A Football Story

Aussies Abroad Month In Review November

2011-12-01T18:31:00.000+11:00

Compiled By Damian Davies

On the pitch, a lot of Aussies are seeing game time at club level, while the Socceroos also played several games during November. A busy month for transfers with a high number of players changing clubs across Europe and Asia.

Club Level:-

England (Premier League) – Chris Herd’s Aston Villa have had an inconsistent month but are now in the top half of the table with Chris making another few starts in the midfield. Everton has won the last two games to climb back to ninth, but are still missing the goals of Tim Cahill who is yet to break his duck for the season. Mark Schwarzer is having yet another outstanding season as Fulham stay just clear of the relegation spots. The same can’t be said for Blackburn Rovers. They sit bottom of the table as Vince Grella remains on the sidelines. Could the departure of Brett Emerton be having a big impact!!

England (Championship) – despite dropping a few points over the past few games, Middlesbrough currently sit third, but are now eight points shy of the automatic promotion places. Rhys Williams is possibly in career best from, while Scott McDonald scored three times during the month. A return to the starting eleven by Patrick Kisnorbo has coincided with a good run of form that sees Leeds into the playoff positions. Good form has also seen Adam Federici’s Reading climb into play off contention with several valuable wins. The opposite can be said for Crystal Palace, as Mile Jedinak’s team have dropped back to mid table however an extra time win over Man U in the Cup may provide a boost. Finally in the Championship, the form of Neil Kilkenny has been a bright spot as Bristol City have gone undefeated in their last six games.

England (League One) – the Aussie presence is strong at Oldham Athletic. Starters Alex Cisak and James Wesolowski have now been joined by short-term signing, Dean Bouzanis. A frustrating month as the string of wins required to move into the top half of the table still allude them. Continuing poor form has seen Chesterfield move to last on the table with Aaron Downes in and out of the team.

England (League Two) – Shane Cansdell-Sheriff starts every week for a Shrewsbury team that find themselves a point shy of the automatic promotion places after a great month.

Italy (Serie B) – Carl Valeri’s Sassuolo have been patchy this month but still sit a point adrift of the automatic promotion places. Carl has missed a fair chunk of game time with international commitments.

Italy (Serie C2) –Francesco Stella (Borgo a Buggiano) continues to play great minutes and managed to open his scoring account during November. The same can be said for Christian Esposito (FC Catanzaro) as they currently sit third on the table.

Spain (Segunda division) – Alcorcon are sitting mid table with Dave Carney making his debut during the month.

Germany (Bundesliga) – Nikita Rukavytsya finished the month back in the starting eleven at Hertha Berlin. Their results have been inconsistent though as they are currently mid table. Matthew Leckie has returned from injury, but can’t get back into the senior side who have moved to second in the Bundesliga. Mitch Langerak’s Dortmund have returned to be the league leaders, but only by goal difference.

Germany (2. Bundesliga) –Fortuna Dusseldorf continue their stay at top of the league. Robbie Kruse has been a squad player of late, particularly with national team duties taking him away, meaning he only saw 15 minutes of action during the month.

Netherlands (Eredivsie) – AZ also remain top of the league in Holland. Brett Holman is back from injury, and can’t stop scoring at both club and national level. On the world stage, he has possibly been the most prominent so far this season. FC Utrecht continue to slide down the table with Michael Zullo appearing to be making the most progress in terms of game time. Both Adam Sarota and Tommy Oar are in the match day squad most games but are getting limited minutes.

Scotland (Premier) – from an Aussie perspective, a little more to get excited about with Matt McKay making a few appearances for league leaders Rangers. A few dropped points of late has seen their lead stripped back to four points. Ryan McGowan has started the past few games for Hearts as they remain mid table.

Scotland (Second division) – former Fury defender Beau Busch (Arbroath) is a regular starter as his side are behind leaders Cowdenbeath only on goal difference. Matthew Park (East Fife) is certainly justifying his loan move given he has started 13 of 14 fixtures so far this campaign and is getting much needed game time.

Greece (Super League) – a quiet month for both Nathan Burns (AEK) and Apostolis Giannou (PAOK). AEK have climbed to second after three straight wins while PAOK remain fifth.

Greece (Football League) – having recently commenced the season, Billy Konstantinidis’ Pierkos have started reasonably with Billy coming off the bench most weeks.

Turkey (Super Lig) – James Troisi (Kayserispor) had an interrupted month with Socceroos duties, but did manage to get of the scoring charts against Trabzonspor earlier in the month. His side continue their inconsistent form and currently sit just out of the relegation places.

Croatia (1. HNL) – Hajduk Split are struggled to catch leaders Dinamo Zagreb, however Steve Lustica has now made eight starts for the season along with scoring his first goal for his new club. The strong form of Tomi Juric has seen him earn a starting eleven place at Lokomotiva during the month.

Portugal (Liga de Honra) – Atletico CP (Caleb Patterson-Sewell) remain top of the league with their lead reduced to two points. Caleb has played every minute of the season, fair to say he has been instrumental in his team’s success.

Russia (Premier League) – as the league goes into the long winter recess, Dinamo are third on the table. Luke Wilkshire is a main stay of his team, so much so that rumours are swirling that several clubs are looking to poach him in the January transfer window.

Switzerland (Super League) –Basel are also top of the league. Veteran Scott Chipperfield has started to get some more game time across league, Cup and Champions League fixtures. .

Hungary (NB II) – Sasa Macura (MTK) has started the Cup games played in November.

Denmark (Superliga) – Nathan Coe has played every minute for Sonderjyske who remain near the bottom of the table but well clear of relegation. Brondby are in a similar place in the league with Brent McGrath having now made thirteen appearances (from 17 games) this campaign.

China (Super League) – the season has come to an end with Beijing Guoan (Joel Griffiths) and Liaoning Hongyun (Dean Heffernan) gaining places in the Asian club competitions for next season. Chengdu Blades (Salley and Santalab) were relegated but not without last day drama. They went ahead with a penalty in the 90^th minute, only to concede an equalizer in injury time. One point was not enough, three points would have avoided relegation…

Joel Griffiths (Beijing) – 2232 minutes, 26 appearances and 11 goals

Dean Heffernan (Liaoning) – 1846 minutes, 24 appearances

Adam Griffiths (Hangzhou) – 979 minutes, 15 appearances and 1 goal

Dino Djulbic (Shaanxi) – 2168 minutes, 26 appearances and 3 goals

Brendon Santalab (Chengdu) - 689 minutes, 11 appearances and 5 goals

Jonas Salley (Chengdu) – 2173 minutes, 25 appearances

Japan (J League) – with one round to go, one point separates leaders Kashiwa Reysol and Nagoya Grampus (Josh Kennedy). A further point back sits Gamba Osaka, with all three teams playing away in the last fixture and Nagoya having clearly the better goal difference, will go down to the wire. To make matters more interesting, Josh leads the Golden Boot by two goals, will be an interesting last day. During November, Nagoya went on a run of five consecutive victories with Kennedy scoring in his last three starts. Shimizu S-Pulse did drop off the pace a little but the contributions of Eddy Bosnar were huge with the big defender scoring twice during the month. While not scoring, Alex Brosque continues to start for the same team. Interestingly, Spiranovic has dropped out of the starting eleven since going away on national duty earlier in the month.

Japan (J2 League) – Jade North started several games for Tokyo as they secured the title and promotion back to the J League. Mark Milligan had an interrupted month courtesy of his second red card in a month. To be fair, the first was rescinded, but Mark has racked up a few yellows of late as well. With the last fixture yet to be played, JEF could climb to sixth if results go the right way, but failure to gain promotion will mean some interesting choices for Mark in the off season.

U.A.E. (UFL) – the season is now underway with the Aussies making an impact. Lucas Neill Al Jazira’s lead the league with Lucas not missing a minute and scoring the winner away to Ajman. Richard Porta has made a few appearances as Al Wasl are third. Mark Bresciano’s Al Wasr have won their last two but particularly pleasing is Mark’s two goals in his three appearances

India (I-League) – the new season is now a month old. Most of our Aussies are seeing good game time and are well placed on the league table. Daniell Zeleny’s Mohun Bagan are second, closely followed by Antun Kovacic (Churchill Brothers) and Tolgey Ozbey (East Bengal). Interesting Ozbey recently hit a hat trick however still trails by four in the race for the Golden Boot.

New Zealand (Premiership) – leading the Golden Boot is Aussie George Slefendorfas (Canterbury United). Early in the season, but his side are third on the table. Tyson Holmes (Team Wellington) has played every minute of the season so far.

Injuries:- Not many players getting out of the medical room with Garcia (knee), Ireland (thigh), Tombides (cancer treatment), Gulum (knee), Grella (hip), Milicevic (back), Leach (Ankle) and Milovanovic (leg) all still missing from their club teams. Up the upside, Brett Holman is back without missing a beat. Aaron Mooy, Adrian Ucchino and Theo Markelis are also back in match day squads after long injury breaks.

Club Competitions:-

Europe

(UEFA Champions League) Scott Chipperfield started once and came off the bench in the other fixture for Basel, while Mitchell Langerak remained on the bench for Dortmund’s only fixture.

(UEFA Europa League) Nathan Burns (AEK) played the first half in the home loss to Lokomotiv Moskva. While Mark Schwarzer (Fulham) was in goal for the 4-1 win against Wisla Krakow. Brett Holman started in both draws for AZ during November.

Asia

(AFC Champions League) No Aussies remain.

(AFC Cup) No Aussies remain.

Youth:- During the month, at the “NextGen Series”, numerous Aussies saw game time; Massimo Luongo (Tottenham), Jackson Irvine (Celtic) and Reece Caira (Aston Villa). In terms of some of the progress by youngsters, Costa Andricopoulos (Anorthosis) is a regular in the U21’s and getting closer to the senior team. Keeper Alex Baird (Newcastle) has got to the reserves squad, Kearyn Baccus has been playing for Le Mans II and Mike Urwin (Koblenz) seems to have cemented his spot in the senior team

National level :- A mixed bag in the World Cup qualifiers with a 1-0 loss away to away, however a 1-0 away win to Thailand secured progression to the next stage courtesy of Brett Holman. The next fixture will not be until February. The Olympic team could only manage 0-0 draws in both their fixtures, meaning away wins will become crucial if we are to qualify for London. No problems for the U19’s in Malaysia, coasting through undefeated and amassing 20 goals in four games. Great to see the names of the future on show.

Transfers :- Seemingly all one way traffic this month with many Aussies heading to a variety of destinations. The leagues in Greece have kicked off, so a bit of movement there. The loan window has just closed, a few Aussies caught up in that. Football in Indonesia is still a little confusing, but some games have been played and a few Aussies have new homes. With foreigners now being permitted to play in Malaysia, some Aussies are venturing there for the new season.

Additions/changes to database: -

Michael Baird (1 Aug 1983) – transferred to Sabah, Malaysia

Dean Bouzanis (2 Oct 1991) – transferred to Oldham Athletic, England

Corey Gameiro (7 Feb 1993) – loan to Hayes and Yeading United, England

Brendan Gan (3 Jun 1988) – transferred to Sabah, Malaysia

Robbie Gaspar (7 Feb 1981) – transferred to Persib Bandung, Indonesia

Mario Karlovic (29 May 1984) – transferred to Persebaya Surabaya 1927, Indonesia

Doug Lindberg (27 Mar 1988) – loan to Sleaford Town, England

Shane Lowry (12 Jun 1989) – loan to Millwall, England

Andrew Maclean (1993) – transferred to Hamilton Academical, Scotland

Nikodin Matic (28 Aug 1992) – transferred to Farnborough, England

Sean Rooney (1 Mar 1989) – transferred to Deltras Sidoarjo, Indonesia

Jonas Salley (16 Mar 1982) – loan to Gold Coast United, Australia

Peter Skapetis (1995) – transferred to Birmingham City, England

James Stojcevski (1995) – transferred to Karlsruher SC, Germany

Chris Sullivan (3 Nov 1988) – transferred to Apollon Kalamaria, Greece

Christos Tomaras (14 Jan 1989) – transferred to Paniliakos, Greece

Daniell Zeleny (19 Oct 1988) – transferred to Mohun Bagan, India

Removed from database:-

Marc Villascusa (21 Aug 1991) – released by Cittanova Interpiana, uncontracted

Celtic and Aussie midfielder Jackson Irvine Interview

2011-11-03T12:26:00.001+11:00

Here is an interview i did with young Aussie Jacskon Irvine.

first published on 442 Aus website

Can you give us a rundown on your time in the Scotland?

