Joeys out of World Cup

Yes Ben, I just checked some other results; Japan beat the ALL Whites 7-0

Sigh.

Makarounas scored one good goal out of nowhere. I thought he looked very ordinary in general play.

I can only echo Fussball's comments, with the rider that I wasn't expecting much on the basis of the previous games and recorded the game to watch at a civilised time. I would add one thing though: very, very hard questions need to be asked of the AIS and of our Dutch coach. These performances didn't come out of a vacuum. This kids are the product on an elite system (allegedly) and a professional coach. There has to be some accountability - Lord knows, there was for Postecoglou. Tombides is the only Joeys player I thought has a future. Maybe Teeboy, but he's too young to tell. None of the others, not one - not at elite level. If you can't pass a ball to your teammates, if you can't move into space and receive the ball, if you can't control the ball, if you are constantly caught in possession, you have no future at the professional level. Frankly, you would have no future in the Under 14s I coach. Disgraceful, and it's not the kids we should be looking at. They did their best. It's the AIS and the coach who need the blowtorch.

They then beat the Czechs & USA, so they are not exactly muppets. The Uzbeks were missing Abbosbek Makhstaliev in that first game and he really is their creative force. He may well be a kid to keep an eye on for the future.

Very disappointing and let's remember the Uzbek's were beaten by the ALL WHITES 4-1 in their first game. Something does not add up here. But what is very apparent that after 2 years, the individual skills of each Australian boy's technique was the worst of all four teams we played. The system we play is far less important then the ball control and technique we teach them. Les Scheinflug's teams played with more individual skill and maturity then this lot. I'm so sorry to have to say that.

Connor Chapman, own goal aside, might have something as well. But yes, the number of misplaced passes, the muffed first touches, the ill-disciplined challenges. Sheesh. We actually got *worse* as the Cup progressed.

Saw a chunk of it, Tombides should be ashamed of his red; absolutely intolerable. I don't know where he possibly got the idea he could get away with that, no WA ref would have tolerated that, would have had an early shower every time. Bloody hell, you'd have been put on report by the AFL for that. We retained the ball but god only knows our players didn't seem to know what to do with it. It was passed around, increasing possession and touches, but was not used, and inevitably a player in the wrong spot would get it and be promptly mobbed by two to three Uzbek players. Not an acceptable performance. Would like to think the future is brighter than this. I'm sure the absence of Makarounas hurt. On a less mature note, and bearing in mind Australia v Uzbekistan in the last Asian Cup... Joeys: "Hey, Uzbekistan, our dads can beat your dads!"

Yes, fair points dasilva. However, I was expecting the technical level of the u17s to have benefited from the new systems, structures and direction that we now have in Australia ... but, I guess it's still to early for these changes to provide decent outcomes, since the majority of this team would have been 14 or 15 years old when the new National Curriculum was finalised. I'm not concerned with the results during this tournament, but am appalled by the standard of the players. Even after we won against CIV, I gave our team a rating of around 2/10 for technical ability. Based on what I've seen so far, I'd be surprised if any of the team - other than the lads I listed - continued with a professional football career. And, I was only referring to these lads taking the step to u20 .. I certainly could not predict whether a player is National Senior Team quality at such a young age ... it would take exceptional u17 talent to really make it at the senior level: H, Zelic, Okon, Viduka, etc..

I agree it was a terrible performance and Australia were outplayed in every match. However national youth team performance has little bearing on senior national team performance U20 1999 team. Got blasted in the group stage losing mexico 3-1 and Ireland 4-0 and were thrashed and comprehensively beaten. The players in that team - Brett Emerton, Mark Bresciano, Vince Grella, Mile Sterjovski and Simon Colosimo etc The U17 Joeys that reached the final that year. only 1 Josh kennedy became a regular Socceroos (maybe Scott McDonald if you count his club career success with Celtic). The fact is that any more then 2 players from a youth side to graduate to the senior side is a remarkable and rare thing. So if Tombides, Kamara, Espindola, Remington and Makarounas all ended up succeeding and becoming socceroos then they done it's job. I don't see this joeys being any different to previous sides where we have only 2 players becoming socceroos squad members.

That was a totally inept and unacceptable performance. Sure, the lads were at a disadvantage being asked to play 2 games - at altitude - within 72 hours but, if we're being honest, apart from 45 minutes against Brasil this team has delivered the same rubbish for 3.5 matches of their 4-game tournament and it was simply awful. Based on what I have seen in these 4 games the majority of this team do not have acceptable technical ability and, compared to other u17 teams, they also do not have acceptable physical strength and get pushed off the ball too easily. The team appears lazy and ill-disciplined ... at least I hope it is ill-discipline, since I'd be horrified if the way they played in this tournament reflected the coach's instructions. What a waste of 2 hours sleep and I can see only Tombides, Kamara, Espindola, Remington & Makarounas continuing to the u20 squad. Time for us to concentrate on the next group of u17s, who will soon embark on their 2012 AFC u16 Asian Cup qualifiers.