The Socceroos kick off their Asian Cup defence against Jordan on Sunday night. It will give us a chance to see if they’ve learned anything from previous campaigns.
We might need to give John Safran another call, because Graham Arnold may just be cursed.
First Aaron Mooy, then Mathew Leckie and now Martin Boyle hobbled by injury?
Just how many ladders did Arnold step under en route to taking charge of the national team for the second time?
Arnold is a very different coach to the one who struggled with the spotlight during Australia’s disastrous 2007 Asian Cup campaign, even if his bullish comments about having “goalscorers everywhere” sounded vaguely familiar.
There’s no point claiming the A-League should be a breeding ground for Australian talent, then complaining when a bloke like Arnie makes the leap from club coach to the international arena.
And Arnold has surely learned from the debacle of 2007, when captain Lucas Neill’s pre-tournament claim that he expected Australia to go through undefeated put the Socceroos under pressure before a ball had even been kicked.
Defending champions they may be, but it’s hard to see how the Socceroos are favourites to reclaim Asia’s continental crown in the unfamiliar surrounds of the United Arab Emirates.
That would have been true even if Mooy, Leckie and new sensation Boyle had been fit enough to feature from the start.
But if there’s one idea Australian football needs to move on from, it’s that the international game is static.
Japan head into the tournament without long-term stalwarts like Shinji Kagawa, Makoto Hasebe and current Melbourne Victory star Keisuke Honda, but it won’t stop coach Hajime Moriyasu from dreaming of winning a fifth Asian Cup crown.
Keisuke Honda will miss the Asian Cup. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
You want to know why? Because the Samurai Blue habitually regenerate their national team instead of obsessing over golden generations and pining for past glories.
The 2019 Asian Cup shouldn’t be viewed as a lost cause because a couple of familiar faces might not feature, it should be viewed as an opportunity for the players called up to replace them.
And it’s also an opportunity for the Socceroos to remind the Asian Football Confederation that Australia is a worthy member.
You could write a thesis on Australia’s relationship with Asian football – although having done so myself, it’s not something I would recommend.
But as journalist Trevor Thompson reminds us in his meticulously researched new book, ‘Playing For Australia: The First Socceroos, Asia and World Football’ – which you can get from Fair Play Publishing – our relationship with Asian football stretches back long before Australia joined the AFC in 2006.
We still have next to no understanding of how Asian football actually works, and our ambivalence is perhaps best summed up by the fact there are currently seven Spanish players in the A-League – eight if you count Isaias – compared to the solitary Asian representative in Honda.
That said, there’s a bit of a tendency for self-flagellation in some quarters, without considering the fact there are two parties involved in this relationship.
While it’s true we must do more to improve our relationship with Asian football, so too could the AFC learn a thing or two from the way we Aussies go about our business – not least the fact that the football should always matter as much as the bureaucratic side of the game.
Defending their Asian Cup crown will be no easy feat for the Socceroos. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
One man who always went about his business in an inimitable fashion was former Brisbane Roar managing director Mark Kingsman, and it’s my sad duty to offer sincere condolences to his family and friends following his untimely passing on Wednesday.
Mark was a genuine football man who poured his heart and soul into running Brisbane Roar in trying circumstances.
He was quick with a joke and even quicker to offer an opinion on the state of the game, and he will be sadly missed. Vale Mark.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
This is a very difficult tournament. Firstly, the golden generation has left no remnants. Secondly, there will be many good competitive opponents because the Arabian teams will play extraordinarily well home. It is more difficult than Ange Postecoglou to qualify for the 2018 World Cup because the qualifying process was home-and-away. So, should Graham can defend the Asian Cup, he is the best Socceroos coach. According to record, Arabian teams have won 5 times from 8 numbers of Middle East hosting. Good luck to Graham Arnold.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
What have the Socceroos learned from previous Asian Cup campaigns? Over confidence! No strategic approach! There will be no easy match at UAE. Arabian teams will play much better in their territories. The home effect is shown by Al-Ain's winning over Team Wellington, Espérance de Tunis and River Plate in the Club World Cup last month.
