Australian Football Nearpost Podcast 2010 Review

Nearpost Review Part One 2010 presented by Con Stamocostas and Eamonn Flanagan. Join the pair of likely lads as they talk and spin all things Aussie football in 2010.
How many football poddies only cover Aussie football?
Part one we review the Socceroos, Australia’s World Cup bid failure and more. Relive the highs and lows of 2010.

Part One

Nearpost Review Part Two 2010 Part Two we talk and spin all things Aussie A-League football in 2010.

Part two

Also Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Half Time Heroes World Cup Bid Failure Edition

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David Williams Half Time Heroes Interview

At 18 years of age, David Williams arrived on the scene in 2006 playing in a couple of substitute appearance for the Queensland Roar. Soon enough David made a dream move to Brondby where he played for the next three seasons. Unfortunately for David during his third season a new manager came in and he lost his place in the side. Eager to play regular football David came back to play with the North Queensland Fury last season and fans got to see an exciting quick and dangerous attacking player.


Playing alongside Robbie Fowler the Fury did not finish last as most pundits predicted. It seemed David’s decision to move back home worked as he was included in the Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup qualifier in March against Indonesia earlier this year.

Although the young Townsville side have impressed many this season, they have only recorded one victory back in round two.

Lead by eccentric coach Franz Straka  the Fury produced some excellent early season form.
They beat champions Sydney FC  and drew with  Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory by scoring late goals. However since they beat Sydney they have not won a game and are in second last.
 position

 Away from football David also does work with Indigenous Australians. He is involved in a programme where once a week he goes to the Cleveland Detention Centre in Townsville as part of a mentoring programme. He is always attending local Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander events/programmes and will be involved in the club’s partnership with Mission Australia (the club’s front shirt sposnor ) which aims to improve the lives of Indigenous people throughout Northern Australia through sport.

I was lucky to spend some time with David and one of the first questions I asked was about his time in Denmark.


Half Time Heroes: Before you signed with Fury you spent three seasons with Brondby in Denmark. That must have been an exciting time, what was the feeling going into a new country having to deal with a new culture and language?

David Williams: I loved it. It was a different experience. For me I went over and I was in the youth team for a while then I made the first team and I was consistently playing and unfortunate events happened over there and I just found myself not making the squad so I had to do what I can to play regularly.

HTH: Some reports said the club sent you out on trial to South African club Bidvest Wits after  you demanded a place in the starting line up; can you tell us what happened?

DW: I’m pretty happy that I did make the move back. There were problems there with not playing, I needed to cement a place. I was unfortunately a part of that but I have moved one and its all part of football.  I have become better for it I know that I can learn from past experiences.

HTH: What was it like living in Denmark?

DW: I loved it. I lived right in Copenhagen - it’s such a beautiful city and even in the winter and in the summer  there  are lots of things to do. I enjoyed every day I was there. I’d love to go back, but I just want to be somewhere where I can play football.

HTH: Looking back at last season were you happy with the form you showed in your first season with the Fury?

DW: Yeah definitely. I think for us we read a few of the claims about what was written about us before the season and even during the season.

We did go further than expected, from expectation being bottom of the table I think if anyone had seen those predictions we have done very well.  We always thought that we were a good football team that could play and thought we could knock off some big teams. We did what we can and worked very hard.

HTH: How was playing with Robbie Fowler it looked like he had a good rapport with all the players? 

DW: For us seeing where he has come from to where he is now is a great journey for him. I think he is very comfortable and loves every minute of living in Australia.

 

 HTH: Your new coach seems eccentric with loud jackets and exciting antics on the sidelines; did he turn up with the white suit when you first met him?

DW: He did have some white pants on. He was very European looking; he has got a good fashion sense.  For a European I think he fits right in.  He brings a bit of a different fashion sense here, he’s a character. He didn’t have to change completely to fit into a place like this. 

HTH: With young players like Isaka Cernak, Chris Grossman ,Osama Malik ,Chris Payne and yourself he has really embraced a youth philosophy?

DW: Some of these players didn’t get their chance at other clubs so they have come here and they are good footballers. I mean you don’t sign an A-League contract because you are a bad player.

We are professionals here and we get paid to do our thing and some of the players here are loving life and loving playing football regularly. So if you are happy and things are going well for you on the field you are going to be playing well. 

For me playing with Chris and Isaka up front, it’s very exciting for us. We never what’s going on, and we never if Chris Payne is going to pass it or not.

HTH: Well yeah, Chris has set up a few goals this season, he seems determined after his move from Sydney FC?

DW: Yeah it’s very impressive and same with Isaka as well. He’s got a bag full of tricks and someone very unpredictable, you don’t know whether he’s going to run down the left, run down the right or take you on , he’s always got something and even if you know what he’s going to do he can still fool a defender. 

