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The Socceroos agaist Qatar in their World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha in June. AAP Images
It’s been a fantastic week for Australian sport and especially fans of the round ball game. The Socceroos World Cup qualification may have been a bit more low-key this time round but it’s been wonderful nonetheless.
Everyone in the Australian football community has been walking around with an extra gait in their step since Sunday morning.
So from qualification attention, it now turns to South Africa and what the Socceroos can achieve there.
Will they match the exploits of Germany?
Well, if you believe some of the hype emanating from the local press since Sunday you’d think Lucas Neill and co are set to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.
One article was even claiming that Lucas Neil thinks Australia is now a “genuine football power!”
Despite not exactly being the most modest Australian footballer (remember his comments in the lead up to the 2007 Asian Cup), I’ll give Lucas the benefit of the doubt on this one.
I haven’t actually heard the full audio from that press conference and the Australian sport media do like a good beat-up about a national team being one of the best in the world.
In my opinion, this tendency from the local media is symptomatic of Australia being so successful in Commonwealth sports. We expect to be competing at the top and love to remind ourselves about it.
Unfortunately, it’s not so easy in such a global game as football.
It’s not just the players and media who are guilty of being a little over-enthused about the Socceroos’ World Cup chances. I read one fan claim on a forum that the Socceroos will “make every World Cup from this point onwards.”
Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Certainly, it’s a phenomenal achievement to have qualified for two World Cups in a row after 32 years of pain. Everyone from Frank Lowy down to all the fans that have attended Socceroos qualifiers throughout the last two campaigns deserve to pat themselves on the back.
But being successful in South Africa is another matter.
Australian football is arriving on the world stage but we are not a ‘power’. Maybe in our eyes we are, but not in the opinion of others around the world.
Besides our enthusiasm for the potential of our national team, the debate over substance versus style is still floating around.
Former Socceroo captain, and one of the most technically accomplished players this country has ever produced, Paul Okon thinks it’s time for the Socceroos to throw caution to the wind.
Okon told The World Game, “This is the perfect time to try something different, with two home games against Bahrain and then Japan on June 17. We have qualified now, the pressure is off.”
It would seem that the belief and hope for a large contingent of the media and many Socceroos fans is that this will happen.
The truth? Not likely.
Pim Verbeek just isn’t that type of coach and even Okon accepts that: “I don’t expect it to happen. I don’t see Pim changing the way he does things,” he added.
Look at what Verbeek did during the 2007 Asian Cup as coach of South Korea. As one of my colleagues said to me this week, at that tournament “his approach was pragmatic to say the least.”
Don’t get me wrong, the Socceroos intend to, and most likely will, step up their performances as the World Cup approaches. But change the way they play?
Not likely.
Pim Verbeek is an exceptionally good tactical analyst. Verbeek will analyse whomever the Socceroos come up against at the World Cup and then select every part of our preparation based around what he finds.
From whom the Socceroos play in warm-up friendlies through to how Verbeek sets the team up on game day, these decisions will be thoroughly considered.
Verbeek will analyse the opposition and set out his team to beat them, but he won’t forget his philosophy.
For Verbeek, it’s better to win by any means than to lose 4-3.
Personally, I love teams who are unafraid to pass the ball along the deck and it’s how I’d love the Socceroos to play.
Though that sense of joy and satisfaction, which I’ve been feeling since 4am on Sunday morning, says otherwise.
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