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Earlier in the week, Tim Cahill refused to kill off speculation of a short-term loan stint in the A-League during the MLS off-season to keep his fitness up ahead of the World Cup.
When Cahill moved from Everton to New York Red Bulls last July, he told the media that he decided to try MLS because it “would have been a step backwards” to return to Australia’s domestic league. “And that’s no disrespect. It is basically I want to still play at a high level,” said Cahill.
Those comments were made in July 2012.
In September, Alessandro Del Piero, Shinji Ono and Emile Heskey were recruited, opening up the A-League to an audience in Italy, Japan and England. Then we enjoyed an extremely close season and now this year Orlando Engelaar and William Gallas have joined the party down under.
Now that Cahill has come out and left the door open for an A-League appearance by saying “the league is more than strong enough, what we have built in the years past is something to be very proud of” should be considered a testament to the progression of the league under the leadership of David Gallop.
It would of course be a glorious moment in the history if the A-League could get Tim Cahill to ply his trade for a few weeks, even if it was only to keep his fitness up during the MLS off-season.
Cahill returning to play football in Australia would be like the saviour returning. In 2006, the golden boy scored Australia’s first World Cup goal and is arguably Australia’s best footballer of the last decade.
But which club would Cahill fit into? Let’s go on the basis that any A-League club would have him. He’s a Sydney boy; so the Sky Blues and Wanderers might have the inside running on that front.
He’s played under Frank Farina for the Socceroos, with Tony Popovic for the Socceroos, with Kevin Muscat for Millwall and the Socceroos as well as John Aloisi for the Socceroos. So if he decides based on how well he knows the manager, it’s off to either of the two Sydney or Melbourne clubs.
We all know of Cahill’s towering dominance in the air and there are clubs which would suit that ability more than others.
Out of all the A-League clubs, Sydney FC have had the highest percentage of successful crosses in their past two games; with 43% of their crosses against the Melbourne sides finding a man in the box
Perth sit second with 36% in their last two games and Western Sydney are just behind them with 35%.
Fourth-placed Newcastle has only had a quarter of their crosses find an attacker in their past two matches. If he decides based on where he will be given the best opportunity to find some goal-scoring form, it’s down to the two Sydney clubs and Perth.
Now, Sydney FC, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory all have their Australian marquee players in Brett Emerton, Matt McKay and Archie Thompson.
That leaves the other seven clubs with room for Tim’s high pay packet outside their salary cap.
Notice the club which keeps popping up?
That’s right. If Timmy is playing in the A-League anytime soon, don’t be surprised to see him in the red and black hoops representing the Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd.
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