I have been fortunate to play in many European tournaments, in many countries, against many of the worlds biggest teams. I’ve been lucky enough to play against teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Boca Juniors, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Wolfsburg, FC Basel, Real Mallorca, Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur.

I was also involved in the Scottish Youth Cup Final in May. A Celtic-Rangers Old Firm final attracted a crowd of 10,000 at Hampden, Scotland’s national stadium. We won 2-1 after extra time, an amazing experience.

The most exciting opportunity I’ve had is to be a part of the NextGen Series, a youth Champions League style tournament including the best of the best of Europe’s elite. Our group consists of Marseille, Manchester City and world champions Barcelona. If we manage to qualify through our group we will be joining the winners of the other groups in Abu Dhabi in January for the finals.

You are a former Endeavour United and Knox City junior and had a short spell with Richmond’s youth team. You also played for Southern Blue Tongues in the Victorian Champions League summer competition. What was it like playing youth football for those teams?
My times at Knox and Endeavour were really great for me and the stage of my development I was at.

I was at Knox City from the ages of 10-13 and Endeavour at 14 and 15 and the most important thing for me at that point was that I was enjoying myself and that I had a good group of boys in my team as well as trying to learn about the game.

A big step for me was playing in the summer league with Southern. Was lucky enough to be captain of the under 18s at the age of 15 and we managed to make it to the final. My time at all of these teams was greatly beneficial to me.

Richmond was not a great time for me, I was 15 trying to get a spot in the under 21s which was a difficult task and I found myself on the bench and sometimes not even in the squad for most games. At such an important age it’s not about what league you play in, it’s just important to be playing regularly. So just before my 16th birthday I made the switch down a division to Frankston.

2009 was the big year for you. You joined Frankston Pines in Victoria’s State League Division One. You were coached by Tommy O’Halloran and after just one game in the reserves against Northcote you were promoted to the first team and then won the club’s best and fairest award and the players’ player-of-the-year trophy. What was that year like?

My year at the Pines was the biggest step I made in football. Tommy signed me and gave me my first game in the first team just a week after joining the club. A full season of playing against men, many of which had played at the highest level in Australian football, was a massive step for me and I was fortunate enough to gain the rewards at the end of the season.

After your great year with Frankston Pines you got a trial with Melbourne Victory and after one game you were off to a trial with Celtic. What was it like trialling with Celtic and what was the pressure like?
The Melbourne Victory coaches came to watch one of our games against Bentleigh Greens and I was lucky enough to get a phone call later that week inviting me to come and train with the youth team.

Unfortunately due to some FFA rules involving age restriction and players that haven’t been developed in state academies like the VIS, I was only able to make one appearance. It was actually my Frankston coach Tommy who organised my trial at Celtic.

I was there for 10 days in December 2009 where I did four or five training sessions and played in two friendly games, after which I was fortunate enough to get offered my first contract. The pressure was actually not something that worried me, because I was just one of many trialists all I could do was try and show something a bit different. I wasn’t expecting any miracles, just wanted to take the opportunity to train with some of the best players and coaches in Europe.

What is it like living in Scotland and how do you quell the homesickness?
I really like it here in Scotland, I have been living for quite a while now so I am used to this way of life. It isn’t as different from Australia as some people might think, at least they drive on the same side of the road!

Homesickness was very hard to begin with, especially after only a month of football I found myself with and ankle injury that had me on the sidelines for nearly four months. I’m lucky enough to be able to have my parents over here for a two or three months a year and I get to come back to Melbourne for Christmas so that is always good.

How did you get used to the professorial environment in Scotland and what were the differences to level you faced in Australia?
The difference in the standard of football was probably one of the toughest changes I faced when I made the move. The tempo of the training and games was something it took me months to get used to.

Considering the majority of players at the club are full Internationals for their respective countries, you can imagine how the first few weeks were for a kid from state league one in Melbourne trying to keep up!

What do you hope to achieve in your football career?
I’ve been very lucky to achieve many of my short term goals for this season already, including securing a new contract and playing International football. By next season I’d like to either be in and around the Celtic first team or be out on loan playing first team football at another club in the UK or Europe. In the long term I’d like to continue being included in the International scene and try and establish myself at a high level club as a regular first team player.

There are a lot of young players like yourself that are going straight to Europe and bypassing the A-League. What advice do you have for young players who want to follow your path?
In my opinion the most important thing for young players in Australia that want to establish careers in Europe is to stay focused and committed, and don’t believe that the only way you will obtain such an opportunity is through FFA-based academies and select squads.

I was never selected for any state teams and I was turned down by the VIS at a young age. Just keep trying to play regular football, and if you are committed and have the talent you will get your opportunity at some point.

How do you relax away from football?
Most of my time away from football is spent playing my guitars, watching movies, reading, going to the driving range or hanging out with the boys playing PlayStation!

What kind of person are you?
I’d say I’m a pretty laid back and outgoing person, a bit shy at times as well. I’m a bit of an individual as well, the boys aren’t massive fans of my clothes and my music!

What is a usual week for you at Celtic?
A usual week consists of training in the morning and going to the gym in the afternoon on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with our games on Saturdays and usually a pool recovery session on a Sunday. Wednesdays we go to college.

You can play right back and as a midfielder what position do you play at Celtic and what do you prefer to play?
I was always a centre midfielder from a very young age until my time at Frankston where I played most of my football at full back, right and left. After I returned from injury at Celtic I began to play a lot of football at centre half.

I then made the switch to right midfield and eventually got my chance at centre midfield and I have managed to keep that spot since then. Although some injuries and suspensions this season have meant I’ve played a few games at centre half. Overall I see myself a midfielder and that is where I like playing my football the most.

How is it watching the first team train and what do you have to do to make it in the first team?
The first team has some terrific players, we have Internationals for Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Wales, Israel, South Korea and Honduras. I’ve been fortunate enough to train with the first team several times, and they have been some excellent experiences. The pace of the game and their passing and movement is truly another major step above even youth level.

Which Celtic players have impressed you?
We have some extraordinary players in our youth team this season. Some players that have stood out for me since I have been here include Filip Twardzik, Marcus Fraser, Paul George and Callum McGregor.

Filip has made several first team appearances in friendlies, is a full Czech International at U19 level and is one of the most technically gifted I have ever played with or against. Paul just recently made his full first team debut in the Scottish Cup, he is also a full International for Ireland at U19 level and is one of the most skilful players I have seen.

Marcus and Callum both played with me in the U19 European championships for Scotland and are both truly gifted footballers. These are 4 names I would keep an eye out for!

Has anyone at Football Federation Australia contacted you about playing in Youth Tournaments?
I have been contacted several times by the FFA asking me to play for the U18 and U19 national teams. It has been a complicated situation for me as before I was approached by Australia I was approached by Scotland, who I am eligible to play for through my Scottish father.

I jumped at the chance to play International football and I travelled to Slovenia to play against Wales, Belgium and Slovenia in the European Championships. One day I would love to play for Australia and I hope they continue to invite me to be a part of their International set up as it is something I have always dreamed of doing.

Generation Next: Steven Lustica Interview

2011-10-28T11:33:00.002+11:00

First published at 442 click for original link

You have had a pretty eventful start to your football career in Europe, scoring on your playing debut, facing teams like Barcelona, playing in the Europa League and experiencing a fierce local derby Derby tell us about your European odyssey so far? It’s a far cry from playing in front of a dog and an esky at the Gold Coast?
Playing for Hajduk Split is a dream come true.Playing against my other favourite club Barcelona in Hajduk’s 100 year anniversary game was a fantastic feeling.

The derby against Dinamo was something else. I now know what the word derby really means. Each corner of the city of Split was covered with Hajduk banners and flags, nothing else matters here.

There was a media conference held every day for the entire week before the game. The print media coverage of the game would fill the entire edition of the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Match day was something i have never experienced in my life.The choreography in the stadium set up by the ‘torcida fans’ is indescribable. For the full 90 mins they did not stop singing and chanting.
When we scored, I thought the place was going to explode. You need to go on youtube to fully understand the atmosphere of the derby.

You made headlines in Australia when you signed for Hadjuk Split. Particularly The “who is Miron (Bleiberg) ” comment about your former coach obviously you have moved forward but you must feel like you have proved some of your critics wrong?
My aim was always to play football at the highest possible level. For me its not about proving anyone wrong, I set my goals high and believe in my own ability.

Not a lot of young players who go overseas are able to make such a great start to their career how did you view the challenge of making into the first team and what goals did you set yourself this season?
My goal was always to break into the first team. It probably happened sooner than i expected, but now the challenge is even greater, and that is to maintain my starting position in the team.

Soon after you signed, you were caught up in a club vs country battle that saw you miss out on the youth World Cup. Did you see any of the games and what did you make of the team’s performance and results?
I watched all the games on TV here live. Unfortunately we did not make the second round. However i know all the boys gave their best and there were some good performances.

How have you viewed Hadjuk’s Start you are in second place behind Zagreb at the time of writing? Have any team mates impress you so far?
Our start to the season has been good and we are still currently second behind Dinamo Zagreb.
Our team is very young and there are some good Croatian youth international players. Our Captain Srdan Andric and vice captain Ljubo Milicevic have great experience and leadership qualities.

Have you spoken to FFA Technical director Hann Berger or anyone at the FFA about the comments he made about your decision to miss the Youth World Cup? When asked if it would affect your national team chances now or in the future he said: "I think so. Holger gave a clear indication of that by not selecting them for the Serbia and New Zealand (Socceroos) games recently. They are young players and it's difficult for them. What will happen for the future, we will have to discuss internally." What do you think of those comments and have you had any contact from Holger since then?
I have not had contact with anyone at FFA after my decision. I can understand their disappointment with my decision, but im sure they also understood the position I was in at the time.

Brent McGrath and Mathew Leckie were in the same situation as you and all three of you have made great starts to the season. I’m sure all three would have loved to have played for Australia at the Youth World Cup. What were your feelings at the time?
Not electing to go to the World Cup was the hardest decision i have had to make so far. I set myself that goal many years ago, unfortunately the timing of the tournament was not right.

How do you feel about representing the Socceroos? Playing regularly In Europe must give you confidence of a call up sooner rather than later.
It would fulfil another goal of mine to be selected for the Socceroos, however I would need to be performing consistently well at a very high level before that would happen.

My teammates have accepted me as part of the gang, but offcourse they remind me I am a ‘klokan’(kangaroo in Croatian) at times.Being a player born of Croatian background have you had any offers from the Croatian FA to play for Croatia?
No, I have had no offers from the Croatian FA.

Has having Croatian background helped you settle in easier? Do your teammates view you as a foreigner or one of the gang?
Yes, my Croatian heritage has helped me settle in well. I speak Croatian and understand the culture and this has enabled me to feel at home.

How is fellow Aussie teammate Ljubo Milicevic doing? He hasn’t played much in the last few weeks - what’s he like on and off the pitch?
Ljubo has played in the last two games including the derby against Dinamo and was captain in the last game against Cibalia. This shows how highly he is regarded by our coach Balakov.
On the pitch he is a leader, off the pitch he is well liked by everyone.

Who are your friends in football and would you say is your major influence in your career?
The major influence on my career has been my parents. My family is very important to me and without their support and guidance i would not be where i am now.

