Australian Men's National Team

[mack]

No-one on the posts. What good is 4 players standing around marking space if you leave the posts empty and cop a goal like that?

[BoyFromTheWest]

Love how players are throwing the ball 20m further down the line for the throw in - ref didn't seem to care??

Or defender is weaker without Souttar - Ecuador want this more.

[StillAtMeurantsLane]

Tilio has a sh*t haircut.

[BoyFromTheWest]

Arnold really got us playing lovely football, looking to go forward, pressing... Sorry that's Ecuador.

We look hopeless and clueless.

[Davo]

21 minutes ago, TwoLeftFoots said:

Arnold's pants keep getting higher 

The only thing higher than Arnie’s waistband is the number of incomplete passes in the second half.

[StillAtMeurantsLane]

Ecuador really hold the ball well, good core strength.  

[BoyFromTheWest]

We've gone backwards to pre-World Cup form. Standing still. Giving ball away.

Not helped by a ref who doesn't blow a whistle but we are probably equally hopeless.

[StillAtMeurantsLane]

The Ref just gave a yellow card.

 

[BoyFromTheWest]

Was it lost fort the rest of the game because it was 2 in 2 minutes??!!

[StillAtMeurantsLane]

Harper the cooked unit defending thuggery now from the other side.  Well that'll do me.   

[Ononono]

Man Tilio was really poor when he came on. Been really poor largely for City so not really sure how he was selected and don't think he should be selected after these games.

[Sithslayer1991]

Irvine got smashed that whole 2nd half ref didn't call foul. Ref was terrible 1st half Mcgree tobbed of pen. Metcalfe should have made it 2 with his chance.

Most concerning was Deng and Wright getting the run around by Rodriguez. Almost highlighted that Souttar and Rowles are our number 1 CB combo. O'neil as the CDM was better than Devlin. 

In the end poor 2nd half from Socceroos but not helped by ref wearing dark glasses to see any fouls

[JustWandering]

13 hours ago, BoyFromTheWest said:

Actually think he's worse. Some pretty poor calls and allowing some overly physical stuff. Ecuador have n been playing the man a fair bit in aerial contests and he's letting it all go.

Especially surprising to see from an Asian ref. So used to seeing any type of contact pulled up in AFC international matches.

I thought Connor Metcalfe was an odd choice for winger. Didn't offer much threat on goal which probably helped Ecuador stay on the front foot. Would have been better to play him in place of Devlin and give a genuine winger a run. Devlin is not good enough on the ball at international level for mine.

[Carns]

3 hours ago, JustWandering said:

I thought Connor Metcalfe was an odd choice for winger. Didn't offer much threat on goal which probably helped Ecuador stay on the front foot. Would have been better to play him in place of Devlin and give a genuine winger a run.

Think he plays in a similar position for his club and cuts inside. Obviously didn't work under the circumstances during the game.

[Sithslayer1991]

3 hours ago, JustWandering said:

Especially surprising to see from an Asian ref. So used to seeing any type of contact pulled up in AFC international matches.

I thought Connor Metcalfe was an odd choice for winger. Didn't offer much threat on goal which probably helped Ecuador stay on the front foot. Would have been better to play him in place of Devlin and give a genuine winger a run. Devlin is not good enough on the ball at international level for mine.

He was Korean IDK if that is why he let the physical stuff go or was just here for the pay check from the friendly.

Probably 3rd time with Metcalffe in the green and gold and its already looking like he can't translate club form into the national team. There were a few bit of play in the 1st half but really look out of his depth. Mcgree also another one that kinda drifted in and out of the game and he did the same thing at world cup. But during this game could have been because Irvine and Devlin lost physical battle in midfield. 1st game was better with Baccus and O'Neil as the 6 and 8 and Irvine behind Duke.

Shout out to Baccus. Never thought even a year ago he would be here in the national team setup. But damn he really belongs there he really fits the current style of play.

Also big performances to Bos, Borello, Kuol and Robinson all showed that they could probably start.

[Sithslayer1991]

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/socceroos-take-lessons-out-of-ecuador-look-forward-592658

 

Looks like FFA is on the hunt for opponents in June and maybe September otherwise its a break until October when we play against England. Pretty sure there will be more friendlies in preparation for AFC cup. Best for them to play against a team that is likely to defend against us, as its what we will face during the AFC cup.

[pseudonym]

 

[Sithslayer1991]

23 minutes ago, pseudonym said:

 

Seeing Bielsa again and his crate. I am so keen if this happens.

