Goes without saying, however the man should be rewarded for his efforts. Playing the nice guy with your employer means they’ll take advantage of it.
Goes without saying, however the man should be rewarded for his efforts. Playing the nice guy with your employer means they’ll take advantage of it.
Has anyone seen an update on the timing for the Asian Cup yet? Originally it was scheduled for 16 June - 16July but that before it was moved to Qatar and I haven’t seen any confirmation for when it will be now. You’d think it’s too late to move it into the Northern winter.
If it is in June/July you’d think the squad would be very similar (barring injuries). From that point of view hopefully Kuol can go somewhere and play a bit rather than get shunted into academy games or riding the pine for a prolonged period. Going to be a hard road to go to a new environment and break into a squad when you haven’t been regularly starting even.
Probably too soon for Boyle to come back in.
So we can’t have a World Cup in June/July but we can have an Asian Cup?
The original scheduling was for it being hosted in China.
The announcement for the move to Qatar didn’t come with confirmed dates though. So no idea…
I think the rumour is for Jan 2024.
Still pissed off it won’t be in China. I’ve been here more than three years now. Two Sydney ACL campaigns, WC qualifiers and now this, all ruined by covid.
I think Arnie has earned a contract extension till the end of the next World Cup in the USA.
Nice article. The video from Rugari at the top is rad.
Some reflection.
Schwartzer et al dislike us because of the perceived lack of respect we have for the golden generation. Our booing of Aloisi in his poor season has been related to me as a reason why Popavic took the job at WSW and knocked us back. Somehow their exploits in the national team where meant to make us accept them in club colours without being disappointed in them if they performed poorly.
Myself and Tim. where sitting in Bay 23 together watching the Soccoeroos v Solomon Is games the week after the 1-1 draw with Melbourne in the first ever A-League round. We wondered how we were meant to boo Archie one week and support him the next. And when he was subbed off and walked in front of Bay 23, we booed him. And Tim. is much more national team supportive than I am.
But this lot? This team that went to Qatar and came within inches of taking Argentina and the great Lionel Messi to extra time?
I want to celebrate them. And admire them. And applaud them. Like I never wanted to do with 2006 team.
Maybe it’s because I just Tim Cahill that much?
Maybe it’s because none of them are playing for Melbourne Victory at the moment?
Fuck.
You could be onto something.
This group of players all went through the A-League at some point, if I’m not mistaken. If I am, it would very close to a full squad of players that have done so. It’s easy to be more connected with them for that reason alone.
The players cutting their teeth in front of our eyes in the a-league make them feel like they belong to us. The golden generation, who left these shores at a young age, perhaps didn’t have the genuine bond with the fans?
Not all but a clear majority.
Current or Played A-League
Ryan
Redmayne
Vukovic
Atkinson
Rowles
Behich
Deng
King
Mooy
McGree
Baccus
Tilio
Leckie
Maclaren
Mabil
Duke
Kuol
Goodwin
Cummings
Devlin
No A-League
Degenek
Karačić
Wright
Souttar
Hrustic
Irvine*
Irvine spent a year in the Victory youth setup.
Edit: Possibly most interesting is that 6 of the 8 forwards selected were A-League based. Kuol counts as A-League based in that.
11.Boo is also posting team sheets on twitter from when Irvine was playing yoof at Richmond. So that makes me feel slightly connected.
It is a fair point but I remember researching this a little while back and being surprised at the amount of players who even stuck around for a season or two in the NSL. It wasn’t as many as there are now, but I thought there would’ve been a lot more that went straight to an overseas club instead of NSL first.
Yeah the 2006 team had a few who played domestic at some point before the tournament right?
Off the top of my head
Viduka
Emerton
Popovic
Culina
Beauchamp
Milligan
Bresciano
Sterjovski
Thompson
Certainly not as many though.
Vince Grella was another. Played for Canberra, then Carlton.
Chipperfield too.
Edit: and
Covic
Kalac
Aloisi had a season at Adelaide City
So a fair few actually.
Is one from Melbourne City?
Didn’t play NSL (It’s a shorter list.)
Lucas Neill
Craig Moore
Tim Cahill
Josip Skoko
Harry Kewell
Luke Wilkshire