Tell us your thoughts on the A-League. Even though Miron did not use you often, did the experience playing in the Youth League with Sydney FC and then with Gold Coast United help you in getting a chance with Hadjuk Split?
Obviously my time at Sydney FC and Gold Coast United assisted in the development of my game.
I believe my time with the under 20s was also beneficial as it exposed me to international football and some of the best players in the world from my age group.

What is a usual week for you? Can you give us an insight into a week as a player for on and off the field for Hadjuk Split?
Training is either once or twice per day depending on match day. Times of training vary. After morning training we have a team lunch and if we have training in the evening we have dinner together.
Our training schedule can also vary between home games and away games. For the derby against Dinamo we went into camp on the island of Brac four days before the game even though it was a home game.

On other home games we go into a hotel on the day before the game and stay as a group until match day.
Usually we only have one day off during the week and i use this time to relax with friends and go to the beach which is walking distance from my apartment.
I have also had a lot of friends visit me from Oz this year and i have used my days off to meet up with them.

What kind of person are you? Describe yourself in a few words?
Ambitious, determined, loyal.

What are the main qualities you have as a footballer?
My fitness, willingness to learn and commitment to the game.

What part of your game are you always trying to improve on?
I am always trying to improve myself on all aspects of the game.

Canberra journalist Eamonn Flannagan would kill me if I don’t ask you about the effect that Canberra had on your footballing education. And what about an A-league team for Canberra - what do you think?
Without an A league team in Canberra there is no future for young players there.
I had to leave home at 17 to chase my football dream. It would have been so much easier if Canberra had a team.
My club Canberra Deakin had a massive influence on my football education. It exposed me to the technical aspects of the game from age 6. It is where i fell in love with the game and began dreaming of a life in professional football.

Canberra Deakin fully supported my move to Hajduk Split and were the first club to sign off on my transfer to Europe. I will never forget that.

Favourites
Position: Midfield
Player: Luka Modric
Team: Hajduk Split
Music: I like listening to Croatian Music.
Film: Green Street Hooligans

Sydney FC where for art thy Striker?

2011-10-20T10:31:00.002+11:00

According to a wise friend themes are up there in the Sky where the Gods live and issues are here on earth with us humans. And if you focus too much on the themes the Gods have a way of throwing you back to earth.

During the launch of Sydney FC’s 2011/12 season the club went all touchy feely by announcing that they had found five core values that would help unite Sydney FC and the football communityThey were: Courage, Inspire, Be Passionate, Excellence, and Family

For the sake of this blog and the rather tenuous angle I am going for let us say that values are the same as themes. They live in the sky.

Rather than seeking out values here are five core players that Sydney FC should have announced that would of and could have helped unite Sydney FC and the football community

A striker, a second striker, a fake number nine, a striker with goals in them, a striker who can pass into the net, and a left sided midfielder.

New Sydney FC CEO Dirk Melton should concentrate on getting a new striker and a left sided midfielder instead of trying getting his name in the media every second day. What is it with the cult of the CEO when it comes to A-League clubs anyway? Sometimes more focus is put on them rather than the players, coaches and fans. Seriously who gives a fuck about these people? Most of them are Sociopaths that speak in a language only a robot can understand. They use corporate speak to hide a vicious compassion free personality. And I’m pretty sure some of them are also Lizard people from space who devour on the flesh of humans and rely on high quality zipper face mask to hide their true identity.

So back to Sydney FC. What have they been doing for ten months, where for art thy Striker and left sided midfielder? The last time a left sided midfielder was at Sydney FC he has hanging at with Dwight Yorke. David Carney was his name. For those who like numbers since Carney left Sydney FC in 2007 he has played 52 club games in four years and for the Socceroos club he has played 39 times.

Remember the days when two strikers were on the pitch from the start of a game? They would pass to each other, flick on headers and ground passes, they would often cross for each other and give each other high fives even if they gave each other a bad pass.

This aversion to not wanting strikers is just not football, its anti football, its Mabo, it’s all about the vibe of not wanting to score goals.

Also all of a sudden Brett Emerton’s best position on the park is still unknown? Ten years in Europe playing as a right back, right midfielder or right winger and then he comes back to the A-League and all of a sudden no-one knows his best position?

But to put the gloss on Sydney FC issues is to take away from Brisbane Roar. I say Ange Postecoglou for the Socceroos!! He surely is the best coach in Australia by miles. He knows how to recruit has a great eye for talent and he is not scared of strikers.

Anyone know the core values of Brisbane Roar? Just look at the way they play, they value the ball, scoring goals and winning. They look to play on the earth while Sydney FC looks to the Sky. That is a theme for you right there.

Generation Next: Bernie Ibini -Isei

2011-10-19T11:19:00.004+11:00

Here is an interview I did with Central Coast Mariners Star Bernie Ibinie - Isei.

Last A-League season you were the top scorer for the Mariners inthe Youth League and then finished the season by playing in the Grand Final against Brisbane Roar. Tell us your thoughts on your performance. Did it surpass your expectation?

Bernie Ibini-Isei: Yeah last season was a great season for me and I certainly surpassed all expectations for the season. To have started off in the youth team and by the end of the season be coming on in the Grand Final it was a dream but certainly not what I was expecting at the start of the season.

Tell us about your football journey so far. How did you get to the Mariners?

Well I was at Blacktown City playing 20's and 1st grade there as well as at Westfield Sports High School with both of them having links with Mariners which helped a lot, where I joined Mariners youth team half way through the season 2 seasons ago and I have continued since then.

Tell us what went through your mind when during the Grand Final when late in the game you where through on goal and the referee blew the whistle before you had the chance to shoot?

To be honest not much I was just thinking about how I was going to finish the chance but then the referee blew the whistle and I was devastated, so there wasn't much I could do but get ready for extra time.

Mustafa Amini, Oliver Bozanic, Sam Gallagher, Mathew Ryan and Trent Sainsbury were also in that camp. It must be a comfortable feeling having your Mariners’ teammates with you?

It definitely helps having so many boys from Mariners there; it makes it a lot easier to fit in straight away.

The Mariners have really got an exciting group of youngsters at the club. What it like being part of the young Mariners crew?

Yeah as you can see throughout the past season he believes in youth which is really encouraging because u know if you work hard and perform you will get your chance, Graham Arnold has been great his brought a lot of professionalism to the club which has helped us young boys mature a lot more quicker.

Graham Arnold has a lot faith in youth what has been your impression of the former Socceroos coach?

It’s been great and it’s good to have so many young boys around, we definitely cop the stick off the older boys though.

Who was your junior team that you played for growing up and your most important influences in your football education?

Earlwood Wanderers, there has been a combination of coaches but the number one influences would have to be my parents they were always pushing me to strive for the best.

What do you hope to achieve in your football career?

I hope to have a long successful career and eventually play in one of the top leagues in Europe.

What was the best piece of advice a coach or anyone has given you?

Best advice was, not matter how tough the situation is you just got to keep working hard and it will happen for you at the right time.

Tell us about your experiences growing up in Australia how did you choose football? The AFL has been targeting African immigrants, did you ever think of playing the oval ball shaped sport?

Well I just started playing soccer at lunch times at primary school and loved it so just continued from there really, no never but I did do athletics when I was younger though and loved basketball.

A League Season Seven Preview

2011-10-07T09:54:00.006+11:00

So what are you looking forward to the most this lucky season seven of the A-League? Is it the Sydney VS Melbourne rivalry? The Harry Kewell circus has arrived. Will it be goals, assist or groin injuries that take centre stage? If you are Branko Culina and Jason Culina you are probably chinking your glasses together and saying cheers to the payout!

So here is my preview of Season Seven featuring the teams and what I think will be the season biggest events.

Sydney FC

Can you name Sydney FC’s imports? I can’t and of course you can’t because you and I have never heard of them. Is Russian Owner of Sydney FC David Traktovenko really worth 500 million? Does he sit around in Gentlemen clubs talking to his millionaire buddies about Hirofumi Moriyasu and Juho Makela?

Yes yes Brett Emerton is here and it’s great to see him back and I can’t wait to see the combination play the former Blackburn star and Nick Carle, Terry Antonis and Nick Petratos can muster up. But seriously Bruno Cazarine and Juno Makhela are not names that should strike fear or bring any familiarity to your casual football connoisseur.

Stama’s prediction. Carle and Emerton will shine or both will get injured and coach gets sacked. Zeljko Kalac and Steve Corica then get put in charge and win the comp with late surge.

Newcastle Jets when Nepotism goes bad.

Well screw all the positive Hype about being the best season ever. The Newcastle Jets stole every A-League teams thunder by sacking the coach and their best player. Boo farken who. Branko gets a handsome payout and so does son Jason. Nathan Tinkler showed his ruthless side. How very European football of you, sacking the coach and best player even before the first game!. Now show how European football you are and spend some of that mining cash you stingy Novocastrian.

Predictions: Well who the hell knows what will happen now? WTF time for the Jets. Jobe Wheelhouse as captain, Branko and Jason gone and where is Ljubo the lip in all of this?

Gold Coast United

Do we still have to endure the soon to be Fold Coast United and Miron Bleiberg speak for another season? Again the same question I ask to Mr Traktavenko of Sydney FC I ask to you Mr Clive Palmer of Coal Coast United. Are you really worth 3 billion? Palmer also has showed he has a ruthless side by signing and then sacking NSWPL star Mat Smith in one foul swoop.

Prediction. More boring talk about crowds and 2 2 2 2 2 formations galore

Wellington Phoenix: rising from the ashes and falling into receivership. almost

Every season Wellington Phoenix’s future is under attack. If it’s not the Asian Football Confederation threatening their playing future or Terry Serepisos’s dodgy cash flow the Nix just can’t seem to settle.

Seripisos famously thought of the idea of the Phoenix while getting a haircut. I wonder what he was doing when he was told that he had to give up the club. Perfect Symmetry would say he was getting a haircut but life’s true Symmetry would suggest he was probably on the toilet checking his I Phone messages when he found out.

Prediction: No finals

Adelaide United- Ex Overseas Socceroo Club.

Space Dilveski, had it, lost it. So too did Dario Vidosic. Bruce Djite also had then it lost it. John McCain had it but didn’t lose much. What am I talking about? Their overseas football careers of course. As a Sydney boy The Pissants squad is making me very jealous. The Reds probably have the most attacking squads along with Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory.

Prediction: First.

Brisbane Roar

Now Brisbane have also had it and somewhere down the line lost it after last season’s grand final win. But the IT I‘m talking about is their GF wining squad. Their best players have left. Is Brisbane such a bad place to live? Well I have been and the answer is yes yes it is.

Expect to see comparisons to Inter Milan because of the international flavour of their team. The team has imports from world football powerhouses of Bahrain and Canada. To replace Kostas Barbarouses and Jean Carlos Solórzano. My first instinct is to ridicule but hey its Bahrain and Canada

Prediction: Second season syndrome is real.

Central Coast Mariners

Probably have the best youth in the league. Mustafa Amini , Bernie Ibini Isei, Oliver Bozanic, are all exciting players to watch. Have taken a softly softly approach so I don’t have that much to ridicule.

Prediction: Finals

Perth Glory

Remember the NSL? That was fun wasn’t it Perth?

Prediction: Ian Ferguson, sorry Perth.

Melbourne Heart

The derbies will be great but I just can’t warm to a team that has more Westpac employees as members than actual football fans. David Williams and Fred alongside Jean Carlos Solórzano will be tough for most A-League defences.

Prediction: Finals

Melbourne Victory.

Melbourne Victory will have a great season and it pains me to say it. They have made the signing of the Universe with Harry Harry Kewell. What are the odds a no name Kreas pops up (meathead in Greek) and ruins it for everyone.

Prediction: Yeah the Tards might win.

The big Seven in Season 7

Harry Kewell vs. Australian Media

Take your pick. If it’s not Fairfax journo’s Michael Cockerill or Papou Lynch shitting and pissing on Harry’s parade be sure that Ray Gatt will be in there somewhere “reporting” on what a little C our Harry can be at times, As I have reported earlier its only Analysing or Cheerleading when it comes to our Harry.

