It was a treat to sit back and enjoy the 1970 World Cup Final that SBS slotted into its programming last week.
Despite the pleasure of finally seeing some live football from South Korea and Germany, the cupboard still feels bare and the screening was much appreciated.
The English Premier League appears far from its conclusion, the A-League looks likely to be frantically wrapped up in the month of August and any thought of an international fixture is nothing but a pipe dream at this time.
No doubt there will be an explosion of action in the medium term future, yet for now many football fans will still be relying on replays of classic matches, highlights packages and documentaries featuring their favourite players.
Not that the first World Cup Final of the 1970s was a classic encounter. Perhaps in terms of the tale of the tape it was, with Brazil and Italy entering the match as two time champions and both with the opportunity to own the Jules Rimet Trophy for eternity.
However, Brazil were by far the better side and completed a comfortable 4-1 victory over their European opposition, with Pele farewelling the World Cup stage with a goal in the 18th minute. Despite an Italian equaliser, Brazil skipped clear of the men in blue with three second half goals.
107,412 people jammed into the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for the final, the world watched on television and Carlos Alberto hammered home an impressive strike in the 86th minute to seal the Italians’ fate.
It was an entertaining match, with Brazil involved that is to be expected, yet it was interesting to note the differences in fitness, speed and pressure when compared to the modern game.
It got me thinking about much of the criticism levelled at the skill level in A-League football, as well as many Socceroos abroad whose skill sets still fail to satisfy many.
Such criticism often stems from legends of the Australian game; greats who feel that the new wave of Aussies have nowhere near the poise and skill that the players of their day possessed.
How skilful are modern players really? (AAP Image/Kelly Barnes)
It appears consistently in social media, where Facebook groups such as Bring Back the NSL and Australian Football before the A-League, reminisce about days gone by and lament the loss of the effective pathways to the elite level that they feel continue to hamper the development of young players.
While there is no doubt some truth in their words, I have held a long standing belief that much of the criticism is undeserved. After watching the 1970 World Cup final, I realised why.
In short, the pressure on the ball was appalling compared to modern day standards. Outside the front third, players roamed free with little opposition presence around them to threaten possession of the ball.
It was evident during the first half and by the second, players were picking up the ball in the back third, crossing the halfway line and dribbling to within ten yards of the box before being closed down or even threatened by an exhausted defender.
Don’t get me wrong, I contextually enjoyed watching the contest, yet by the final 20 minutes it had become something of a farce and a game so stretched that more goals should realistically have been scored.
It spoke volumes of the vast chasm between the fitness levels of the modern player and those of the previous century.
It also highlighted the pressure on the contemporary player to possess, control and promote the ball at a speed that players of the past would find difficult to even comprehend.
Contrast that lack of pressure to the modern tendency for managers to frequently demand a manic press in the hope of pouncing on an opportunity born of a loose ball and it is no wonder that many players of yesteryear interpret what they see on the pitch as incompetence.
In reality, such analysis displays little understanding of the modern game; its intensity, fitness demands and the depth of talent across the globe.
An oft drawn criticism of the current batch of Australian players is that there are less competing in the big European leagues. No doubt, that is true.
However, when Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill were starring in English football, the EPL was yet to truly morph into the beast that it is today. The league now draws the best of the best from all corners of the globe and has subsequently limited Australian opportunity.
Tim Cahill – one of Australia’s best. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
That is what happens when the world game allows a handful of un-salary capped leagues to grow exponentially and it should not be used in criticism of the Australian talent that continues to qualify and compete at World Cup level; something the men of the pre A-League era managed just once.
The emergence of Daniel Arzani, EPL players Aaron Mooy and Mathew Ryan, as well as Aussies abroad such as Adam Taggart, Jason Davidson and Thomas Deng are examples of the continued production line of talent to emerge from Australia.
All the while, the standard is raised across the globe and the challenge becomes even more considerable for the young boys who earn the chance to venture abroad and advance their game.
When a veteran Australian football ‘journalist’ told me some time back that Perth Glory’s Chris Ikonomidis would have floundered in the NSL, I had to chuckle behind his back. That attitude and much of the criticism oft launched in the modern players’ direction is unfair.
