Nearpost Football: September 2008

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Tim Skinner: Remarkable young man goes Nearpost.

Nationally, we talk Asian Champions League, A-League Expansion, we hear from Young Matildas Coach Alen Stajic and we wrap the A-League.

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Locally Aaron Walker debuts in the host chair alongside Russ Gibbs.
Christine Ng looks forward to Canberra United and we hear the remarkable football story of Canberra returnee Tim Skinner.

Ghana, FIFA, Les Murray, HIV, Kenya, Volunteer, Canberra City, Watford FC Academy, Tim has an amazing football journey...so far!

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Canberra A-League: Your say in the club!

Having attended last nights Canberra A-League committee meeting I can tell you things are moving along at an impressive rate.

I can also tell you we are in the fight of our lives and, I believe, only the people of Canberra can secure this team.

Melbourne hae been handed a second spot for 2010.

That leaves Canberra, West Sydney (the elephant in the room) and Wollongong for the 12th spot.

There may well be 13 and 14 spots in time, but when and who wants to wait.

Money is not a problem! That is the message I took from last nights meeting, it will be a question of which investors we choose! Nice place to be.

So the fan base will also be important, very important.

At the moment we have 750 paid up foundation members. Wollongong have 500, signatures but not one has paid a cent! Who would you choose? Oh and we are the Capital of Australia.

West Sydney? No-one had heard anything from their 3 bids, but you can be sure they will end up with one cashed up bid, eventually.

But a second team in Sydney could kill Sydney FC, and no-one wants that do they?

So we need to show we want a team. 750 Members is a great start but we need more.

So Canberra and the Region it's up to us. Let's do it.

Foundation Members will get to attend FREE the night with Ned Zelic and of course free entry to the W-League games for 5 years and you get a representation on the board of the club. When did that ever happen in Canberra sport?

Nearpost Radio: Meet Canberran Tim Skinner

Canberra's full of football and tonights show is no different.

Nationally from 6.30pm we have an interviews with:
Young Matildas Coach Alen Stajic
Live in the studio Adelaide United fan foum moderator Nick Rundle.

And locally from 6.55pm we have:
Passionate women's football follower Christine Ng
and Tim Skinner.

Tim has a remarkable football story to tell.
He's from Canberra, former Canberra City and Burns Club player, and he's recently returned from Kenya where he did work on a football/HIV project.

Thought that was impressive. He's recently finished his dissertation on Ghanaian young players and the exploitation of these Africans when they head to Europe.
Also interviewed Les Murray for his resarch.

And want more? He wrote a business plan for Watford FC, the English team!

Hear Tim, Christine, Alen and Nick from 6.30pm tonight 98.3fm and catch it on the pod tomorrow.

Monday, 29 September 2008

Canberrans star in Young Matildas wins

Chrissy Walters played for the Young Matildas, most of whom are Under 18 against a China Under 20 side about to play at the World Cup.

China are a powerhouse in women's football but Australia won 2-1 on Saturday with a standout performance from Canberran Bronywn Studman, according to Coach Alen Stajic and 2-0 tonight.

Full report below. The team now head to Malaysia next month for the pre-Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Ante Juric will step into coach Sydney FC W-League side when Sydney's Head Coach Alen Stajic is away with the Young Matildas.

Westfield Young Matildas have successfully defeated China U20, 2-0, during the international friendly match in Canberra today.

The Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ defeated China U20 2-1 on Thursday, while the Westfield Young Matildas also defeated their Chinese counterparts, 2-1, in Canberra on Saturday as well as this afternoon.

In today’s match, Tameka Butt opened the scoring in the 15 minute while Samantha Kerr secured the Young Matildas’ second goal in the 76th minute.

“This is another pleasing result, but possibly the most pleasing aspect is that there is still room for improvement,” said Westfield Young Matildas Coach, Alen Stajcic.

“Our defence held well when under pressure and the effort in both games was fantastic.

“For a lot of players these games were their first internationals.

This experience lays a good foundation, both technically and tactically,” said Stajcic

Many of the Westfield Young Matildas players will be in contention to participate in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U19 Championships to be held in Kuala Lumpur in October/November.

ENDS

Match Details

29 September 2008
AIS, Canberra

Australia U20, 2 (Tameka Butt 15’, Samantha Kerr 76’) - China U20, 0
Referee Chris Young

Westfield Young Matildas line-up. Samantha WOOD, Emily VAN EGMOND, Marianna TABAIN, Teresa POLIAS, Tameka BUTT, Angela FIMMANO, Alesha CLIFFORD, Kyah SIMON, Casey DUMONT (gk), Christine WALTERS, Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT.

