The Soccer Squirrel: Get a Grip on Soccer

Viduka On The Verge of Signing for The Hammers

2009-09-04T12:05:00.000+10:00

Mark Viduka is reportedly close to signing for London Premier League outfit West Ham. The big Australian is currently on a free transfer after his contract with Newcastle United expired at the end of last season. Even though the transfer window is closed until January as Viduka is on a free transfer he is allowed to sign for the Hammers.

The 33 year old forward held talks with Fulham and Portsmouth recently but both Fulham and Portsmouth managers believed Viduka no longer had the motivation to cut it in the Premier League.

West Ham have been playing England international Carlton Cole as a lone forward so far this season and require cover in case Cole is injured or suspended. It looks like West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola believes Viduka would provide that cover or could be used in partnership with Cole to add some experience and potency to the young West Ham attack.

A club statement from West Ham indicated they had been tracking a free agent:

“Gianluca Nani (technical director) and Gianfranco Zola (manager) are now discussing the possibility of an out of contract striker joining the club who has been tracked in the past month.”

The news will be welcomed by Australian coach Pim Verbeek as Scott McDonald has so far not warranted a walk up start for the lone forward role in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Socceroos Climb to Highest Ever FIFA Ranking

2009-09-03T17:01:00.000+10:00

Australia has moved two positions higher into 14th in the FIFA world rankings, which is the Socceroos highest ever ranking. The 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland helped Australia leapfrog Denmark and Switzerland.

The next best ranked Asian team is Japan in 40th position followed by Australia's opponents on Saturday, Korea Republic, which occupy the 49th position.

FIFA World Ranking September 2009

1 Brazil
2 Spain
3 Netherlands
4 Italy
4 Germany
6 Russia
7 England
8 Argentina
9 Croatia
10 France
11 USA
12 Greece
13 Serbia
14 Australia
15 Switzerland
16 Denmark
17 Portugal
18 Czech Republic
19 Bulgaria
20 Côte d'Ivoire

Punting Python Vol II

2009-08-28T16:45:00.004+10:00

Ok so week 1 of the Punting Python has come and gone and we are still alive and kicking. Sunderland were true to us, saluting at home to Blackburn and United predictably put Wigan to the sword after a tough week, so there was money to be made last week. Had Carlton Cole not put Jermaine Defoe through on goal with what will no doubt end up being the "own goal through ball" of the year (incidentally after scoring what will end up being one of the goals of the year), and Arsenal did not stick to their "defenders only" scoring policy, we may have had much more in the bank.
Alas, we are in week 2 of the Punting Python unscathed but with our pockets only half lined and there are some mouth watering ties on the weekend. Man Utd at home to Arsenal is the standout match of the week and from a punting perspective I would leave this game alone and enjoy the spectacle. So with that being the case, here are the bets.

Everton have finally put the Joleon Lescott saga to rest and despite what they have shown so far this year, they are a quality outfit. Just like Man Utd last week, they will take out their frustrations on a descent Wigan outfit that seem to be unluckily finding teams with a point to prove. My bet of the week is Everton to win with IAS at $1.75 .
Sunderland were good to us last week and we are going to stick with them again away to the Potters. Take them at the Asian handicap (+0.5) on IAS at around the $1.60 mark. If they can take 3 points away from the Reebok, they can certainly go to Stoke and get at least a point. Money in the bank. Multi them up to win with Everton, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool for some leveraged action!
For this week’s flyer of the week lets go for a bit of value (sorry about last week, Arshavin to score at $2 was hardly value). Tottenham have a bit of a swagger about them in the early part of the season, and despite us picking against them last week (oh why Carlton Cole!!!!!), we are heading to White Hart Lane for our value bet this week. Luka Modric has had a great start to the season, pulling the strings from midfield for Spurs in their wins thus far, and has been unlucky not to be on the scoresheet. Recently he has been linked with a move to Old Trafford and whether this proves true or not, he will be keen to get on the scoresheet and get his name in lights. Get on Modric for first goal at $9.00.
On a non soccer related note, I have a bet for you in the AFL this week. In the AFL High/Low double the bet of the round is Melbourne into Carlton at $40. Melbourne have already put the cue in the rack for the year and will run into a St Kilda outfit who have been the best defensive team of the year, and will be keen to avenge losing two in a row. Carlton and Adelaide will be a high scoring affair. When Adelaide played Essendon at Etihad Stadium earlier in the year 244 points were scored between them and I envisage a similar scoreline here, as Carlton adopt a similar gameplan to the attacking Bombers.

Happy punting!

Punting Python Vol I

2009-08-21T15:47:00.005+10:00

Welcome to the Punting Pythons' column for season 2009/10. If the Football Flogs' rants get a bit rich for you, then you will get more love from here. I will be your punting guide on all things sport, but for the purposes of this blog, the focus will be on the EPL and football in general. Firstly, I must apologise for missing the first week of tips due to the site being under maintenance, as the Python has been on fire, picking 12 correct results from the first week of games (Burnley over Man Utd anyone?). As such I am up a cartload of Arthur Ashe, have retired from my day job and now have ample time to find the best bets for you good folk over the course of the season.
Ok, enough of the chest beating, lets get down to business for this weeks games.

Sunderland is a vastly improved unit and although it may take time for Steve Bruce to get his new parts to gel, they should be too tough a proposition for Rovers at the Stadium of Light. The $2.06 on offer looks the pick of the week.
Wigan had a shocker during the week, losing to newly promoted Wolves and will run into the defending champions, keen to avenge their shock midweek loss at Burnley. $1.51 is money in the bank. Load up!
West Ham / Tottenham at Upton Park is an interesting proposition. 'Arrys lads have hit the ground running and are deserved favorites in this one but Upton Park is a tough place to go and the Yids do have a nasty habit of getting ahead of themselves when they get on a roll. Take the Hammers at the Asian Handicap with a goal head start at around the even money mark.
And finally my flyer of the week is for Arshavin to score at the Emirates in the Gunners home opener versus Pompey. Should get around $2 for this. The Russian ace gave us a small taste of his sublime skills last last season (just ask Liverpool) and will be played forward in Wengers new 4-3-3 formation. Get on him to open his season account this weekend.

Best of luck on the punt and may the punting gods smile on you like the lucky Paddy Power punters who took the short odds on Tiggggger and got payed out before Y.E.Yang (Who?!) crashed the party and took home the last golf major of the year. Incidentally Yang has now risen to be the second best golfer on the Korea peninsula. Unfortunately there is bloke north of the border by the name of Kim Jong Il who has an uncanny knack for hole in ones.
Happy Punting!

Man Who?

2009-08-21T12:51:00.002+10:00

The football flog is back and he’s taking aim at the football club formerly known as Manchester United. A lukewarm start is a nice way to put it but I put it to the Mancs that Round 2 has brought nothing but a sense of loss that rhymes with ‘Nick Faldo’. And here’s a clue – it isn’t Gary Neville, that guy is amazingly shirt. Unfortunately, Man Who has resorted to being all flash and no carry, the famous number 7 is gone and it looks like Sir Alex Ferguson (SAF) has missed the opportunity to fill the larder before winter.

Take a look at the Man Who list and the signs are worrying – with Scholes and Giggs more interested in when Meals on Wheels is coming and Fergie forgetting where he left his last Werthers, the Red Devils are looking more limp than the English first XI.

But don’t take my word for it, let’s break down the the issues as they stand:

The midfield are old – reaaallly old. This will come into play when Grandpa Giggs and Auntie Scholes have to decide whether to bake scones or woo birds at Champions league.
Fergie’s faith in Michael Owen is a poor substitute for Pope John VI’s Michaelangelo – one was born to paint divine murals in a fine manner, the other was Michael Owen. Enough said.
If any team in Europe think they can replace Ronaldo with Antonio Valencia they are kidding themselves. It is akin to trading in a Ferrari Testarossa for a reliable Ford Falcon. Even if Valencia proves more successful than in his Wigan spell, he will still be well short of the immense production of Ronaldo. No matter how much SAF spins the effectiveness of Valencia over the course of the year, it is no doubt going to be nowhere near that of the superhuman feats of Ronaldo over the last two years. Get used to mediocrity in midfield Manc fans – and don’t get me started on Michael Carrick.
Gary Neville – One colostomy bag please!!!!!

I may be seen as unusually harsh on Man Who however these opportunities come along very rarely. They are a great club and they should be judged accordingly – I invite your opinion however I believe that Man Who is on the downer, and it rests with Fergie to right the ship – but NOT WITH F****** NEVILLE!

Socceroos Smash Luckless Irish 3-0

2009-08-13T17:36:00.004+10:00

An undermanned Australia outplayed the Republic of Ireland to beat them 3-0 in Limerick this morning.
The banner “Superman wears Tim Cahill pyjamas” doesn’t look so outlandish now after the Australian dynamo lashed home another brace for the Socceroos in the first half. It was a dominating display by the Australians and the game was well and truly sealed with a David Carney peach from his very top drawer.
Australia lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Wilkshire and Jedinak protecting the back four. The attacking trio of Kewell, Cahill and Bresciano provided support for the lone forward McDonald. The Socceroos were without their captain Lucas Neill at the back, believed to be completing a transfer move to a new club.
Unlike Australia, Ireland have yet to qualify for the World Cup and were using this friendly as an important warm up to the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Cyprus. Under Italian boss Giovanni Trapattoni Ireland have been defensively sound with world champions Italy only managing a 1-1 draw at home against them.
This was all about Australia though and how far they can go when they get to South Africa next year. After competing against Asians teams for the past 3 years it was a good chance to see how Australia would perform against a combative European team. Pim Verbeek has spoken of Australia not having the best individual players in the world and so creating a world class team unit is important. Australia certainly played as a tight knit unit against Ireland and not one player let the Dutch coach down. As we’ve come to expect from Pim he doesn’t get too excited and downplayed the result as usual.
"It was a good test, I'm very pleased with the result, but I think 3-0 was too much," he said.
"The third goal was a fantastic goal but Ireland created some chances, especially Robbie Keane, who was a handful.
"But we created chances in the first half and scored goals and we were in control in the second half."
Ireland’s coach Trapattoni agreed that Australia was the better team however a wry smile at the end when Carney scored may suggest he thought the scoreline flattered the performance.
"This was a lesson - Australia deserved their win, they were the better team. We played better in the second half and we had opportunities to score that we did not take. I would have been happy had we taken just one."
Wilkshire and Jedinak controlled the play in the middle distributing well to Kewell, Cahill and Bresciano. You could have been mistaken for thinking the duo had partnered each other in the heart of Australia’s midfield for years however this was their first time playing the defensive midfield role together.

Without captain Lucas Neill at the back Patrick Kisnorbo took control and looked very comfortable leading the line. He dealt with everything that came his way in the air and almost scored from a corner in the first half forcing Given to make a good save. His partner in the middle Jade North had a shaky start but settled in well and had a terrific second half before going off with an injured cheekbone. Before David Carney scored his bullet in the last minute he was excellent at left back limiting the impact of the dangerous Damien Duff.
Without doubt the heart and soul of this Australian team is Tim Cahill. We used to look to Kewell as the game breaker but now the Everton superstar is most definitely the man to turn to. The most pleasing aspect and most daunting for opposition is he scores goals in quick succession which can turn a game on its head. Against Ireland he broke the deadlock with a cool left foot finish into the bottom corner after some neat play by McDonald. Then six minutes later he was in the right place at the right time (as he always is) when Shay Given parried Rhys Williams fierce shot into Cahill’s lethal direction.
Possibly the best news story of the game was the performance of Rhys Williams at right back. He was solid defensively and was threatening when he bombed forward. The Middlesbrough youngster turned his back on Wales earlier this year after he made 10 appearances for the Wales' Under 21 side and featured in the senior squad on a number of occasions. As he had yet to make a senior appearance the Perth born prodigy was free to turn his back on Wales. Their loss is most definitely Australia’s gain.

With Grella, Neill and possibly Viduka still to fit into this side Australia can certainly start getting excited about what this team could achieve.

The Soccer Squirrel Is Back Online

2009-08-13T15:36:00.004+10:00

I am happy to say that from today the expert bloggings of all the Soccer Squirrel team have recommenced.
We will be covering all the Socceroo games leading up to the World Cup in South Africa plus progress updates on each Australian player in contention for the squad. We will also have opinion pieces on topical events about the World Game.
We will start today by looking at Australia's impressive victory over the Republic of Ireland. It's good to be back.

Golden Paw Advertising

2009-04-20T22:15:00.001+10:00

Kristian Sarkies to trial at Leeds United

2007-03-14T00:37:00.000+11:00

Melbourne Victory midfielder Kristian Sarkies looks set to accept an offer to trial with English Championship club Leeds United after completing his Olyroo qualifying duties.

Sarkies, 20, was only a bit part player in Victory's championship winning side even though he impressed each time he was called upon. The creative midfielder made only 18 appearances, starting just 7, but scored 3 goals one of which was a peach of a goal with just his second touch in Melbourne's 6-0 Grand Final victory.

Sarkies is currently on international duty with Australia's Olympic qualifying team which plays Jordan on Wednesday night at Hindmarsh Stadium. The out-of-contract midfielder appears to be keeping his options open even though he denies his trial is confirmed.

"I have heard the talk about it but I can't say I have spoken to anyone," said Sarkies of the rumours he was angling for a move to the relegation threatened English outfit. "It would be awesome but I can't say it is true at this stage."

The Leeds United Chief Executive Officer, Shaun Harvey, contradicted the young Aussie star by stating that, "Sarkies is coming to Leeds for a period once he has taken part in the Olympic trials."

Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick would be doing everything in his power to convince the Socceroo to re-sign the 3 year contract that is on the table after Fred, the Brazlian star midfielder, jumped on a plane to the USA last week to sign a lucrative contract with DC United.

Mark Viduka Hallelujah Song

2007-03-12T23:05:00.000+11:00

Alistair Griffin has written a fantastic song about Mark Viduka, socceroo striker, to the tune of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in a bid to convince Mark Viduka to re-sign with Middlesbrough.

Alistair Griffin said: “This song came about because I am passionate about football and music. Viduka is out of contract at the end of this season and I wanted to persuade him to stay on at Middlesbrough next season using a completely different approach - a song that shows him how important he is to the fans.