It’s very very exciting to watch them , from my side of the field looking over sometimes it puts a smile on my face knowing they are doing all they can do. I am just happy to be a part of the attacking line up that we have up here in the new Fury.

 HTH: You have had a great start to the season, did the expectations change after such a good start and after having your first loss how have you handled that?

DW: It’s only one loss.  I mean you might be able to go 26 something games without a loss but eventually every team loses in this league.  It’s very tight. The coach explained to us that we have to carry on and lift ourselves up.  He never believed from the start that we should be on the bottom of the table. I don’t think anyone should. I don’t know what they are thinking if they think we should be on the bottom of the table

Our Coach puts a lot of confidence and belief into the players. If he puts belief into the players I think it goes into the whole squad believing we are a good football team. 

There is never an easy game in this league, for us it’s all about getting those three points it’s disappointing to have a loss at home and lose three points. We are kicking ourselves for it. I mean that’s football you accept it  and you try to see what went wrong and  look at your mistakes. We  have a video session and try and improve on that  and in training in the lead up to the game as well. 

HTH: Thoughts On Adelaide United?

DW:I think Adelaide did play some good football they capitalised on our mistakes. Flores goal was excellent he should be congratulated for that.

Adelaide is a good team and they should be congratulated as well. As I said before this league is very tight. You never know who is going to win games and lose games and it’s very exciting to be a part of. I just love the lead up to the games. The Thursday the Friday and the Saturday and getting  out on that pitch on the weekend is a great feeling.

HTH:You have got a couple of African players in the squad this year adding a different international flavour how are they adapting to life in Townsville?

DW:The experience of Eric Akoto and Eugene Supaya adds to the team no matter where they come from . If you see Eric in his game he is very calm 

and it’s excellent to have someone so calming and 

having a big strong presence at the back and leading the defensive line for us.

HTH: Do you feel like a bit of an unofficial leader with your experience at the club? 

DW: I do feel like I know a lot of the ropes, especially in Townsville. Knowing a few people is good just to help out the boys. I feel comfortable in that role because I have been here, you just know a bit more but once everyone fits in the team and finds their own feet then everyone is all equal.

 It’s not about who knows who or who knows the most people or anything like that. If we all work as a team I guess it doesn’t matter how long you have been at the club.  If w can get results on the field and play well together then that is what I want to be a part of.

HTH: Tell us about your Socceroo ambitions?

 

 DW: Hopefully if I can keep scoring a few more goals and playing as well as I can I’ll just scrape over the line and get into the national team and hopefully get a chance when I get into the squad to do what I can. 

Hopefully some of the other boys in our team an get over the line as well. 

Any national team honours is a privilege to play and wear that shirt for the county.

HTH: With Pim Verbeek gone and with new hope that the new coach will turn his eye towards some  A-League players, what do you think about reports that this year the A-League has taken a step up in standard? 

DW: It’s difficult to say maybe it has or maybe the teams are fairer now and it’s more exciting that is why it seems that the standard has raised. You got football analysts and coaches looking at the games differently. As a player bottom teams are competing against top teams. 

It’s exciting that people have labelled this the most exciting A-League season ever and to be a part of that is excellent and hopefully I can do my part and make that exciting and enjoyable for people to watch.

I know us at the Fury we want to play entertaining football so people can watch us. We want to draw a crowd especially at our home games, and have that extra sense of atmosphere. This A League season I do see a higher level in that we have a few more international players, obviously we lost a few. There are more South Americans which is cool, but hopefully in a few more years we get some younger kids like us in the Fury starting regularly whichwould be nice for the local community and the local fans to see some of what they can produce.

This sixth season of the A-League, I’m proud to be a part of it and play regularly for the Fury.

HTH: Tell us about being a role model for Aboriginal kids and do you think the talent identification system for young Aboriginal players can be improved for example how were you discovered?

DW: For me I don’t think I was discovered, I was just brought up in the right path way to make it to the right teams. The local clubs first, then Brisbane Roar, then Queensland, then Australia. So I was right in the midst of it. I wasn’t discovered because I was some talented Aboriginal, I was in the mix with all the other boys. 

As a role model I like having my name next to that. 

I love doing what I can with these kids, just hanging out and talking even if it’s just sitting there and talking and sitting at desks while they are at school.

I go to Cleveland Street Detention Centre every week  and that’s great, I love looking after a few boys there. It’s just a nice little group to be involved with.

This Interview was featureless in Half Time Heroes October 2010

World Cup 2022 Sour Grapes Edition

Ahhh shit!!!

What can you say about Fifa's decision to award the World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

Russia is a country renowned for being cold,  godless, corrupt, and full of alcoholics with a dodgy history of human rights; while Qatar is known as being hot, damn hot, full of god botherers, alcoholic dodgers and also with a dubious history of human rights.

