Uruguay’s Dario Rodriguez tackles Australia’s Nick Carle during the Australia versus Uruguay soccer match at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, June 2, 2007. Uruguay defeated Australia 2 – 1. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Did Nicky Carle secure his berth to South Africa on the strength of his performance against Kuwait? Probably not. But will Pim Verbeek give him another chance? Undoubtedly.
Carle didn’t really put a foot wrong, running hard, getting from box to box, distributing well.
Yet as Andy Harper said at one point during the telecast, in the opposition half he kept receiving the ball with his back to goal and never had anyone running off him.
There wasn’t much of an opportunity to play himself into any sustained pattern of attack, though at times he showed a nice understanding with Luke Wilkshire and his perfectly weighted free kick in the fourth minute caused the necessary panic to cough up Dean Heffernan’s poacher’s special.
So it’s not over for Nicky yet by a long stretch but the final Asian Cup qualifer in March, against Indonesia, looms as a make-or-break game for a man who Jason Culina, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill have marked as a creative wizard for the Socceroos.
The problem for Nicky, though, is twofold: the continued rise of Dario Vidosic, who played very well in Kuwait, and simple mathematics.
The draw against Kuwait and Oman’s win over Indonesia in Jakarta has given the Omanis a real shot of nabbing one of the two qualifying spots. They sit on seven points, one behind Kuwait and Australia, and have home advantage against the Kuwaitis in Muscat on March 3 to conjure up their own great escape.
Verbeek should be confident that even with his A-League players on deck he will have enough firepower to account for the hopeless Indonesians, who lost 2-1 in Jakarta to put them out of reckoning for the Asian Cup, a result that will surely seal the fate of coach Benny Dollo.
But his headache is that Australia and Kuwait are equal on goal difference. If Oman defeat Kuwait, they cannot take the risk of losing.
You would have to go back to Surabaya in 1981 when Les Scheinflug’s team fell to an 88th minute goal from Risdianto in a World Cup qualifier, a result that put Australia out of the race for España 82, to find the last – and only – time the Socceroos have succumbed to the Merah Putih in 14 meetings since 1967.
That, however, won’t be enough comfort for Verbeek. Especially so when the young Indonesian team could have some wind in their sails under a new – possibly European – coach.
Failure to seal qualification for the Asian Cup would be a political disaster for Football Federation Australia at the business end of the World Cup bidding campaign, so expect the bulk of the European cavalry to return for Australia’s final match on March 3, which means, unfortunately for Nicky, falling once again in the shadow of Bresh, Harry and Tim.
He can still get to South Africa, and for joga bonito’s sake let’s hope he does, but he’s going to have to revive his club career, and not rely on his representative one, to make his case for selection. How he will do that while being frozen out at Crystal Palace is anyone’s guess.
If talent were enough to book a seat on that Qantas jumbo, Carle would be one of the first players on board. But football’s never that simple.
While others will get to Johannesburg in comfort, Carle’s going to have to get there by working harder than he ever has before and praying that the ball, for once, falls his way.
That or a plain old-fashioned miracle.
steve walls
Guest
Well mate you must have a very short memory, Nicky Carle was bought on in previous qualifiers & made quite an impact & a difference to the game. Definitely a class act, a bit out of match practice i do agree, but Cahill & Kewell agree & have commented the same. Once he gets a transfer from Crystal Palace & gets a bit of game time, watch out !!
steve walls
Guest
Nicky Carle did not play his usual game, i felt he was under strict instructions by verbeek to offload the ball,he did this to much.He should have run with the ball a lot more, taking on players like he can. It would have given the Socceroos a lot more chances to score . Lets face it Nicky's ball skills are second to none bar Harry Kewell, Steve Walls
Stevo
Guest
Couldn't disagree more with the Carle analysis. He was ineffective and lack-lustre compared with some of the better Kuwaiti players. This was the game to turn on the potential that he is supposed to have but it came to nought. Don't blame the pitch or the players around him. Hi's not up to standard. The same can be said of Archie T. His "fresh air shot" typified his international career -- unlike the Kuwaiti goals that were taken with style.
Joe FC
Guest
-"Also the brisbane game on march 3 falls on a fifa date but clubs only have to release players 48 hours before the game and not the usual 4-5 days." - as per tifosi's comment above.
Australian Football
Guest
AndyRoo, I think the real hero here is "RealFootball" for alerting us Football zealots of this great injustice handed out at grass roots level... With still no $20 vouches given out on registration day for Football, albeit I would not encourage such practices as it has a nasty bribe conation surrounding the whole practice... This NAB football promotion for young Australian Football talent is far better... But what of the poor Koala Bear tragically struck down by the greed of the NAB/AFL Auskick promotion... Maybe a plaque would not go astray at the nearby Reserve down from the CRSL, as a permanent reminder that greed is evil.. :D ~~~~~~~ AF
Mr
Guest
The thing is that opposition teams don't realise that Holman is useless until late in the second half. Up until that point they have at least 1 man marking him, following him around the field making space. Once they figure he is pants and no threat whatsoever, they almost stop marking him.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
That explains why they are trying to make amends and repair their brand :) http://www.nab.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/nab/nab/home/about_us/5/1/20
moo cow
Guest
Is the Indonesia game on a FIFA international date?