“Now, Middlesbrough Manager Gareth Southgate has embraced the tune as a way of raising money for his chosen charity, MacMillan Cancer Relief. As a result, the song will be one of the UK ’s first charity downloads and combines being a football fanatic with a great cause. It’s not my most important musical work but it has been great fun, especially if Viduka signs next season!”

For a short time it can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/alistairgriffinonline otherwise the fans’ anthem that has immortalised premiership footballer Mark Viduka will be made available to buy as a charity download at www.amazingtunes.com

If you want to watch the first performance of 'Mark Viduka' by Alistair Griffin it can be viewed below.

Is there any stopping Bresh and Timmy?

2006-10-29T16:52:00.000+11:00

With the former pin-up boy of Australian Soccer, Harry Kewell, touring NSW warning kids to go easy on the pies, Marco Bresciano and Timmy Cahill seem to be playing a game of one-up-manship in their bids to take the celebrity crown.

Last night Timmy Cahill’s Everton put in a dogged display to earn a draw against Arsenal after the man “with a face you’d like to punch” (according to Noel Gallagher) smashed home his 5th Premiership goal for the season from three yards- his seventh for the season in all competition. The kid is on fire for the sixth-placed side in the English Premier League.

Similarly Bresciano is in cracking form with his new side Palermo who sit second in Serie A with a game in hand on leaders Inter Milan (Palermo play Fiorentina tonight). Bresciano’s three goals in seven Serie A games isn’t half good. Palermo, pink tops and all, are the surprise packet this year and by all reports Bresh is a major factor. Let’s hope he can keep up the good work and become the first Australian player - not counting our Christian Vieri – to win the Scudetto.

In any case loyal reader(s), we ask you who you think is more deserving of the Socceroo “Top Roo” title, Bresh or Timmy?

Australia 1 Paraguay 1: A Disappointing End

2006-10-08T13:36:00.000+10:00

With only minutes to go last night, the Socceroos seemed to have clinched victory with a late Tony Popovic header from a set piece. The retiring centre-back was then substituted for Michael Beauchamp whose only touch erased the Socceroos advantage; heading the ball into the Australian net at the death.

Throughout the game there was barely a decent shot on goal by the Australians. The highlight of the first half was a lovely run by Stan Lazaridis that left two Paraguayan defenders for dead. Unfortunately his pull-back narrowly missed the two Australians joining the attack from midfield.

Second-half drives by Grella and Culina flattered to deceive as they flew well wide of the far post while Bresciano stuck tamely into the keeper’s arms when the ball fell kindly for him inside the box.

Despite the wealth of possession and the control the Socceroos exerted over the Paraguayans they again looked like they lacked the teeth to win the match. Archie Thompson’s introduction was the turning point with his pace, energy and trickery lifting Australia’s game. Indeed, he won the free-kick from which Poppa headed home.

Poppa’s joy was obvious but then came the unfortunate goal by Beauchamp. It would appear that Schwarzer was at fault as it was duty to call the ball his own as he came off his line, yet none seems to have been made. Poor Beauchamp’s name ends up on the score sheet though.

A decent game by the Socceroos however their lack of creativity and chances overshadowed a dominant performance possession-wise.

Farewell Poppa, Laz, Spider and Tony “Dry your eyes mate” Vidmar. We will miss you all.

Stop Press: Chippers NOT going to Charlton

2006-10-06T17:18:00.000+10:00

After months of transfer speculation we can reveal that the Scott Chipperfield will not be going to Charlton. In a shock decision…

Apologies to our fan(s) that the Soccer Squirrel has been so lazy recently. He has been hibernating or whatever it is that Squirrel’s do once they finished playing with their nuts (it’s sad but we’ve actually spent the last few months thinking up quality gags like that one).

We are back. After the World Cup correspondent had his laptop stolen/left at the airport in Germany and was almost deported from England he had a particularly hungover and emotional viewing of “Bend it like Beckham” and once again the fire burns for the Soccer Squirrel.

Meanwhile the man with his eye on the local scene is back in the country and having purchased a greyhound and landing a plum job running an Ireland-Australia dating service he is once more trying to while away the hours at work.

Sadly however it seems the Football Flog has undertaken a misguided mission to rid the earth of stingrays so we won’t be hearing anymore from him.

Please be patient as we sort our s(h)ite out and apologies to all who’ve become frustrated with our lapse. In the meantime we recommend you visit Hamish’s great site here.

Stayed tuned.

Chippers to Charlton?

2006-07-14T22:49:00.000+10:00

England’s The Sun newspaper has today reported that Charlton are keen to sign Socceroo Scott Chipperfield following his “impressive World Cup”. The Sun claims Charlton have offered FC Basle £400,000 for the versatile left-footer however Basle want over £1,000,000.

The report (of course) refers to Chippers’ stint as a Wollongong bus driver – a story which has led to cult status amongst Australian fans.

Australians have known about Chipperfield’s talent for years despite the fact he plays in the rarely reported Swiss League alongside another Socceroo, Mile Sterjovski.

Chipperfield has been a fantastic player for the Socceroos in the last few years making the overused moniker “Mr. Reliable” his own.

Comfortable at left-back or left-midfield, Crazy Guus even used him as a make-shift left-side centre-back against Uruguay and Japan and he performed admirably. At 31 Chippers’ run to the top has come late however the Soccer Squirrel has no doubt he can cut it in the Premier League.

Let’s hope he does make the move to England (or even Italy or Spain) so that Aussie audiences can see more of the Socceroos’ cult hero.

We Blame You Referee!!!

2006-06-28T00:44:00.000+10:00

The Soccer Squirrel apologises to all loyal readers for the lack of coverage over the last week. One half of the Soccer Squirrel had indeed packed-up his while the other half found typing game previews and reports by mashing litre steins against his keyboard far too random.

Apologies to all.

So what did you miss out on?

For those of you who rely solely on the Soccer Squirrel for their Socceroos news here it is: the Aussies are out. Italy’s dubious 94th minute penalty in the round of 16 match sealed Australia’s fate and we exited with our heads held high and our blaming fingers pointed squarely at the referees.

In fact, we at the Soccer Squirrel would like to lay the blame for Australia’s exit squarely at the feet of the referees. Referees who we feel have given Australia a very tough time in this tournament. We believe this is not a case of a victim complex on our behalf, but what we call “football reputation-profiling”.

“Australia is overly physical” our opponents would have you believe.

Before the tournament Japan and Holland fed FIFA, the media, and the referees propaganda about our supposedly rough style of play, Brazil played up to it, while Croatia seemed to rely on a series of poor referring decisions to hold Australia to draw. None of this however was as poor as the decision to reward the theatrics of an Italian defender with a 94th minute penalty in a game which Australia had dominated for long periods of time.

The fact that this player took an extra step before deciding to launch himself over Lucas Neil’s body betrays his intention to cheat/

Australia was profiled as an overly physical combatant before the World Cup had even started. Such a reputation has proved to be unfounded as Australia has played honest, clean and attacking football all tournament, yet the damage had been done as referees have fallen to favour the more experienced football nations by giving household names the benefit of the doubt when a decision needs to be made.

The refereeing standard in this World Cup has been widely acknowledged as poor. Over officious referees looking to stamp any physical contact out of the game have altered the face of this World Cup. No wonder the divers – the greatest shamers of the beautiful game- are flourishing.

Australia is not the only victim. The USA received two undeserved red cards against the Italians when the referee had a brain explosion. Ghana has been robbed of its best player, Michael Essien, for the match against Brazil due to tackle that never was- he got to the ball first and there was no foul, let alone a yellow card. Sweden’s Teddy Lucic was sent off for the slightest of shirt pulls due to the theatrics of Germany’s Miroslav Klose, which killed any chance Sweden had of coming back from 2 goals down. These are just some of the incidents that spring immediately to mind.

The Soccer Squirrel’s anger at the referees in this tournament knows no bounds at the moment and it is a miracle that our boys progressed past the group stage given the maltreatment of the Socceroos borne from the blatantly racist football-reputation profiling.

*******************************************************
Apologies again for the lack of recent articles and there may be some more considered comment on this page soon when the Squirrel’s nuts have cooled.

THE SOCCER SQUIRREL WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR WONDERFUL SOCCEROOS- YOU DID US PROUD AND WE LOVE YOU ALL.

Australia vs. Italy World Cup Highlights

2006-06-27T08:56:00.000+10:00

Watch the highlights of the Australia vs. Italy World Cup Second Round match. To come so close was heart breaking for every true Australian. We matched the World Cup winners all the way. You did us proud Socceroos. In four years time in South Africa we will not be afraid of any team. We already can't wait. Come on Aussies!

Australia vs. Croatia World Cup Highlights

2006-06-23T22:20:00.000+10:00

Watch the highlights of the Australia vs. Croatia World Cup Group F match. What an amazing display by a spirited Socceroo side. Bring on Italy!

Australia vs. Brazil World Cup Highlights

2006-06-22T23:10:00.000+10:00

Watch the highlights of the Australia vs. Brazil World Cup Group F match. It could have been so different.

Australia vs. Brazil Preview

2006-06-16T11:41:00.000+10:00

Australia doesn’t have to beat Brazil, even if we don’t get a draw, our hopes of progressing from Group F into the second round are very much alive. That is the luxury that the win over Japan has given the Socceroos. We don’t have to chase a result in this match, we can play the game on our terms.

There are four players carrying a yellow card from the Japan match – Craig Moore, Tim Cahill, John Aloisi and Vince Grella. If any of these players were to pick up another yellow they would automatically be suspended from the crucial match against Croatia. Hiddink has the option of protecting these players in order for them to play against Croatia.

However ask any professional sportsman and they will tell you they like to test themselves against the best in the business. Can you imagine Tim Cahill enjoying sitting this game out? World Cups only come around every 4 years and qualifying for one can take 32 years. This is a tournament to live in the moment, play like it’s your last match. Australia should go all out in the game as the world is watching. Beating Japan warranted praise, taking it up to Brazil demands respect.

Australia has played Brazil five times winning once, losing once and coming out equals on three occasions. That’s a pretty handy record against the world’s greatest football nation.

Hiddink will most likely employ his 4-2-3-1 formation. Brazil plays with Ronaldo and Adriano up front and Kaka and Ronaldinho floating around behind them. Moore and Neill will have the task of covering the two Brazilian strikers with Chipperfield and Emerton providing cover. Australia’s two defensive midfielders, Grella and Culina, will aim to occupy the space that Ronaldinho and Kaka love to drift into and setup deadly attacks. Australian cannot give away possession like they did against Japan, as the Brazilians are lethal when they surge forward into the space that has been created.

Australia needs to play to their strengths by playing an energetic and physical game. It was the fitness of the Australian players that made them able to play 4 up forward in the latter stages of the Japan game which led to the 3 goals. If Australia is still with Brazil in the late stages of the game there is every chance of an upset.

Tim Cahill is now 100% and yellow card permitting is certain to start. He should replace Luke Wilkshire who looks out of his league in such a tournament. If Hiddink does decide to rest Moore and Grella expect Skoko and Popovic to be the replacements. This is dangerous though as sending Popovic into action against the Brazilians is like playing Phil Smyth against the Harlem Globetrotters.

Whatever happens though this is what we craved so badly in wanting to reach the World Cup. We’re not here to make up the numbers or be the toys for the big boys to play with. We have to believe we belong on this grand stage with a lead role to play. A spirited display on Sunday will go a long way to earning us this title. Do yourselves proud Socceroos, the world is watching and Australia is dreaming.

Likely team line-up: Schwarzer; Emerton, Neill, Moore, Chipperfield; Grella, Culina; Kewell, Cahill, Bresciano; Viduka.

Our prediction of Australia beating Japan by two goals was spot on and on Sunday we expect Australia to hold Brazil to a draw. Come on Aussies!

Australia vs. Japan World Cup Photos, Kaiserslautern

2006-06-15T21:09:00.000+10:00

Some photos from Kaiserslautern (can't seem to order them properly).

Hopefully we can find out where to buy the "I love Guus" T-shirts.

Brazil vs. Croatia, what it means to the Socceroos

2006-06-15T02:31:00.000+10:00

Many Australians may have been hoping that World Cup favourites Brazil would hit the back of the net at least twice in last night's game against Croatia, others may have been hoping for the exact result and uninspired display we saw from the masters of the beautiful game.

In their 1-0 victory Brazil never reached top gear. Ronaldo and Adriano were poor and Croatia was unlucky to lose. Only a stunning strike from Kaka and poor finishing from Croatia separated the two sides.

The performance of Brazil and Ronaldo was amusingly described by former striker Tostao, “Brazil were slow and bureaucratic and only improved when Robinho came on for Ronaldo, who was slow and weird.”

“It was a torture to see him like a wobbling heavyweight, staggering around the pitch as if what was going on around had nothing to do with him.”

(Less eloquent commentators like myself have described the Phenomenon as “fat” and his performance as “crap”).

Unfortunately for Australia, Brazil will find top gear in this tournament and with or without an in form Ronaldo, they are still clear favourites to finish top of Group F. Furthermore Ronaldo will now have something to prove, as will his strike partner Adriano.

Let's just hope that they rediscover their touch and form after the Australia game.

Brazil's performance indicated that a disciplined team performance by the Socceroos on Sunday could lead to an upset, or more probably, a draw. Australia have nothing to lose in the game against Brazil, as they are not expected to win, and will therefore play without fear. Nothing they saw last night will particularly frighten them, especially as the Brazilians' quick passing moves often came unstuck with a leaden touch. Brazil showed that they are indeed human.

Croatia on the other hand showed a great deal of promise. They matched their opponents in all departments except for where it mattered, on the scoreboard. They were organised, soaked up pressure and attacked with purpose. Croatia showed that Australia will have to perform at their best to take a point from the Croatians in what will mostly likely be the decisive group game.

On their display against Brazil, Croatia should be expected to defeat Japan, however the Japanese will want to atone for their late collapse against Australia and avoid the embarrassment of facing Brazil with 0 points to their name. A Japanese upset or a draw would provide Australia the greatest chance to go through to the second round.