2)
Harry Kewell VS Robbie Slater

For two men who struggle to speak at the best of times watching these two Socceroo legends thrash handbags at each other on Fox Sports was mesmerising. Seeing Robbie involved with the promo of Harry on Fox Sports just cracks me up. The hypocrisy must be eating him up. But he’s passed it. He’s a circus!!! Shut up and read your lines Robbie!

3) \

Harry Kewell vs. Harry Kewell’s groin

Harry Kewell’s Groin watch was probably the biggest event at last year’s World Cup for most Australians. When Harry’s groin makes its debut popping noise at some point during the A-League it will crush a nation just as it did when they saw Harry walking on crutches against Italy at the 2006 World Cup. C’mon Harry you can beat your groin!

Harry Kewell vs. Graham Arnold’s poison

You just want to be a fly in the wall somewhere when Harry Kewell talks about Graham Arnold to his close mates and when Graham Arnold talks about Harry Kewell to his close mates. What they would say oh what they would say.

Harry Kewell vs. Football Federation Australia

One of the benefits of being an English colony is that English common law and the adversarial system is part of our legal framework. There is no anarchy like the Greeks here. But there is a nanny state at play. Words like bureaucracy, red tape, policy and procedure, best practice and health and safety are permeating into our daily lives. So when Harry wants to sign with Ford or with any sponsor he should tell the FFA to quietly F off. A quote I heard from Chris Tsiolkas Author of the slap that should be taken as warning to the FFA bean counters. Never spit on your fortune.

Harry Kewell vs. Harry Kewell at Leeds and Liverpool

The only competition you have is with yourself and your own potential. Harry will never ever be able to compete with the Harry Kewell at Leeds or the fit Harry Kewell at Liverpool. But Harry Kewell’s 45 minute cameo against Adelaide United showed everyone what a talent and special player he is.

Harry Kewell VS Brett Emerton

Oh yeah let us not forget the football. The battle between these two will ultimately be the highlight of all the match ups. It’s Sydney vs. Melbourne. The Convict Inspired Sydney Town with no care for any town planning or the Banker inspired Melbourne Town with its neatly planned grid pattern. Sure Harry is the biggest name and has the Hollywood looks but Brett is the nice guy a bloke you could have a beer with.

Being a Sydney boy hopefully the nice guy doesn’t finish last.

So what are your predictions and special moments going to be for you this Season Seven?

Aussies Abroad: Month in Review - September 2011

2011-10-04T21:53:00.001+11:00

Compiled by Damian Davies.

Plenty of club level action for our Aussies across the globe with many appearances during the month, particularly in youth teams around Europe. Various national level games with the Socceroos, Joeys, Olyroos and Matildas all playing during September. A sprinkling of transfers, with yet more players returning for the new HAL season.

Club Level:-

Premier League
Vince Grella made his return for Blackburn, but they are staring down the barrel of a long season. Chris Herd features in the game day squad for Villa on a regular basis but hasn’t seen any game time after his impressive season debut in August. Despite stringing together three recent draws,

Starting with action in Europe, in particular to England where the Aussies playing in the EPL are not travelling that well. Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer were the only regulars over the past month, however both their club sides are sitting in the bottom half of the table.

Championship

Middlesbrough remain in the automatic promotion places in the Championship early in the season. Rhys Williams has continued his impressive season while Scott McDonald returned strongly after an early month hamstring injury. Kisnorbo, Jedinak and Federici are all mid table but all starting to hit form. Ryan Williams (17) continues to get some minutes for Portsmouth while Neil Kilkenny’s Bristol City are struggling, having not won since mid August.

The Australian presence in League One is highlighted by James Wesolowski and Alex Cisak at Oldham athletic. Two recent losses have seen them drop back to the lower half of the table. Worth noting that Kyle Nix’s Gateshead are currently top of the table at Conference level.

Up in Scotland, not much Aussie action with McKay and Mooy missing through injury and Ryan McGowan getting limited game time in September. However Rangers have already managed to get a big 10 point lead over Celtic. Defender Beau Busch seems to have cemented his place at Arbroath, who now lead Second Division in Scotland.

In Scandinavia, great to see Nathan Coe getting so many starts in Denmark, along with youngster Brent McGrath. Their team results have been a little up and down, but still plenty of games to go to get into the European places. Ante Covic had a month dominated by trips to the pine, but with Elfsborg still in second, all is not too bad for the 36 year old. Luke Wilkshire has continued his great season with Dinamo Moscow, now three points over the lead in Russia.

Moving back across continental Europe, in Croatia, both Ljubo Milicevic and Steven Lustica appear most weeks for Hajduk Split. They are currently second on the table, but a gap of seven points now exists to powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb. Young Tomi Juric didn’t see much game time this month as Lokomotiva failed to earn a point.

Danny Invincibile now finds himself in the starting line-up at Ermis (Cyprus), but not the greatest start to the campaign with only one point in their first five fixtures. In the Czech Republic, Mlada Boleslav (Kerem Bulut) dropped off a little during the month and now sit sixth on the table.

Sydney born Aleksander Jovanovic has debuted at Serbian club, Hajduk Kula and James Troisi has been in and out of the starting eleven at the slow starting Kayerispor in Turkey. In Germany, no starts this month for either Leckie, Rukavytsya or Langerak. Robbie Kruse did manage to start during September in the second tier at Fortuna Dusseldorf. He is yet to break his scoring duck but the team are travelling well sitting two points off the lead with a game in hand.

Moving to Italy where many of the Aussies are now in the lower leagues. The exception being Carl Valeri who’s club, Sassuolo, currently sit fourth with Carl playing a significant role. Exciting to note two young Aussies making their way in the Italian fourth division (Lega Pro 2), with both Francesco Stella (20) and Christian Esposito (21) regular starters for their respective teams.

The Netherlands is a promising destination for Aussies this European season with Brett Holman continuing his great form at league leading AZ. Great to see Tommy Oar starting to have an impact at Utrecht, where Michael Zullo and Adam Sarota are also appearing frequently. Rounding out European coverage, yet another Aussie keeper is making headlines with Caleb Patterson-Sewell leading Atletico Clube Portugal to the top of the second division table in Liga de Honra. To date, he has kept four clean sheets in the first six games of the season.

Asia

Across to Asia, where several leagues are reaching the end of the season. In the J.League, Josh Kennedy remains one clear in the race for the Golden Boot despite only scoring once in September. His club side, Nagoya Grampus remain in third after a patchy run of late. After scoring for the Socceroos against Thailand, Alex Brosque has maintained his scoring form in Japan, having scored three times over the past few weeks. Eddy Bosnar also featuring as Shimuzu S-Pulse slowly climb the table. In the second tier in Japan, Jade North’s Tokyo lead the league, but Jade can’t take any credit though given he has played a total of 70 minutes for the season despite being available. The opposite scenario for Mark Milligan (nearly 2000 minutes this campaign) as JEF try to gain automatic promotion back to the J.League.

In China, another month to go, however Joel Griffiths’ Beijing Guoan look to be too far behind Guangzhou to claim the title. Joel had a reasonable goal scoring month but currently sits five behind the leader of the Golden Boot. At the other end of the table, Chengdu Blades (Salley and Santalab) will need a few points if they are to avoid relegation. Our Aussies in Singapore are seeing starts in every fixture with Goran Subara (Singapore Armed Forces) currently sitting fourth while Mark McGough’s Balestier Khalsa sit near the bottom of the table. A quick mention to a player abroad known to many fans in Australia. “Aussie” Aleksander Duric remains second in the race for the Golden Boot in Singapore at the age of 41. Not bad for a guy that made his international debut at the age of 37 and has scored 18 goals in 37 appearances.

Lucas Neill has started his club career at Al Jazira (U.A.E.) with a few cup appearances while Richard Porta sits two behind the leaders in the race for the Golden Boot in Uruguay.

Would be remiss of me not to mention the problems in two leagues that are impacting numerous Aussies Abroad. Several clubs from the Super League in Greece have been relegated for match fixing, whereas the association in Indonesia are struggling to launch a league for the new season. Worth watching further developments in the coming weeks.

Injuries:- A few guys made comebacks during September – Grella and Chipperfield. However longer term injuries continue to rule out Garcia (knee), Ireland (thigh), Tombides (cancer treatment), Mooy (back), Gulum (knee) and Ucchino (glandular fever).

Club Competitions:-

Europe

(UEFA Champions League) Limited Aussies making appearances with Mitchell Langerak have two games on the pine for Dortmund. Scott Chipperfield got a few minutes off the bench in the glamour tie with Manchester United.

(UEFA Europa League) Only Brett Holman (AZ) and Mark Schwarzer (Fulham) remain in this competition with both getting starts during September. James Holland was an unused substitute in the most recent tie for AZ..

Asia

(AFC Champions League) No Aussies remain.

(AFC Cup) No Aussies remain.

North America

(CONCACAF) No Aussie appearances

Youth:- Updates from the “NextGen Series”, the youth level Champions League, were all about Brad Smith who made four appearances during the month for Liverpool. Massimo Luongo appeared in a Tottenham fixture and Reece Caira (Aston Villa) was an unused substitute. Cameron Edwards (Reading), Jamie MacLaren (Blackburn) and Marc Warren (Sheffield United) are all regulars at the reserves level. An astounding number of Aussie keepers at youth level, with Liam Jacob (Manchester United), Alex Baird (Newcastle) and Dean Gardikiotis (Blackpool) all starting in their respective youth teams.

National level :- After a narrow escape in the warm up game with Thailand, the Socceroos turned out against Saudi Arabia back in early September for a WC qualifier. A pleasing 3-1 win with Josh Kennedy netting a brace. The Olyroos played an uninspiring 0-0 with U.A.E. using an Australia based squad. The Matildas were knocked out of the World Cup and the Joeys put in some smashing performances in Asia.

Transfers :- Fairly limited movement this month. A few Aussies headed to Hong Kong for the start of the new season there. The trend of players returning to the HAL seems to be continuing however still a few uncontracted players in the market – not forgetting Carney, Bouzanis and Madaschi are still looking for homes.

Additions/changes to database: -

Julius Doe Davies (4 Sep 1994) – transferred to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany

Karl Dodd (13 Nov 1980) – transferred to TSW Pegasus, Hong Kong

Christian Esposito (23 Jul 1990) – loaned to FC Catanzaro, Italy

Aleksander Jovanovic (4 Aug 1989) – transferred to FK Hajduk Kula, Serbia

Dane Milovanovic (2 Dec 1989) – transferred to Sun Hei SC, Hong Kong

Robert Stambolziev (26 Oct 1990) – transferred to AO Proodeftiki Nikea, Greece

Jonathan Stynes (1 Apr 1993) – transferred to Kilmarnock, Scotland

Nenad Vekic (14 Apr 1990) – transferred to Tuen Mun SA, Hong Kong

Removed from database:-

Matthew Fletcher (1 Jun 1992) – released by Sunderland, uncontracted

Ryan Gazet du Chattelier (17 Feb 1991) – released by Stuttgart Kickers II, uncontracted

Daniel Georgievski ( 17 Feb 1988) – appeared for senior Macedonian football team

Andrija Jukic (3 Jan 1987) – released by Bogor Raya, uncontracted

George Lambadaridis (23 Apr 1992) – transferred to Brisbane Roar

Billy Quinncroft (25 Dec 1991) - by Bogor Raya, uncontracted

David Scarsella (2 Oct 1982) – released by Guiseley, uncontracted

Milan Susak (29 Jan 1984) – transferred to Adelaide United

Generation Who? Josip Konyit Q and A

2011-09-27T13:26:00.004+10:00

In the second of our Generation Who series, I chat to young Australian Josip Konyit, currently plying his trade with Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. First published @ GGArmy Sep 14 Link

GGA: Hi Josip, can you give us a brief synopsis of the previous season? How many games did you play, how did the side go?

JK: It was a good season, I'm really happy with my dedication off and on the pitch which has resulted in many great opportunities. The first half of the season I rarely played however in the second half of the season I've really improved, becoming more consistent and playing solidly.

