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Socceroos youngsters shine in draw against Serbia. AAP Images
Hyperbole and Australian football seem to go hand-in-hand together these days. Usually it’s self-defeatism or pessimism reigning supreme, but this week, with Holger Osieck calling a two-day camp for domestic based potential Socceroos and Olyroos, all of a sudden the A-League has become a hot bed of national team talent.
The discussion has gone from the reasonable query of which A-League player could contribute to the national team, to the stratospheric question of who will be the next domestically based Socceroo star. At best, this is a misguided approach.
On Tuesday the hyperbole seemed to reach new heights when comparisons began to be drawn between Brisbane Roar midfielder Eric Paartalu and one of the finest midfielders in world footballer, Spanish puppet master Xavi Hernandez.
I’m all for championing the local competition, especially as it continues to reach such promising levels, but it remains a young and naïve competition.
We should be looking to the A-League for the next generation of potential Socceroos and those with the ability to play above their station as part-time contributors to the Socceroos. I’d list Terry Antonis and Joshua Rose as examples of these two categories.
Even Osieck admitted as much last week when he announced the list of players he’d invited to his Socceroos camp.
“With such a long campaign, we are always looking for more depth to our squad and it’s logical to see if these players from the Hyundai A-League can provide that depth,” the German tactician said.
This is the essence of what the A-League can offer the Socceroos.
Even the hunt for the next Matt McKay, who rose from a consistent A-League performer to regular international player, is a fool’s errand.
While McKay’s run for the national team has both empowered Australian based players to raise their game, it has also inflated expectations. It is high unlikely that the next A-League player to get a Socceroos cap will have as much success as the former Brisbane Roar captain did.
Yes, a player can come out of the A-League and contribute to the Socceroos but the best litmus test of an Australian footballer’s ability to perform at international level is still European football.
In other words, Europe still remains the best place for Socceroos to call home.
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