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With only four months to go until Jan Versleijan’s Young Socceroos take on Brazil, Costa Rica and the Czech Republic at the Under-20s World Cup in Egypt, it was great to see the team in action and doing so well over the weekend.
The team competed in a Terborg Toernooi in Holland, a modified (20 minutes a half) ten-team tournament featuring some of the best youth sides in Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV and De Graafschap) and Brazil (Gremio and Atletico Mineiro), as well as some big names from Europe (Liverpool and Valencia) and two national youth teams, the Young Socceroos and the team that will host this year’s World Cup.
After topping their five team group with two wins, a draw and loss, Versleijan’s men then lost 2-0 to eventual champions Ajax in semi final, before knocking off Liverpool 4-2 on penalties in the 3rd/4th play-off after there were no goals in normal time.
But what was even more refreshing than the results was the announcement of Bolton Wanderers midfielder Aaron Mooy as the player of the tournament, or the Beste Speler as the Dutch described him.
After not being involved in the qualifiers, the former Westfield Sports High student and cousin of Newcastle Jets attacker Brodie was drafted into the squad for the current European tour and has clearly grabbed his chance, scoring two of the team’s four tournament goals, both with his left peg.
While there is plenty of competition for a spot in Versleijan’s Egypt squad, Mooy certainly appears to have pushed himself up the pecking order with his MVP effort.
Looking at the 24-man squad for this European tour, ten are overseas-based; James Holland, Peter Cvetanovski, Rocco Visconte, Mitch Nicholson, Oliver Bozanic, Rob Stambolziev, Brent McGrath, Dylan and Ryan McGowan, and Mooy.
Of the A-League players, there is plenty of talent, including Mitch Nichols, Mark Birighitti, Tahj Minniecon, Ryan Grant, Kofi Danning, Luke De Vere, Tommy Oar and Daniel Mullen.
Throw Ben Kantarovski and possibly Sebastian Ryall into the mix and there’s a bit of talent around.
Refreshingly, based on recent comments, it seems Versleijan will keep an open mind and give players their chance. And for those who have been clamouring, rightly, for the Dutch to leave a legacy for Australian coaches, it’s great to see Sydney United’s Ante Milicic get a gig as an assistant for this tour.
While the Egypt squad will eventually sort itself out, the currency at the minute appears to be games, games and more games, and after the six abbreviated matches here, they will play a full game against Egypt in Terborg tonight, before moving on to another Dutch tournament in Utigeest next weekend where they play PSV, Ajax, Celtic, Utigeest and Vitesse.
The idea of the European tour, according to Versleijan, is to not only sort out his pecking order and get the team conditioned to the style he expects, but, with the Czech Republic World Cup game in mind, to give them valuable European opposition.
Next, in July, is a trip to Venezuela, where the idea is to simulate what he expects to see against Brazil and Costa Rica. Later, in August, there’s a three-game trip to Vietnam.
After a lack of success in youth ranks in recent years and the disastrous Olympics effort, it’s great to see this squad given every chance to succeed in late September-early October.
It’s one thing for the funds to be pumped into the money-making Socceroos, but for the sake of future Socceroos campaigns, standards and expectations must remain high at youth level, and, after focussing on the pointy-end in recent years, one senses the governing body is warming to the need to deliver at youth level.
With much ongoing debate about the development of Australian players, performances will be eagerly scrutinised, but Versleijan has hitherto impressed with the little he has said.
Soon after coming on board and having over-seen friendlies against Japan and Argentina in August last year, he identified the strengths and weaknesses;
“It was a good test and we found that we can compete with these teams to a certain level, especially in terms of defence and organisation, but we need to do more work on playing with the ball.”
In the ensuing months, we’ll get the chance to assess just how effective that work is, but some good signs over the weekend.
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