Taking a critical look at Australia's bid the first finger point and fuck you goes to the Cypriot Andrew Demetriou for making the legacy for the World Cup about AFL. Stadiums in Perth, West of Sydney, Geelong, Gold Coast,  and the MCG all would helped the AFL. Well done to Andrew Demetriou and his cronies for wedging themselves into the bid. And for getting footage of AFL in the bid video, I would assume that he'd be pissed off that GWS and Gold Coast side were not incuded in the video.

The second fuck you finger goes to the Australian Mainstream media's fixation on the 45 million bucks Australia was spending on the bid. "It's a waste of tax payers money," they cried.

My initial response to the final World Cup bid presentation was one of indifference, we have always sold ourselves to the world as an irreverent bunch with a laid back attitude and a kooky sense of humor but the message of the video should have been how much we love football, how much we love our football people, not how much we love ourselves, sure we are great at saying we are the greatest country in the world but we are more than thieves and cartoon kangaroo's.

Frank Lowy has a great story but I thought including it in the  bid video was a waste. What about Johhny Warren's story or Tim Cahill's story or Harry Kewell or Mark Viduka experience? Instead Elle and Frank were getting down with some rather public displays of foreplay, and where the bloody hell was Julia Gillard for the final presentation?

So as they say in the journo game "it will be interesting to see what will happen now". It could be blessing in disguise that we didn't get the World Cup. We can prove that we can sell Australia to the world but perhaps we should concentrate on selling Australian football to the world next time.

Half Time Heroes OCTOBER 2010

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A-League Needs New Clothes

An Emperor who cares for nothing but football hires two executives who promise him the finest of football leagues from a group of clubs invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "just hopelessly stupid". The Emperor cannot see the players  or clubs himself, but pretends that he can for fear of appearing unfit for his position or stupid; his work colleagues do the same.

When the executives report that the league is complete, they dress the new clubs up in different colours and the Emperor and the new teams march in procession before his subjects. A child in the crowd calls out that the Emperor and new clubs are not wearing new colours at all and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor cringes, suspecting the assertion is true, but holds himself up proudly and continues the procession.

This tale with a few characters switched is the children’s story The Emperor's New Clothes by a Danish dude called Hans Christian Andersen. I’m sure you have worked out the analogy, metaphor or whatever clever literary concept I have used to parallel the A League with the Hans Christian Andersen’s tale.

Frank Lowy is the Emperor, the two executives are John O’Neil and Ben Buckley and the new clothes are the A league clubs. The kid shouting that the Emperor is not wearing new colours/ clothes are old, new and bandwagon footballs fans.

I probably read this book as a kid as I remember having a hard back cover of Hans Christian Andersen tales, but I must have forgotten I had read it. Recently I have been hearing the phrase Emperor’s New Clothes everywhere. What finally made me fire off a Google search of Emperor’s New clothes was the song "Ready to Start" by The Arcade Fire.  The lyric in the song "All the kids have always known, that the Emperor wears no clothes / but they bow down to him anyway, 'cause it's better than being alone” struck a massive chord in me.

That is how I look at the A-League.  Six years ago an invisible cloth was put on top of the NSL and it was called the A-League. Five seasons in fans are starting see that the old problems of the NSL are being revisited. But this time the problems seem bigger. The Crawford report which gave instructions on how to fix football's problems is starting to rear its ugly head again because none of those problems were really fixed to begin with.

The Arcade Fire lyric just sums it all up for me. At the beginning of the A-League we could see that there were problems but like the song says we bow down to it because it’s better than being alone(having no football)

I am possibly drawing a long bow with my analogy but I like the story and Jack Zipes who wrote Hans Christian Andersen: The Misunderstood Storyteller, says that seeing is presented in the tale as the courage of one's convictions; Zipes believe this is the reason the story is popular with children. Sight becomes insight, which, in turn, prompts action.

Another interpretation by Maria Tatar who wrote The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen (2008), indicates the invisible cloth as "a successful enchantment"

So the A- League was a successful enchantment for close to five seasons now the clubs are going broke, some are reportedly close to death. Never has the spotlight been held on the governors of the game since “new football” started hopefully they get some insight from the fans, players, coaches and commentators about what needs to be done.  An invisible cloth is not going to work anymore; everyone knows that the A- League needs new clothes.

click to read Emperor's New Clothes Original story

Half Time Heroes Q & A with Kofi Danning

In early 2009 a raw 18-year old called Kofi Danning came off the bench for Sydney FC and playing in his home debut scored the winning goal against the Wellington Phoenix . The A League season four was coming to an end and the goal and subsequent celebration in front of the Cove ensured that a cult following had began

The wider Australian football community now also knew who Kofi was. Not just for his skill and composure in scoring that goal but the big smile that he had on his face- he was not a sour faced footballer.

Kofi ended the year with another goal and was in the winning side as the Sydney FC youth team won the inaugural Youth League Grand Final. Kofi’s second season began where he finished it.

Creating more headlines.