The jubilation that has accompanied Australia's tremendous win will need to be calmed before the date with Brazil and focus restored in the squad. In my mind Guus would have done this within hours of the victory.

As Monday proved, we should never doubt the genius of Hiddink. “Crazy Guus” will have a completely different set of tactics to employ against Brazil. Australia will of course be more defensive but Harry Kewell should have a bigger role to play - similar to the role he played against Uruguay - receiving the ball deeper and running at the Brazilian defenders. Ninety minutes on Monday will have done him good and hopefully will have restored some confidence in his injury-plagued legs.

Four of Australia’s key players have a yellow card hanging over their heads going into the game against Brazil – defender Craig Moore, midfielders Vince Grella and Tim Cahill and striker John Aloisi. If any of them picks up a yellow card against Brazil they are automatically suspended from the Group F crunch match with Croatia. Some commentators would like to see Hiddink rest at least one of the foursome however this would be bowing down to the masters before a ball has been kicked. Also try telling Tim Cahill that he is being rested against the Brazilians, are you mad?

What was made abundantly clear in the Brazil-Croatia game was that Australia cannot afford to give the ball away cheaply in either of their remaining matches as they sometimes did against Japan (I'm looking at you Brett Emerton).

Come on Aussies!

8 Minutes of Ecstasy for the Socceroos

2006-06-14T08:11:00.000+10:00

The Soccer Squirrel’s European correspondent would like to leave the match review at, “un-****ing-believable” but realises he must try harder.

Japan were lucky leaders when a cross from Nakamura dropped into the Australian net despite a clear foul on keeper Mark Schwarzer. The Aussies were understandably livid and the crowd was also. Chants of "bullshit" and even "the referee's a wanker" were unleashed on the misguided Egyptian official.

Without exaggeration, Australia was by far the better team, yet for 83 minutes had nothing to show for their dominance and after Japan opened the scoring the Socceroos were clearly going to be pushing shiitake mushrooms up Mount Fuji.

Then Tim Cahill, whose introduction was accompanied with South Park inspired cries of “Timmy!!!”, drove home the goal which brought the Socceroos on level terms. I couldn't see it through the forest of players but certainly celebrated it as though I hit the sweet side-foot myself.

And then Timmy did it again with a shot that from behind looked like it was swinging wide of the post. Fortunately it ended up in the Japanese net via both posts. All of this in six minutes. We couldn't bloody believe it- cue much hugging of random men and women. Then to top it all off John Aloisi waltzed like matilda through the Japanese defence to ink what had 5 minutes previously been the faintest of hopes.

The Aussie crowd were fantastic. Though at times frustrated with the pace of Australian attacks and the distribution from the back, the crowd kept cheering. Everyone had faith in Guus and the introductions of Cahill, Josh Kennedy and Aloisi were the key to the Aussie success.

What a game, unbelievable to be there. In ten minutes Australia went from early casualty to top of the group (with two goals in goal difference too). It couldn't have been more amazing.

Man of the match - Tim Cahill. Two crucial goals is hard to go past.

Man of the match bridesmaid - Lucas Neill. Once again hard as a rock. Bon Scott would be proud.

A draw with either Brazil or Croatia and Australia should make it through. Oh how life can change in 10 minutes.

Australia vs. Japan World Cup Highlights

2006-06-14T00:47:00.000+10:00

Watch the highlights of the Australia vs. Japan World Cup Group F match. It still gives me goose bumps watching the goals.

Stand Up Socceroos...

2006-06-13T08:25:00.001+10:00

Can I get a hell yeah? Hell yeah!!!

Josh Kennedy may resemble Jesus however the Australian football team performed one of the best impersonations of Lazarus the world stage has seen.

Australia’s fighting spirit was on show for the entire world to see as we staged a remarkable fight back to record a 3-1 victory over Japan after trailing 1-0 with only 15 minutes remaining. Was that a samba drum that just went quiet?

If we need to ignite football at grass roots level for Australia to blossom then this game was definitely the super seed.

Guus Hiddink’s influence cannot be doubted. This is a man who holds no fear. He is not afraid to throw caution to the wind or is he afraid to tackle a FIFA official out of the way so that he can view a replay of that dubious Japanese goal. Come on who did that FIFA worm think he was trying to out body Guus “I love FOUR ‘N TWENTY” Hiddink?

Hiddink surprised many by leaving Tim Cahill on the bench and starting Luke Wilkshire. Hindsight is a beautiful thing though and Hiddink now looks the genius as Cahill hit two goals in the final fifteen minutes when the heat had sapped the energy out of both teams.

Australia had dominated the match but were trailing by a goal after a dreadful refereeing blunder - with Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer clearly impeded by two Japanese players when trying to claim Shunsuke Nakamura's cross from the right wing.

It didn’t matter though. Hiddink sent on Cahill, Kennedy and John Aloisi and each substitute had a lasting effect on the opening Group F World Cup match. With Kennedy being the cat amongst the pigeons Cahill was able to find enough space to score two of the most satisfying goals this country has celebrated to. Aloisi, the penalty hero against Uruguay, displayed his love for the centre stage by knocking in the third to send Socceroo fans into ecstasy.

A bit of trivia for you. No other team has scored three goals in the last seven minutes in World Cup history. Pretty damn impressive.

Words will never do justice to the feelings felt by all Socceroo supporters as Cahill shot Australia into the lead. However Greg Horgan, the Soccer Squirrel World Cup correspondent, did have this to say after the match, “Un-fucking-believable”.

Australia now faces Brazil on Sunday and Cahill cannot wait. You can only love this man.

"It'll be 11 superstars against 11 ordinary Aussies," Cahill said.

Timmy you forgot to put in the extra. Come on Aussies!!!

Australia vs. Japan: The Time Is Now

2006-06-09T10:27:00.000+10:00

On Monday the Socceroos will walk on to the world's greatest sporting stage after an absence of 32 years to take on 2002 co-hosts Japan in the picturesque town of Kaiserslautern.

Kaiser, of course, is German for Emperor. Slautern is German for... er, Slautern (someone tells me it is something to do with a river but that ruins my gag). So to recap, on Monday in Emperors Slautern the Emperor-less Australians take on the Emperor-laden Japan. Is this an ominous sign for Australia or will it be a case of Emperors to the Slautern for Japan?

Player for player the Australian first XI is better than Japan. The majority of Australia's starting players are regular performers in the top European leagues of England, Italy and Holland. Japan boasts only six players from outside the Japanese J-League and while it is a better standard than our own A-League it is not comparable to Europe's top leagues.

It is too early to know whether Harry Kewell will start. Hiddink might employ a similar strategy to the one used against Uruguay - let the Aussies soak up the early pressure before introducing Kewell on the half hour mark. Cahill however is expected to start and his presence will be a massive boost for the Socceroos.

Our weakness is defence and if Neill or Moore sustains an injury during the game, Australians will be sitting even closer to the edge of their seats if the replacement is Tony Popovic. The Japanese will struggle to restrict the imposing Viduka with their lack of height and Josh Kennedy will dominate in the air when he makes a late appearance.

It is no secret that Australia must not concede an early goal - this would leave the team low on confidence and with Mount Fuji to climb. Having waited so long to play in the World Cup there will undoubtedly be nerves in the team. This match may not be the spectacle that many expect in World Cups. Spectacular attacking football doesn't usually feature in the first game played by any team. Most teams are just too scared of conceding, and understandably so.

We are here Australia, our time is now. Failure is not an option. Australia can, and we believe will, defeat Japan on Monday by two clear goals. Come on Aussie, come on!

Likely lineup: Schwarzer; Emerton, Neill, Moore, Chipperfield; Grella, Culina; Bresciano, Cahill, Sterjovski; Viduka.

Simon Ainsworth World Cup Predictions

2006-06-09T09:24:00.001+10:00

I know this is Gerry's domain and he will be giving his betting tips in due course however some people have requested my tips on the World Cup.

Please click on the link below to view my tips for the World Cup.

SIMON AINSWORTH'S WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS

Australia 3-1 Liechtenstein: Aloisi Seals Win

2006-06-08T09:29:00.000+10:00

Australia ended its World Cup preparations with a stale 3-1 win over European minnows Liechtenstein. The Socceroos came from one goal down to defeat Liechtenstein with two late goals sealing the victory.

Guus Hiddink made six changes to the side which drew with the Netherlands most notably starting Harry Kewell who was substituted after 59 minutes. Mark Viduka, Vince Grella, Marco Bresciano, Jason Culina and Scott Chipperfield were all rested whilst Hiddink replaced Mark Schwarzer with Zeljko Kalac.

Liechtenstein were expected to be easy beats but they took the lead after 8 minutes through an own goal by Lucas Neill. What should have been a straight forward clearance from a free kick, Neill headed straight past the sprawling Kalac into the back of his own net. It could have been worse after a defensive mix-up between the shaky Tony Popovic and Kalac nearly gifted Liechtenstein another.

Mile Sterjovski equalised for the Socceroos in the 19th minute stabbing home a Stan Lazaridis cross. However Australia could not find a way past the tiny nation, which has a population less than Bundaberg, despite numerous chances with Aloisi being the most wasteful.

There were some positives to take out of the game with Harry Kewell putting in an impressive 60 minutes before his replacement Josh Kennedy showed exactly why Hiddink decided to take him to Germany after 15 minutes. The towering Kennedy rose above two defenders to head home a Brett Emerton cross, displaying his aerial prowess which could be Australia’s trump card against Japan in five days time. John Aloisi then sealed the win by heading home a Sterjovski cross in the 83rd minute.

In the final minutes of the match, Hiddink sent on Mark Milligan, as well as training extras Neil Kilkenny and Kristian Sarkies for their international debuts. Kilkenny who could have also chosen to play internationally for England or Ireland is now only eligible to represent Australia after winning his first senior cap.

Coach Hiddink was not concerned his team looked flat just three days after its 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Rotterdam.

"It is normal that we don't play as well as we did over there. There was a bit of a lack of concentration and we cannot afford to make those types of mistakes,'' he said.

The Dutchman felt his players improved in the second half after some tactical alterations.

"Well after that sloppy period in the beginning, we started to build up a little more pace in the second half especially with some changes on the left side and we went somewhat better," he said.

Hiddink was encouraged by Kewell's return from a groin injury but felt the Liverpool star still has room for improvement before the opening match with Japan.

"We planned to play him (for) an hour so he can practice again tomorrow and the day after.

"I hope, bit by bit, he recovers his strength because you need to be fit," Hiddink said.

"He did a rather good job but still has to find another 20 to 30 per cent more strength."

So what can the Australians take from this result against a team that is ranked outside the top 100:

- Mark Schwarzer is the No.1 goalkeeper and will start against Japan;
- Hiddink will revert to his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation against Japan;
- Josh Kennedy and Mile Sterjovski are proving to be very handy options to have in the squad;
- Kennedy could pose some real problems in the air against Japan
- Let’s hope Tony Popovic is an unused substitute in Germany, Ljubo Milicevic should have been in the squad instead; and
- Forgot the result there will be six changes to the team that takes on Japan on Monday, the real starting XI.

Australia line-up: Zeljko Kalac (gk); Lucas Neill, Craig Moore (Michael Beauchamp), Tony Popovic; Brett Emerton, Josip Skoko (Kristian Sarkies), Tim Cahill (Mark Milligan), Stan Lazaridis (Archie Thompson); Mile Sterjovski (Neil Kilkenny), Harry Kewell (Joshua Kennedy); John Aloisi.

Subs not used: Mark Schwarzer (gk).

Australia vs. Holland: A preview of Brazil?

2006-06-02T03:18:00.000+10:00

Australia's game against Holland this Sunday is effectively Australia's last competitive warm-up match before before opening their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 12. In between the two matches, Australia will play Liechtenstein (who?) in hopefully a confidence booster for the Socceroos and a chance for Hiddink to cement his preferred starting XI.

Holland is a class team and are tipped by many to dazzle in the tournament (they are equal sixth favourite with Spain and France on most betting websites).

Dutch coach and former striking superstar Marco Van Basten prefers a 4-3-3 formation with an attack led by Manchester United's Ruud Van Nistelrooy with Arjen Robben (Chelsea) and Robin Van Persie (Arsenal) supporting him from the wings.

In choosing his World Cup squad Van Basten took the hard line by ending the international careers of veterans Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf leaving Mark van Bommel (Barcelona), Philip Cocu (PSV) and Rafael Van der Vaart (Hamburg) to lead the midfield in Germany. Apart from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, their defence is similarly anonymous with no place for Milan’s veteran Jaap Stam.

Apart from the prolific Van Nistelrooy, the Dutch team is lacking the calibre of players that Aussie Guus led to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 however they are a talented team with a great deal of potential.

Australia will benefit from playing Holland as they will be exposed to a classy side playing a formation very similar to Brazil. Indeed Australia's defence will need to show in Sunday's game that they can hold off a multi-pronged attack and should they finish the Holland game with a clean sheet (no goals conceded) hopes will be high that they can also thwart Brazil's attacking play in the tournament proper.

Hiddink will most probably stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and most of his preferred XI. One position that is still up for grabs is the goalkeeper with Hiddink yet to decide on who is his preferred no.1. With Zeljko Kalac playing the whole game against Greece it is expected that Hiddink will hand the gloves back to Mark Schwarzer to keep both keepers vying for the coveted spot right up until the Japan match.

Schwarzer
Emerton - Neil - Moore - Chipperfield
Grella - Culina
Bresciano - Skoko - Sterjovski
Viduka

Against Holland's attacking trio, defensive midfielders Culina and Grella will have huge role to play in front of the back four - one they will have to repeat when we play Brazil.

Expect substitutions from both sides at roughly the 60 minute mark as both coaches endeavour to protect their players from injury. John Aloisi will be keen for a run. Hiddink might also use the game to switch formations to see how the team can adapt to either protect a lead or to chase the game.

Soccer Squirrel World Cup Prediction League

2006-05-31T00:31:00.000+10:00

I have set up a league at World Cup Predictions at http://www.fantasyfacup.com/worldcup

The League Name is: The Soccer Squirrel and the location is http://www.fantasyfacup.com/worldcup/leagues/863

You just have to predict the results of matches in the World Cup in Germany. It's free to enter, and you could win $1000!

Good luck, looking forward to the banter.

