Wilson is entitled to her opinion, as we all are, but there are major flaws in her argument that need to be highlighted, otherwise she’ll be allowed to get away with such misinformation.
She writes: “This bunch of blokes who appear to have let themselves – and us – down very badly at the World Cup in South Africa.”
Ask diehard Socceroos fans or casual fans alike if the Socceroos let us down as they gallantly went down fighting against Serbia and the answer will be an overwhelming ‘no’. The Socceroos were a goal away from progressing to the knockout stages having rebounded from a four-goal defeat.
Australians like her need to wake up to the reality that this final frontier for Australian sporting success – winning a football World Cup – will be its greatest challenge, given the immense difficulty of taking on and beating so many footballing nations of such a high standard in the only truly global sport.
Not appreciating the huge depth and breadth of world football is the great flaw in non-football fans’ understanding of the game, and it’s why they can so easily label Australia’s performances as “ordinary” against countries as gifted as Serbia, Ghana and Germany.
Only when they understand where the Socceroos have come from and where they are now will these doubters be able to embrace the team and the game; relishing the challenge and not dismissing because of it.
Such logic is not unique to Australia. Following the USA’s World Cup exit, the New York Post’s frontpage read: “This sport is stupid anyway.”
It’s their loss, but it’s a shame we have to hear their flawed logic.
Wilson continues:
“Thousands of words have been written about what Australia, Pim Verbeek and the rest did wrong in that match. But not a single accredited journalist, commentator or expert who was sent to South Africa told the real, hard truth. They skirted around it, claimed the wrong team played against Germany and that the referees were to blame. They did not say the Socceroos were not as good as four years ago, the old blokes were too old and the young ones were just not good enough.”
Obviously Wilson missed the Harry Kewell saga (although she does refer to it in her article, funnily enough), which was caused by a journalist – sent to South Africa no less – questioning whether Kewell was, to use Wilson’s words, “too old” and “not as good as four years ago,” not to mention the countless other debates around the form of Craig Moore and Vince Grella.
On the A-League’s contribution to the World Cup, she writes:
“A penny should have dropped in the last few weeks that players coming out of the A-League have not got a hope against the world’s best.”
While the technical standard of the A-League is debatable, it’s a blatant lie to suggest its current and former players can’t compete on the world stage.
The A-League’s leading goal scorer Shane Smeltz scored against the defending world champions in a team coached by an A-League coach with four A-League players. Those A-League representatives helped hold the Italians to a draw and were undefeated in the tournament.
Jason Culina, an A-League captain, played all 270 minutes for the Socceroos and was one of the most consistent and reliable performers for the national team.
Players such as Dario Vidosic, Michael Beauchamp, David Carney and Mile Jedinak are products of the A-League.
They have more than a hope against the world’s best, and they’ve proven it.
Wilson continues on the World Cup in general:
“When you watch two full weeks of it and your pulse rate increases just three times out of 30 games, you are entitled to an opinion.”
Rebecca, if your pulse wasn’t sent racing while watching Italy-Slovakia, Australia-Serbia, Germany-England or Argentina-Mexico then maybe watching the World Cup, let alone writing about, isn’t for you. You’re entitled to change channels and watch something else. No one is forcing you to watch, and we’d prefer that you didn’t.
You may be asking why I’ve bothered to even respond to such an article. Such fallacies need to be countered otherwise they are allowed to foster and spread because, sadly, too many Australians take what the media produce and accept it as fact. It’s only by countering it that we can hope to bring some fairness and balance to our media and how the Socceroos and football in general are portrayed.
Finally, it would be remiss of me to avoid one obvious truth in Wilson’s article:
“Please don’t email to tell me I am a soccer illiterate – I already know that.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
TCunbeliever
Roar Guru
Punter - surely you can understand that in this country there is rugby, Association Football, Football and Cricket as our main sports
Realfootball
Guest
I think it is a shame that Becs gets free airtime on the Roar. This is exactly what she wants. Just forget her. Write about something that matters and leave her pickling in her jar of formaldehyde.
st penguin
Guest
The NY Post headline is just tongue in cheek. This world cup has generated huge interest in the US - hence the jokingly petulant headline. Unfortunatley, I think their 2022 bid prospects have only increased since the WC.
