Socceroos Paralysis (Analysis) vs. South Africa

So the Socceroos performance against the Bafana Bafana was Disappointing Disappointing! With not too long to go till the World Cup and with more injuries than a King Cross hospital ward on a Friday night at this moment the Socceroos are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an Enigma (Go the Winston Churchill quotes!)

The Riddle

What do you call Australia’s only hope of scoring goals at the World Cup and at the same time Australia’s potential downfall because it will lead to a style of play that is easy to defend and predictable to the point of embarrassing?  

Tim Cahill is probably not a riddle but maybe a paradox or perhaps an irony. The irony is that Tim Cahill is probably the Socceroos best chance of scoring goals.  The more the team centers themselves around Super TImmy the more easier the opposition will be able to neutralize the Socceroos attack as it's easy to defend crosses. 

I’m not sure what the correct literary device to use is in this instance but the Socceroos created more crosses against South Africa than the production design team used for that scene in the Film Spartacus. 

The Mystery

Which Ange Postecoglu will we see at the World Cup? The Brisbane Roar Ange Postecoglu where the team was patient with their passing, the one where they refused to cross except for when it was stupid not to. 

Will it be the Ange Postecoglu which made everyone in Australia who followed the local game give standing golf claps in adoration at the quality of play? Will it be the Ange that even the Duck (Craig Foster) and the Poet (Les Murray) ate their words and gushed inside their foreign made underpants due to the exciting nature of the tactical and technical mastery that was on display?

Or will it be the Melbourne Victory Ange Postecoglu getting thrashed one week and playing just OK the next?

The Enigma

Where our Holiness Gus Hiddink was quoted by his Protégé Graham Arnold as saying “international football is not won or lost in the first 20 mins” AP it seems is spouting the opposite.

“If we try and score three goals in the first twenty minutes and try and hold on for the next 70 minutes we might not get smashed” 

It’s difficult to understand why Ange Postecoglu is into the crossing thing at the moment. He did so well with Brisbane Roar with the patient possession game. Why play like David Moyes Everton? Why play like Holger Osieck and Pim Verbeek?

Yes, yes, yes I know some first team players are injured and not fit and James Holland looks stoned and permanently has a look of wanting to punch someone. And Yes, yes, yes the Socceroos always do better against higher quality opposition and then blow it at the end and sometimes cause big upsets. 

Yes, yes, yes we also know that against easier opposition and games we are expected to win easily the Socceroos usually play within themselves and the result and performance can be historically disappointing.

As a friend wisely quipped after the game:

“If the Socceroos play like this again, Chile will crucify them on their own cross”

Short reflections:

• Did you see Luke Wilkshire put on his Socceroos shirt right before  he came on for Ivan Franjić? He looks like you and me not the fit Luke Wilkshire of yore.

• Jason "outstanding season" Davidson is/will be a liability