Substitutes. Sian MCLAREN (gk), Ashleigh SYKES, Nicole SYKES, Samantha KERR, Linda O'NEILL, Sophie HOGBEN, Ella MASTRANTONIO, Karina ROWETH, Samantha SPACKMAN, Jessica SEAMAN, Ruth BLACKBURN, Nikki DIETER (gk), Rachel QUIGLEY.

China U20 starting line-up. Xiaohui CHI, Linglung WANG, Xiaoging RUAN, Dongyang LI, Wei ZLUI, Rui ZHANG, Wenjia XU, Jun MA, Xinzhi WENG, Yasha GU, Jiahui LOU.

Substitutes. Fengyue PANG, Xiulan ZENG, Shukun LIU, Liu LI, Zixiang MA, Shanghon QU, Yue ZHOWG, Peng HAN, Yahui YU.

Domenici, Bush, Gapare...making history?

Canberran Stephen Domenici opened the scoring for the Joeys in Tashkent yesterday. Danai Gapare also got game time. I'm assuming Chris Bush was injured.See release below.

Question: How many other Canberran or Goulburn Under 16's or younger have ever even been to Uzbekistan?
And who in that age range from this region,if anyone, has ever played a sporting contest in that country?

The Qantas Joeys have recorded a confidence boosting 3-0 victory in a friendly match against the Uzbekistan U16 National team in Tashkent overnight.

Qantas Joeys Head Coach Martyn Crook used the fixture to fine tune his teams preparations for the AFC U16 Championships, which kick-offs this weekend, and as a result gave the majority of the 23-player squad match time.

Stephen Domenici opened the scoring for the Qantas Joeys just after the half-hour mark and five minutes later Eli Babalj doubled the lead with a well finished goal.

Ben Kantarovski completed the scoring for the Qantas Joeys late in the match when he headed home a Marc Warren free kick at the far post.

The Qantas Joeys open their AFC U16 Championships campaign on Sunday 5 October when they face Saudi Arabia at the Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent.

Match Details:

Uzbekistan 0

Qantas Joeys 3 (Stephen Domenici 33’, Eli Babalj 38’, Ben Kantarovski 85’)

Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Qantas Joeys line-up: Robert Kolac, Nathan Farrell (Chahine Noujaim), Brendan Hamill (C), Petar Franjic, Trent Sainsbury (Mark Perrone), Ben Kantarovski, Jared Lum, Stephen Domenici (Teddy Yabio), Nikola Stanojevic (Kamal Ibrahim), Cameron Edwards (Marc Warren), Eli Babalj (Danai Gapare).

Substitutes not used: Julius Davies, Bailey Wright, Dimitrios Petratos.

Yellow Cards: Nathan Farrell

QANTAS JOEYS SQUAD

AFC U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS - UZBEKISTAN 2008

4-18 October 2008

Eli Babalj (WA), Chris Bush (ACTAS), Julius Davies (WA), Stephen Domenici (ACTAS), Cameron Edwards (WA), Petar Franjic (VIS), Nathan Farrell (SASI), Danai Gapare (ACTAS), Brendan Hamill (NSWIS), Kamal Ibrahim (VIS), Ben Kantarovski (Newcastle Jets), Robert Kolac (NSWIS), Aaron Lennox (NSWIS), Jared Lum (NSWIS), Chahine Noujaim (SASI), Mark Perrone (SASI), Dimitrios Petratos (NSWIS), Trent Sainsbury (WA), Nikola Stanojevic (NSWIS), Nicholas Tubbs (QAS), Marc Warren (NSWIS), Bailey Wright (VIS) and Teddy Yabio (VIS).

AFC U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS - UZBEKISTAN 2008

OFFCIAL MATCH SCHEDULE

Group A: BAHRAIN, I.R. IRAN, SINGAPORE, UZBEKISTAN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

1
4 Oct 2008
I.R. IRAN vs. BAHRAIN
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

2
4 Oct 2008
SINGAPORE vs. UZBEKISTAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

9
6 Oct 2008
BAHRAIN vs. SINGAPORE
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

10
6 Oct 2008
UZBEKISTAN vs. I.R. IRAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

17
8 Oct 2008
I.R. IRAN vs. SINGAPORE
MHSK Stadium
15:00

19
8 Oct 2008
UZBEKISTAN vs. BAHRAIN
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