Glen
Guest
it's "Illiteracy" dude... It kind of kills your credibility
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
As soon as the goals started going in against Germany, I imagined a predictable Rebecca Wilson article attacking Australian football and the Socceroos, just like her article against football when AU lost the ACL final so easily. Took a while, but it came - difference is this time no one is really taking any notice of what she has to say. Pretty harmless really. She has anti-football form, no football credibility and the Socceroos have become so mainstream that most people wouldn't appreciate those sort of comments anyway. Bottom line is - attacking the Socceroos isn't going to sell more news limited papers - probably less. Interesting development and hopefully should lead to less anti-football press in Sydney. Truth is, the AFL have become the big money spending enemy of the NRL now and News will sell more papers running stories about big, bad Aussie Rules than soccer - watch out for more anti-Aussie Rules press from the News Limited Academy of Fine Journalism That Sells Newspapers.
Michael C
Guest
unfortunately - - an awful lot of Association football fans DO, and SO TOO it seems to the editors of this website, so, forgive a little testiness from the other side now and then.
Michael C
Guest
where you livin'??? the day the Socceroos bombed out,.....it was all Julia Gillard where I was!!!
Ken Bailey's Probation Officer
Guest
Smell the fear, eh Eamonn?
RickG
Guest
Hey I love Cup Fever! Towser, your point is a good one. I know all football fans have one or more domestic leagues they follow where the issues I outlined above don't really figure. I guess that lessens the impact somewhat. It's just hard to accept that in the biggest sporting event in the world these blantantly wrong and unfair things are accepted as part of the game. Fans deserve more and should expect more.
NY
Guest
Adrian, don't know why you write these types of articles. To be quite honest the article Rebecca Wilson wrote is an admission of her lack of knowledge of anything football. Wouldn't you think that with this admission, that people have figured out that she is nothing but a s#@% stirrer. A person who every week tries to write something controversial to stir someone or something up. This article has no impact whatsoever. People have seen her for what she is. Her future articles will have even less traction in the future.
Joe FC
Guest
She's not worth the effort Adrian.
Michael C
Guest
relevance Al???
Norm
Guest
LOL Al.
The Special One
Guest
Re : The NY Post Some people are taking it a bit to serious. Its the NY post !! BTW Adrain did you even read the article attached to it? Id doubt it. Anyway here is the Front and Back cover of that issue. Notice the back cover has nothing bad to say about soccer http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06272010 If they really thought the sport was stupid would they have done this on the next days cover http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06282010 Soccer studs love child shock(about landon Donovans alleged fathering of a child in England) To me that just shows how soccer has entered into mainstream US society when they are willing to write something like this about a US Soccer star. Usually they would leave it for Yankees ace Alex Rodriguiez!! Here is a array of other pro covers they did. http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06262010 http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06252010 http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06242010 http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06192010 http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/?dateChosen=06132010 4 Years ago, the NY post didnt even come close to this level of attention for soccer.
Jason
Guest
Wilson thrives on football fans' overreaction, as does Peter Fitzsimons. He lays out the bait and knows he'll get flooded with abuse. Which in turn gives him good copy (cos god knows he does sweet FA to generate his Saturday paper copy; and gets paid handsomely for his 'Gotta love this City' schtick). There are plenty of historical reasons why some fans can be so prickly and quick to anger but perhaps the assertion that "football has arrived in this country" (much heard recently) will be proved only when such columns as Wilson's attract a yawn. When she's regarded as a throwback and clumsy agent provocateur... think Darrell Sommers. Dated, embarrassing and clinging on to the last vestiges unjustified self-importance.
Matthew On Football
Guest
The size of Football ( Bigger than all the olympic sports combined in terms of enrollments) means that we have to get our results in perspective .. We can't compare them to the minor and micro sports we specalise in .. .. Most Aussies get this and only a few like poor old rebecca are so frightned that they attck other achivements ... She is protecting a game that really a sports entertainment.
punter
Guest
Art, we get Santo, Sam & Ed in Sydney too, but I must admit I don't get to watch them, currently into bed at 9.30pm & up for the 4.30AM game. The IQ is also too full with WC matches that I haven't caught up on. As for 2 teams in Melbourne v 1 in Sydney, but what a team, the double champions. So no white flag just yet. All in fun, have no smileys to highlight the all the above.
Redb
Roar Guru
Yeah why not, maybe an interchange system? On the bench we could have Peter Fitzsimmons, Richard Hinds, Mike Sheahan, Simon Hill, Les Murray, Paul Kent and Phil Rothfield.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Punter - On the field Melbourne is ahead 2 teams to 1. Off the field Melbourne has Santo, Sam and Ed Sydney has Les and Fozzie Its no contest. You might as well raise the white flag :)
Richard
Guest
Oh no mate they're nothing like the old days. In the old days they had canvas sides and the wind and rain came straight through the body of the tram. These days they're sound-insulated and air-conditioned. And Melbourne is ahead of Sydney in this respect. Sydney thought they'd get away with copying Melbourne without being noticed by calling their new trams "light rail". Light rail my @#$*. They're trams!