitution at half time. However what people forget is that we played good football against 11 men in netherlands in the first half just like we played good football against a full strength england side during the first half.
dasilva
Guest
KB Holland had 11 men for the entire 1st half. The send off was the last moment in open play in the first half. Australia outplayed Holland in the first half of the match with 11 players and Brett Holman was the key reason why they outplayed them and should have been leading at half time. 2nd half against 10 men, Australia actually troubled to take advantage of the numerical advantage and that Holland actually played better with a man down and Australia were lucky not to concede the equaliser. In any case the downplaying of Australian achievement against Netherlands due to them playing with 10 men is getting tiring. It's the same people who downplay Australia victory over England due to mass substitute at half time even though we outplay the fullstrength team in the first half. The Art Of Brett Holman http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vH26WdHikRs
dasilva
Roar Guru
The Art of Brett Holman http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vH26WdHikRs
Koala Bear
Guest
SJ, A second string Holland only played with 10 men for the major part of the game from the reports I read ... is that correct .? If so, anyone under those circumstance would find time and space.. ~~~~~~~~ KB
Slippery Jim
Guest
Van Marwijk also said afther the Socceroos beat them in Holland: "Brett Holman had all the time and space to do whatever he wanted...Nigel de Jong, Mark van Bommel and Rafael van der Vaart had trouble anticipating his movement and need to learn from this match.”