I’ve been playing in more of a full back role and at times stopper. I had a slight injury at the start of the winter break with minor ligament damage to my left ankle, however, I recovered really quickly thanks to the medical staff at the club.

I've been really fortunate as many opportunities have been presented, such as interest from a few Bundesliga clubs, and also to attend the Australian football camp held in Germany. That was not only a great honour but also a privilege to represent the country and I'm hoping to hear from the FFA in the future.

Most of the Australian football public first saw your name in the squad for the Australian national team’s training camp that was held in Duisburg, Germany at the beginning of this year. Was that the first time anyone from the FFA has been in contact and what where your impressions of your team mates and the coaching staff?

Yeah that was the first time the FFA were in contact with me and it was not only surprising but also overwhelming. The boys in the squad were fantastic, a great bunch of lads, everyone was really supportive and it was a great atmosphere on and off the pitch.The coaching staff were also unbelievable, really supportive, positive and personally provided me with great advice.

Can you give us some background on yourself? How did you get to Dinamo Zagreb? It must have been a dream come true when you first signed having a Croatian background?

I’m from Melbourne's western suburbs and starting playing football for St Albans Saints Dinamo at the age of 7, then I left St Albans for Melbourne Knights FC from the ages of the 13-15. From there I made the Victorian under 15's state team, moved to Altona Magic Seniors and then transferred to Melbourne Knights seniors.

I was loaned out from Melbourne Knights to Diamond Valley Seniors which assisted in my transition as a senior footballer. The journey was really surprising to Dinamo Zagreb, I attended the Dinamo Academy held in Melbourne and they were interested and invited to Croatia. In Zagreb I attended a tournament on the Croatian coast, performed well and I’ve been here since 2009.

Dinamo Zagreb was my childhood club, which my Grandfather and Uncle had a major influence over. It sure was a dream come to, there's no words to explain the passion I have for the club.

Who have been the most important influences in your football education?

Both my Mother and Father, who were very supportive even till this day and I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for them. Also my Dida who inspired me and my Ujo who has helped me with life on and off the pitch. Also a major influence was and still is Arthur Papas who has been not only a great role model but guided me, educated me, assistedwith my football career.

Looking at the Dinamo Zagreb youth squad, you are the only Aussie in the squad. How did you get used to the professorial environment in Croatia and what were the differences between what you faced in Australia?

Adapting to the lifestyle was very enjoyable; Croatia is a very cultured nation who pride themselves on respect and the respect of others, and this is also shown on the pitch. Physically playing at an Australian level was a lot more demanding, however, football in Croatia is technically advanced as well as tactically.

What do you hope to achieve in your football career?

I would love to the play at the highest level in Italy, or in the German Bundesliga. Also becoming a regular member of the Australian National team. Furthermore I would love to finish my career playing for Dinamo Zagreb.

There are a lot of young players like yourself that are going straight to Europe and bypassing the A-League. Can you tell us if any A-League teams approached you?

I was approached by Melbourne Heart a year ago. The team looked very exciting with the likes of Josip Skoko and Michael Beauchamp.

What are your thoughts on the A-League?

I really haven’t watched many games however it seems to be growing stronger and stronger which is really exciting and hopefully it provides many young Australian footballers with as many opportunities as possible

What conditions in Australia can be improved upon when it comes to coaching and training young players in Australia?

I believe technical and tactical development should be trained at a young level, assisting players in their understanding of the game and improving their confidence on the ball.

Players like Mathew Spiranovic have been courted by the Croatian FA to play for them in the past. Have you been approached?

I have had talks with a national selector but nothing solid. I am very proud of my Croatian heritage, however I am not only proud to represent Australia but honoured to represent the country where I was brought up in which also gave my family many great opportunities.

How to fake it as an A-League supporter

2011-08-31T18:46:00.000+10:00

Originally posted a the GGArmy website link

Now that you have heard the news that Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton have signed for Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC you probably just remembered that Australia has a local competition called the A -League. You remember the A-League? Don’t you?

Remember you went to see Dwight Yorke in Season One? Remember the football community all joining together as one where all football religious beliefs were put aside for one harmonious night?

Side by side Euro snobs in Man United Jerseys sat next to local sycophants dressed in Sydney Olympic Jerseys.

Remember as you walked to the SFS to the first ever A-League game asking your friend “Is Dwight Yorke the one that went out with the English model Jordan and wasn’t he also involved in a naughty video with a former Socceroo?”

So now that your short term interest in football has piqued again here is a guide I call ‘How to fake it as an A-League supporter’.

My previous Australian supporter guide ‘How to fake it as a Socceroo Supporter’ helped hundreds if not two or three would be football fans. So If Rebecca Wilson can fake it, so can you!

Who are The Players?
Harry Kewell used to play for Liverpool. Brett Emerton used to play against Liverpool. Yes that’s right Liverpool. Got your ticket yet?

Should I join a supporters group?
If want to see Harry Kewell be wary of the Melbourne Victory protest movement. Victory fans like to do a lot of protesting. So some games you could be involved in a silent protest, a banner protest or my favourite: the turning you’re back on the game protest. They don’t have the nickname “tards” for nothing.

What Clothing Should I wear?
Sarcasm alert! You should wear Premier League club colours — there is nothing cooler than wearing a Manchester United jersey at an A-League game.

After deciding not to wear you ironic Che Guevara t-shirt, you decided to shit all over the A-League with your colonial inspired soccer shirt.

Bandanas? Keep them at home hipsters. Actually hipsters should stay at home period. Gen-Y should probably skip football altogether. There are periods where there is not much happening. Modern football is mired in midfield mediocrity and now and again someone might shoot but that is because they smoked pot and forgot the coach’s instruction to keep shape and pass it only left or right. The pace of the game will fuck up you’re A-D-D wiring, but you probably have your iPhone to play with when you get bored so actually you might be okay after all. But just leave the bandanas at home.

What do I chant?
Now that Kevin Muscat has retired you are probably thinking the "fuck off Muscat" chant will be consigned to the chant bin. But buck up little camper, Musky is still going to on the bench as assistant coach.

If you are Sydney fan it will be a real treat to use the “what a waste of money” on an opposition player for once.

And what about booing? Yes that joy that only an overweight and uncoordinated member of the public can get for booing a professional athlete who has played the game since they were two years old.

Who Should I blame if my team loses?
Blame Rebecca Wilson? Maybe, but the more obvious target is the referee... hang on… make that the coach. Usually your team will lose because the striker missed a bunch of chances or the defender fell over at the wrong time. An actual goal scored by teamwork or individual flair is rare, so if your team loses because of the others team’s skill, you are obliged to ignore this and again go for the referee or the coach — either is acceptable. Note: Never admit the other team was better than yours.

What about the Coaches?
The best teams do not need coaches to win, while the poorer teams need coaches to stop the best teams winning. This is modern football, but the most important decision a coach can make is what they will wear.

If the coach wears a suit he is a tactician with very complex ideas about moving one player a little bit upfront and one player a little bit behind. Most tacticians don’t really like football at all. They don’t really like footballers and they hate the fans even more.

What they love seeing is a plan in action. They would rather the game be won through their coaching acumen than players individual skill and passion.

The other kind of coach is the one in the tracksuit. He is a motivator rather than a tactician. At half time he will give players the hair dryer treatment, a kick up the back side and then he will say things like “you can do it” or when you get in front goal “shoot farken”!

Football Jargon
Be careful if you are a new fan. A level of faux sophistication has entered the game. Words and phrases like tactics, inverted wingers, fake number nine's and holding midfielders have infected the football discourse and it can be confusing.

Here are two of my favourite football words:

Striker: Used to be a really important part of the team. Often teams used to have two, sometimes even three strikers on the pitch at the same time. Today the striker is becoming extinct. More than half the world’s strikers have disappeared off the planet only to be replaced by a holding midfielder.

Wall: The only real job in football is the wall. You will always hear a commentator say that “the wall did its job”.

So there you have it the complete guide to How to fake it as an A-League supporter. Bring on Season 7!

Generation Who? Hungary for Success

2011-08-18T09:11:00.000+10:00

first published @ GGArmy website

Over the following months, ggarmy.com will sit down with a number of young Australians plying their trade both in the A-League and abroad, filling you in on the next generation of Socceroo stars. First up we speak to Sasa Macura, an Australian currently cutting his teeth in Hungary

Australia’s next group of young footballers have been given the glamorous title of Generation Next. Players like Mathew Leckie, Ben Kantarovski and Tommy Oar are all well known in the Australian football community. Take a look at the latest Aussies Abroad data base though and you will notice that 59 of the 170 players plying their trade overseas are under 20 years of age. Many of them have moved overseas without ever playing in the A-League. I like to call this group of players Generation Who?

One player on the list is Sasa Macura, playing in Hungary for MTK Budapest II in the B II East division.

I was curious not just about Macura, but also the other names on the list I’ve never heard of. Why are all these young boys overseas? Are they any chance of playing first team football? Does the FFA know they exist, and lastly why play in the Hungarian second division over the A-League? Was Pim right? Is training in Europe better… (you know the line)?

Well I was wrong about the second division. When I asked Macura to give me a synopsis of his year so far I learned that the 19 year old defensive midfielder, born in Knin, Croatia, and who had attended Narrabeen Sports High School, was actually signed as a first team player.

“I came to MTK Budapest at the end of pre-season in August. I was signed as a first team player and I am on the roster for the first team and I was training with them. However because of my age I need to be playing, and it’s great because MTK have a youth squad that play in the Hungarian second division,” explained Macura.

“The team mainly consists of very young players. In the second division we are currently fifth, and have only lost four games this season. I have played in every game and I have scored one goal. “

MTK Budapest has a great history in Hungarian football. It last won the league in 2008 and finished sixth in the last campaign. Márton Bukovi is one of the club’s most famous names, and along with Béla Guttmann and Gusztáv Sebes, was part of a group of three Hungarian coaches who pioneered the 4-2-4 formation. It was later adopted by national coach Sebes, himself a former MTK player.

It was this system that Bukovi, together with Péter Palotás and Nándor Hidegkuti, used to pioneer the crucial deep lying centre-forward position.

During the early 1950s these MTK players helped Hungary become Olympic Champions in 1952, Central European Champions in 1953, defeat England twice and reach the 1954 World Cup final.

A number of young Australian players have made their breakthrough in the first team for their European clubs this season and Macura was one of them.

“For the first team I have started and played in the League Cup, also in the Hungarian Cup I came on as a substitute, and started a game in the quarter finals. I have been on the bench many times for the first team in league games.”

“Also In January, I went with the team to Antalya, Turkey for the winter pre-season, and played against Slovakian FC Senica, Russian FC Rostov and Serbian Fk Jagodina which was an amazing experience.”

So how does one make the journey from Narabeen to Budapest? Macura filled us in.

“I attended Narrabeen Sports High School, and completed my HSC in 2009. I started off playing locally with Dee Why Swans F.C and then moved to NSW representative clubs Northern Tigers and Apia Leichardt Tigers. My last club [in Australia] was Bonnyrigg White Eagles.

“I was offered a trial by Miodrag Pantelic, the Sporting Director of Serbia's Super League team Vojvodina Novi Sad. Vojvodina offered me a contract, however, at the same time, through my manager I was offered an opportunity with Hungarian side MTK Budapest. Being 18 years old, I saw this club as a perfect start to my career because they focus on young players, and have also produced a number of great players who are playing in top European clubs.”

In March earlier this year there was a training camp held in Duisburg, Germany for the young Australians playing overseas. I asked Macura if he was approached by anyone at the FFA?

“Unfortunately I was not approached by the FFA, it would have been a great experience to be at the training camp however it’s their choice and I respect that. Being eligible to represent Serbia, Croatia or Australia, I would have liked to be part of the Young Socceroos.”

A lot of the kids from Balkans cite their father as their biggest influence and Macura is no different.

“To this day it’s my dad. He played football during his time and taught me from a young age. Apart from that, during my time at Northern Tigers I was greatly influenced by two great coaches, Anton Ivancic and David O'Keefe. Both of whom have a great deal of knowledge and passion for football.”