World Cup Golden Boot Betting

2006-05-28T23:28:00.000+10:00

Having a flutter on the World Cup Golden Boot can add great excitement to following the tournament. As there are many contenders for this coveted prize the odds received can be very favourable. Hopefully I can help you find the right player with some extra information that should prove beneficial.

In the last 10 World Cups at least 6 goals have been required to win the Golden Boot. You should focus on teams that rely on an out and out striker to score their goals. One team that fits this bill is Portugal and the striker being Pauleta. He is in great form after scoring a hatrick on the weekend for the national team. Portugal is an attacking side and will create enough scoring opportunities for Pauleta. The team have a relatively easy group and should progress to the latter knock-out stages. Eight of the last ten golden boot winners have come from a European team further enhancing Pauleta as a strong candidate. Gary Lineker of England is the only player to win the golden boot outright without making it to the semi-finals. Brazil is expected to go this far but with attacking options in Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Robinho and Kaka they are sure to be sharing the load.

I would advise on placing money on Pauleta who is 34/1 at the time of writing. This is great value for money. Thierry Henry also ticks all the right boxes but he is much shorter at 13/1. Check out the Latest Golden Boot Odds and pick your winner.

Straight From Skoko's Top Drawer

2006-05-26T08:48:00.000+10:00

Previous Australian teams would have sat back and said "We've just beaten the European Champions" after accounting for Greece 1-0 in front of a record 95,103 crowd. Not on Guus Hiddink's watch. Hiddink was happy with 70% of the Socceroo's play but demanded "we are going to have to be tougher when we play Japan".

Man of the match Josip Skoko scored the match-winner with a superb left-footed half volley into the top right-hand corner, it was a peach of a goal. Australia played neat fluid football in the first half with Hiddink employing the new 4-2-3-1 formation. The unit was cohesive and there was a good understanding with each player knowing exactly what role they had to play. The second half petered out with a string of substitutions as Hiddink switched the team to a 4-4-2 formation. It was understandable as the Socceroos had undergone a lot of double training sessions in the previous 3 days. The Greeks looked like they were more interested in their trip after the game to Stalactites on Lonsdale Street for a kebab with the lot.

Miles Sterjovski who made a return to the side after a 12 month absence was prominent early. The winger was finding a lot of space but was let down with his touch and lacked the killer instinct when given the opportunity in front of goal.

Zeljko Kalac, a surprise selection in goal to some, was not given the opportunity to cement a starting spot as the Greeks failed to test him thoroughly. If anything Kalac looked shaky on the two occasions he was called into action.

As the Socceroos waved goodbye to Australia bound for Germany Hiddink stressed that there was still a lot improvement required before they would be ready for Japan on June 12.

"We need to put in the training and focus on improvement because games at World Cup level are decided on details," the Dutchman told reporters.

"We also have to get more physical strength because three games in such a short time will be difficult."

The Socceroos next play Holland in a friendly in Rotterdam on June 4 then their final hit out is against Liechtenstein in Ulm, Germany on June 7.

FIFA Finally Changes the Rankings

2006-05-26T07:35:00.000+10:00

At long last. It has taken some time but finally FIFA has announced that they are overhauling the present system of World Rankings and implementing a new system on July 12th, 3 days after the World Cup final.

The present system is a joke. FIFA claims the rankings to be "a reliable measure for comparing national A-teams." reliable it is not. In the latest rankings the USA is ranked No.5 in the world behind Brazil, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Mexico. If this is a reliable comparison then Group E in the World Cup must be the Group of Death with the teams ranked as follows: Czech Republic (2), USA (5), Italy (11), Ghana (48). Is FIFA trying to say that they expect Italy to struggle to get progress to the Second Round? This will not happen, I find it hard to predict the Americans going through to the Second Round. Based on rankings the semi-finalists would be Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Brazil would beat Mexico in the final.

Under the new system FIFA will take into account games played over the last four years unlike the present system which was eight years. How can you judge a nation over an eight year period? Hardly the age old adage, "you're only as good as your last game" is it?

I will not bore you with how exactly FIFA give points for the type of game, the teams, home/away and all that jazz. FIFA has said that the new system will be based on the same factors but will weight them differently and let's hope more accurately.

Only time will tell if FIFA's new ranking system is an improved system but I can guarantee when the new rankings are released Australia will be far higher than their current ranking of 42.

Australia vs. Greece Post Game Reaction

2006-05-25T22:26:00.000+10:00

Australia 1 – Overseas Internet Coverage 0

As I am currently based in the UK, I was very interested to watch or listen to today’s game using the power of the internet. Having spent fruitless hours trying to configure a streaming feed from a Chinese internet television company (TVAnts), I decided that the best result would be a radio broadcast.

ABC Radio Sydney was rumoured to be broadcasting the game and an advertisement on their site confirmed it. I clicked the “Listen” tab but was directed to a programme that certainly wasn’t football. I didn’t listen long enough to work out what it was because Josip Skoko had just scored. While it may have simply been an unfortunately timed cross to the Bondi Surf Life Saving club, I figured something was amiss. I searched for the correct feed but to no avail.

But how did I know Skoko had scored? Fortunately the Age website had a scrolling text commentary (here) of the game, though “scrolling” is rather generous. In truth the coverage consisted of 3-10 minute updates with little information. Posts such as the following served to illustrate the quality of the coverage:

21' Bresciano gets a small run at the top of the box, unable to control it and it is cleared to the boundary

Boundary?! I am not blaming the writers who were updating the commentary but the Age for choosing writers with little knowledge of the game. Believe me there’s thousands of us.

There was no discussion of tactics or formations or anything slightly insightful. The chat screen that ran beside the commentary even had to prompt the writers by asking questions about the crowd, tactics, etc. I don’t even think it refreshed automatically.

However, the highlight was the moving graphic that accompanied the goal:

Yep, that’s right!

This rant might be seem petulant but most expats who are fans of soccer/football (who cares what we call it?!) would be bemused with the online coverage (or lack of) by both ABC Radio Sydney and The Age. Has the brain drain got this bad?

I sincerely hope that someone can point to a better online coverage than I found. Perhaps there was great coverage on another website and I’m a idiot for not searching harder for it. The thing is I was pressing “refresh” far too often in the vain hope that there might actually be an update.

So much for the information age, next time I’ll certainly be in a pub, even if it is a Walkabout.

Australia vs. Greece Preview

2006-05-25T08:21:00.000+10:00

The Soccer Squirrel previews tonight's friendly between Australia and Greece.

Make no mistake tonight’s game against Greece is extremely important. Winning or losing is irrelevant, the aim is to be “fit, physically and mentally, tactically and in the strategic way of playing” in preparation for the World Cup opener against Japan. The game will be played in front of more than 90,000 passionate Melbournians at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Socceroo coach Guus Hiddink has said that he will not be using the lead-up matches to give fringe players an opportunity to force their way into the best XI. Hiddink will field his strongest possible line-up but will be without the injured Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, John Aloisi and Josh Kennedy. It is widely tipped that Hiddink will use a 4-2-3-1 formation for the World Cup and as this game is a rehearsal he will implement the same formation. Mile Sterjovski and Josip Skoko are the beneficiaries of positions in the starting line-up replacing Kewell and Cahill.

One position that could provide a shock inclusion is the goalkeeper with sources close to the Aussie camp suggesting Zeljko Kalac may have forced his way into the team in front of Mark Schwarzer. The giant AC Milan goalkeeper known as "Spider" has impressed Hiddink in training and the decision will go right down to the wire. If Kalac impresses against Greece, Schwarzer - the hero against Uruguay - may find it hard to get back into the team for the opening World Cup game against Japan on June 12.

Mark Viduka will play as a lone striker in attack for most of the game with other striking options Aloisi and Kennedy out injured. Sterjovski will fill in for Kewell on the left, Jason Culina will play behind Viduka and Marco Bresciano will operate on the right wing. Vince Grella and Skoko will be the defensive midfielders shielding the back four of Scott Chipperfield, Lucas Neill, Brett Emerton and the re-instated Craig Moore. Hiddink will make few changes before 70 minutes but after this time expect the fringe players to be given a run.

The European Champions Greece will be looking to regain some respect against Australia as they failed to qualify for the World Cup. The opposition were chosen wisely as they will provide the Socceroos with a similar brand of football to World Cup opponents Croatia. With Melbourne’s strong Greek links the crowd atmosphere will be electric and with Greece fielding their strongest line-up the intensity required will be similar to a big game.

Likely teams:
Australia (4-2-3-1): Zeljko Kalac; Brett Emerton, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Scott Chipperfield; Vince Grella, Josip Skoko; Jason Culina, Marco Bresciano, Mile Sterjovski; Mark Viduka.

Greece (4-5-1): Antonios Nikopolidis; Georgios Seitaridis, Traianos Dellas, Ioannis Goumas, Takis Fyssas; Theo Zagorakis, Kostas Katsouranis, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Angelo Basinas, Georgios Karagounis; Angelo Charisteas.

The Soccer Squirrel Salutes Captain Viduka

2006-05-24T02:12:00.000+10:00

The Soccer Squirrel would like to endorse the selection of Mark Viduka as the Socceroos captain for the 2006 World Cup. Congratulations Guus on making the right, though in my mind obvious, selection.

The only challenger for the captaincy was former captain Craig Moore, however his season has been marred by injury. Moore managed only 9 games for Newcastle this season passed and did not feature in the World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay. In his absence Viduka took the reigns and performed admirably.

Craig Moore, formerly of Glasgow Rangers, is a tough defender who has played directly on Viduka in the impassioned Old Firm derbies in Scotland however he has no hard feelings towards his new Captain.

"The manager has made the decision and the manager believes, and I believe, that it's the best decision for the team," said Moore in his Scottish-Australian accent, "The team will always come first."

While Viduka’s temperament has often been questioned - after going AWOL when he first signed for Celtic, by Middlesbrough fans in a car park earlier this season – he has always answered his critics with goals and he has never shied away from shouldering responsibility. His goals to keep Leeds in the Premier League years ago are evidence of that. So too are his performances in the UEFA Cup quarter and semi-finals this year.

Mark Viduka performs best when the pressure is on and there is no greater pressure than leading your country in a World Cup against Brazil, not that he will be feeling any less pressure in the games against Japan and Croatia.

Now with the Socceroos captaincy, big Dukes appears ready to silence the nay-sayers who question his scoring record for his country. The pressure is on and the Soccer Squirrel predicts the boy will perform.

Mark Viduka, congratulations and good luck!

Soccer Basics: Team Formation

2006-05-23T21:23:00.000+10:00

Ok all you novices out there who are jumping on the Australia bandwagon for the World Cup listen up. The Soccer Squirrel is giving you a few basics about the game of soccer so you can hold your own in a discussion about should Hiddink play a 3-5-2 formation or a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The team formation is how the players in the team are positioned on the pitch. Not all teams play the same formation, there are many different types of formation. The numbers you hear when a person is talking about a formation is the number of players in each area from the defense (not including the goalkeeper) to the attack. The numbers will always add up to 10 as this is how many outfield players there are on a team. For example a 4-4-2 formation is 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 forwards.

Within these areas (defense, midfield, attack) there are specific positions. In defense the main positions are centre-back, right full back, left full back, left wingback, right wingback and sweeper. In a 4-4-2 formation you would have a left full back, two centre-backs and a right full back. Wing backs are similar to full backs but are used in more unorthodox formations like a 5-3-2 where the wing backs are expected to defend with the 3 central defenders but also provide width in attack as the team has no wingers.

In midfield you play between the defense and the strikers but there can be different roles for each midfielder. In a 4-4-2 formation there will generally be a left winger, a right winger, a central defensive midfielder and a central attacking midfielder. The role of the wingers is to support the attack by feeding the strikers with crosses into the box or to dribble past defenders and play creative passes. The defensive midfielder acts as a shield to the defense trying to break up opposition attacks and act as a go to player for the defense to relieve them of pressure. The attacking midfielder's main role is to push forward from midfield when in possession and create goal scoring opportunities for the forwards or score the goal themselves.

In attack is your forwards or strikers and their principle aim is to score the goals for the team. When there are two forwards in a formation there is generally a bigger bodied striker who plays deep into attack and acts as a target man. The other forward generally is more of a mobile player and links up between the midfield and the target forward to assist in making goals and scoring them.

So let's take Australia playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation as an example as this has been widely tipped as the formation that Hiddink will be using in the World Cup.

For starters Mark Schwarzer would be the goalkeeper but the goalkeeper is not included in the formation.

The 4 refers to the back defensive four of Emerton (the right full back), Chipperfield (the left full back), Moore (the centre back) and Neill (the other centre back).

The 2 refers to the line in front of the back four which would mean 2 defensive midfielders. These two would be Culina and Grella.

The 3 refers to the line of attacking midfielders in front of the defensive midfielders with Kewell (the left winger), Cahill (the central attacking midfielder) and Bresciano (the right winger).

The 1 refers to the lone striker. This would be Mark Viduka, the big tall Aussie star.

Well there you have it. I hope that gives all those still understanding the game a better view of what positions the Socceroo players have. Go Aussies!

Arsenal v Barcelona Champions League Final

2006-05-20T02:25:00.000+10:00

Dear Football Flog,

I am an Arsenal fan and I was so shocked at the referee’s decisions against Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League final. What did you think of the referee? Also Ronaldinho or Henry, who is better?

Andy from Parsons Green, London.

Dear Andy,

You claim to be an Arsenal supporter yet you live in the heart of Chelsea territory. I’ll answer your questions but I’m onto you Andy, you toff.

Well what a game it was last night. I too found myself seething at some of the referee’s decisions. I was calling the game for Serbian Radio Station B92 and Henry must have heard some of my analysis as he repeated my thoughts verbatim in his post match interview.