Group B: INDIA, INDONESIA, KOREA REPUBLIC, SYRIA

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

3
4 Oct 2008
SYRIA vs. INDONESIA
MHSK Stadium
18:00

4
4 Oct 2008
KOREA REPUBLIC vs. INDIA
MHSK Stadium
14:00

11
6 Oct 2008
INDONESIA vs. KOREA REPUBLIC
MHSK Stadium
14:00

12
6 Oct 2008
INDIA vs. SYRIA
MHSK Stadium
18:00

18
8 Oct 2008
SYRIA vs. KOREA REPUBLIC
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

20
8 Oct 2008
INDIA vs. INDONESIA
MHSK Stadium
19:00

Group C: AUSTRALIA, CHINA P.R., SAUDI ARABIA, TURKMENISTAN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

5
5 Oct 2008
CHINA P.R. vs. TURKMENISTAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

6
5 Oct 2008
SAUDI ARABIA vs. AUSTRALIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

13
7 Oct 2008
TURKMENISTAN vs. SAUDI ARABIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

14
7 Oct 2008
AUSTRALIA vs. CHINA P.R.
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

21
9 Oct 2008
CHINA P.R. vs. SAUDI ARABIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

23
9 Oct 2008
AUSTRALIA vs. TURKMENISTAN
MHSK Stadium
15:00

Group D: JAPAN, MALAYSIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, YEMEN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

7
5 Oct 2008
JAPAN vs. MALAYSIA
MHSK Stadium
14:00

8
5 Oct 2008
YEMEN vs. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
MHSK Stadium
18:00

15
7 Oct 2008
MALAYSIA vs. YEMEN
MHSK Stadium
14:00

16
7 Oct 2008
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES vs. JAPAN
MHSK Stadium
18:00

22
9 Oct 2008
JAPAN vs. YEMEN
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

24
9 Oct 2008
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES vs. MALAYSIA
MHSK Stadium
19:00

Quarter Finals

#
Date
Match
Venue

QF1
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group A vs. Runner Up Group B
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

QF2
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group B vs. Runner Up Group A
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

QF3
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group C vs. Runner Up Group D
MHSK Stadium
14:00

QF4
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group D vs. Runner Up Group C
MHSK Stadium
18:00

Semi Finals

#
Date
Match
Venue

SF1
15 Oct 2008
Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF3
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

SF2
15 Oct 2008
Winner QF2 vs. Winner QF4
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

Final

#
Date
Match
Venue

F
18 Oct 2008
Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

Adam Mark

Milovanovic

A great name! A great Canberra football name.

And congratulations to Dane Milovanovic and Sam Munro on being named in the Young Socceroos side to play in the upcoming ASEAN tournament.

But pity the Newcastle Jets. 4 injured on the weekend and James Holland and Jason Naidovski to head o/s as well.

Kaz Patafta to play:)

Qantas Young Socceroos Head Coach Jan Versleijen has selected a squad of 20 players for the upcoming ASEAN Football Federation U19 Youth Championships which will be held in Thailand from 5-11 October 2008.

“We recently held a short training camp in Europe to have a look at a number of overseas based players.

"As a result I have included a number of those overseas based players along with the Australian based players in this squad that will compete in Thailand,” said Versleijen

The ASEAN tournament will be used to strengthen the team for the AFC Championships which will be held in Dammam (Saudi Arabia) starting at the end of October.

“I believe we have a good team, with a mix of players with special qualities as well as good team players .

“With this mix, we are all looking towards qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt next year," concluded Versleijen.

Included in the squad are thirteen Hyundai A-League players as well as James Brown and Dane Milovanovic from the Australian Institute of Sport.

The Hyundai A-League players are Luke De Vere (Queensland Roar), Nathan Elasi (Melbourne Victory), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets), James Holland (Newcastle Jets), Matthew Jurman (Sydney FC), Milos Lujic, (Melbourne Victory), Tahj Minniecon (Queensland Roar), Sam Munro (Sydney FC), Jason Naidovski (Newcastle Jets), Mitchell Nichols (Queensland Roar), Thomas Oar (Queensland Roar), Andrew Redmayne (Central Coast Mariners), Sebastian Ryall (Melbourne Victory) and Nikolas Tsattalios (Sydney FC).

Versleijen has also included five overseas based players in Scott Balderson (Stevenage Borough, UK), Alex Cisak (gk) (Leicester City, UK), Peter Cvetanovski (Borussia Monchenlabach, Germany), Andreas Govas (Apollon Kalamarias, Greece) and Ryan McGowan (Hearts FC, Scotland).