Getting used to the professorial environment in Europe can be tough, especially compared to the level of football found in Australia. Macura discussed this idea with ggarmy.com, and his answer demonstrates his dedication to the sport.

“For me, it was always about football and I was and still am willing to give everything for it, so it wasn’t hard to get used to the routines of everyday football. I love the professional feeling at the club and how they go about the daily routines from eating correctly to making sure you are getting enough sleep to complete each training at a maximum. I guess a difference from Australia would be the great deal of discipline and commitment to training.”

A number of players, like Macura, are going straight to Europe and bypassing the A-League. The young Australian notes that he was not approached by a top flight club in the country, but does see that route as a possible option.

“I was fortunate enough to be offered a trial in Europe and I told myself that if it didn’t work out I would pursue an A-League contract. My motivation for staying in Europe is to one day play in the Champions League or Europa League, which I believe will have a great impact on young players leaving Australia. I was not approached by any A-League clubs, however I was told if I stayed playing in the New South Wales Premier League I had a great chance to join an A-League club. But instead I moved abroad.

“I think the A-League is improving every year, it’s attracting some well-known players, and it’s played in world class stadiums. The standard of play can even match the European leagues.”

When asked about his impressions of football in Hungary, the young midfielder gave a positive response.

“Football in Hungary is mainly technical, the ball is played on the ground and the teams look for a passing game; the playing level can match to other European leagues without difficulty. The top clubs in Hungary have a great fan base with some die hard supporters, the local Budapest derby between Ferencvaros and Ujpest attracts a lot of attention, sometime for the wrong reasons, but the passion for football is very high among the Hungarians.”

Hungarian football seems to be on the rise with their youth teams getting some excellent results. And according to Macura, that was one of the reasons he moved there.

“Hungary wants to push for the European and world stage and has started off focusing on establishing young players. Although not being Hungarian, I see this as a perfect opportunity to be part of their goal and improve my football as much as possible, and it’s the reason I came here to pursue my dream and my passion.”

Wanting to get an idea of a week in a life of professional football player in Europe I asked Macura for an insight into life as a youth team player for MTK Budapest, both on and off the pitch.

“As a youth player at MTK, I train with the first team. Training is every day and time varies depending on what the coach wants to do. Sundays are mostly free depending on if the games are played on the day. Off the field, I relax at home, Skype with family and friends and explore the city from time to time, which is beautiful. I’m also doing my best to learn the language which I have to say is hard, however I’m doing my best to learn it.”

GGArmy.com finishes the interview with Macura by asking him for the best piece of advice he has ever received from a coach.

“To leave it all on the field. Be yourself and believe in yourself!”

There is a large number of young Australian footballers playing in teams you have probably never heard of, living in far off cities. The question for these players is, are you part of Generation Next or Generation Who? Only time will tell, but after making the first team in his first season in Europe, GGArmy.com has the feeling Macura belongs to the former..

Tommy Oar Young Socceroos Interview

2011-08-08T14:49:00.002+10:00

Here is the unedited extended version of the interview i did with Tommy Oar. Here is a link to the GGArmy website where it is edited.

1) Congrats on making the Young Socceroos squad. First of how dare the excitement levels and do you now owe your club FC Utrecht a big favour as they must have wanted you to stay?

Thank you. It is very excitement to be heading to another world cup! Last time in Egypt the results didn't obviously go the way we planned, but if you look at how far everybody has progressed in the last 2 years, and the players that our current team has, I really think we can surprise a lot of people this tournament. As for FC Utrecht, the club agreed with the Young Socceroos staff months ago that I would be going to this tournament. My first goal is to help Australia do as well as possible at the world cup and then return to FC Utrecht and take things from there.

2 2) During your time in the A League the spotlight was on you people were saying things like the next Harry Kewell how did handle that pressure and expectations at such a young age?

You can't take notice of what people are labelling you because you can easily get carried away, and things can also turn around very quickly. I didn't take any notice of that I just try to concentrate on my own game. Although it is flattering to hear these sorts of comparisons, I never took them too seriously as they weren't coming from my coaches, or the people whose opinion really mattered to me at the time.

3) The last couple of steps you have taken have been quite large going from A- league to Socceroos to now playing In Europe .How did you manage each step up?

Everything has happened extremely quickly for me since the last U-20 World Cup in Egypt, I was fortunate to be given the opportunities to get me into the position I am now. I think no matter which level you are playing, the basic principles stay the same. You just have to worry about your own game and the reasons why you got their in the first place.

4)
W 4) What can you tell us about playing for FC Utrecht?

I think FC Utrecht is a fantastic club, and the perfect place to develop. The Dutch League is quite technical and the training sessions are very technical based. The fans are really great and It's a very optimistic club in terms of what they achieve, as they showed last season in the Europa League. I have really enjoyed my time so far at FC Utrecht.

5) Have you had time to reflect about your first season in Europe? Playing against Liverpool and getting a taste of first team action must be making you thirst for more?

My first season at FC Utrecht was a really big learning curve for me. I was lucky enough to get game time against Liverpool, PSV, Twente and also Celtic. I think playing against teams of this calibre taught me a lot about the areas of my game which need improving and also was just a fantastic experience in general. I think I am much better prepared for this year after these sorts of experiences. Hopefully after returning from the World Cup in Colombia I can break into the first 11.

6) 6) Having your Brisbane Roar teammates what can you say has been the most positive and most negative aspect of having a bit of Brisvegas with you in Holland?

Although fairly unique, I think it was a great thing for all of us to have each other move to the same club at the same time. Half the battle in European Football is moving to a new continent away from your family and friends, and to have some familiar faces and friends around all the time is a massive help.

7) 7) Which teammates have impressed you the most and which opponents have caught your eye?

Dries Mertens, a player who recently left FC Utrecht for PSV Eindhoven was fantastic. He is also a Left Winger, although he plays pretty differently to I do, and I think I learnt a lot from his style of play.

8) 8) How do the FC Utrecht fans treat you? Can you walk down the street or do they leave you alone?

The fans have always been extremely supportive to us three on the field and on the training ground. Utrecht is quite a large city, so off the field I doubt many people know who we are.

9) A lot of Aussie young players talk about the training regime being tougher in Europe. Can you give us an insight into a week at FC Utrecht?

Last year we were involved in three competitions, the League, the Cup and the Europa League. If you compare this to Australia where it is only the League it is a much more intense schedule. The training load I have found is not too dissimilar, but I think that you literally play twice as many games as in Australia (throw in International commitments aswell) so it is much more physically and mentally demanding.

10) Have Kerem Bulut and Bernie Ibinie given you ideas about where they like their crosses? It seems a pretty imposing strike force?

I have been to a few tournaments with Kerem Bulut now and he has a fantastic eye for goal. On top of this, he is strong, quick, and aggressive which are all traits which go a long way. I have not seen as much of Bernie Ibinie, although from what I've heard he has impressed a lot of people and is a handful for any defender. I think they will both, along with Sunderland striker Matthew Fletcher, be great assets in Colombia for our team.

11) Plenty of attention will be on this tournament what do you hope to get out of it?

I think our first goal should be to qualify for the second round. I think it is silly however to concentrate on this, and we should just take each game as it comes. Our first game against Ecuador will set the tone for the tournament and is a crucial game for our team in order to progress to the next round. After being at the last world cup and seeing the standard, I think we definitely have the team that can surprise a lot of people.

12 ) You are playing teams like Spain, Ecuador and Costa Rica what are the team’s chances of getting out of the group?

Spain's credentials obviously speak for themselves. However I think the strength of our team is the harmony within the group, which showed during the qualifiers and was a key reason behind our success. This counts for alot, particularly in tournaments like this and I think everyone will be up for the challenge of playing such a high calibre team. After playing Costa Rica at the last world cup, I think we can expect a mobile, attacking minded team, and we will have to be at our best to get the right result against them.
As for Ecuador, they are quite an unknown quantity, particularly at altitude. We have had some experience against South American opposition over the last few years and I think this will be valuable for us going into our first game of the tournament.

13) How are you away from football? What kind of things do you get up to? Has Utrecht got a decent night life?

Utrecht is a uni-city with an extremely young population. It has many bars, restaurants and is very lively during the warmer months. It also is only 20 minutes from Amsterdam. I am quite a music fanatic, so I spend a lot of time going to gigs in Amsterdam or in Utrecht. Besides that I enjoy playing the guitar, playing FIFA with my friends, going out for dinner. . . just the usual things really.

14) Favourite team and player?

Growing up, my brothers always used to support Leeds United because of the heavy Australian influence. I guess with that, naturally, my favourite players were always Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell.

15 )I have always been fascinated with how athletes stay on the path? With many distractions in this modern world how did you focus on football when others where partying and doing other things?

I think what it always comes down to is the realisation that there is only a certain number of years in your life where you can play football, It is a very short career. Once you have finished up there is plenty of time to catch up on doing all the things you missed out on Having said that I think everyone needs a balance to there life. You can't just lock yourself away and only play football. It's healthy to have other things in your life as well.

16) Major influences in your football career.

The biggest influences in my career have for sure been my family. They have always helped me in any way they can to make life easier for me and hence help me on the field.

Judging the Joeys, a tough task

2011-07-07T12:30:00.001+10:00

First published at GGArmy website 6th of July

Ouch! Two red cards and a four-nil loss to Uzbekistan at the Under 17 World Cup in Mexico sent the Aussies crashing out of the Round of 16. It’s been a week now… but ouch! Watching the Joeys fall apart was really tough to take.

A red card to wunderkind Dylan Tombides and two yellow cards to Teeboy Kamara and it all came crashing down. It’s really hard to sit here at my PC having a go at a group of kids aged between 15 and 17. After all they are just kids. However this is football and logic gets thrown out the window. And after such a loss it’s time to point fingers and vent.

High Hopes
Lots of things were expected form this group of Joeys. It was the first time the under 17s have qualified for the World Cup since we joined the Asian confederation. FFA has changed the structure of the youth program – starting it a year earlier – which means this team had spent almost two years training and playing together at the AIS. The other major factor was the Dutch influence. Love it or hate it, the 4-3-3 system is now being taught to all our national teams and is part of the national curriculum. I really see it as a cautious 4-5-1 myself.

The man in charge of the Joeys, Jan Versleijen, is also the Under 20s coach and is reportedly the highest paid youth coach Australia has ever had. So when you are talking about million dollar coaches, new fandangled systems and the next big thing in Dylan Tombides (who was being touted as the next Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka all in one), expectations were high for this new bunch of Joeys.

The Tournament
No doubt the Joeys had a tough group. While they were lucky to beat the Ivory Coast without playing the fluid football that we expected, the Joeys still did remarkably well to come from a goal down and win. The positives from that game were Tombides and Jesse Makarounas’s quality finishes for the goals and 15-year-old African refugee Kamara showing explosive skill and speed when he came on in the second half. It seemed that Australia had an impressive attacking triumvirate that would be a threat to the remaining teams they would face in the tournament.

In the next game Australia suffered a narrow one-nil loss to Brazil, after a brilliant free kick.
The Joeys played better in this game especially in the first half. However the team’s inability to maintain and control possession led to few clear-cut chances. At times it looked like the defence had never been introduced to the midfield rudely bypassing them to look for Tombides.

Other results meant that the Joeys had to avoid a three-nil loss to Denmark to move into the round of 16. Denmark where tearing open the Australian defence and led one-nil when the game was called off due to heavy thunder storms. First the game was postponed for 90 mins and then, luckily for the Joeys, the game was to be replayed the next morning from the beginning, erasing Denmark’s lead.

For the third straight game, the football purists could say that the Joeys were outplayed and struggled with everything. But Australians don’t lack in fighting spirit and, after having a man sent off in the second half the team, fought from a goal down and Luke Remington’s quality left foot strike late in the game levelled the scores and booked a second-round date with Asian Cup nemesis Uzbekistan.