UEFA is run by Barcelona, there I’ve said it. How they appointed Hague as referee of the game is suspicious. He was the ref in the Barcelona-Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge and he did the exact same thing then. He sent off Del Horno early in the game when it should have been a yellow card. Before the game one of the linesmen was photographed wearing a Barcelona shirt. The linesman was swapped by UEFA because of the incident. However if you look closely at Hague in Wednesday night’s game there is definitely a Barcelona shirt underneath his black referee shirt.
It is amazing the similarities between Wednesday’s game and the Chelsea v Barcelona game at Stamford Bridge:
· Same referee
· Early controversial sending off
· Team with 10 men goes 1 goal up through a set piece
· Team with 10 men holds on and on
· Henrik Larsson comes on
· Finally Barcelona score two late goals to seal 2-1 victory

As for Ronaldinho and Henry I have to say Henry on the pitch and Ronaldinho off it. Ronaldinho had a very poor game on Wednesday night. This could have been down to the fact that I saw him out late the night before at a little Parisian hotspot called La Gare in Trocadero. He was certainly enjoying himself and had a delightful bevy of ladies surrounding him. He remembered me from when I was playing with lower league Parisian club Paris FC. I don’t want to go into the details of what happened next as it will be in my book but I’ll say this - Ronaldinho gave one assist in Paris and it wasn’t on the football pitch.

Until next time. All questions please mail to footballflog@yahoo.com

FF

Melbourne Signs Brazilian Duo

2006-05-20T00:51:00.000+10:00

Melbourne Victory’s undercover operation in Brazil codenamed “Striker Alert” has unearthed two jewels with news strikers Fred and Claudinho have signed for the club. Only time will tell how precious these jewels are but for now Melbourne fans can get excited about the prospect of two Brazilians scoring beautiful goals next season.

26 year old Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva (Fred) was signed from Guarini in the Campeonato Mineiro, a Brazilian State Championship League. Campeonato Mineiro is considered a weak league by many but it has been known to produce some exceptional individual talent. Ronaldo and Tostão made their professional soccer debuts in this league. Tournaments in this league run for 3 to 4 months. In the latest tournament Fred was voted 4th best player after becoming the equal second top goal scorer. Before Guarini, Fred spent 10 seasons at leading Brazilian side America MG where he played alongside Arsenal star Giberto Silva, scoring 20 goals in 80 appearances. Melbourne Victory claim to have beaten Atletico Mineiro and Brazilian giants Cruzeiro to his signature. These two clubs are the biggest clubs in the Campeonato Mineiro.

24 year old Claudinho was signed from leading Brazilian team Atletico Paranaense who are currently 13th in the Brazilian Championship. The left footed striker appears to be the better of the Brazilian duo as he was playing at a higher level than Fred. Claudinho scored 30 goals in the State and National Brazilian leagues in approximately 100 appearances. Before plying his trade in Brazil, Claudinho had a short stint in France with Strasbourg as a junior.

Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick was especially pleased with the signings and the return of Archie Thompson.

“It’s almost an embarrassment of riches for us in the forward line at the moment,” Merrick said. “We’ve designed our recruitment strategy hoping Archie would return, but the news today that he will definitely be with us next season is a real bonus.”

After the recent signings Melbourne has four more positions available in its squad. Merrick has identified a quality left back and a central midfielder as the next players on his shopping list.

“We can now focus our energies into securing the services of a high-quality left back and central midfield player to provide the overall strength and depth we’ll need to challenge for the Hyundai A-League title.” Merrick said.

With attack being Melbourne’s weakness last season it looks as if Merrick is keen to put together a team that will focus on attacking. It is doubtful Merrick will play a straight forward 4-4-2 formation with an abundance of strikers in his squad. Two Brazilians are not coming all the way to Melbourne to sit on the bench and Thompson is a walk up starter. Merrick might play Fred as the striker in the middle with Thompson on his right and Claudinho on his left. This would leave a midfield of three with Steve Pantelidis most likely occupying the holding midfield position. Michael Ferrante, Kristian Sarkies, Vince Lia and new signing Adrian Caceres will be fighting each other over the remaining two positions. Whatever the formation is Merrick finally has some flexibility and depth in the attack. The defence will be similar to last season with Muscat, Piorkowski, Byrnes, Claeys, Ljeir and Storey sharing the duties.

The Soccer Squirrel would like to see more width added to the squad. Caceres is a very good prospect who can operate on the left wing. However one of Melbourne’s problems last season was when Sarkies played on the right he was prone to drifting inside too often. So whilst you are out shopping for players Ernie add a flying right winger to the list.

Merrick experimented with numerous positional changes in Melbourne’s first pre-season friendly against Richmond Eagles last week. Melbourne recorded a victory on the night with Vince Lia scoring the only goal of the game.

Thompson Rejoins Melbourne Victory

2006-05-19T19:55:00.000+10:00

Melbourne Victory fans can breath a collective sigh of relief today after Archie Thompson revealed he would be returning to the club for next season.

Thompson has spent the last 6 months on loan to Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven, where he was given the opportunity to maintain his fitness levels for his participation in the World Cup. There was an option for PSV to buy the striker but they have decided not to take up this option.

Moving to Holland also gave Thompson the chance to work closely with PSV manager Guus Hiddink. The striker only made two appearances for PSV but the experience was invaluable.

“Getting the opportunity to play under the current national coach at PSV and prepare for the World Cup was an unbelievable opportunity, and I’d like to thank Melbourne Victory for allowing me to go there,” Thompson said.

“But I’ve played in Europe before and this is not the first time I’ve come back home. My family is settled here in Melbourne and the setup of the club and the support of the fans is brilliant.

“I really look forward to coming back because I know how fantastic the atmosphere is at Olympic Park. I even hear they are building a new stadium which will be amazing when it’s finished.

“I just can’t wait to go to Germany for the World Cup and give the Melbourne fans something extra to cheer about.

“I visited Victory training yesterday and all the boys are looking fit and raring to go. With the new signings coming on board I’m positive we can give the title a real shake next season.”

Thompson was a big hit in the A-League's inaugral season before leaving for Holland so he will inject some much needed attacking excitement into the Victory lineup.

Details of Melbourne Victory's two new Brazilian signings will be followed shortly.

The Cost of Christian

2006-05-17T21:14:00.000+10:00

By Greg Horgan & Simon Ainsworth

Make no bones about it: Christian Vieri would be a fantastic signing for Sydney FC. He has in the past been a world class player, better than any other we have produced, and though his star is on the wane he was still in consideration for the Italian World Cup squad until his recent injury.

As written in yesterday's article "Sydney considers Vieri to replace Yorke" in The Australian, Vieri has produced some of his best performances at World Cups in the past. However his form this season has been less than dynamic yielding only 5 goals. Nevertheless a player of his status would be an amazing coup for Sydney FC and the A-League.

An A-League leader-board in the coming seasons with the names Christian Vieri (Sydney FC) and Mark Viduka (possibly Melbourne FC in 2007/08) is a mouth-watering prospect for A-League fans and, more importantly, potential A-league fans.

Before we get ahead of ourselves a dose of realism is required before swallowing the "leak" soup prepared by Vieri's friend and restaurant owner Attilio Labbozzetta.

Sydney FC last year posted a loss of $5.5 million in their first year. This is a massive loss in a competition where the primary aim of clubs must be consolidation given the financial troubles that beset former soccer league incarnations in Australia.

The Sydney club recently fell out with Pierre Littbarksi whose contract was cancelled by mutual consent and no doubt they will struggle to afford to pay their next coach Littbarski's $700,000 p.a. To suggest then that Sydney FC can afford to spend $1.5 million pa on Vieri, $400,000 more than they currently pay Dwight Yorke, would appear to be wishful thinking even if Anthony LaPaglia decides to help fund part of his salary.

Australia's new A-League should heed the lessons of the now defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) which collapsed in 1984. The NASL signed up old, high profile foreign players on inflated salaries including Pele, Cruyff, Best and Beckenbauer. Overexpansion was a huge factor in the death of the NASL but the wages paid to players in decline was a contributing factor.

Furthermore with so many sensational signings early in their existence, Sydney FC could struggle to build a loyal fan-base who will stick with them through the bad times when their best player might have two left feet and an inability to "score in a brothel". In fact if supporter numbers dwindle, remaining Hollywood FC fans might be taunted in future years with chants of "Are you Northern Spirit in disguise?"

It would be great to see Vieri in the pale blue of Sydney FC but let us hope that it does not come at the cost of financial prudence and the long term stability of the club.

(Picture courtesy of the BBC)

Kewell Tears Groin Muscle Again

2006-05-15T05:43:00.000+10:00

Liverpool have annouced that Harry Kewell has torn his groin muscle. The Socceroo star limped out of the FA Cup final win over West Ham, just after half time on Saturday.

The 27-year-old has now been diagnosed with a tear in his groin. The Merseyside club is hopeful the 27-year-old will be playing within two to three weeks but seeing as this is the injury that kept him on the sidelines for two seasons his participation in the World Cup is still under threat.

Liverpool Football Club Head of Press Ian Cotton said: "We liaised closely with the Australian national team medical staff and their physio actually accompanied our club doctor to the scan this morning.

"That scan has shown Harry has torn one of his groin muscles. It has been agreed that Harry will receive treatment at Melwood for the next 10 days before joining up wth his international teammates in Holland. We expect him to be playing again within the next two to three weeks."

With Australia's World Cup campaign set to begin on June 12 against Japan Kewell has four weeks to be 100% fit. Guus Hiddink will give the potential match winner every opportunity to make an impact in Germany.

Milicevic Hits Out at Squad Selection

2006-05-15T00:10:00.000+10:00

Australian defender, Ljubo Milicevic has lashed out at Socceroo officials for leaving him out of the World Cup squad.

The central defender captained his Swiss club side FC Thun and played in the Champions League and UEFA Cup this season. He suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that he would have had a better chance of getting into the squad if he was playing in the A-League compared to competing against world class players in the Champions League.

"Being left out is pretty hard to swallow considering the season I've had. I had to have a laugh. I'm not that surprised, to be honest. I never had much contact from the national team and I was always pessimistic about the World Cup. My instincts were right," Milicevic said.

"I think people involved have very short memories," said the defender. "I was captain of the under-20s and captain of the Olympic team. I picked up two injuries playing for Australia. I had a horrific run of injuries playing for Australia and came back (to fitness) to captain my team in Europe but I'm obviously not good enough for Australia."

Hiddink named two defenders from the A-League, Michael Beauchamp and Mark Milligan, in his squad. Milicevic obviously feels he deserved a place in the squad over these players, taking aim at the standard of Australia's national league.

"Maybe I should move back to Australia. You seem to have a better chance of playing for Australia if you're playing in the A-League than in the Champions League against Thierry Henry. In Australia, the opponents are obviously better than Thierry Henry."

"I played Champions League, UEFA Cup and captained my team and that's not good enough? I'm sorry. People I don't know and people who I never expected to hear from say it's bullshit."

Hiddink is known to favour players that are mobile and adaptable to different positions. The physically imposing defender seems to have not ticked enough boxes however he has been placed on standby for the World Cup squad.

The World Cup was supposed to be a shopping window for potential suitors for Milicevic. His performances in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup have led to several big European clubs showing an interest in the defender. "Within a month I should know where I'm playing next season. I'm going to focus on myself and my own career."

Gerrard a True Champion

2006-05-14T05:16:00.000+10:00

Saturday’s FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham was one of the truly great finals that had spectators engrossed from start to finish. But for one man West Ham United would have been celebrating an amazing victory and that man was Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

For the neutral it was unfortunate to see West Ham lose on penalties. The only time Liverpool were the better team was from the nerve wracking penalty spot after 120 minutes of exhilarating football.

Some players ooze skill and class but a champion player is one that can pick up a side when they are dead and buried and somehow snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Gerrard is a champion.

Gerrard was immense throughout the final, his first goal was fantastic but the second which sent the game into extra time was a true gem. The inspirational skipper seemed to be down and out struggling with a leg injury in the final minutes of normal time. He briefly left the pitch, now some would have conceded and stayed on the sidelines, not Gerrard. As he run back into the action the ball rebounded towards him. As the ball approached, with the Liverpool section of Cardiff screaming “HIT IT”, Gerrard smacked the ball past the despairing Shaka Hislop to bring back scenes reminiscent of Istanbul.

Extra time was more like a battlefield with players struggling to stay on two feet due to cramp. It did have one moment of drama when West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker nearly grabbed the winner in the dying moments with a header from a free-kick. Pepe Reina though made a fabulous save to tip the ball onto the post and Marlon Harewood could not lift his badly cramped leg high enough to hammer home the rebound.

When it went to penalties the Cup engraver could have started writing Liverpool’s name into the trophy. In the end Reina was the hero saving three penalties but it was Gerrard who will be remembered for his lionhearted efforts. If England is looking for a hero to replace Wayne Rooney, look no further than Steven Gerrard.

England in Love with Warney

2006-05-13T00:29:00.000+10:00

England just cannot get enough of Australian cricket star Shane Warne. In the early days he was public enemy number 1 in England but he has risen to hero status topping it off tomorrow when he will deliver the FA Cup final ball to referee Alan Wiley in Cardiff.

Warne will travel by helicopter from London to Cardiff before handing over the ball in the centre circle of the Millennium Stadium before the FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham United.

"I'm told I'm the first Aussie in history to deliver the ball and being the 125th FA Cup it makes it even more special," Warne said in a statement.

Warne has been served everything up on a platter in the UK with his own newspaper column, A-list parties, "the inflatable middle stump", captain of County cricket side Hampshire and his own leg spin youth academy. I've worked it out though, they are trying to keep Shane from returning to Australia at the end of this year to win back the Ashes.

Nice try Poms. Tough luck our Shane's blood flows green and gold.

You will never be respected as a top cricket side when you have a butler as your spin bowler, Giles come on!

Hiddink Shoots for the Stars not the Pavement

2006-05-12T16:48:00.000+10:00

I nearly choked on my Corn Flakes this morning as I read Con Frantzeskos’ article “World Cup squad hedging its bets” on Crikey. The reasoning behind the opinion was ill informed and lacked insight.

Mr. Frantzeskos you believe that first of all the Australian World Cup squad is ‘best described as conservative’ and secondly picked under the influence of the Football Federation of Australia (FFA). You are showing a lack of knowledge and a lack of respect to Australian football.