Kofi impressed against the Fury as he set up one goal and scored the second, an undoubted screamer showing some deft dribbling skills and a powerful shot. Unfortunately, in late December 2009 playing a youth league match Kofi injured his right knee which ruled him out for the season. Now fully fit, and ready to play football again Kofi spoke to HTH in an exclusive interview.

Half Time Heroes: Hey Kofi, how are you feeling? Would you say you are back to full fitness?
Kofi Danning: Yeah I would say I’m back to full fitness. I feel good, I feel strong, I feel confident, all the positives are coming back , I’ve been doing a lot of rehab in the pre-season , it just made everything easier and the coach is right behind me.


HTH: You come from the second biggest city in Ghana, Kumasi which has a proud football history. It has produced its fair share of national greats like Tony Yeboah (ex Leeds, Hamburg), Tony Baffoe (ex Black Stars and many German clubs) and Samuel Osei Kuffour (ex Bayern). First off, what was it like growing up and playing football as a young kid in Kumasi?
KD: It was great growing up in Ghana, probably one of the most exciting times of my childhood. I had a very happy childhood. I remember everyday just playing football. I would come home from school; first thing I’d do was chuck my bag down, run and get my soccer ball and go kick it, play with the kids on the streets and do tricks. I just wanted to be like my heroes.

HTH: So did you miss a lot of school playing football. Were you a good kid?
KD:Yeah I was a good kid, cause I knew I’d get in trouble if I missed school, I knew I wouldn’t have my soccer ball around me anymore, I knew if I’d go home it would be somewhere hidden away.

HTH: I read somewhere that your grandmother would threaten you with a stick - it sounds like my upbringing!
KD: Yeah, my grandmother used to scare me a little, so I had to be good in order to do what I wanted.

HTH: Your mother came out to Australia first and you lived with your grandmother until you came to Australia aged seven? What was it like coming to Australia at such a young age with a new country and culture?
KD: It was a very different experience. I have never been to a place that was so multicultural - everything was so different compared to Ghana. People are just so different here, it was kind of a surprise,  it felt like I was in another world.

HTH: How long did it take for you to get comfortable in your surroundings?
KD: Probably about three years because when I first got here I couldn’t speak much English. All I knew was “thank you” and “hello” and that’s about it. When I was in Canberra I had to do ESL classes, because English was a second language. I did that for three years and all through schooling, and after five years I could speak English very well

HTH: What was your support network like - you said your mother was here with you?
KD: I had my uncle and his family was here, my mum basically came because my uncle was here. My uncle supported us until we got on to our feet. And also my stepdad was with my mum and they got married about four years ago, and he’s been really good for us as well. I had cousins here and everything was there from the beginning.

HTH: You played at the under 20 World Cup in Egypt after a long and drawn out case with FIFA. Australia lost all three games and in an interview with FIFA you said “ I just don’t think we’ve had that same attitude that ‘Yeah, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win this game’”. The question is, a winning mentality is usually one of Australia’s strengths, so  did the players find it hard to adapt to the Dutch mentality in that tournament, as there was lots of talk about a new playing system?
KD: I don’t think we found it hard at all, I just think we found it hard with each other. Knowing what each other was going to do, trusting each other, and that is the biggest thing in a team environment. If you don’t trust each other and if you don’t want to work for each other, it’s not going to work. No matter what the coach says, no matter what anyone says, critics whatever, if the team doesn’t form together and work as unit everthing is going to fall apart.

HTH: Why do you think the team didn’t gel in Egypt?
KD: I think maybe the preparation towards the World Cup, there was a structured team and in that team throughout the qualification there wasn’t that many changes. And when the squad for the World Cup was chosen there was such a big change, a lot of players didn’t expect to be chosen and other players wanted other players in the team.  When the squad was chosen it was a big shock. I think that maybe that might have been because of differences in the team, but I don’t know, that that is just how I felt.

HTH: You have already reached cult status with the Sydney FC supporters group ( The Cove) and a lot of people have predicated big things for you what expectations have you set for yourself and how do you cope with those expectations especially the outside influence of media, fans and coaches? And don’t say I take it a day a time....(hehehe)
KD: I just try and set myself goals.  I set myself goals when I first signed with Sydney FC youth. My goal was to make the under 20’s team and play in the World Cup and also score goals for Sydney FC and start games for Sydney. I did all that, I didn’t want to get injured, and it’s just something that happens - I achieved all those goals. I have set myself new goals to be in the Olyroos, hopefully get a cap for the Socceroos if I keep playing well. Hopefully go overseas to Europe. But that won’t happen if I don’t get match time and keep improving as a player and keep learning.