Round of 16 Ouch!
It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Uzbekistan lost 4-1 to New Zealand in their first game. Did you hear that? New Zealand. The Joeys would have had revenge on their mind after losing to the Uzbeks in the semi-final of the Asian Cup. And The Uzbeks were supposedly weaker opposition than they had faced. So it looked good for progression to the quarters.

Boy were we wrong. For the most part the Joeys controlled the game and had more possession.
But Versleijen went all Pim Verbeek on us and changed the structure of the side. Okay, he had to accommodate the suspension of midfielder Yianni Perkatis, but the decision to move the reliable left back Corey Brown to the midfield meant the Aussies had to shuffle the side around. This led to the Aussies conceding two goals from the left in the first half. From then on the Joeys had a struggle on their hands.

The game was all over in the second half when Tombides was sent off. The Uzbeks scored two more and the game finished rather nastily for Australia as Kamara had a youthful brain explosion, picking up two yellows to unceremoniously earn an early shower.

It’s hard to be too critical of this group of players. They are only aged 15 to 17, just boys, and they are learning their craft. There are many positives. Players like Tombides, Remington, Makarounas, Kamara, Brown and Cooper all had their moments. Having to back up against Denmark and travel a long way with only one-day’s rest in between games did not help the preparations, but there are many questions.

These, in my opinion, include the words Dutch system, millions of dollars, and a coach who was unable to get the Joeys to control possession leading to limited gilt-edged scoring chances. We hoped for world domination, what we got was much less.

Australian football's Cone of Silence

2011-06-03T17:43:00.000+10:00

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter is one of the best football prick teasers of all time and he has out-pricked himself with the suggestion that the World Cup 2022 bid could be re-run due to new corruption claims.

But the news that piqued my interest the most has been an interview that appeared on the ABC program Lateline where English investigative reporter Andrew Jennings (click here) asserted that former FFA Media and Corporate affairs Manager Bonita Merciades was fired by Ben Buckley at the behest of World Cup bid consultant Peter Hargirty and also accuses Australia’s Mr Football Les Murray of being part of the 1956 Hungarian Nexus along with fellow Hungarian speakers Sepp Blatter Peter Hargitay & Frank Lowy.

In the Lateline interview Jennings suggest that: “Bonita read international press, she read what was happening in Germany, what I'd written about him (Hargirty) unchallenged in Britain. Hargitay said to Buckley, "Fire that woman. Fire that person. Get her out." And big, brave, ballsy Ben Buckley said, "Yes, Peter." You know, imagine: six foot four, Rules player, tough as they come, should've booted Hargitay into the harbour, instead fired this five foot five inch-high smart, good, decent Australian employee who's never worked since. “

After news that there would be a Government review into football a couple of weeks ago I posed some question to Bonita herself:

I asked her on Twitter: You spent time at the FFA. Are you allowed to let Australian football public know what happened behind the scenes? WC Bid? Her response was: “Only think it's useful to do so in a framework of helping advance the game”

So I asked a couple more questions: But don't you think as a journalist letting the public know the truth behind the FFA spin will surely advance the game? Since there is a govt review the public would like to know about WC bid & failed expansion. You can offer a unique insight. Unfortunately I got no response to either question.

Damn you Australian football cone of silence!! Damn you!!

The only reason I can think of why she is silent is that the FFA has imposed a gag order. Kevin Airs is the online editor of Australian 442 website and after the Jennings interview asked Bonita about the explosive allegations. Kevin Asks: Hi Bonnie, in case you missed my question before, did Hargitay order Buckley to sack you as Jennings says?

Again Bonita ever the diplomat answers without answering:”This would be a waste of a question. Not important. Focus on testing FFA's future plans.”

Back to the interview and I sat there with my mouth open as Jennings called the FFA “The buffoons from Australia” who “listened to this and Les Murray joined in” Regarding the money that was spent on Peter Hargirty Jennings asks

“Why aren't the coppers round, why aren't your fraud squad round FFA headquarters looking at the money that went to Hargitay and the dubious people he bought in to Australia that took your money?

Jennings now in comedian form said that when then English FA bid Chief Lord David Triesman arrived at the English FA to find the buffoons there had fallen for Hargitay's glib talk.

Then Jennings in a mock Hargirty deep voice impersonation says:

"You know I know President Blatter. I'm very close."

Then he switched to his normal mocking voice:

Oh, yes, Peter, will you work for us? Triesman walked in the door and said, "What's that bum doing here?," and threw him out. He fired him".

Jennings then mocks the FFA and includes Mr Football Les Murray who besides a couple throwaway lines down the years from various enemies has always been viewed by the majority of Australian footballs through rose tinted glasses.

"The buffoons from Australia listened to this and Les Murray joined in, it's the 1956 Hungarian nexus, I'm afraid, which is, "Oh, well, Peter Hargitay's a wonderful person, very well-connected and we're lucky to get him."

In an interview with the a different league website (click for link)in December last year Jennings re-iterated that Australia was duped by these consultants and Les Murray was no clean skin either:

"I feel sorry for the Australians. They lost and the taxpayers are the ones who paid for their bid. And now Les Murray comes out and says FIFA are in big trouble. Give me a break. For Les Murray to come out and say that is ridiculous,” said Jennings.

"Murray is a member of FIFA’s ethics committee and described the decision to award the 2022 edition to Qatar as “lunacy”, adding “No one will believe Qatar won this process legitimately.” But, says Jennings, Murray and the Australia bid have their own questions to answer: “Murray has no credibility. The ethics committee is appointed by Blatter for a start. But Murray speaks Hungarian, [Australia 2022 chairman] Frank Lowry speaks Hungarian, [bid advisor] Peter Hargitay speaks Hungarian. Nice little club they’ve got there.”

It’s not just Jennings reporting on this issue. The Age’s Investigative reporters Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker won the Quill Award for Best Sports Story for their articles exposing some of the bidding practices used by the Football Federation of Australia in its ill-fated $45 million bid for the 2022 World Cup.

Upon winning the award the judges said: "Nick and Richard’s investigation exposed ethical questions about Australia’s pursuit of the World Cup bid and revealed the questionable use of millions of dollars of public money. The reports attracted global interest and led to changes to FIFA

In last Saturdays age : (Click for link) McKenzie and Baker reported that documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal the department wrote to FFA after it learned of Mr Hargitay and Mr Radmann's involvement to seek details about their remuneration and the documents also show a senior FFA manager, Bonita Merciades, expressed disquiet about the consultants in emails to the government.

After I read this article I joked on twitter that in some organisations “disquiet was frowned upon.” That first there was dissing then quiet and then a door was quietly opened.

The events of this week certainly enhances the cynicism that Australian football fans feel that like many other countries that Australia is just a lowly insignificant pawn in the wider world of football politics which through naivety and stupidity we just don’t understand our place and that if assertions are true that even Mr Football Les Murray was involved in any way in having a dubious character in the WC bid that led to Australian tax dollars being wasted then it’s not just the FFA that can’t be trusted to run the game but what about Mr Football?

When I asked Mr Football if he was able to comment on Andrew Jennings assertion that he is part of the 1956 Hungarian Nexus with Blatter Hargitay & Lowy? All I got was the Australian football cone of silence.

Damn you Australian football cone of silence!! Damn you!!

Young Socceroo Capitan Ben Kantarovski Interview

2011-03-31T12:53:00.008+11:00

Here is an exclusive interview I did with Young Socceroos Captain Ben Kantarovski (pictured above)that featured in Soccer International magazine a few months back this time in feature style and uncut from original version. The Young Socceroos will be in Columbia in a few months as the Under 20 World Cup kicks off on July 29. Best of luck to Ben and the boys.

“This could be heaven or this could be hell” is a famous lyric from the Eagles song Hotel California and it seems an apt way to introduce my article on Newcastle Jets midfielder Ben Kantarovksi.

The Young Socceroos captain cites the Eagles as his favourite band and what better way to describe the Newcastle Jets season so far.

One moment the club cannot afford to pay their players salaries and the club is on the brink of dying and the next moment the club has it future secure for ten years with mining magnate and White Knight Nathan Tinkler riding on his steed to save the day for the Jets. Since Nathan Tinkler has taken ownership of the Jets David Beckham’s La Galaxy are on their way for an exhibition match, a new coaching structure has been installed as well as a new playing surface (although it would have helped if they had ordered grass for a full length pitch) . And in a sign of the club’s ambitions it also signed former Arsenal and England International striker Francis Jeffers. It’s never a dull time being a Jets footballer it seems.

Growing up playing Football

While still attending Lambton High school at 16 years and 208 days Ben is the youngest ever player to play in the A League and such was his impact he was named the Jets players of the season that year. Studying Psychology at University as well playing full time for the Jets you get the impression that Kantarovski is no meathead jock.

Able to play in midfield or defence and at 18 years of age you would think he is not quite the finished product yet. However the Newcastle born Jet has already been likened to former Socceroo legends Paul Okon and Ned Zelic. Comparisons aside Ben is one of the A-League most cultured looking players, he is elegant on the ball and plays with a composure that belies his years.

Newcastle Jets

I was lucky to speak to the Young Socceroos Captain and asked him about his feelings regarding the events that have been happening in Newcastle lately.

“There's definitely a good feeling around the place at the moment,” Ben said. “Things are obviously a lot more settled and everyone can concentrate on winning games. I've always loved playing for the Jets so it was great to re-sign for another three years. Things are really looking up for us.”

His love for the Jets can be seen when Ben talks about how the players stuck together during the period when wages were not paid. Speaking about this difficult time the midfielder talked about the close bond between the players:

“We've got a great bunch of guys here and we're all pretty close. Obviously it wasn't a great situation but we all came together and tried to concentrate on the football side of things rather than worry too much about what was going on off the field. With the new ownership there is definitely that feeling of security and I think that is a reason we are putting in much better performances in the last few weeks.”

While most A-League players are trying their luck overseas early in their careers Ben has just signed a three year deal with the Jets. Here is the midfielder explaining his decisions why:

“I feel like the club is heading in a good direction and I wanted to be a part of that. Our position on the ladder doesn't reflect our team's ability and I know that we've got better seasons ahead of us. Hopefully if I continue to play well, those overseas opportunities will be there for me later on. For now, I am determined to play well for the Jets and hopefully be part of something special here.”

“We have a great squad at the moment. Last year, we were probably a bit young and inexperienced but this year we have a lot more depth to the squad which is good. Hopefully we can come away with a better result than we achieved last year."

Just recently Ben scored his first goal for the Jets against the then league leaders Brisbane Roar on the 17 November, 2010 and his second half display against the Wellington Phoenix just a few days later was possibly one of the best of his career, showing off his range of deft passing and some neat skills hitherto not seen before. So the Jets are slowly starting to climb the ladder.

When asked the question what was different from the person and player that made his debut in January 2008 as the youngest player in the A-League at 16 years 208 days Ben spoke about his maturity:

“My age is probably the biggest difference”, Kantarovski responded. “I was pretty young when I started and have obviously matured a little bit particularly off the field. On the field, I think I have matured in terms of the way I play.

Like most Aussie kids Ben grew up playing all sorts of sports but lucky for football he chose the round ball game. “I was brought up playing football since I was a baby really, I have experienced every other sport having played cricket, tennis, rugby, swimming, all those sort of sports and I have had a good go at them as well but they were not really for me and football was the one that prevailed – it always came first. “

Asked who his biggest influence in his career he doesn’t forget his playing days with local Newcastle club Broadmeadow Magic. “There are a wide number of people who contributed to my football including coaches like Richard Hartley but the biggest influence were my dad”, Ben says.

Bayern Munich calls

In March 2009 Ben caught the eye of European Giants Bayern Munich. It gave the young player a feel of what it was like to play in Europe: “Bayern Munich approached me and it was a good experience. They had a good look at me and I got to experience the European side of football and it was great to be a part of that culture and that environment.”