The Qantas Young Socceroos will play their play their first match of the tournament against China PR on Sunday 5 October (kick-off 11.30pm AEDT), and then face the Korea Republic on Tuesday 7 October (kick-off 9:00pm AEDT) before their final group match against Thailand on Thursday 9 October (kick-off 11.30pm AEDT).

The Qantas Young Socceroos will depart Australia on Wednesday 1 October and will use the AFF U19 Youth Championships Tournament as part of their preparations for the AFC U19 Youth Championships Which will be held in Saudi Arabia from the 31 October – 14 November 2008. The top 4 nations from the AFC U19 Youth Championships will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup which will be held in Egypt from 10-31 July 2009.

ENDS

The Qantas Young Socceroos will be departing Sydney International Airport on Wednesday 1 October (check-in 1:30pm). Any media interested in interviewing or filming squad members should contact Adam Mark on 040... by 5.00pm Tuesday 30 September.

Qantas Young Socceroos Squad List
ASEAN Football Federation U19 Championships, 5-11 October 2008

Scott Balderson (Stevenage Borough, UK), James Brown (AIS), Alex Cisak (gk) (Leicester City, UK), Peter Cvetanovski (Borussia Monchenlabach, Germany), Luke De Vere (Queensland Roar), Nathan Elasi (Melbourne Victory), Andreas Govas (Apollon Kalamarias, Greece), James Holland (Newcastle Jets), Matthew Jurman (Sydney FC), Milos Lujic (Melbourne Victory), Ryan McGowan (Hearts FC, Scotland), Dane Milovanovic (AIS), Tahj Minniecon (Queensland Roar), Sam Munro (Sydney FC), Jason Naidovski (Newcastle Jets), Mitchell Nichols (Queensland Roar), Thomas Oar (Queensland Roar), Andrew Redmayne (gk) (Central Coast Mariners), Sebastian Ryall (Melbourne Victory) and Nikolas Tsattalios (Sydney FC).

ASEAN Football Federation U19 Championships
Official Match Schedule

MatchDateFixtureKick-Off TimeVenue
1Sun 5 Oct 08Korea Republic. vs. Thailand5:00pm TST (9:00pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium
2Sun 5 Oct 08Australia vs. China PR7:30pm TST (11:30pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium
3Tues 7 Oct 08Korea Republic vs. Australia 5:00pm TST (9:00pm AEDT)Royal Thai Army Stadium
4Tues 7 Oct 08China PR vs. Thailand 7:30pm TST (11:30pm AEDT)Royal Thai Army Stadium
5 Thurs 9 Oct 08China PR vs. Korea Republic5:00pm TST (9:00pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium
6Thurs 9 Oct 08Thailand vs. Australia 7:30pm TST (11:30pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium
7Sat 11 Oct 083rd Position vs. 4th Position5:00pm TST (9:00pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium
8 (final)Sat 11 Oct 08Group Champion vs. Group R-up7:30pm TST (11:30pm AEDT)Supachalasai Stadium

Sunday, 28 September 2008

Socceroos don't need Craig Moore!

Every journo in the country wants Craig Moore back in the Socceroos.

Every player says we need Moore. We don't, and I don't want him nor his thuggish style.

Craig Moore has played and achieved great things for Rangers and the Socceroos. But he came back to Australia younger than many.

Why?

Because he's slowing, and quickly. And the worst thing to see is Moory becoming thuggish.

Yesterday he crunched, or cheated, Archie Thompson out of the play on many occasions. And he's doing it every week to every pacey individual with skill and he's hurting the skill factor of the league.

He's such a great player, he's a true professional, he's great to watch, so say his chorus of mates in media world.

No, he's a cheat, who hits players, defends off the ball with a kick or an elbow. He's lucky to survive when other players are getting sent-off and booked for what.

A dodgy hand held card, a bit of verbals or some other minor dismeanor.

And Moory for the National team. What next Kevin Muscat or Danny Tiatto? Give it up.

In his last game against Qatar,in the second-half he embarrassed the national jersey. And do you think he's got faster since then?

Kevin Muscat reduced many internationalists to mere karate mates as his international career waned, and Moory is/would do the same.

I don't want to see him in the Australian shirt again. It's not the way we want to get to the World Cup.

He's retired, Pim leave him retired and him and me keep the Craig Moore, Socceroo memories in tact.

Sent-Off...Melbourne again!

Wellington won, honest they beat the leaders Sydney FC. I kid you not. And Victory had another sent-off, for what I don't know.