HTH: I remember the first interview after your debut senior game for Sydney FC where you scored.  You gave an interview similar to Jeff Fenech infamous “I love you’s all”. How good must it be to have that relationship with the fans? When you play at home hearing the fans chant your name and have the crowd on your side it must be a good feeling?
KD: It’s the best feeling in the world. I mean they come to watch us play, I know how they feel because when I watch the European players play I’m a fan, I just love what they do and you appreciate when someone comes up to you and says “you are my favourite player” or “I really like watching you play” because they go out of their way, and when we go out of our way to score goals and to clap them and stuff like that, they love it and I just like showing that appreciation back to them.


HTH: What is your favourite position to play and what skill do you work on the most? 
KD: My favourite position to play is striker. I think I probably work on my speed and dribbling skills the most because I like to take players on and create opportunities, for us to be dangerous in attacking third.

HTH:When you read about Maradona or Tim Cahill as a kid there is a common theme where they always had the ball with them? Did you sleep with the football as a young child?
KD: I always had the ball with me. I always dreamt about soccer things, Id have dreams where I would run the whole field and beat players and score and then I’d wake up and get my soccer ball and just go train and practise what happened in the dream.

HTH: Your junior coach Mal Barac took responsibility for driving you  from Canberra to Sydney and back for training with the Sydney youth team. How important is it for a young player to have that support?
KD: It’s very important. Mal was my junior coach in Canberra he helped me a lot to develop as a player. As a young kid, if you have someone to always help and push you along it makes a big difference because you can get side tracked. And it’s not good when you do so - he was there for me  and help me change the way as I grew up. I felt very confident having him around and I still do.

HTH: Who else has aided your football education? Another player or coach?
KD: The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) helped me a lot. When I was at the institute I learnt a lot of things, I became more confident, I think I grew as a player, coming through the youth league and training with the first grade boys like John Aloisi and Steve Corica I learnt a lot off them, they’ve taught me a lot of things, so I’m getting all this information and trying to put in myself and try and become a better player.

HTH: When was the moment you realised that you could do something with football - when did you think “I can make a career out of this”?
KD: I think when I started playing youth league for Sydney FC.  Because I knew I wasn’t that far away from being in the first squad, I came to training sessions where they all would be there (the first team) together in a group talking, and I had a chance to watch them, to be that close to them, you know you have a chance, and you know if you keep going you will get a chance. I got that chance, and I guess I took it and everything went on from there.

HTH: A lot of young African immigrants are showing up in the A-League and in Australia’s youth system. Tell us what is it like being an African Australian?
KD: I think it’s great, I love Australian culture; I think at the start it’s hard to accept it. I had trouble accepting it, I think once you accept it, you learn to love it because you feel a part of it and things just become different, if you don’t accept it its just going to become harder for you. I just love it now being an Aussie.


HTH: Got any advice for young kids who want to make it in the A-League and in football generally?
KD: I think kids shouldn’t put too much pressure on themselves to practise every day and do everything perfect like the professionals do. I think they should just have fun and not put too much pressure on themselves. Because if they do, their game changes and things like that. I found that it happened to me when I put too much pressure on myself - I wasn’t myself, I think for them to be themselves and have fun they will get the chance to get noticed, just keep doing what they are doing.

HTH: How do you relieve that pressure?
KD: By doing things that don’t even involve football, going out with your friends to the movies stuff like that, going somewhere that makes you humble and peaceful I think gets focus off what you want to do with football and when you come back you are a at stage where you go ohhh I missed it that much I want to play and you forget all about the pressures.

HTH: So one day you score a goal and your name is the papers, everyone is talking about you and and it’s back to training, your coach makes you run laps or whatever. So would you say it’s a learning experience juggling  all that?
KD: Definitely it’s a learning experience, it’s what you want the most out of yourself and I think, once you figure that out everything becomes a lot easier.


HTH:  Who is the hardest opponent you faced?
KD: The hardest opponent I have faced has probably been Danny Tiatto. I’ve heard he has retired now so it’s a bit easier for me to play. I’ve never played against a player who was so aggressive and so threatening.

HTH: You probably have never seen studs so close before?
KD: Yeah that’s right I have never seen studs so close. I think fear was in my mind when he was there. But I’ve got past that stage where I’m scared of people and just proving to them that I’m not scared. Now I want to make them scared of me.


HTH: A-League players that have caught your eye?
KD: I think the players we have got here are very talented; Terry Mcflynn is a very good player, Alex Brosque is the backbone of Sydney FC and Mark Bridge, Nicky Carle is brilliant on the ball. And when I think of our team, the champions of last year, I think I can learn off those players and be like them. Those boys I look up to.


Kofi’s Favourites:

Movie: Cool Running’s, because it’s so funny, just pointless.
Band/Music: I love Akon. I’m a Hip Hop man I also like Rock music too like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Actor: I like Hugh Jackman
Actress: I would say Jessica Alba but she’s overrated now. But that’s a hard one too many.
Food: I love Italian food, and different types of ethnic food. I grew up with ethnic food and I love African food.
TV Programme: I watch a lot of TV, like Family Guy, I love the Simpsons, I love shows that make me laugh I have a very good sense of humour.
Your number one relaxation activity is?  Sleeping, I love sleeping, sleeping is amazing.