Today’s players are fitter, faster, more agile and possess skills far more impressive than those of their NSL counterparts of days gone by.
The game has changed, the competition improved and the disrespect shown towards the current generation by the dinosaurs of the past fails to acknowledge that fact.
Ed Jonauskis
Roar Rookie
As with most things written about football you are both right and wrong (which means you’ve made points I agree with and disagree with). Fitness is relative with football, yes today’s footballers are fitter, but all footballers are fitter, and in the old days all footballers were mostly of an equal standard of fitness to each other. The golden generation was just the first time where we (Australia) had produced a team that had some outstanding talents (Viduka, Kewell, Emerton, Cahill and Bresciano) supported by players who were good enough play at international level (Moore, Chipperfield, Grella, Neill) and a really good keeper. Apart from Aaron Mooy (who should be playing at a better club) most of our players play at a much lower level than those of the golden generation. This is not the fault of the A League, it’s just that small populations of footballers can produce the occasional outstanding talent, and generally the rest of the players revert to the mean. 2006 was the year where our best players were at peak age, and the supporting cast were equal part experience and up and coming talent. We should expect to qualify for World Cups, and there will be another time when we produce 4 or 5 really good players at once, but no matter how good your infrastructure, a small population base will not produce world beaters consistently, because talent is born, not raised.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
God, it is stacks easier. In all those cases you mention, the countries we met on each occasion was getting a 2nd, and in the case of Iran, a 3rd bite at the cherry. You don't reckon that's a lot better than just getting the one chance? (and coming into that one chance stone cold). In fact, even if Australia had remained in Oceania with one guaranteed spot, that would actually be tougher than what we have in Asia (because NZ would win that one spot about once every four times, on average). In Asia, Australia is only going to encounter one good team in each group, but there are two spots qualifying from each group, and if Australia stuffs that up, it gets a 2nd bite at the cherry (and last time, it was against a team ranked around 100). Every country in Europe would love to have as easy a qualifying campaign as Australia has, I know Italy would love it!
apaway
Roar Guru
I think making comparisons is unhelpful. The NSL was the highest level a player could attain in this country while it existed. It was not fully professional (no sport was until the late 90s), and to play in it, you had to make a lot of sacrifices. Training 3-4 times a week after already working a full-time job, having to arrange for time off if there was a midweek game to play, very often sorting out your own medical needs given that even a full-time physio was a luxury at some clubs...And yet the league produced some outstanding talent, without the advances in professionalism that a modern A League club provides. What it also had was a proper Youth League, not the farce of today. It existed in its own time and space and I think should be appreciated for pioneering the concept of national club competition. I am a rusted-on A League fan and have a team to follow, not something I had in the NSL. But I played in the NSL, with and against some of the finest players and greatest blokes I've rubbed shoulders with. It was a wonderful experience and honour. I think that, understandably, some of the great players of that era felt disrespected by the way their achievements were dismissed as "old soccer" in the early years of the A League. It was a slap in the face that NSL records were not even included in official statistics for at least the first half decade of the A League. That would be like saying Liverpool have never been English champions because they've yet to with the Premier League.
apaway
Roar Guru
I wouldn't necessarily agree that WC qualification is now a "walk in the park" compared to past campaigns. From 1985-2005, Socceroos qualification was ultimately dependent on one home-and-away play-off match. The opponent for that one match was a South American nation 4 times (including 1989 when the Socceroos didn't make it to the final stage), a European nation once and an Asian nation once. Yes, that one tie was tough, but everything leading up to that was far less so, with only New Zealand and Israel providing a stern test from time to time. Qualifying through Asia is absolutely fairer but easier? I'm not so sure.
Punter
Roar Rookie
This is the bottom line!!!! Australian footballers are better then what they were, this is not saying players form another era would not be as good under current conditions, but the problem, the rest of the world is also so much better.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Nailed it. Finally someone wrote about football in a way that diddnt presume it is static in law, athleticism and in the way player opportunity is regulated and mediated - finance, caps and visa restrictions. Australian footballer's are, on average, better than ever in my view. The challenge is that so are millions of others from across the world are also.
