New chapter dawns for the Socceroos

Socceroos warm up during team training. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

A six-year fairytale story for football in Australia culminated in a failed World Cup bid. Now it’s time to write a new chapter in the story – and it all begins next month at the Asian Cup.

When we compare the Germany 2006 World Cup campaign to South Africa 2010, we find that there was one overall big difference between the two – a difference that would have changed the story of the tournament. In 2006 we had Guus Hiddink, and in 2010 we didn’t.

This difference was most notable in the top seed games. In this case, Brazil in 2006 and Germany in 2010.

When the Socceroos stepped out onto the Allianz Arena in Munich to take on the defending champions, Guus planned out an attacking 4-3-3, set to stand up to the mighty footballing giants of Brazil. Although the ‘Seleção’ ran out 2-0 winners, Australia had numerous chances to level the game or even cause an upset and beat the five-time world champions.

This happened because we had a coach who wasn’t scared; a coach who understood the Australian mentality, but most importantly we had a coach who had faith in the 11 players that played in Munich that afternoon.

Fast forward four years later, and Pim Verbeek had put up the ‘white flag’ before our players even walked out onto the Durban pitch.

It is a decision that separates the best from the rest, the big coaches from the small time coaches, the Hiddinks from the Verbeeks.

So this is where the first real challenge began for the FFA – perhaps the most important job they’ve had to fill – because the next coach would have the big task of nurturing our future idols; the players that will carry the torch and hold the dreams of millions in Brazil 2014.

The normal big names came up: Marcelo Bielsa, renowned for guiding the international careers of Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Javier Saviola; Jose Pekerman, famously known for nurturing Esteban Cambiasso, Maxi Rodriguez and Juan Roman Riquelme; Paul Le Guen, the man who guided Cameroon to the 2010 World Cup; the detested Frenchman Raymond Domenech; and, as always, mighty Guus was suggested.

However, the FFA surprised the country by appointing German Holger Osieck. The Herald Sun printed “Holger Who” once the German was appointed, but it was not a complete shock, despite the fact little was known about Osieck apart from the fact that he had a successful coaching stint in Asia with Urawa Red Diamonds, winning the Asian Champions League in 2007, and was assistant to Franz Beckenbauer in the 1990 World Cup, when Germany defeated Argentina in the final.

So step one is only half ticked as Holger has only had a hand-full of games to prove his worth to us. However, when the Socceroos take on India in the opening game of the Asian Cup, it’s pretty much up to him to over write our dire history in the tournament after the Arnold reign and lead Australia to its first piece of major silverware.

When the AFC released the 50-man squad Holger submitted only a couple of weeks ago, it released a breath of fresh air, as a number of uncapped Australians were included in the squad, including Turkey-based Ersam Gulum, former Melbourne Victory keepers Mitch Langerak and Michael Theoklitos, as well as future prospects Tommy Oar, Adam Sarota and Oliver Bozanic. The ‘casuals’ were also named, such as Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill, representing the lasting crop of the ‘golden generation’.

When Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda blew the final whistle in the game against Serbia at the World Cup, the curtain came down on the international careers of Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore. Four years earlier in Brisbane, Zeljko Kalac, Tony Popovic and Stan Lazaridis also called it quits, and before Brazil and maybe even after Qatar, a couple of other players will retire from the international stage. This indicates that our ‘golden generation’ of players is coming to an end.

Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill vowed to the public that they would be in the 2014 squad, but just how useful would they be? After all, they will be in their mid to late thirties. Harry’s injuries have gotten the best of him and were in doubt of playing both of our World Cup campaigns. What guarantees us that those injuries will stay away? Captain Lucas Neill would be a liability at the back just because of his age. However, there may be a different story with Timmy Cahill. If Roger Milla scored at a World Cup when he was 40, then Super Tim is capable of anything.

This is where the appointment of Osieck comes into play. The Australian public expect two things from Australia at the Asian Cup, which are the trophy and the blooding of new players.

Osieck must now combine those two ambitions and make it work, which poses the question: Is it really necessary to play the youngsters in order to get them ready for 2014? In the campaign to qualify for Germany, did playing Vanuatu and Solomon Islands prepare the likes of Brett Emerton and Luke Wilkshire to take on Brazil, Italy and Croatia in 2006?

That’s the job of the coaches and managers at their individual clubs. Tommy Oar and Adam Sparta both got playing time against Liverpool at Anfield a couple of weeks ago, whilst Mitch Langerak is training with Bundesliga table-topping club Borussia Dortmund, and Oliver Bozanic and Matthew Spiranovic are getting game time at their respective clubs. If we focus on winning the Asian Cup, it will bring more success in the long-term rather than ‘blooding’ new players. After Iraq won the Asian Cup in 2007, 15 of their players transferred to bigger clubs and two moved to clubs in Europe.

We have to take the Asian Cup, because the next couple of years are going to be vital in the history of Australian football as we make the transition from the ‘golden generation’ of players to their ‘apprentices’ taking over.

If Australia can win the Cup then great, if our youngsters can get game time it would be a bonus. However, we must not let our wishes rule over our priorities and put the cup in the deserving hands of our beloved Socceroos.