Half Time Heroes One Year Anniversary Edition

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Holger What Now!

The Australian national football team is in crisis. And not a pretend crisis like the news throws at you like a teenage kid who has hot faeces wrapped in a newspaper aimed at the side of your head.

No. This crisis is real. It’s the first real one since the 1997 Iran game. With cries for a Revolution by some journalists and ex-players trying to “junta”  Harry Kewell out of the team  and Mark Bresciano stating that he threatened to leave the World Cup after being dumped from the first game against Germany. New boss Holger Osieck has walked into the Socceroos at their most vulnerable and in needing of a big group hug

The biggest challenge for Holger What Now! Is that he has to re-generate a group of players who have been part of the Socceroos most successful team ever. They qualified for two consecutive World Cups and made it out of the group stage. Four years ago the Socceroos were Australia’s favourite national team. There last minute goal scoring exploits against Japan and Croatia and the subsequent last minute heartbreak against the Italians led to a whole bunch of Aussies falling in love with the World Game even if it was and will be a bandwagon quadrennial experience.

The South Africa World Cup experience will be and has been viewed as a failure and with the recriminations starting to be public the finger pointing and the blame game as everyone has seen and heard with the Kewell /Slate -gate debacle is threatening to ruin the Socceroos goodwill and make them out to be a bunch of overpaid, diva, cry babies.

Verbeek the junior World Cup coach copped the brunt of it. Rightly accused of negative tactics, of being too close to his player’s and making daft player decisions has led to Pim suffering the worst accusation of all: the famous label un-Australian. Weird especially that his ancestors helped with the discovery of Australia.

The decision to regenerate the so called golden generation  with players who have yet to dominate their own leagues and have failed to even make first team squads in Europe with regularity is going to be pretty, pretty tough to do.

Smells like no teen spirit

New German coach Holger Osieck will be no stranger to the German concept that is called “jugendgeist” (teen spirit, or spirit of youth). Even though the decision by Holger Osieck to name a similar squad that competed in South Africa shows that the German coach is singing Evolution not Revolution. Quite simply the Socceroos  wether Messrs Slater or Cockerill like it or not the Socceroos will still need the likes of Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton, Harry Kewell, Lucas Neil, Jason Culina, and Mark Schwarzer around the Socceroos squad for the next four years to make sure the Socceroos qualify for the their third World Cup. And then after the World Cup comes around those same players that helped get us to Brazil 2010 should be expected to be punted and bunted out of the team, for any young player that is coming through. That should be the coach’s talk to all those in their 30’s.

It’s not even worth listing potential replacements for these players because they are not there yet. 

A lot can happen in four years, players can make the step up but it will not be a quick fix. Already anytime a young  player shows promise they are hyped up as the next Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill or Mark Viduka. Before these players and other members of the golden generation made their name in Europe only a couple of players held any reverence or served as an inspiration to those who were to follow in their footsteps save for say  Johnny Warren, Craig Johnson, Joe Marston and  a few more. Now there are plenty of Heroes to follow and be inspired by but that pressure could be too much. Being termed the next “whatever” must surely rankle with your individuality and identify.

Getting to know Holger

So what do we know about Holger Osieck? I asked the German blogger from The Offside website: http://bundesliga.theoffside.com/ Jan Duldrup and he had some quite unflattering statements about the 1990 World Cup winning assistant  German coach. Particularly striking was the comment that in Germany he is not considered good enough to get a job even in the third division of German football.

“I really mostly remember him for being Franz Beckenbauer's assistant during the 1990 World Cup. I was a little kid and had a sticker album with World Cup stickers from chocolate bars and there was a Holger Osieck sticker”, Jan replied when I asked who the hell is Holger?

Speaking about his credential in coaching Jan said:

“Though I later read that he was only there because they needed someone with a coaching license, since Beckenbauer didn't have one. So I'm not sure how much of that World Cup triumph he really masterminded - if at all”.

“His Bundesliga coaching career was completely unremarkable. He isn't a name that is ever discussed when a club in the top three divisions is looking for a new coach either. I couldn't tell you what his football philosophy is and what brand of football his teams play”.

Jan finished off the critique saying that:

“ He's travelled the globe and spent time with FIFA. He could have grown into a very good coach without anyone in his homeland noticing. At the end, I presume the Australian FA did some research before hiring him and know what they are doing. Unless they just signed the next best German coach, feeling it was the thing to do after the World Cup in South Africa”

So it’s never a dull time being a Socceroos fan and as is the true Aussie way of giving someone a fair go let’s see what this German who no-one has ever heard of can do before we start throwing in the knives, there seems to be too much of that going on already.