The Socceroo squad consists of Australia’s top level players with the last few squad positions taken up by players who, Graham Arnold explained, were in very close competition with nine others. Your argument that we turn our backs on the players that got us to our first World Cup since 1972 and stack the team with youth is preposterous. If we stack a team with youth at a World Cup it will be throwing lambs to the slaughter. The World Cup is no time to experiment with youth in the hope of unearthing a gem. It is fine to name stars like Pele or Owen (I disagree that they were in relative obscurity) as examples of players who made a name for themselves at the World Cup but Australia does not have any young players of this ilk. Please name someone who you think could, as you say, ‘explode into international prominence’.

Your point that the FFA had influence on squad selection is insane. A coach of Guus Hiddink’s stature would never be undermined and have his employers influence team or squad selection. Unlike your opinions there is reason to Hiddink’s selections. The Dutch maestro already knows his starting XI and for the majority of the tournament, barring injuries, it will be quite settled. The players picked will be smart and flexible, able to switch tactics and positions if required.

Your negative attitude of ‘if Australia can't win the World Cup, then it should be aiming to blood the World Cup stars of tomorrow’ astounds me. Australia winning the World Cup is a long shot however putting in our best performance each mate and seeing how far we can go has to be our aim. Luckily the squad does not share your feelings and have a quiet confidence about what stage they can get to. A successful Cup run will be of greater benefit to the future of Australian football compared to ‘grooming the next generation of Aussie Socceroo stars’. Seeing 11 young Australians get smashed by Brazil in front of a worldwide audience will do nothing to inspire young Australian soccer players. Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka are players the youngsters can identify with, not unknowns.

You have the right intention to see Australia develop a new generation of soccer stars as our current crop of internationals are ageing. However, there are established tournaments like the U/17 and U/20 World Youth Championships and the U/23 Olympic Games to develop the young talent on the international stage. Just ask Mark Milligan and he will tell you that representing Australia at two U/20 World Youth Championships was the best learning platform to prepare him for the challenge of a World Cup.

Everyone has different levels of optimism but I believe we should all get behind Guus Hiddink and the Socceroos and give them the best support possible for the joy ride that is going to begin on June 12. Come on Aussies!

McLaren On a Wing and a Prayer

2006-05-12T00:28:00.000+10:00

Middlesbrough’s loss to Sevilla in the UEFA Cup final last night gave us all a better view of the new England manager, Steve McLaren.

The FA giving McLaren the England post was like Schumacher tossing his Ferrari keys to a Formula 3 test driver. He has some good form behind him as a coach but as an international manager he is not ready.

What has McLaren actually done? He has won one trophy, the League Cup. Don’t try and say he was the mastermind behind Manchester United’s treble or else you will have Sir Alex to answer to. McLaren guided Middlesbrough to this season’s UEFA Cup Final on a wing and a prayer. It was the stuff of fairytales with dramatic victories over FC Basle and Steau Bucharest in the quarter and semi finals respectively. However it was a nightmare finish in the final with Middlesbrough beaten 4-0. The score line was harsh on Boro with 3 late goals however they were outplayed all night.

McLaren’s answer to getting Boro out of trouble against Basle and Bucharest was to send on 4 strikers. Was it tactical genius or plain luck that Massimo Maccarone, the fourth striker, bobbed up on both occasions to score the winners? What did Steve, the one trick pony, do last night when the game was slipping away from Boro? He put four strikers on the pitch when they were getting belted in midfield and Sevilla scored 3 goals in the last 12 minutes.

You can see where this is leading. I’ll paint you a picture. It is the World Cup semi-final, England vs. Brazil. Brazil has gone 1 goal up through Ronaldinho and time is running out. Sven leans over to Steve and says “What do we do???”
McLaren replies, “I have an idea, send on Walcott to join Owen and Crouch up front and push Joe Cole further forward.”
Sven, “Done!”
England get belted 4-0 ending Sven's tenure, as he passes the reins onto a man unqualified for the job (the Middlesbrough captain, Gareth Southgate, even says so).

McLaren is a very good coach as he can develop players and teach them the game. He has left Middlesbrough in good shape by developing the youth system which will provide a solid foundation for the future of this club. Unfortunately for England fans an international coach requires solid tactics and man-management skills, McLaren lacks these attributes. Time will tell if he can make the step up but my humble opinion is the FA should have just skipped the interviews and given it to Guus Hiddink.

Josh Kennedy: Player Profile

2006-05-11T21:35:00.000+10:00

Don't expect the young man with the biblical appearance to work miracles in Germany but he will offer our attack a different option. The 23-year-old, is 6ft 4inches tall, plays for Bundesliga 2 (German 2nd division) club Dynamo Dresden but after the World Cup he will move to German top-flight club Nurnberg.

Kennedy represented Australia at under-17 and under-20 level before heading overseas to play professionally in Germany.

At the age of 18 he became the youngest Australian to play in Germany's top flight.
He spent a couple of years on loan in lower divisions, then returned to the top flight in 2003-04 where he wasn't given much of a chance. He was then signed by second division Dynamo Dresden where he has become a first team regular.

Kennedy has scored 7 goals in 25 games this season with 4 assists. Not overly impressive figures but he has been playing for a club that is struggling. Nurnberg have seen enough talent in the young striker to sign him.

"Josh adds something totally different to what we have got - if you look at the (Mark) Viduka's and (John) Aloisi's they are both very good with their back to goal," Arnold said.

"(But) Kennedy gives us a totally different option that if we want to change our style of play, we can...instead of having three or four of the same options."

Kennedy's manager, John Grimaud, also believes he offers the Socceroos something different in attack.

"He offers a point of difference for the Australian team," said Grimaud.

"People often say players like Mark Viduka are strong in the air, but I can tell you none of them are a patch on Josh. He's a great header of the ball. He brings something different."

"If the Socceroos are struggling, if they run out of ideas, they could do worse than just knock long balls up to Josh."

I guess what they are all trying to say is, Kennedy is Australia's answer to Peter Crouch.

Here is a song the Aussie fans could sing about Kennedy at the World Cup, to the tune of Kanye West "Jesus Walks".

(Joshua Walks)
Guus show me the way because the defense try to break me down
(Joshua Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now
(Joshua Walks)
And I don't think there's nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Joshua Walks)
I wanna to talk to Guus but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long
(Joshua Walks with me with me with me)...

The Dutch Magician Pulls Few Surprises Out Of His Hat

2006-05-10T22:07:00.000+10:00

Australia’s 23 man squad for the World Cup in Germany was announced today. Hiddink’s squad consists mainly of experienced campaigners with no major surprises. The World Cup bolter was the inclusion of German based striker Josh Kennedy along with Mark Milligan, the versatile Sydney FC defender, as the other uncapped rookie.

Australia's 2006 World Cup Squad is:

Goalkeepers: Ante Covic (Hammarby, Sweden), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan, Italy), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England)

Defenders: Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast Mariners), Stan Lazaridis (uncontracted), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC), Craig Moore (Newcastle United, England), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers, England), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace, England)

Midfielders: Marco Bresciano (Parma, Italy), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel, Switzerland), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Vince Grella (Parma, Italy), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Josip Skoko (Stoke City, England), Mile Sterjovski (FC Basel, Switzerland), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol, England)

Forwards: John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Josh Kennedy (Dynamo Dresden, Germany), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, England).

Hiddink announced that he had made up his mind on the majority of the squad but the last 3 positions were up for grabs right down to the last minute.

"We had to think - Graham Arnold, Johan Neeskens and me - about two or three positions who were open still until the last date," Hiddink said.

"It was not a guarantee which I told the players in Holland when we started preparing before the Uruguay games, that it is not a fixed selection. In the end we managed to bring in some young players as well for the number 20-23 positions."

"Of course we have in our heads the basic positions of the team. Of course we can be flexible and we will work on that regarding our opponents. Sometimes it's good to play with four strikers, sometimes it is good during a game to play with two strikers so we will work on that but basically the format is fixed."

On announcing the squad via video linkup the Dutch maestro announced that Australia was in no way going to Germany just to make up the 32 teams.

"We're happy to be there, of course, but this team is not just going to be participating," the Dutchman said in broken English.

"This team wants to go to a surprise and make the second round of the competition. But we have a tough group.

"Japan is a good team, with many European based players. Brazil - everyone knows about Brazil. Brazil will be a special game, and Croatia is tough because of the links between them and Australia."

Australia begins its World Cup campaign on June 12 against Japan in Kaiserslautern before taking on World Champions Brazil on June 18 in Munich.
The Socceroos finish the group stage against Croatia on June 22 in Stuttgart.

The Socceroos will play 3 warm up matches in preparation for Germany. European champion Greece will be the first opponent in Melbourne on May 25, before the Socceroos travel to Rotterdam to play Hiddink’s home nation Holland on June 4. Finally they take on minnows Liechtenstein in Germany on June 7.

Look out for more to follow on The Soccer Squirrel as we preview some of the lesser lights that made the Socceroos World Cup squad.

Australia's Possible World Cup Squad

2006-05-10T10:10:00.000+10:00

Guus Hiddink names the Australian World Cup squad today. The Soccer Squirrel assesses the contenders from the definites to the outside bets.

Australia’s World Cup squad which will be announced at 11 am this morning is believed to be mostly made up of the 23 players that participated in the two legs against Uruguay in November.

The best starting XI only has one query and that is Tim Cahill. The Everton midfielder is still struggling with a knee injury and it will be a race against time to see if he is available for the first match against Japan on June 12. Cahill will be included in the squad as Australia will take 3 standby players to Germany in case of injury.

Hiddink has been known to gamble on youth – especially in big games – however it looks likely only Michael Beauchamp, Brett Holman and Mark Milligan will be the youth included that did not make it to Uruguay. Milligan and Beauchamp, the two candidates from the A-League, will provide backup in defence. Holman is a creative midfielder who could be a replacement for Cahill if the injured star does not recover.

Craig Moore is a welcome re-inclusion into the squad after battling his way back from a series of injuries that blighted his season. The solid defender has been a rock in recent games with his club Newcastle United only conceding 4 goals in his last 7 games.

There will be few surprises in midfield and attack as the proven stars of Australia have been in dominating form for their respective clubs. Kewell and Viduka, arguably our two best players, have been hitting peak form at the right time of the season. Both will play in Cup finals as their final club games for the season before participating in the World Cup. Viduka will be leading the attack for Middlesbrough in the UEFA Cup final on Wednesday whilst Kewell will line-up on his left wing for Liverpool in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Let’s hope this is not the last Cup final that our stars feature in this year…

POSSIBLE AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP SQUAD

Definites: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan, Italy), Craig Moore (Newcastle United, England), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers, England), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace, England), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Vince Grella (Parma, Italy), Marco Bresciano (Parma, Italy), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel, Switzerland), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, England), John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Archie Thompson (PSV Eindhoven, Holland), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England).

Probables: Ante Covic (Hammarby, Sweden), Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast Mariners), Stan Lazaridis (uncontracted), Ljubo Milicevic (FC Thun, Switzerland), Josip Skoko (Stoke City, England), Brett Holman (Excelsior, Netherlands), Ahmad Elrich (Fulham, England), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol City, England).

Possibles: Mark Milligan (Sydney FC), Mile Sterjovski (FC Basel, Switzerland), Joel Griffiths (Leeds United, England), Michael Thwaite (National Bucharest, Romania), Jon McKain (Politehnica Timisoara, Romania), Neil Kilkenny (Birmingham City, England).

Outside Bets: Brad Jones (Middlesbrough, England), Josh Kennedy (Dynamo Dresden, Germany), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England).

Tony Vidmar Out of the World Cup

2006-05-10T02:03:00.000+10:00

Socceroo hero Tony 'Dry Your Eyes Mate' Vidmar has ruled himself out of contention for the World Cup due to an irregular heart beat.

Vidmar is going to return to Australia to have further tests and to determine if he can continue his playing career.

In 2001 Vidmar walked from the Centenario Stadium in Uruguay with tears streaming down his face after failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, thinking that was his last chance to participate in a World Cup. It wasn't to be. The no nonsense defender triumphantly played in both matches against Uruguay to help Australia qualify for the 2006 World Cup, even smashing in a goal in the penalty shootout. The injury is a knockout blow but Vidmar has put on a brave face masking the devastation that must be going on inside. In 2001 Australia shared Vidmar’s tears; in 2006 we share his pain.

"It's something that has come as a real shock but due to the seriousness of the situation I had no other choice in the interests of my own health and the team that I withdraw from being considered for the World Cup squad," said Vidmar.

"When I return to Australia I'll have some further examinations and once I have that information I'll decide if I will play on but in the short term it would be too much of a risk."

"Of course I would love to play in the World Cup, it's been a dream of mine and I have been in four campaigns but until I am fully aware of my health situation I can't risk playing."

"Though I won't be on the field with my team mates I'll be joining the rest of Australia in giving them my full support."

Tony from The Soccer Squirrel hear hear on your fantastic Socceroo career. The rest of Australia will never forget the contribution you made to get the Socceroos to Germany.

You Heard It Here First, AGAIN!

2006-05-09T20:43:00.000+10:00

The Soccer Squirrel has once again been at the forefront of Australian Soccer coverage. Contributor Greg Horgan didn't need to speak to Mark Viduka to know that the striker had a substantial impact on Middlesbrough reaching the UEFA Cup final, he saw it in his eyes at the start of the 2nd half as written in, “Viduka Watch: Middlesbroughs Triumph”. As was revealed in the Guardian's article, “Viduka finds his voice and his form to keep the dream alive” the Australian captain inspired the team to victory against Steaua Bucharest with a motivational half time speech. Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng claimed the speech was "one of the most inspiring things" he has ever heard. We will never know exactly what Mark "Braveheart" Viduka said but let's hope he can use some words to similiar effect before the Socceroos take on the Brazilians on June 18th.

Soccer Betting Preview 5/5/2006

2006-05-05T23:59:00.000+10:00

We have come to the last round of the Premiership season, usually the most nerve wracking. However with all 3 relegation spots taken there will be no teams playing for their Premiership lives until the last minute of injury time. There is the coveted 4th place up for grabs which qualifies either Tottenham or Arsenal to next season's Champions League. All will be in vain for Spurs if the Gunners go on to beat Barcelona in this years Champions League final as this will effectively knock Tottenham out of the running due to a technicality.

This week's betting fixtures look easy on the eye. With some teams season over mentally it is easy, in theory, to predict what will happen. The age old saying of 'nothing is certain except for death and taxes' rings true on the final day.

