Australia’s Luke Wilkshire, left, and Australia’s Lucas Neill leave the pitch after the World Cup group D soccer match between Germany and Australia at the stadium in Durban, South Africa, Sunday, June 13, 2010. Germany won 4-0. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
As unedifying as the media war which erupted in the wake of the ‘Disaster in Durban’ is, what it may do is galvanise the Socceroos. Some of the criticism of Pim Verbeek and his players has been savage, but it will all be forgotten if Australia beats Ghana tomorrow.
In the wake of what I called an “unmitigated disaster,” one Roar contributor suggested that I had failed to find a silver lining in the defeat – that people care.
But I would argue that everyone in the football media cares, and that is why we’ve seen such a passionate discourse take place over the past few days, some of which has arguably crossed a few lines.
At the end of the day, it’s not Craig Foster or Mike Cockerill who will make the difference in Rustenburg – it’s the players, and I hope that some of the criticism manages to spur the Socceroos on to the victory required against Ghana.
Durban is done and dusted – perhaps it was the defeat that we had to have to jolt certain players back into some form – and the beauty of tomorrow’s game is that the Socceroos can turn their tournament around within the space of ninety minutes.
The key question is where the goals will come from, and if Pim Verbeek thought his job was tough already, it became a whole lot tougher the second Tim Cahill saw red against Germany.
Many have speculated that Harry Kewell will play a key role against Germany, but whether the 31-year-old is fit enough to make a significant contribution is a question that will only be answered on the day.
Yet, if defeat to a youthful Germany has taught us anything, it’s that squad regeneration is a vital component of international football, and I just wonder whether it’s time for someone like Nikita Rukavytsya to truly make a name for himself.
Granted, Rukavytsya has hardly played for the national team, but if the speedy attacker wants to put himself in the shop window for a new club in Europe, he can hardly do better than by scoring a goal on the biggest stage of all.
That’s if Rukavytsya gets on the pitch, of course, but whomever the embattled Verbeek relies on – be it Kewell, beanpole striker Kennedy or the pacy Rukavytsya – I have the sneaking suspicion that Ghana may just underestimate the Socceroos.
That’s not the line currently coming out of the Ghanaian Football Association, with President Kwasi Nyantakyi warning his players to be wary of a wounded outfit.
“We definitely have no cause to be complacent because Ghana is bent on winning the cup and nothing will stop us from achieving that target,” Nyantakyi told the Ghana News Agency.
Ghanaian-born former NSL player Ransford Banini is another to have lectured the Black Stars on the dangers of discounting Australia, yet the fact that so many have felt compelled to warn the Ghanaian players to remain focused suggests that their minds may already be on Germany.
The role of underdog has always suited the Socceroos, and when nothing less than three points will do, the nation awaits a much improved performance from a national team we all care passionately about.
It’s hardly the media’s job to act as cheerleader, but come the full-time whistle against Ghana, I doubt there’s a single journalist who doesn’t hope to be writing fulsome praise of Verbeek and his team, rather than another scathing analysis.
With backs-to-the-wall and a World Cup lifeline to play for, Australian fans are entitled to expect the most committed performance we’ve seen yet under Verbeek, against a Ghana side who may have already been lulled into a false sense of security by the disaster in Durban.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
A big night indeed for Harry. We'll finally see how fit he is, and whether he's still capable of answering his critics.
betty b
Guest
Stephen - in no way was I blaming England. I apologise for offending you. My intention was simply to state that our media has gone way overboard with criticism, led by Craig Foster. I used the term well known to many of us to compare his antics, but I certainly didn't intend any offence (I love the English, they're in the family), and I certainly don't lay the blame at anybody other than the Aust media.
dasilva
Roar Guru
German lost. Not a great result for Australia. The best result possible was a draw. Now the formula is simple. Two wins and we are through. Any draw or a lost and we are pretty much gone.
MM Fike
Guest
ItsCalledFootball; I note NZ has some A League players in their side and an A League coach. I believe you made a good point. We still have a chance of making the sixteen and if we don't the boys will have given their best. Professional sportsmen don't play to lose. Especially not at World Cups.
dasilva
Roar Guru
Although probably the thing that offended Kewell was that Mike criticise him for not showing "signs of outward distress". Therefore insinuating that the loss to Germany didn't matter to Kewell. Also Cockerill mocked Kewell's relationship with the media.
dasilva
Roar Guru
Andyroo I think you were referring to a comment by Eamonn about how Kewell played in most of the qualifiers therefore he has "done something". However I think you both missed the point by Cockerill. His main argument was that Kewell hasn't really played that well in the qualifiers and really only had one great game for the socceroos (Iraq at home). To me that seems a pretty reasonable comment. In any case, I have submitted an article about this issue. It should be up tomorrow.