QANTAS SOCCEROOS SQUAD – Tuesday 24 August 2010

Player	Club, Country	A-International matches (goals)
Michael BEAUCHAMP	Melbourne Heart, Australia	22 (1)
Nathan BURNS	AEK Athens FC , Greece	2 (0)
Tim CAHILL	Everton, England	42 (21)
David CARNEY	FC Twente , Netherlands	28 (3)
Jason CULINA	Gold Coast United, Australia	52 (1)
Brett EMERTON	Blackburn Rovers, England	75 (17)
Adam FEDERICI (gk)	Reading FC , England	2 (0)
Richard GARCIA	Hull City FC , England	10 (0)
Brett HOLMAN	AZ Alkmaar , Netherlands	35 (4)
Mile JEDINAK	Genclerbirligi SK , Turkey	13 (0)
Josh KENNEDY	Nagoya Grampus , Japan	22 (7)
Harry KEWELL	Galatasaray SK , Turkey	46 (13)
Scott MCDONALD	Middlesbrough FC , England	16 (0)
Lucas NEILL	Galatasaray SK , Turkey	60 (0)
Jade NORTH	Tromsø IL , Norway	29 (0)
Mark SCHWARZER (gk)	Fulham FC, England	79 (0)
Matthew SPIRANOVIC	Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan	4 (0)
Carl VALERI	U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, Italy	26 (0)
Dario VIDOSIC	FC Nurnberg, Germany	8 (1)
Luke WILKSHIRE	FK Dinamo Moscow, Russia	46 (2)

Upcoming Match Details 

Switzerland v Qantas Socceroos
3 September 2010
Kick-off 8:15pm CEST (4:15am AEST, 3:45am ACST, 2:15am AWST)
AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland

For more information, please visit www.football.ch

Poland v Qantas Socceroos
7 September 2010
Kick-off 8:30pm CEST (4:30am AEST, 4:00am ACST, 2:30am AWST)
Wisla Krakow Stadium, Krakow, Poland

Kofi Danning to face the Roar: Feels Good, Strong, Confident

Yesterday I was at Sydney FC training were I spoke to cult hero Kofi Danning. It was after they finished training and lunch and before the interview started and he seemed upset that his team had lost twice in the four on four games they played. You can tell from the way he plays he has a strong competitive streak but meeting him up close it's even stronger.

I was there so I could interview him for the One Year Anniversary Edition of  Half Time Heroes it's out next week.

So after finding out that Alex Brosque is injured today  it was interesting to read that Sydney FC boss Lavicka says that Danning will start: the match against Brisbane Roar this weekend. Sydney FC only have a point to show after a draw and a loss in their first two games of the season.

Reading from the World Game website Lavicka says:

"Kofi Danning is ready to start and help the team with success. He had a long term injury but he's back and he's trained well. He played some games during the pre-season and has picked up confidence ... he will be okay."

Yesterday when I asked Danning how he was feeling he said:

"I would say I’m back to full fitness, I feel good, I feel strong, I feel confident"

When I asked Danning if the reason he had started on the on bench the first two games was because the coach wanted to ease him into the team after such a long layoff he had this to say (This was before the Brosque injury had ruled the Sydney striker out of the Brisbane game):

"Yes of course, it’s been a long preparation just to get back playing. I think coming off the bench is good for me at the moment, getting used to everything again, once I’m really confident, once there are opportunities to play a full game the coach will put me on."

With Brosque and Bridge out it's a great opportunity for the young Ghanaian born Aussie. All of the Sydney FC fans hope Kofi comes through his first full game without a hitch and a winning goal would be a great bonus. 

For the full Kofi Danning interview go to  Half Time Heroes  on Friday for the One Year Anniversary Edition.

Aussies Abroad and the Cult of Youth

  Did You Know 135 Aussies play Overseas?

Damian Davies does a monthly update on all the Aussies Abroad that you can find on Half Time Heroes. http://halftimeheroes.com.au/aussies-abroad/players/

And taking a look at the 135 Aussies playing overseas I see a lot of young players. Of the 135 Aussies abroad, 69 players are under 23 years old and 32 players are under  20 years of age, Some of the young Aussies are playing in clubs like Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Valencia, Panathinaikos, and  Manchester United just to name a few.

After that Socceroos showing in Slovenia last week let’s hope some of these young players can break through into their respective clubs because we are going to need them.    