AGO74
Guest
Thanks for the comments Mike. Be interesting to see if this Naoki Imaya link can conjure anything in the A-League? Be great if it did because there's no doubt when the odd Asian player has played here successfully they've usually had a different type of penetration with the fans compared to other players from Europe etc - thinking as far back here as Shenqing Qu and not just the big guns like Shinji Ono, Keisuke Honda.
Nemesis
Guest
Yes, I know Ange only lost twice over the whole 18 or so WCQs. Pim only lost once. What I said was Ange's teams were poorly structured & totally disorganised during the WCQs after we won the Asian Cup. Clearly it wasn't Ange's fault since I know he can coach & organise teams. But, whatever the instructions, or plan, the XI players couldn't implement. We got totally smashed by Thailand in Bangkok & were lucky to get a draw. Let's not kid ourselves, we were 1/2 inch away from being eliminated by Syria on the Away Goals Rule.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
makes you realise how differently something can be seen by 2 people! Without splitting hairs, I didn't say "lucky" all I meant was the final could have gone either way, so in that sense it was fortunate. I was there too and didn't feel I witnessed a dominant performance that showed Socceroos to be the clear winners...that's all.
chris
Guest
Buddy I was at that final in 2015. I dont recall us being lucky at all. Quite the opposite. It's a bit like saying Syria were a whisker away from knowcking us out of the last WC qualifiers. People point out the effort that hit the post but dont qualify that with the numerous chances the aussies had.
AGO74
Guest
You are right. Jordan have been awful lately - but they’ve been one of our biggest bogey sides in our time in Asia. Syria - geez. Still get cold sweats about that game in Sydney....
Buddy
Roar Rookie
african cup of nations is usually the one that the european clubs whinge about when they have to release their players for 3-4 weeks. I thought the Copa America was later in the year though. Last one in the USA was June/July.
Nemesis
Guest
I think it's not so much about competing against the Olympics for football players; rather for sponsorship money & TV viewing. And, it's not just the Olympics. There is also the European Championship in the 2yr cycle after the World Cup.
That A-League Fan
Roar Guru
Well, fair enough Nemesis, but let's not forget 16/24 teams go through into the knockout stage. I think Ange would make it through the group without much trouble either. But, I expect Australia to get knocked out in the quarter finals against Japan. Regardless of the coach, I think the result should be more or less the same. And let's not forget Ange only lost twice during more than 20 games in World Cup Qualifying, and that was away to Japan and Jordan. Personally I think that is acceptable.
reuster75
Roar Rookie
I have no issue with it being played in January, I just think it suffers from being played so soon after the world cup no matter whether it's January or June (next tournament is likely to be June as either China or Korea are likely to host) and it's also hard for the players as well playing it in the year after the world cup. Yes Copa America & Cup of Nations are same cycle as Asian cup and yes it's due to the Olympics but given the Olympics is only an under 23 tournament there should be no fear competing against it.
That A-League Fan
Roar Guru
I think we really shouldn't underestimate any of the teams we come up against. One thing that I do hope is that Arnold does is rotate players like Postecoglou did, or else Australia will be stuffed by the Quarter Finals.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Well I know why those Japanese players are here - it's because Naoki Imaya, who these days doubles as Ange Postecoglou's translator at Yokohama F. Marinos - has been bringing them down as a registered player agent for a few seasons now. Many of them are good enough to play in the A-League - Adelaide United tried to sign one of them, Yuzo Tashiro, several seasons ago - but for whatever reason clubs are still really risk averse when it comes to signing Asian players. If an A-League club really wanted to boost their metrics, they should sign Thai international Teerasil Dangda, who just ended a loan spell with Sanfrecce Hiroshima. But the J. League has got the drop on Australia when it comes to creating commercial opportunities in South-East Asia, so that looks like yet another area where opportunities are being lost. As for why Asian players would come? Lifestyle. Australia remains an attractive destination for players from across the globe - including Asia.