Australian Football
Guest
Regrettably AndyRoo, the Koala Bear that use to be honoured by me with my moniker, who lived in the nearby native reserve close to the CRSL was hit and run over by a NAB armoured truck in their hast to give out those $20 NAB vouchers for the Auskick registrations before the real football kids were signed up... So therefore, I do not deem it necessary to use the Moniker KB from this day forth... :D So my new moniker and part of my “New Years Resolution” is as above "Australian Football" or for expediency sake “AF” to honour our boys who will make the trip to SA Football Word Cup apart from Holmaninho (who has a false Brazilian passport as it seems) in our quest for the Holy Grail.... ;) No he will not be given any special dispensation from me at this point in time; unless he can 1) prove to me he can kill the ball dead at his foot, 2) protect the ball with his body, 3) give better weighted passes to his colleagues and 4) stop this useless running around like a chook with his head cut off in an opposing teams defensive triangle (pure waste of energy)... Give me my boy Nicky who can do all of those Football skills that I have just mentioned apart from the useless headless Chook impersonation... ‘Vicentin’ had once wrote it is better to have a footballer who can put his foot on the ball, protect the ball with his body with the ball at his feet, holding onto possession, then waiting for team mates to come towards him then use the ball intelligently opposed to a useless footballer who gives too many silly rushed passes that, result in losing vital possession at a vial moments... I whole heartily agree with that philosophy ie possession, possession, possession is the key. ~~~~~~~~ AF
Brian
Guest
I like Jesse's writing but seriously give it up. If he can't be risked againt Indonesia in Brisbane what chance against any World Cup team at the World Cup? And enough excuses about players around him. I reckon if I was playing his position with Ronaldo on the right-wing, Messi on the left and Torres up front I too would find space
Gibbo
Guest
"If talent were enough to book a seat on that Qantas jumbo, Carle would be one of the first players on board." Talent? Seriously, i think even on this measure he's still behind bresh, harry and tim, and, based on performance, Dazza Vidosic! There should be more articles about this kid rather than Nicky Carle.
Gibbo
Guest
we know he's got the tricks, but does he have the ability to play the long, accurate, through balls?
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
Neither Thompson or Carle have done their chances much good. In fact, I'm starting to wonder whether Moore is the dead cert everyone is expecting him to be.
volante
Roar Rookie
i'm a carle fan and i think he had an OK game, but didn't really show his skills (apart from that chip into the box for Thompson to run onto). he was pressured well and had to work hard to control some horrible passes, although to his credit he was keeping possession despite the pressure and poor passing. vidosic probably made the best claims for SA and another attacking mid putting his hand up isn't good for nicky, although the hope is still there that pim will realise all attacking mids are not created equal. vidosic seems to play more like kewell or holman while carle does naturally what very few socceroos do in an international game: control and hold the ball and try to keep possession. i much preferred carles back and side passing to heffernan or kemp's wild passes forward to nobody.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
Indeed Spira's move to Uruwa is an interesting one and if he can fill in for Tulio Tanaka he may well thrust himself into consideration. Clearly not getting game time for Nürenberg isn't doing his chances any good. That and the fact the loan deal will run fairly well up to the start of the Asian Cup in Qatar.
Phil E Buster
Guest
Nicky Carle's bad, mmmkay... Too slow, dwells on the ball too long (which results in him getting smashed by defenders and/or losing the ball), gives away free kicks and penalties in his own half. Most of the time is spent ball watching. On the evidence of his last match does not display even a skerrick of joga bonito. And that free kick was not perfectly weighted, it dipped too early and missed the target, as did most of his corner kicks. There is no way in hell he should be on the plane to SA. He's a lot like Archie Thompson, looks like a superstar when he plays in the A-League or in Nicky's case back in his futsal days, but at any decent level of football is shown to be the sadly limited player that he is. The second after the moment captured in the photograph above shows the danger of thinking you or someone else is better than they actually are at football.
tony in canberra
Guest
AndyRoo, great point... I'm a fan of anyone who plays for the socceroos but it has to be said that Holman creates more scoring opportunities, and not just for himself... If Scott McDonald didn't have the 'Viduka green and gold' scoring disease after being put through by the man, Holman would look a lot better than he does!
Punter
Guest
I'm one of those swing Carle fans, I wish he had more of a chance to see what he can do. He does provide something different, but he also is no world beater. Watching part of the game the other night (i still have it on IQ) I thought Vidosic has overtaken both Carle & Holman (though some like PIM thinks he's great).
Mick of Newie
Guest
An interesting dilemma AR.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
KB you do Holminho (Blacktown’s finest) a disservice. His positional play is quite good and he has a good eye for spaces. Holminho’s presence would have made Kemps job a lot easier. Holminho is great at getting into good positions, sure he frustratingly then sprays them into row Z but if you replace Holminho with Carle like they did against Kuwait instead of those chances going into row Z they just never eventuate.