SURNAME	FIRST	Age	CLUB	COUNTRY	POSITION
Jacob	Liam	15	Manchester United (Yth)	England	Goalkeeper
Davies	Julius Doe	15	Bayern Munich (Youth)	Germany	Midfielder
Carter	Anthony	15	Vicenza Calcio (Youth)	Italy
Baird	Alex	16	Newcastle United (Youth)	England	Goalkeeper
D’Arcy	Aidan	17	Huddersfield Town (Yth)	England	Defender
Tombides	Dylan	17	West Ham (Youth)	England	Striker
Terezakis	Nick	17	Hellas Verona (Youth)	Italy	Midfielder
Lambadaridis	George	18	Club Brugge (Youth)	Belgium	Midfielder
Bulut	Kerem	18	FK Mlada Boleslav	Repub.	Striker
Fletcher	Matthew	18	Sunderland (Youth)	England	Striker
Inman	Bradden	18	Newcastle United (Youth)	England	Midfielder
Parish	Cameron	18	Preston North End (Youth)	England	Midfielder
Wright	Bailey	18	Preston North End (Youth)	England	Defender
Centofanti	Adam	18	Bassano Calcio (Youth)	Italy	Midfielder
Modaffari	Nick	18	Vicenza Calcio (Youth)	Italy	Defender
Ucchino	Adrian	18	Frosinone (Youth)	Italy	Midfielder
Vartaci	Chris	18	Bassano Calcio (Youth)	Italy
Oar	Tommy	18	FC Utrecht (Europa)	Netherlands	Striker
Markelis	Theo	18	Valencia (Youth)	Spain	Midfielder
McGrath	Brent	19	Brondby IF (Europa)	Denmark	Striker
Austin	Mitchell	19	Rotherham United	England	Midfielder
Bouzanis	Dean	19	Liverpool	England	Goalkeeper
Du Chattelier	Gazet	19	Portsmouth	England	Striker
Ireland	Daniel	19	Coventry City	England	Goalkeeper
Meehan	Patrick	19	Sheffield Wednesday (Yth	England	Midfielder
Watts	Jack	19	Ilkeston Town	England	Striker
Stambolziev	Robert	19	Panathinaikos (Youth)	Greece	Striker
Marafioti	Domenico	19	Laigueglia	Italy	Striker
Maselli	Stephen	19	Vicenza Calcio (Youth)	Italy	Midfielder
Stella	Francesco	19	A.C. Siena (Youth)	Italy	Midfielder
Davidson	Jason	19	Pacos de Ferreira	Portugal	Defender
McGowan	Dylan	19	Hearts	Scotland	Defender
Hatzimouratis	Dimitri	20	Alki Larnaca	Cyprus	Midfielder
Jones	Cameron	20	Bromsgrove Rovers	England	Striker
McEntegart	Michael	20	Hemel Hampstead Town	England	Goalkeeper
Mooy	Aaron	20	Bolton	England	Midfielder
Giannou	Apostolis	20	AO Kavala	Greece	Midfielder
Esposito	Christian	20	Novara	Italy	Striker
Spano	Riccardo	20	ASD Athletico Torino	Italy	Striker
McGowan	Ryan	20	Hearts	Scotland	Midfielder
Cisak	Alex	21	Accrington Stanley	England	Goalkeeper
Herd	Chris	21	Aston Villa (Europa)	England	Midfielder
Lowry	Shane	21	Aston Villa (Europa)	England	Defender
Langerak	Mitchell	21	Borussia Dortmund (Euro.)	Germany	Goalkeeper
Govas	Andreas	21	AO Kavala	Greece	Midfielder
Tomaras	Christos	21	AEP Kozanis	Greece	Striker
Bazi	Andrew	21	Fylkir (Europa)	Iceland	Goalkeeper
Holland	James	21	AZ Alkmaar (Europa)	Netherlands	Midfielder
Sarota	Adam	21	FC Utrecht (Europa)	Netherlands	Midfielder
Zullo	Michael	21	FC Utrecht (Europa)	Netherlands	Striker
Jovanovic	Aleksandar	21	Novi Sad	Serbia	Midfielder
Forsberg	Xavier	21	Ottawa Fury	USA	Defender
Georgievski	Daniel	22	NK Medimurje	Croatia	Defender
Meredith	James	22	York City	England	Midfielder
Wesolowski	James	22	Peterborough	England	Midfielder
Williams	Rhys	22	Middlesborough	England	Defender
Burns	Nathan	22	AEK Athens (Europa)	Greece	Striker
Spiranovic	Matthew	22	Urawa Reds	Japan	Defender
Downey	James	22	Sparta Rotterdam	Netherlands	Midfielder
Park	Matthew	22	Hearts	Scotland	Midfielder
Troisi	James	22	Kayserispor	Turkey	Striker
Rukavytsya	Nikita	23	Hertha Berlin	Germany	Striker
Vidosic	Dario	23	FC Nurnberg	Germany	Striker
Gaitatzis	Harris	23	Panserraiokos	Greece	Midfielder
O’Hare	Chris	23	Carrick Rangers	N.Ireland	Striker
Subara	Goran	23	Gombak United	Singapore	Midfielder
Djite	Bruce	23	Genclerbirligi	Turkey	Striker
Gulum	Ersan	23	Besiktas	Turkey	Defender
Patterson-Sewell	Caleb	23	Miami FC	USA	Goalkeeper