Media pundits and ex players have compared Ben with former Socceroos greats like Paul Okon and Ned Zelic. When asked if it was hard to define yourself as a player with your own identity when the media loves to compare, Ben took a philosophical look at such comparisons:

“I think everybody compares in life and it is just a matter of doing your own thing and people will start to recognise that.

Socceroo Ambitions

When asked about his Socceroo’s ambitions Ben was just taking it a step at time but fans know it will be sooner rather than later.” At the moment, I have the U20 Socceroos and the World Cup in Columbia, hopefully, after that, I can make the Olyroos and we are able to qualify for the Olympics and then the Socceroos after that.”

FFA Technical director Hann Berger has gone on the record as saying that A League teams don’t give any chances to young players. When I asked if Ben thought more young players should be given a chance Ben was thoughtful in his response:

“That’s a tough one; it depends on the player and the coach. I think most coaches in the A-League would like to give the young players but they have to show their worth and prove that they want it just as bad as anybody else.”

Young Socceroos

The Young Socceroos had a great Under 19 Asian Championships. They just missed out to North Korea in the final losing 3-2 in heartbreaking circumstances. Getting past the Quarter Final stage meant that the Young Socceroos had qualified for their second consecutive Youth World Cup and for Ben it will be his second as captain.

When asked about his feelings on the tournament and his feelings going forward on the World Cup in Egypt next year it was a proud captain speaking:

“Any time you're chosen to wear the green and gold it's a special occasion, but I really do enjoy the Youth World Cup. I think it's a great way to introduce young players to international football and really develop at that level. I think we're all pretty excited to be going to a place like Columbia for the next tournament. I'm sure the conditions will be tough but I think that will be good for us.

“The experience gained and the teams we played against in Egypt motivated me again to want to better myself and to play those sorts of teams again”

Many football writers and pundits claim this is the best under 20 side since the teams of the 91 and 93 eras. Mathew Leckie, Tommy Oar and Kerem Bulut, when I put this to Ben he was happy to take the comparison:

“They are all great players and it's a thrill to be in the same team as them. It pushes you as a player to perform well, having guys like that in the team. I'm not sure how our side compares to the 1991 side, I wasn't even born then! But it's flattering to hear those comparisons all the same.”

On Young Socceroo Coach Jan Versleijen

Ben also gave us an insight into the Coach Jan Versleijen methods and it should get Socceroo fans excited about the future:

“The likes of Leckie, Oar and Bulut upfront with Amini in behind is a lot more attacking focused. The method really is just ball movement which is the key thing we need for the football the coach wishes us to play. It allows us to use the qualities that the front men have and play that attractive winning brand of football.”

So what about paying in Asia? Some of the senior Socceroos struggled during the 2007 Asian Cup but it seems like lessons have been learnt particularly in terms of preparation:

“Obviously hydration is an important part of the preparation because of the heat and humidity. You just have to stay on top of it and make sure your body is getting enough water, because it can be easy to cramp up late in games if you don't. The coach doesn't usually need to say much to get us motivated, we all know what's at stake and we all want to perform well every time we take the field.”

So away from the football pitch what does Ben do to relax? Living in Newcastle the sea has a big influence on the Jets midfielder:“I go fishing, watch a lot of TV, I love Harry Potter movies, and I study psychology at University which takes up a bit of my time away from football”

Ben Kantarovski may not get the headlines like some of the A-League’s attacking players do but at only 18 years of age and already a very important player for the Newcastle Jets and the Young Socceroos his value to Australian football cannot be understated and like the guitar solo in the Eagle’s song Hotel California watch out for Ben in midfield he will keep going and going and going.

Socceroo Next Mathew Leckie Interview

2011-03-31T12:04:00.005+11:00

Here's an interview with upcoming Australian football star Mathew Leckie that featured in Aussie football mag Soccer International a few months back.

Mathew talks Adelaide United, Young Socceroos and his Senior Socceroos ambitions.

On his way to a club in Germany but not yet confirmed Mathew Leckie can be glad he is not left footed which leaves him free to find his own destiny, free from being called the next Harry Kewell (poor Tommy Oar, Dylan Tombides and James Troisi)

Aussie fans are really looking forward to the Youth World Cup which will be played in Columbia and commence on July 29 were hopefully Mr Leckie and his young Socceroo teammates can put on a good show. The A-League is on a break for seven years and the local football football fraternity will be having major withdrawals by then.

I'm sure the last thing on your mind is talking about the injury but what is the latest news and how are you feeling?

The latest is I’ve still got my knee brace on. I’ve got that on for two and bit more weeks, and I’ve got some flexion in my leg which is promising and I’m hoping to be out on the track running in a matter of four weeks, and then it’s just a matter of how long it takes to get back into full training and full fitness.

Tell us about your experiences in your first season as a professional footballer you were signed by ex reds coach Aurelio Vidmar from Bulleen Lions how was the step up for you?

At first the step up was tough. In my first training session I was up against Fabian Barbiero, we were playing a little small sided game and I was thinking to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m going to be able to play at this level’ because of how quick it felt and how quickly I was getting tired. So at first it was really hard but then slowly you just get used to it and just adapt.

Growing up how did you find football and who were your biggest influences in your career so far?

I think football was the best thing I’d ever done after I started playing. I started playing when I was 11 so it was quite late. The reason I started playing football was that people in my primary school just told me to play, we played at lunch time and they said come down to the club, and then I just went from there. So it ended up being a good decision and now football is a serious thing in my life.

Before I became professional my biggest influence was my dad, he was always the one that would take me to the games and all of that stuff, and then after that it would probably be my agent John Grimaud. He picked me up in a summer league and it all kind of happened from then. He spoke to Adelaide , he spoke to some other A-League clubs and then Adelaide signed me.

Last season Adelaide United came last in the A-League but the end of your season and the Asian Champions League tournament showed that the team had found some form tell us about your experience:

Obviously we had a bad season last year but I think it helped me in a way because it gave me the opportunity for Viddie to give me a game and I took that opportunity, and I guess that’s how I started playing regularly in the first eleven. Then in the Asian Champions League I just think that Viddie knew what he was going to come up against and structurally we had a good setup and I think that’s why we did so well.

Tell us about your Socceroo ambitions. Pim Verbeek named you in the 25 man Socceroos squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 Qualifier against Indonesia in March this year. I know footballers take it a day at a time but is the Asian cup call up in the back of your mind somewhere?

At this stage now I’m injured I don’t think it’s going to happen. I think for me to come back, the amount of time for me to come back and play and perform is too short for the national team coach to pick me. Obviously it’s disappointing but now I’ve just got to move and try to get my knee as strong as ever and come back and play the rest of the season out with Adelaide and hopefully perform well.

Many football writers and pundits claim this is the best under 20 side since the teams of the 91 and 93 era. With yourself, Tommy Oar and Kerem Bulut would be pushing some of the Senior Socceroos what's it like playing with them?

I don’t know about those last two teams that competed for the Under 20s but yeah I think we have a strong team. We have a couple of players like Tommy Oar and Ben Kantarovski who played in the last Under 20s, so it shows that they’re good enough to play at a high level with the older players. So now they’ve stepped down we’ve got them as well and as for Tommy, Kerem and myself up front, I think it’s really good. Tommy and I attack down the wings and Bulut, as he has showed, scores goals. He scored seven in six games so credit to him and hopefully he continues doing well.

Can you give us an insight into the Coach Jan Versleijen methods. He used a very attacking line up in the final with Amini, Kantarovski and Antonis feeding the front three of yourself Tommy Oar and Kerem Bulut upfront. It certainly makes for an exciting front third and combination play. It looked exciting to watch tell us what it was like to play?

I think Jan has always looked at it in an attacking sense. He loves to play in the 4-3-3 formation so I think it’s good. You always want to go out there and attack, especially as an attacking player. Playing that style, in the Final it was quite frustrating because Korea sat the whole team behind the ball, but I guess that’s where you’ve got to find solutions, try to break the team down and create chances.

The tournaments biggest game is the quarterfinal which is the qualification for the World Cup tell us how you dealt with the tournament conditions and how you the coach motivated and prepared you for each big game?
We always knew we had to win the first game against Yemen , they were probably the weakest team in the group so we knew we had to come away with a win there. Iraq were probably the second strongest and if we could beat them we were almost through already, so we did that and then we came up against South Korea and got a draw. Then we came up against UAE, we knew it was going to be tough, you never know what to expect from them and they had a striker who played at the last Under 20s and was top goal scorer so we knew he was going to be dangerous, but we always knew we would run over the top of them with our fitness and I think it showed when we beat them in extra time. Jan made little changes in preparing for each game but I wouldn’t say major ones. He just told us that we were better than all of these teams, it’s just a matter of playing good football, the way we play and keeping control of the ball and control of the match.

One of your young Socceroo teammates Tommy Oar made the move to Holland what are your overseas ambitions? Got a dream club and given a choice which club would love to play for?

I want to go overseas at some stage, hopefully it will come one day. And a dream club that I’d love to play for…probably Manchester United.

What skill do you work on the most? What skill do you need to work on the most

There is not one skill I work on more than others. I like to do shooting drills with Sergio (van Dijk) after training but overall I just do what the group does at training, which has really good. And skill I need to work on most…probably my first touch.

The Reds are top this season tell us what is different to this season and how much of an effect has the new coach Rini Coolen had on this success?

I think Rini has had a big part in it, but I also think it is down to a lot of other things as well. I think last year we had Reidy who was out for most of the year, he’s a strong part of our midfield. I think Hughesy is playing a lot better than what he was last year and I also think the additions of Sergio and Marcos ( Flores ) (pictured right) have been a big part of our improvement this year. They’re four key players in our attack and midfield, and our defence is also solid and not chopping and changing that much. But I think Rini has done a great job. We had Phil Stubbins for two months of pre season and he did a great job with us, got us all fit and ready, and then Rini came in and credit to him, he came into a team he knew nothing about and he’s done well. I think the whole coaching staff with Rini, Phil, Carl (Veart) and Peter (Blazincic), they all work hard together and it shows.

Tell us what it's like playing for the Reds? Rain hail or shine or even when you were coming last during season five they still offer passionate support?

It has been great. Last year we had a bad year, but it still showed how much the Adelaide fans love the club, whether we were last or first, we still had good crowds last year. We thank all of our supporters for sticking by us and it’s also great to see how many Adelaide United supporters have been showing up at our away games, it really helps the boys when we’ve got some of the crowd on our side.

Many are saying this season A League is the best ever? What do you think?

I can’t really answer that because except for this year, last year and a little bit of the year before, I hadn’t watched any of the A-League so I didn’t know too much about it. But I think it’s at a high standard and is only going to get better as the years go on because they’re starting to bring in big name players to promote the game and there is also some great young talent coming up. Even having coaches from overseas like the Dutch ones in the league now makes the game better.

What is the craziest thing you have seen on a football field?

I was watching a game on TV the other day, I can’t remember the teams that were playing but it was a final and the keeper has come out and let the ball go through his legs because he thought it was going to go out, and then the striker kept it in. I was just laughing thinking what was the keeper doing, and then with an open goal, the striker has kicked it straight into the post, and then his team ended up losing in extra time, so that was pretty crazy.

Mathew Leckie Favourites:

Movie: The Hurricane

Music: Top 40

actor: Denzel Washington

actress: Jennifer Aniston

Food: Pasta

Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Overseas Team: Manchester United

Teammate: Daniel Mullen

Australian Football Nearpost Podcast 2010 Review

2010-12-23T19:56:00.003+11:00

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

2010-12-15T11:37:00.002+11:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More world cup 2018

David Williams Half Time Heroes Interview

2010-12-04T10:39:00.000+11:00

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

2010-12-03T12:10:00.001+11:00

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

2010-10-05T16:30:00.000+11:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More tim cahill

A-League Needs New Clothes

2010-09-13T11:54:00.002+10:00

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

2010-09-07T15:27:00.000+10:00

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

2010-08-30T16:44:00.000+10:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More world cup

Holger What Now!

2010-08-29T20:04:00.003+10:00

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

2010-08-19T16:29:00.002+10:00

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.