- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australian Socceroos Craig Moore. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill).
So, the key part of Australia’s World Cup preparation, three friendlies against New Zealand, Denmark and the USA, are now over. And after the Denmark game it was hard to decide which of Australia’s performances had been the most disappointing, yesterday’s pitiful 3-1 loss to the US left us in no doubt.
At times the Socceroos were skinned alive by the USA’s domestically based strike force of Edson Buddle and Robert Findley. Despite the presence of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, this was still an experimental US line-up against an almost full-strength Socceroos side. But how Australia missed the two starting players who weren’t present, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.
Despite valiant efforts from Richard Garcia and Mark Bresciano, both of whom are trying to find their game feet again after injury disrupted seasons, the Australian front-line struggled to find any fluency.
In the end Tim Cahill was forced into dropping deep and pulling out wide to help Bresciano and Garcia. While that worked to a small extent, it meant Cahill wasn’t where he is most dangerous: in and around the opposition’s penalty area.
Australia’s stifled creativity isn’t news and so the biggest concern must be in defence.
Craig Moore quite simply had a nightmare. Australia’s back line in general isn’t exactly blessed with pace and so it comes as no surprise that against Denamrk and the US, Australia have played a high defensive line, trying to catch their opponents offside. On a number of occasions it didn’t work and this will continue to plague the Socceroos.
Meanwhile, I have some sympathy with Vince Grella’s much-maligned performance against the US. Gone were the brutal red-card worthy tackles we’d seen in the two previous friendlies. Instead it was Grella’s distribution that had most people worried.
Not only was ‘Vinnie’ responsible for the first goal, after coughing up possession 15 metres in front of Australia’s penalty area, but also his passing often went astray.
When considering Grella’s game yesterday it bears remembering that his position in the middle of the park is where it is most obvious when a player misses the target with one of his passes. The Blackburn Rovers midfielder was also quite isolated with Culina given a bit more freedom to push on. There was a marked improvement when Valeri came on and sat deep with Grella. His distribution improved and Australia were cut open much less.
Yesterday’s loss to the US was the first time Australia has conceded three goals in quite a while, so should Australian fans be concerned by this performance or grateful for the “wake-up call”?
Personally I’d go with the later. Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek is about as dogged as they come. Fitness concerns aside, he knows who is going to start against Germany this weekend and how he wants them to play as well.
Going into a major tournament you want your players fit, in-form and confident. Australia will struggle on almost all those fronts.
Yet I was surprised to see the buoyant mood in the Australian camp despite a 3-1 loss. I spoke to a number of the Socceroos after the game and while disappointed to have lost, they really weren’t too fussed. Clearly the Socceroos wont carry the weight of this loss into their opening game.
In looking for positives, Australian fans can take a little hope from an Australia v USA scratch match played between the substitutes and reserves from both squads after the final whistle. It was in that run around that Harry Kewell got his first taste of football in the green and gold this year.
Harry’s return can’t come quick enough but I’m not sure if that will solve all of Australia’s problems.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.