So here are my tips for this weekend:

Latest Soccer Odds from William Hill

I'll start with my banker which has been making all the happy punters on The Soccer Squirrel a few extra shekels for the weekend - Bolton to smash Birmingham 3-0 (8/15)
Arsenal to beat Wigan 3-1 in the last ever game at Highbury (1/5)
Villa to play out a scoreless draw with Sunderland (wake me up when this games finished) (5/2)
Blackburn to end the season on a high against Man City 2-0 (8/13)
Fulham to knock off Middlesbrough who's focus is on the UEFA Cup 3-0 (4/6)
Man Utd to clinch 2nd spot beating Charlton 3-0 (2/9)
Newcastle and Chelsea to play out a draw (11/4)
Liverpool to continue their good run of form beating Portsmouth 2-1 (4/6)
Finally Tottenham to secure 4th spot by beating FA Cup finalists West Ham 2-1 (8/11)

There is some money to be made on these tips. Click here to place your bets. Happy punting!

Viduka Watch: Middlesbrough's Triumph

2006-04-29T01:56:00.000+10:00

Last night I watched one of the most amazing games of football I have seen for a long time: Middlesbrough vs. Steau Bucharest in the Uefa Cup semi-final. Middlesbrough lost 1-0 in the first leg, yet in the first 25 minutes they conceded a further 2 goals. The Teesiders were 3-0 down on aggregate and needing to score at least 4 goals to go through to the final. As history now attests, Middlesbrough scored the four necessary goals, but reading match reports doesn't capture the true thrill of this game.

Middlesbrough had a match winner for each of the four goals: Maccarone, Downing, Boateng and Australia’s very own Mark Viduka.

Boateng controlled the midfield from the 25th minute. Maccarone provided two goals and was always dangerous on the right wing while Downing played a huge hand in the last three of Middlesbrough's goals.

Maccarone may have grabbed the headlines but what caught this Australian's eye was the huge part Viduka played in this amazing comeback. For the first 25 minutes Boro were dreadful and the front two of Hasselbaink and Viduka received terrible service. Without exaggeration, the upset yet determined look in Viduka's eyes at the restart following the second goal was enough to remind one that there was still 70 minutes of football to play.

For the next 70 minutes, Mark Viduka played one of the best centre-forward's games this observer has ever seen. Yakubu and Hasselbaink may have scored more goals than our Mark this season but as their recent results show, he is the focal point up forward for this team. His superb holding-up of the ball and simple passes brought the wide players into the game and allowed Boro to launch attacks from deep within their opponents half.

Viduka's goal was courageous. Earlier crosses had come into the box but had been directed at Hasselbaink- he is not a barging physical presence like our Dukes - and the Steau keeper collected easily. When an inviting cross did come Viduka's way the keeper had no such ease. He ran straight at the ball and contested, at some point finding the presence of mind to direct the ball into the net. Game on! It was 2-3 on aggregate with 25 minutes to play. Two more goals were required.

The game reached its unexpected conclusion, Middlesbrough 4 - Steau Bucharest 3, and the party started in the North East of England. Viduka didn't score again but his performance reminded this doubting Thomas how important a strong centre-forward is to a team (without the flair of Brazilians) to building attacks and maintaining pressure on the opposition.

I'm sure Viduka would rate his performance as high as his 4 goals for Leeds against Liverpool years ago. He worked hard for the team and is now in a European Cup Final. His value to the Australian team cannot be doubted. I certainly hope that from the kick-off against Japan that same steely look is in the eyes of our potentially devastating number 9.

A World Cup bolter?

2006-04-28T19:09:00.000+10:00

Neil Kilkenny, the Birmingham City midfielder, could be a shock call-up to Australia's World Cup squad. Born in Enfield, England but raised in Brisbane, Australia, the Socceroos officials have only recently discovered the 20 year old has an Australian passport.

With a name like Kilkenny it is no surprise the 20 year old is eligible to play for both Ireland and England. He has already represented both countries at youth level, but none of his caps have so far come in competitive games and so he is eligible to switch.

Australian assistant coach Graham Arnold has confirmed that Guus Hiddink will decide whether Kilkenny pulls on the green and gold shirt.

"I've spoken to his dad and I've spoken to Neil and they're both very, very keen," Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold said.

"There’s no guarantee but we're putting together a DVD to show Guus Hiddink and see what he thinks."

Kilkenny, a goal scoring midfielder, moved to Birmingham City from Arsenal's highly rated Academy and manager Steve Bruce believes he is a player of great quality and he remains an exciting new talent.

It was Socceroo veteran and Birmingham team-mate, Stan Lazaridis, who stumbled upon Kilkenny's eligibility.

"It was a chance conversation, really, because I never really knew his background until a couple of months ago," Lazaridis explained.

"But when I met his parents they told me how Neil had been brought up in Brisbane, they told me he had an Aussie passport, so I made a couple of calls back home to let people know.

"It's a bit of good news, really. He's a real footballer, and he can be a big part of the next generation, definitely. I mean, he wants to play for Australia, so what have we got to lose?"

Houllier tipped to take over from Hiddink

2006-04-28T02:25:00.000+10:00

As The Soccer Squirrel revealed first Gerrard Houllier is being strongly linked to replace Guus Hiddink who is stepping down after the 2006 World Cup in order to coach the Russian national side.

The Soccer Squirrel first nominated Houllier as the man to replace Hiddink on April 11th, “Hou is the perfect man for the Australia job?” days before the top selling Australian newspapers linked him to the job. The story is gaining momentum in Europe as Houllier has one year left on his contract at Lyon and it is unknown if he will be offered anything longer.

Houllier has just guided Lyon to their second successive championship in the French Championnat. Lyon also made it to the quarter finals of the Champions League this season before being knocked out by Italian side AC Milan.

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy has been sounding out possible candidates and sources close to Lowy claim Houllier is top of his wanted list.

“You know what I think. We are looking for an internationally renowned coach,” Lowy told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We are making tentative inquiries, and some inquiries have been made of us. I expect at the completion of the World Cup competition we will make an announcement. I would hope so.

“We can't have a coach who doesn't come to Australia, because there's a lot more to the game than just coming here for the competitive matches. He must impart his knowledge, and experience.”

Lowy also poured cold water on the chances of current assistant coaches Graham Arnold and Johan Neeskens taking over from Hiddink.

“They are a good combination - Graham Arnold has been with the team for a long time, and Neeskens is a well-qualified coach with considerable experience,” added Lowy.

“But we are looking for somebody with international experience to take the Socceroos to a much higher level than they are now.”

Socceroo Player Preview: Tim Cahill

2006-04-27T07:18:00.000+10:00

Socceroo midfielder Tim Cahill's World Cup chances are hanging by a thread after his club Everton revealed that he has suffered knee ligament damage and will be out of action for 6 weeks. The 26 year old was injured in Everton's 0-0 draw with Birmingham on Saturday.

Cahill had a slow start to his second season in the Premiership, his form mirroring that of his club. When Cahill started chiming in with goals the Toffees began their climb up the table. In his first season in the Premiership Cahill scored 11 league goals on the way to helping Everton finish 4th and qualify for the Champions League. In 32 appearances this season the heart on his sleeve Aussie has scored 6 league goals.

If Cahill was to miss out on a place in the World Cup squad it will be a huge loss for Australia as the goal scoring midfielder is a big game player. His most notable big game performance was when he scored the winner for Millwall in the FA Cup semi-final in 2004.

Hiddink will most likely give Cahill the benefit of the doubt and take him to Germany but without a solid preparation Cahill is going to be a risk.

The Socceroos open their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 12 before playing Brazil on June 18 and finishing the group matches against Croatia on June 22.

Tottenham's Controversial Goal. The Football Flog's Opinion

2006-04-25T23:29:00.000+10:00

The following email was received this morning:

Dear Mr. Flog,

Do you think that Tottenham's goal against Arsenal on the weekend was unfair? Should they have played the ball out when the two Arsenal players collided and stayed down injured?

Regards,
Jason Croal

The Football Flog responds:

Dear Jason,

Many times I have been on the wrong-end of controversial refereeing decisions and I'm glad you asked this question. Putting the ball out of play is a contentious issue in football these days particularly with players' desire to waste time or thwart the opposition's attack by feigning injury.

Recently I was involved in a very similar incident during an impromptu Father-Son football game at my (illegitimate) 5 year-old son's primary school picnic.

It all started when a 6 year-old boy refused to put the ball out when a particularly vicious tackle from an over-zealous 5 year-old forced me to hit the ground and wait for treatment. The young lad (who was clearly offside anyway) then fouled his way through our defence to score his side's first goal. It ruined our clean-sheet and though we were still seven goals ahead, our otherwise strong defence (consisting of my 24 year-old brother and his 3 friends) were heart-broken as this would be our first clean sheet since we removed the bell from the ball when we played the Blind Association Football Team.

An unhelpful toddler posing as a physio offered me some fairy-bread to aid my recovery but the anger raised inside of me by the cheating goal-scorer effectively numbed the excruciating pain inflicted by the little 5 year-old (now crying) assasin. I proceeded to do the only thing a responsible father-of-a-boy-in-the-same-class-as-the-cheating-swine could do. I sent both the reckless tackler and the offside goalscorer off the pitch and banned them (and indeed their fathers by association) from primary school picnics for the next 5 years. Lesson learnt.

In answer Jason, in my view the goal was unfair and ball should have been played out however Arsene Wenger should not have let emotion over-rule his common sense when he spoke to the press and branded Tottenham cheats and liars. Rather than getting angry he should have ignored the pain, accepted the injustice and then reacted with common sense and dignity, just as I had done.

Thanks for your question,

FF

Socceroo Injury Update 24/4/2006

2006-04-25T06:11:00.000+10:00

Australian soccer fans breathed a collective sigh of relief today when it was announced that Harry Kewell's participation in the FA Cup Final and the World Cup finals was not under threat. Kewell strained an adductor muscle in his right thigh in the second half of Saturday's game with Chelsea. He will miss Liverpool's Premiership match against FA Cup final opponents West Ham United on Wednesday.

The news was not so good for Australia's heroic goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, who is likely to miss the rest of Middlesbrough's season. Schwarzer fractured his cheekbone in a clash with Dean Ashton in the FA Cup semi-final against West Ham on Sunday. It is not all bad news as Middlesbrough's Head of Medical Grant Downie says, "Mark is likely to miss the rest of Middlesbrough's season but should be okay for the World Cup."

Australia's World Cup squad is named on May 15.

Socceroo Player Preview: Harry Kewell

2006-04-24T06:51:00.000+10:00

Harry Kewell's form in 2005/2006 season just keeps getting better. Kewell is set to become the fourth Australian player - after Tim Cahill for Millwall, Liverpool's Craig Johnston and Preston's Joe Marston - to play in an FA Cup final. Kewell was one of the best afield in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea before he went off after 78 minutes with a groin injury. The injury, if serious, is a major setback before the World Cup finals as Kewell's 2004/2005 season was ruined by groin problems.

The attacking left sided midfielder has been a key contributor to Liverpool, having made a run of 27 consecutive appearances for the Merseysiders. Kewell admits though that he must score more goals to get to the level he knows he can achieve. So far this season he has scored 3 goals and made 4 assists.

"If I want to repay the manager, then I have to start scoring more goals for him and for the team," Kewell told Liverpoolfc.tv

"I want to do the things I know I'm capable of doing. That what is driving me on."

Watch the Soccer Squirrel at Arsenal

2006-04-21T21:41:00.000+10:00

Go here to watch the Soccer Squirrel have a run on the Highbury pitch in the Arsenal game against Villareal.

Soccer Betting Preview 21/4/2006

2006-04-21T08:08:00.000+10:00

It is coming down to the business end of the soccer season in Europe. This weekend there are teams coming off the back of European fixtures whilst others are preparing for FA Cup semi-finals. Add to that an almighty relegation scrap and we have ourselves a tasty weekend of football. Enough chatting Gez-nuts let's get down to business. To my good friend Harry Omless who is so dumb he thinks manual labour is a Spanish poet these are for you:

I'm advising to place bets on four matches on Saturday. My banker is Bolton to defeat Charlton, you can put a sizeable stake on the Trotters. Here are the tips:

Latest Soccer Odds from William Hill

Chelsea to defeat Liverpool again this season (11/10)
Newcastle to smash West Bromich Albion (4/6)
Portsmouth to beat Sunderland at home (2/5)
Bolton too good for Charlton (10/11)

Placed as an accumulator these odds will add up to a return of $9.35 for a $1 stake. To place your bets on these games click here

Socceroo Player Preview: Mark Viduka

2006-04-21T07:11:00.000+10:00

It was not looking good at the start of 2006 for Mark Viduka. The Australian captain was struggling to get a regular game for his club Middlesbrough and when he did play he was not doing what he loves to do, score goals. Whilst Viduka was sitting on the bench John Aloisi, Australia's second striker, was helping himself to a bag full of goals for Alaves in the Spanish La Liga. Some columnists were calling for Aloisi to lead the line for the Socceroos in Germany. That has all changed since the V-Bomber started a golden run of goals against Birmingham in March. Viduka has forced his way into the starting lineup and has now scored a credible 15 goals for the season - 7 of those coming in his last 11 games.

The loveable Melbourne lad has one year left on his contract after this season. Recently he has been touted as a summer transfer target for Newcastle and Everton. Both clubs require a classy hitman and after a successful World Cup campaign the moneymen may just come knocking on Viduka's door.

Viduka took no part in Middlesbrough's 1-0 loss to Steaua Bucharest on Thursday due to a minor thigh complaint. It is not believed to be serious and he should be fit for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final match against West Ham. Amazingly Viduka could play in 3 cup finals this season - the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and of course the World Cup. See how quickly a situation can change in football, just ask Duks.

Socceroo World Cup Player Preview

2006-04-21T06:46:00.000+10:00

Between now and when the Socceroo World Cup squad is announced The Soccer Squirrel will be previewing the players that will and possibly could feature for the green and gold in Germany. The previews will inform you of how the players are performing for their clubs and what role they will play in the tournament. We will start with the key figures that will be involved in the squad and work our way through to the fringe players. Today we start with the current captain, Mark Viduka.

