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Lack of access to top players, lack of senior football and lack of preparation time were the key stumbling blocks in Australia’s doomed Olympic football campaign, according to coach Aurelio Vidmar.
He might also have mentioned a lack of goals, for the Olyroos head into next week’s concluding dead rubber against Iraq in Gosford as the goalless cellar dwellers, the only team which has failed to score in five matches.
Vidmar, who has called up no less than 10 debutants in an experimental 18-man squad, was frustrated from the outset by failure to acquire the services of overseas-based stars like Tommy Oar in Holland and Mathew Leckie in Germany.
Because the Olympic qualifiers fell on non-FIFA dates, clubs were under no compulsion to release players and refused to budge, depriving Australia of half a dozen stars who would walk into the under-23s team.
Other nations were similarly affected, but Vidmar was also hampered by a lack of regular senior football for his A-League charges.
“In 2011, we had only four players playing first-team football,” he said.
“That increased to nine or 10 this year, but it was on and off. They weren’t all getting week-in and week-out football and I think that hurt the group.
“We can only pick the players. We can’t tell the clubs who needs to play to suit the national team.”
Vidmar bemoaned not having the “luxury” of sufficient time to develop a cohesive team effort in the sporadic pre-game camps, unlike club coaches.
Despite this, he believes “three or four” of his regular players have the potential to become Socceroos and says his team made a “massive improvement” throughout the failed campaign.
“We didn’t play against dummies,” he said, noting that table-topping Uzbekistan and United Arab Emirates both had six or seven players in their national senior teams.
“The A-League boys gave every ounce of blood, sweat and tears they had.
“I can’t fault their application, commitment and desire to play for the Olyroos. They were a joy to coach.
“We did enough to win matches, but it’s the old, old story if you don’t put the ball in the back of the net.
“We’re not happy we didn’t score. It just didn’t happen.”
Vidmar’s 10 debutants for next Wednesday’s match against Iraq are Gold Coast United pair Zac Anderson and Chris Harold, Melbourne Victory duo James Jeggo and Lawrence Thomas, Nick Fitzgerald of Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Heart’s Craig Goodwin, Sydney FC’s Mitchell Mallia, Jacob Pepper of Newcastle Jets, Josh Risdon of Perth Glory and Tom Rogic of Central Coast Mariners.
The Olyroos squad is: Zac Anderson (Gold Coast United), Mark Birighitti (gk) (Adelaide United), Kofi Danning (Brisbane Roar), Nicholas Fitzgerald (Brisbane Roar), Sam Gallagher (Central Coast Mariners), Craig Goodwin (Melbourne Heart), Rhyan Grant (Sydney FC), Brendan Hamill (Melbourne Heart), Chris Harold (Gold Coast United), Bernie Ibini (Central Coast Mariners), James Jeggo (Melbourne Victory), Ben Kantarovski (Newcastle Jets), Mitchell Mallia (Sydney FC), Jacob Pepper (Newcastle Jets), Dimitrios Petratos (Sydney FC), Joshua Risdon (Perth Glory), Tom Rogic (Central Coast Mariners), Lawrence Thomas (gk) (Melbourne Victory).
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