Le Hack
Guest
And not only in regard to our code of football. Being an Australian Rules fan as well as football fan there are countless times when former players and current commentators keep comparing the old days players to the new days. Let's face it a lot of the older players just would not be able to become fit enough, the right body shape, the right height (especially for taller positions in all sports), or weight to compete against today's players in really any sport. Does my head in. That's not to be confused with not being able to improve Australian players standards in the present which their is an abundance of things which can be done to assist with this. However there are also some reasons why the player talent will always be restricted in Australia due to there being three other main 'winter' type sports draining the sporting landscape in Australia whereas in most countries in the world (Europe, South and Central America and Asia and Africa) the major sport is football
scouser4life
Roar Rookie
Hear Hear.
scouser4life
Roar Rookie
Agree in total
scouser4life
Roar Rookie
I agree totally. We don't have as many players in the big leagues any more because African, Asian players are better than they were back in the GG age. We have to lift our game in skills areas - Vietnam and the likes will leave us in their wake otherwise.
scouser4life
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately those skills he had don't make him a very good commentator. He is a Liverpool fan though so some semblance of hope for him yet!
scouser4life
Roar Rookie
Same here. I have been surprised by the comments. I hope the GG has some positive influence on changes that our game needs but I certainly don't think they are they have a mortgage on the answers - as some of the GG think they have. Given that, it was interesting to hear a few of the GG on their podcast and I think the intent is basically honourable.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Evan, While no doubt that Scottish side had some quality players in it & the part time Socceroos under Arok did a wonderful job. However, Scotland's World cup pedigree pales into significance in comparison to Argentina & Uruguay. So I repeat outside of Argentina with Maradona once & Uruguay twice (and a fairly poor Uruguay, by their standards (finishing 5th in Sth American qualifications) our tasks were not as difficult as some thinks. I agree the difficulty we had was the lack of competitive games leading to these knockout games.
jbinnie
Guest
Blood Dragon - It should be remembered that the North Korean preparation for the 66 World Cup tournament had actually consisted (so the rumour went) of all players being subjected to military style training and discipline, some said they had actually been conscripted into the armed forces. The whole football world gasped when they reached the final stages of the tournament losing to an inspired Portugal fight back. It was a different world then with a definite East/West bloc and the great Hungarian team of 1950 to 56 could be said to have started that trend by using many players from Honved which was in fact an "army team" playing under the "galloping major", one,Ferenc Puskas. Not really such a disgrace to our part timers was it? jb
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Evan The 1997 Iran example is a good one. It's not just about the opponent. Many forget (or are too young to know) that for Iran, they were getting a third chance at direct qualification to the WC by playing Australia. Three chances are better than one, I'll tell you that much. This is exactly what I am referring to in terms of the qualification process If anyone thinks there is not a huge advantage in that, well.... Australia now shares that advantage, and what's more, the one time we got that second chance, we had to play a nation ranked around 100, and had qualification games under our belt (rather than having to do it stone cold). So, yes, in comparison, Australian qualification these days is an absolute walk in the park (and about to get easier).
Evan Askew
Guest
@punter. Before admission to Asia the socceroos lost out to Scotland in 85, Israel in 89, Argentina in 93, Iran in in 97 and Uruguay in 2001. Scotland then, were a very good side with European cup winners from Liverpool, European cup winers cup winners from Aberdeen and a few players from the Dundee united side that got to the UEFA CUP final against IFK Goteborg in 87. To do as well as they did was a phenomenal effort by Aroks team. In 89 they should have got past Israel but they would have had to play Colombia. In 97 they should have beaten Iran. Had the current generation of players lost out to Iran methinks the players from the Golden generation would have shredded them in the press but it was the golden generation that lost to Iran.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
A classicr bit of Football History I like to remember is Australia getting hammered 9-2 on aggregate (6-1 and 3-1) by the DPRK in Qualifiers for the 66 World Cup
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I'm tipping the fitness levels or lack thereof may have played a key role in that decision? The 1970 Italian team looked appalling out of gas late in the final, you guys might have given them a run on the counter.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I agree Evan yet many told like to hear that. Perhaps it boosts their own records or makes them feel they were a better player than what they may have actually been?
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Great to hear that from someone who lived the experience. It is hard to imagine how many terrific young players left the game around that time.