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