Andyroo
Guest
Without suffering through reading it again I think someone else pointed out that Kewell played in most of the qualifiers so he has "done something" since the 06 world cup.
Stephen Smith
Guest
Betty B - "behaving like a bunch of whingeing pommies" Ahh, that's right - if in doubt, blame the English! You're no better than Foster!
A-PIM123
Guest
I would say when you talk about you dont have to have a good team, I would say that the kiwis have the good team and the socceroes dont..their formation and structure is all over the place...Pim said once we have a team with no egos, who told him that........You should listen to Grella and Harry, what a whitewash........I see more pain coming on........
JohnB
Guest
On the other hand Cockerill's original article seemed not unreasonable, and what was Kewell doing responding to it in the middle of a World Cup (other than on the field)?
sheek
Guest
I'm fascinated at the way some Aussies, or make that many Aussies, are carrying on. With all the vitriol being thrown around you would think we're world cup favourites Spain who have just been spanked by Switzerland. Even so, I haven't read the Spanish media carrying on like our lot. Gee, it will be very interesting in the future whenever we're one of the favourites for the WC & we lose a pool game everyone thought we should win. It'll be scorched earth ground zero day!!! I've often wondered what "un-Australian" actually meant. Sadly, the present behaviour of some media & fans would be clearly identified as very un-Australian. If ever a game has been set up for a squad to give its fans & media the "stick that up your a@&e, you bastards", then this is most certainly it. Even more so if Ghana have gone totally loopy, & are treating this game as a given.....
Apelu Tielu
Guest
I don't think anyone, in all honesty, would have expected the boys to beat Germany, though I do not think it was a defeat they had to have. I think the best we could have hoped for was a draw. In that sense, I applaud Pim's gamble. So I do not know why all the negative comments as if we had any realistic chance of winning. The only sad thing is that Tim Cahill will now not available for our next game. But I'm confident the boys can make the round of 16 if they have a positive attitude going in to their remaining matches; it's all in the mind; that's the main difference between winning and losing.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Mike, Kewell is in a better place than Cockerill and can silence all the innuendo with one telling shot at goal..or two for good measure..I would have thought journalists had a thick skin and would not have to resort to a defence resembling a race relations dispute. In the end journos have to be above individuals and report the game fairly and objectively. This is not always the case. How often do you hear an obvious bias in commentary of internationals? The answer is very often..it does not matter which sport..there are some independent journalists and these are worth reading and listening to. Maybe the Roar should run a piece on "Your Favourite Journo"
Griffo
Roar Guru
Your last line here is going to be key: All the talk of team spirit and Aussie never-say-die attitude that has been trumpeted against Germany will be put to the test against Ghana. At the end of the game the result will also define our team for a while in the future as well - will we stack up good or bad against our own sporting ethos?
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
This is not our best team alright and they are not in their career best form either. I would have been much happier with Ogenovski and Colosimo in defense against the Germans, but then again they played in the A-League didn't they . . . no chance of being selected.
AGO74
Guest
As I said, the majority of players have had terrible club seasons. A complete contrast to 4 years ago. Even Emerton who was one of the few the other night to come out with any credit has had a terrible season with injury and is now a squad player only at Blackburn. Anyway, let's hope they can put it together tomorrow night.
Phil Hawkins
Guest
Anyone detect a notable silence from Lucas Neill in all of this? I would have expected more from the captain in this hour of need, particularly since the other figurehead (the coach) is under a somewhat of a cloud. Combined with Neill's distinct lack of leadership on the pitch against Germany (more interested in blaming officials for the back four's clumsy attempts at offside), he has been very disappointing. And although Cockerill has not named them explicitly, I can detect his frustration with Channel 9, whose continual fawning hero-worship of Kewell has been particularly painful.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
It's basically the same cattle we had in 2006 with more WC experience, but this time around they are badly organised by a manager who should never have been their coach. The USA have basically the same cattle from 2006 and have improved going from strength to strength. Craig Foster was right---Pim is out of his depth and was never capable of taking us to the next level.
AGO74
Guest
Spot on Mike. It was awful the other day but we also have to remember we we are in the pecking order of things, how far we've come and what a result like the other day shows how far we've got to go. THis time last week I was so excited about the World Cup. The loss to Germany was shattering but the fight that has occurred since has really disappointed me.
AGO74
Guest
You might have changed the coach, but you'd have still had the same cattle and that is the bigger problem than the coach. The same cattle are on their day great, but the vast majority of our starting xi have limped into the finals with injuries and/or poor form. Apart from Schwarzer, I don't think any of them have had successful domestic seasons in terms of their club form.