AGO74
Guest
Re your opening paragraph, I'm pleased that you can admit that because that seems to be what most of the criticism of him seems to amount too. A lot of people don't and just play the man and not the ball. Us Sydney FC fans will not talk badly of him and presumably this goes for CCM as well. We will see from Arnie less dogmatic and inflexible philosophy at cost of performance/confidence/results than what we saw with Ange especially in closing periods of his tenure. That said its interesting I was watching a 2015 Asian Cup recap on Fox the other night and whilst everyone remembers that we won and generally played quite well - we came into that tournament on the back of six straight losses. I completely forgot about that! For me with Arnie whilst we recognise he has grown in his experience since 2007 there is still a question of how he responds to the pressure situations and also tactical flexibility where required in the international environment. Good start so far, but this tournament will ratchet both of those areas up a notch or two. Looking forward to it.
AGO74
Guest
Fair point - so I guess the question is why are they here at NPL but not at the higher A-League level? Is it just that they are not good enough for neither the J or A-League but they are still willing to take more risks to try and get a break (and fair play to them for that) and come out here anyway?. I don't know the answer to be honest but I think the answer may lie somewhere in how the JLeague 1 and 2 compares to A-League - both in football and financial terms - ie if you are a decent standard J League player is it just easier to knock around different J-League clubs (in much the same way a decent number of A-League players do)? Interested in any thoughts you have on this Mike given your experience - albeit not recently - of watching Japanese football from your time there and what clubs could be doing to attract decent players away from Japan or Korea out here?
Nemesis
Guest
Football is a global game. Not just an Australian game. And, Asian football will organise tournaments at a time that's best for the whole of Asia; not for Australia. In most of Asia, it would be oppressive to play football in June/July when all international tournaments are held. This is why WC2022 is now moving to Nov/Dec. The January tournament will be ideal for Australia. They definitely don't play well in the Gulf during the hotter months. I think the reason they don't want the Asian Cup 2 years after the World Cup is to avoid the Summer Olympics & European Championships. Pretty sure the Copa America plays in the same year as the Asian Cup; as does the African Cup of Nations.
Nemesis
Guest
I've never been a fan of Graham Arnold as a coach. But, that's probably more a reflection on my ignorance & biases than objective analysis. Based on pure facts, Arnold is the most successful coach in the 13 year history of ALeague. And, he achieved this success at 2 quite disparate organisations. He did it at probably the club with the lowest profile & smallest budget (CCM) and he did it a a club with a high profile & high budget (SydFc). And, beyond the facts, Arnold's few games in charge of Australia has been more enjoyable to watch than the complete shambolic structures & disorganization that hit the National Team after 2015 success under Ange Postecoglou. We know Ange Postecoglou learned a lot from his failures as coach for the Australian National Youth Teams, I think Arnold has learned even more from his failures at Asian Cup 2007. I expect Australia to comfortably qualify from the Groups (something I would not say under Ange). In the knock-out stage, anything can happen.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
For what it's worth, someone who used to work for SBS told me they used to get regular complaints for broadcasting an Asian football highlights show. Make of that what you will.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
All fair points, AGO74, though I'll have to pull you up on that last one about Asian players not wanting to play here. Just have a look at how many Japanese players currently ply their trade in the National Premier Leagues and you'll see that's not necessarily the case.
reuster75
Roar Rookie
Agreed it's be great to see more ACL matches not involving aussie sides at the very least, surely the broadcast rights couldn't be that expensive? Fox shows a lot of cricket not involving Australia (including random T20 competitions such as the one in the Caribbean) that I don't imagine attract huge viewing figures so why won't they show more Asian football? If SBS can do a deal to show Copa Libertadores surely they could show some ACL?? As for the Asian cup the timing is really bad and IMO the AFC should shift it to the 2nd year after the world cup. As it stands playing it 6 months after the world cup it almost becomes an afterthought which is a real shame as it's such a wonderful tournament, but I think a lot of people have major tournament fatigue and also there's a lot of focus on the women's world cup (and rightly so).