[Sithslayer1991]

Not sure why they are not able to train at the Western Sydney academy? Or when in Melbourne at the Melbourne City academy? Still annoying that they splash the money for a non existent AFL team in Tasmania but we are still too divided to put in a proper proposal to get government funding. One thing I will say is that its one of the few things Frank Lowy had going for him because they had some political sway to get funding that dropped after the failed World cup bid.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12035179/Socceroos-coach-Graham-Arnold-explodes-embarrassing-lack-training-base-homeless-team.html

[WSWJACK]

1 hour ago, Sithslayer1991 said:

Not sure why they are not able to train at the Western Sydney academy? Or when in Melbourne at the Melbourne City academy? Still annoying that they splash the money for a non existent AFL team in Tasmania but we are still too divided to put in a proper proposal to get government funding. One thing I will say is that its one of the few things Frank Lowy had going for him because they had some political sway to get funding that dropped after the failed World cup bid.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12035179/Socceroos-coach-Graham-Arnold-explodes-embarrassing-lack-training-base-homeless-team.html

Call me naïve here, isn't there a centre in Canberra AIS?, some one can tell me I honestly do not know, must have assumed there was in my own little brain 

[pseudonym]

16 minutes ago, WSWJACK said:

Call me naïve here, isn't there a centre in Canberra AIS?, some one can tell me I honestly do not know, must have assumed there was in my own little brain 

The FFA Centre of Excellence within the AIS was closed in 2017

so no we don't have anything

[StillAtMeurantsLane]

6 hours ago, pseudonym said:

The FFA Centre of Excellence within the AIS was closed in 2017

so no we don't have anything

F*** me the administration of our game is an absolute embarrassment. 

[StringerBellend]

1 hour ago, StillAtMeurantsLane said:

F*** me the administration of our game is an absolute embarrassment. 

Also as is federal funding of football. No AIS for soccer but a whacking great new AFL stadium in Tasmania 3ks from a cricket / AFL ground that is more than big enough 

[Paul01]

5 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

Also as is federal funding of football. No AIS for soccer but a whacking great new AFL stadium in Tasmania 3ks from a cricket / AFL ground that is more than big enough 

We get crap because we do not have a coherent approach

Much like our federation of states, Football Australia does not unite the warring factions Football NSW, Football Victoria etc.

Instead they have to.keep the peace, rather than lead. 

Ask why is Matilda's home in Melbourne when the most players are in NSW. Simple, Melbourne City lobbied the Victorian government.

[Sithslayer1991]

12 hours ago, Paul01 said:

We get crap because we do not have a coherent approach

Much like our federation of states, Football Australia does not unite the warring factions Football NSW, Football Victoria etc.

Instead they have to.keep the peace, rather than lead. 

Ask why is Matilda's home in Melbourne when the most players are in NSW. Simple, Melbourne City lobbied the Victorian government.

100& this. ABC came out with an article not to long ago about this very thing. The Sports minister expected a united front proposal from Football. Instead its divided and small lobbying for localised areas rather than a united front. To the sports ministers looks like a total mess when AFL and NRL give united and clear plans for funding. yea they have political will but the key word is that its united in its focus. Comes back to the whole administration problem that keeps biting us in the butt. We are so divided on what we want that we never get what we want.

[Sithslayer1991]

Soooo did anyone read the SMH article about the June Friendlies?

The summary of it if you don't want to go into the article is FFA have been trying to get Argentina to play a rematch friendly first it was Perth, then New York as a neutral venue that fell through. Uruguay was then put in as a back up and look to have been pretty much done until an independent promoter contacted both FFA and Argentinian FA for a friendly to be done in China. Sounds stupid BUT it looks like the Argentinian FA were looking at high money for any friendly as they have been the most in demand team to play a friendly since winning the world cup.

A lot of Chinese viewers watched our game with Argentina and apparently its very in demand this independent promoter basically threw the kind of money that you don't say no to. The "offer to good to refuse" kind of money and it looks like it is happening. Unclear if its just 1 game because this promoter also wants Argentina to play a 2nd friendly in Indonesia. So Uruguay at home may still happen. According SMH and NY times an announcement is expected in a few days.

[pseudonym]

[Davo]

Could have got an easier Pot 2 team, although anything other than topping the group comfortably is a problem.

[Sithslayer1991]

As as I saw Group B I thought that was the hardest one.... and we got ahhaha. But we should get through. Uzbekistan some payback after the u20 Asian cup finish on penalties, and of course our failure last time to put them away taking it penalties in 2019. They will be tough.

Syria is so unknown if they are close to the team from 2019 they will be tricky but we should have enough to get over them.

India is just an unknown. 

[Sithslayer1991]

Olyroos announced and great the Hoff is there as they make preparations for Paris 2024.

However something very interesting has come up.

Mo Toure who made his debut from Reims has not been called up to the squad... In fact he has never represented Australia at any age group. Meanwhile everyone threw up a stink on the whole Volpato affair. This guy actually played in the A-league whose numbers were only shattered by Irunkanda and he has never been in the conversation for the national team. And he just cracked the Reims first team.

He is eligible to play for Guinea as well as the Socceroos how are we not making more noise about this?