Squirrel the Streaker!

2006-04-21T01:07:00.000+10:00

Last night was the last time that Arsenal will play a European game at Highbury. It was the semi-final of the Champions League, a huge game with the soccer world watching. Luckily I was able to attend the game. The game was hyped up in the media but overall it was a disappointment. So what better way to liven it up than take off the threads, go for a streak and direct the millions watching to the best soccer site in the world, The Soccer Squirrel. Here are some pictures taken of me during my time on the field at Highbury.

Hou is the perfect man for the Australia job?

2006-04-12T01:47:00.000+10:00

So the inevitable has become official, Guus Hiddink will leave his position as manager of the Socceroos after this years' World Cup. I would suggest that everyone who follows the Socceroos knew deep down that our love affair with Guus would be brief. However he will always have a place in our hearts for breaking the 32 year hoodoo and giving the best ever crop of Australian players the chance to play at the World Cup.

We will never forget him if he gets us to the second round, and if he gets us beyond the second round...then I look forward to watching Guus Smith, Guus Vadic and Hi Dink Wong coming through the Australian youth ranks in a few years' time. That said it's probably going to happen anyway.

So who will the next Australian coach be?

Graham Arnold? Dick Advocaat? (I think I heard Craig Foster screaming out "Ray Bartz, Ray Bartz" but I can't sure).

At the moment we can only predict that unless Graham Arnold steps into the role, the job will not go to an Australian. With only one Australian coach in the A-League, in its inaugural year, there is little chance that there is an Australian qualified to do the job - and Australia doesn't want to stagnate again as it did under the management of Frank Farina.

If Arnold doesn't get the job, and I personally don't believe he has enough experience, then the Soccer Squirrel predicts an Australian coach won't take charge of the national team until at least after the 2010 World Cup.

The best candidate is obviously someone who has a lot of experience but we would specifically be looking for a coach with experience in developing players. The FFA has already indicated they are looking for someone who can commit to the role full-time. It would be great to have a coach who will get their hands dirty and try and implement the recommendations of Aime Jacquet at the grass roots level. Essentially the man for the job would be a Football Director who can coach.

The Soccer Squirrel would love to see money thrown the way of Gerard Houllier. Houllier was the Technical Director at the French Football Academy in Clairfontaine until 1998 when France won the World Cup.

A pipe dream?

A number of years ago Houllier was linked to a similar Technical Director role for Australia, so perhaps now the time is right. And let’s not forget that we managed to get Guus so there is no reason we can't get someone of a similar standing to head the next stage of Australia’s football development.

*********************************************************
Over the next few months at the Soccer Squirrel we will be looking at the possible candidates and possibly even throw one of two chief contributors' hats into the ring. (Simon and Greg have vast managerial experience on Championship Manager).

As always your comments, thoughts and suggestions are welcome in the comments below. Or email us at ozsoccersquirrel@yahoo.com

Australia searching for a full-time coach

2006-04-11T19:59:00.000+10:00

The hottest topic in the football world has finally been resolved with Guus Hiddink, the Australian national coach, announcing that he will coach the Russian National side after the 2006 World Cup.

Hiddink meanwhile was pleased to get the decision out of the way after all the recent media attention that had him linked with the vacant England, South Africa, Real Madrid and Russian positions.

“I'm glad that this is off my chest now,” said Hiddink. “If all the final details in my private life are settled as planned the deal will be sealed.”

“I have been to Russia already to look at things and I already know that it will be fun to work there. They have some young players with a great future, as far as I can tell now.”

“I will live in Amsterdam and fly to Russia whenever it's needed.”

“That could be for a period of several weeks or just for a few days.”

Hiddink also admitted that he had spoken with Abramovich about the job.

“Of course I spoke in the past with the Russians at Chelsea already,” he said.

“I spoke with Abramovich, who wants to help lift the Russian national team to a higher level.”

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has indicated that they hope to appoint a full-time coach to replace Hiddink who is combining the role with coaching Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.

FFA, Head of High Performance Mr John Boultbee, said that Hiddink’s preference was to stay in Europe and this would not suit the FFA’s long term plans of appointing a full time coach.

“Guus informed us some time ago that he was looking at several offers for after the World Cup,” said Boultbee. “In terms of full time involvement he had a very strong preference to continue to live in Europe and full time involvement with Australia would mean spending longer periods away from Europe than he preferred.”

“So we have known for some time that it was not going to work after the World Cup and have put steps in place for the future - not an easy task.”

The FFA, which has not ruled out hiring an Australian, said it would be happy for assistant coach Graham Arnold to coach the team in their opening Asian Cup qualifiers if a suitable replacement had not already been lined up.

“The local candidates are led by the people we've got working for us at the moment, Graham Arnold,” Boultbee said.

“We're in a very good situation in that it will be seamless when Guus leaves with Graham Arnold and Johann Neeskens ready to take our teams to the Asian Cup if we haven't totally completed the task of naming a new coach.”

“We are absolutely confident that we will be able to attract a coach of a very good calibre,” he said.

A strong performance by the Socceroo’s at the World Cup, which is the biggest shop window for players and coaches, will go a long way to attracting a coach of the highest calibre.

Premiership Betting Preview 7/4/2006

2006-04-07T22:57:00.000+10:00

I'd like to introduce myself as I am a new contributor to The Soccer Squirrel blog, my name is Gerry the Gambler. You will get to know me over the coming few weeks but right now it's time to get down to business. I'll be providing my expert betting tips for all you punters out there on this weekend's Premiership fixtures.

This weekend's games are very hard to call as they always are after midweek European games. There is also the added difficulty of teams fighting against being relegated. But you have come to the right place as I'm a betting man and I've done quite well for myself (how do you think I could afford this hat).

My banker (that is call the banker, re-mortgage the house and put it all on) is Liverpool to beat Bolton on Sunday. The Reds cannot stop scoring and Bolton's form has dipped at the wrong time of the season.
My Iraqi (don't even think of going near it) would be Charlton vs Everton. Charlton have an FA Cup replay coming up and Everton's recent away form has been poor. It looks like a draw but I'm going to pass on this one.

So here are my tips:
Portsmouth to overcome Blackburn at home (8/5)
Sunderland and Fulham to play out a draw (9/4)
Wigan to draw with the luckless Birmingham (12/5)
Aston Villa to defeat West Brom at home (Evens)
Chelsea to beat West Ham in the London derby (2/7)
Liverpool to beat Bolton (1/2)
Arsenal and Man Utd who both need a win to play out an exciting draw (11/5)

I would advise on leaving alone Middlesbrough v Newcaslte, Tottenham v Man. City and Charlton v Everton.

If you want an exciting bet, place a sixfold from 7 which will cost you $7 for a $1 stake and you will stand to win $1150.

I'll be back on Monday to see how my tips went. Until then happy punting.

Football Flog Q&A 1st Edition

2006-04-06T05:09:00.000+10:00

I wasn't surprised to log into my email and find my inbox with 1218 new emails. After deleting all the emails from ex-girlfriends and admirers I came across a few questions which I have posted answers to.

James from Kew, Victoria wrote:
"I want the rumours to be confirmed. As soon as I saw that photo of the Football Flog I was certain it could mean only one thing, and since speaking to fellow soccersquirrel subscribers they have asked the same question...that glare...that stubble...? Is the Football Flog Chuck Norris' love child? The public wants answers."

Yes James, there are also 100 amazing facts about me that basically revolve around my large appendage, seducing skills and ability to roundhouse kick (in my case goals).

Carl from Werriwa, New South Wales wrote:
"I would be interested in your opinion regarding the best football league inthe world. Is it the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga? Are there any others in this class? Which league is the best in your opinion? What do you think of the local Australian leagues? I have no doubt that you will have absolutely no ability whatsoever to answer this."

Well Carl can I firstly just say that I am not surprised that you had time to sit down at a computer, probably stolen, and send me this question - go out and get a job you bum.

In answer to your question, at the moment I think the Spanish league is the best to watch, the English has the best depth and the Italian has the best footballers wives.

Locally I rate the Victorian Provisional League South-East Division 1 definitely on par with at least Divizia C in Romania where I played for Aversa Bucureşti. I spent some time in Romania on loan from my Scottish club, East Fife. My agent thought it was a good idea to get out of Scotland after I scored three spectacular own goals, one a chip from the halfway line, in a relegation scrap match with East Stirling. I was also having an affair with the captain's wife...and his sister.

Introducing the Football Flog

2006-04-04T05:23:00.000+10:00

Hi, my name is the Football Flog and I am a new contributor to the Soccer Squirrel Blog.

I have only recently become interested in soccer in Australia again because apparently Guus Hiddink is a distant relation of mine.

I was extremely good at soccer in my youth however my burgeoning International career was cut short by a nasty bedroom injury. What can I say, I love the ladies and the ladies love me.

I will be answering any questions that you may have. The best questions and responses will be posted on the blog. I can be contacted at footballflog@yahoo.com.au

Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Aussies in action in the UEFA Cup

2006-04-01T03:01:00.000+11:00

After watching Arsenal dismantle Juventus in the Champions League earlier this week with a style that can only be described as beautiful, it was with great anticipation last night that I switched on to Europe's second tier competition, the UEFA Cup, to watch the Australian players, at both Middlesbrough and FC Basle, similarly dazzle. As I should have known, the standard is a fair bit lower, however there were some good performances amongst the Australian contingent.
On the park for Boro were Mark Schwarzer in goal, Viduka up front and Brad Jones on the bench. For FC Basle sometime striker Mile Sterjovski started on the left of midfield while everyone's favourite bus driver, Scott Chipperfield, and former Perth Glory starlet, and now Serbia International, Ivan Ergic, warmed the bench.

Mark Schwarzer: 3/10
Schwarzer looked comfortable early on, easily dealing with 3 goal-bound efforts in the first 40 minutes. All were simple saves but the Socceroo penalty hero was the victim of an extremely cruel bounce in the 43rd minute which resulted in the first Basel goal. Seeing as his central defender, Chris Riggott, had ducked under the ambitious long range effort by Delgado, Schwarzer would have only seen the ball late and he dived towards where anyone other than Bruce Grobbelaar would have gone. Instead the shot dipped and bounced uncharacteristically high off the slippery turf and into the back of the net. Poor Schwarz.

He could hope for no sympathy two minutes later though, when a through ball down the right hand channel caught the Boro defence off guard and Schwarzer went to ground far too early, anticipating a shot across goal, rather than protecting his near post - which is, of course, where the ball ended up. A bad error.

The rest of his game was solid but if anything the two quick goals to Basel indicate how quickly a game can change and how a slice of bad luck can seriously affect the confidence of a player.

Viduka: 5/10
Mark Viduka is in a rich vein of form at the moment and is keeping Boro top scorer Yakubu out of the starting line-up. He started brightly enough but in the slippery conditions the service to the big man was not great and his greatest contributions for the half were a few nice lay-offs for midfielders joining the attack and winning a couple of corners. Tellingly he was let on for the whole game as Yakubu replaced Hasselbaink in the second half but his touch was often sloppy and a couple of promising positions were squandered by poor control.

Sterjovski: 6/10
A good game from the man whose last Socceroo appearance was a number of years ago. He provided Schwarzer with a comfortable save in the first half with a shot on the turn from 10 yards, but in his defence it was a difficult chance. Solid rather than spectacular, Mile was involved in a few nice passing exchanges while on the pitch but never looked like he would rip the game apart.

Chipperfield: 7/10
After 66 minutes, Scott Chipperfield entered the fray at the expense of Sterjovski, taking his place on the left side of midfield. Of all the Australians it was Chipper who most impressed. He was sharp, full of running and was unlucky not to score when he found himself on the end of the passing move of the night. His side-footed shot beat an out of position Schwarzer but Chris Riggott stood in his way and cleared the ball off the line. For a neutral fan it was a good thing as there is still life in the tie yet, however it was disappointing for Chipperfield who really looked like he was one of the classier players on the pitch. If comparisons are your thing then Chipperfield looked a better player than left-sided England-hopeful Stewart Downing did on the opposing team.

Ergic: 4/10
He came to Australia and at a young age looked like he would one day pull on an Australian top and add some real class and creativity to the Australian midfield. Unfortunately it was not to be. Taken to Juventus, Ivan Ergic went back on an earlier statement that he wanted to play for Australia, and has since played for Serbia-Montenegro. Nevertheless it would appear he is no great loss to the Australian side as his potential may have been overestimated. He was energetic but had little time to impress.

Cheating in football

2006-03-30T22:46:00.000+11:00

Cheating in football seems to be in vogue at the moment and Didier Drogba is the top supermodel. Drogba even admitted it in an interview after last weekend's game, but then he realised his faux pas and claimed he didn't dive. Sounds like one confused player to me. He did go on record as saying he handballed just before scoring his second goal against Man City. He owned up after the game, should he have owned up during the game?

With today's modern technology no one can get away with cheating on a football field. There are cameras everywhere that capture every different angle. Football needs to move with the times and incorporate a video referee. The video referee should only be consulted on whether the ball has completely crossed the goal line, handballs in the box and penalty decisions. This would eliminate the controversy and the pressure on the referee to make a decisive split-second decision. An incident can be reviewed in 30 seconds and the correct decision can be made.

FIFA also needs to stamp out diving. The way to do this, increase the penalty for diving from a yellow card to an automatic red. Defenders can be sent off for making an honest tackle but divers only receive a yellow, it's not fair.

What I don't understand are players who feign injury. Coming from an Australian Rules football and cricket background I was brought up that showing pain was a sign of weakness. Didier Drogba should be embarrassed by some of his antics. He is a big, strong 6 ft 4" striker who falls down at the slightest hint of contact. He then proceeds to roll around in presumed agony. What is the point? Frank Lampard gets fouled and if he falls to the ground he bounces straight back up. Feigning injury in the latter stages of a game is a time wasting technique but Didier would be writhing with pain in the 1st minute if he was struck by a marshmallow.

Players will use any technique possible to give their team an advantage, let's take away the illegal ones.

Introductions

2006-03-30T21:53:00.000+11:00

Welcome to the start of "The Soccer Squirrel", a blog where you can get a grip on current soccer issues.