Central Coast thumped Perth, will Dave Mitchell be sacked after Pim Verbeek's vote of confidence, and the youngsters shine for the Kruse less Roar.

Queensland Roar are better away. But Frank Farina needs to change the style of play at home. It's simple.

Defend well away and with speed on the break they can create chances and they do. That's what all A-League sides can do, bar Wellington and Perth.

And didn't you love Kevin Muscat getting skinned by Michael Zullo at the end and scoring.

But Indigneous Taj Minniecon stole the show with an even better goal, squeezed into a narrow gap.

Victory were laboured, and without Carlos Hernandez next week not to mention Ney Fabiano and Michael Theokiltos they will struggle further...maybe.

Sydney lost to Wellington in a shock! But Sydney have been flattering all season and even with Pele I mean John Aloisi in the side they got beat by the cellar dwellars.

and didn't Lei Lei Gao prove what he can do. Play him Ricky, love him and play him. At least he's a footballer!

Two great Aussie Coaches?

Gary Van Egmond is still the best, but Aurelio Vidmar is on the move...and quick.

Van Egmond's side were a goal down to Adelaide and having used their three subs and when Jason Hoffman got injured they were down to ten.

But Van Egmond did what few coaches ever do even when they have a full complement.

He pushed men forward going for the equaliser.

Ricky Herbert can't you get Fox in New Zealand:)

In Tarek Elrich he has a potent weapon. Elrich sped into the box, beat a couple and brought a wonderful save from Adelaide United's starman Eugen Galagovic. Great football.

And later Elrich produced some more magic.

Adelaide scored another late on, but Ante Covic was to blame not the coaches aggressive attacking policy.

Pity they couldn't show such energy and verve when they had eleven mind you.

As for Adelaide Vidmar is an astute coach, as his Asian record shows.

He still has a bit to go to get the same versatility from his team as Van Egmond but he's moving his pieces in games, very very effectively and no doubt Asia is teaching him a lot.

He's young, and even after losing Bruce Djite and Nathan Burns he has created a new team which can only get better.

Jason Hoffman and the Jets.

Under 20's Aussie Coach Jan Versliejen recently hailed Jason Hoffman as one of the best players in his squad. Although I think it's fair to say he hasn't translated any of this form or confidence to his Jets performances yet.

Versleijen's next squad is due to be announced Monday for the upcoming ASEAN tournament.

But Hoffman won't be in it for he many other Jets player got severely injured on the weekend!

First Hoffman.

He is out injured, with a terrible tackle, his own tackle. Interesting to me was the way he tackled, with the wrong leg, stretching, asking for trouble.

Technique or a lack of it caused his injury. Poor bugger, but the tackling technique made me wince.

And Hoffman like Joel Griffith is a forward. Both are now injured, with Eduardo Zura the new Jets dud, there is not a forward of note left in the club, and there was only Griffiths proved before this weekends game.

The Jets are in crises of sors.

No forward who can score, no forwards real forwards full-stop.

They lost Mark Bridge, (ahem) Mario Jardel and have not replaced. Zura is not a replacement.

And what's to be done.

Jason Naidovski to be given a go? Too young?

Will Tarek Elrich be pushed forward. He's pacey and got skill and agression. Song will play pretty, Matt Thompson can push forward but where will the goal, and more than one come from.

Very hard to see.

Interesting to see what Gary Uber Coach does now. Surely he needs two strikers, at least, to replace Joel Griffiths, who it has to be said had been struggling to get any support.

Troy Hearfield should have stayed, but that's football I guess.

Saturday, 27 September 2008

Aussie Women: Opportunities on the rise

Opportunities for Aussie women on the rise.

Heather Garriock has just returned from an invitation 7-a-side tournament in the UAE. And next she'll be off to America to play.

Young Matildas win, and Aussies off to play in USA league.
FFA Release below.

Three stars of the Westfield Matildas Sarah Walsh, Heather Garriock and Lisa De Vanna are in demand not only in Australia but also internationally.
In Australia, the Westfield W-League will kick-off at the end of October and comprises teams from each of the seven Australian-based Hyundai A-League clubs as well as Canberra.

The Westfield W-League offers girls and women the opportunity to play their favourite sport at a professional level and develop their skills even further.
But Sarah, Heather and Lisa are already impressing professional football associations overseas.

“Australia’s local talent is certainly being recognised and is in demand overseas which is great news for the sport and its future,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.
This comes as the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), the women’s professional football league in North America, announce the results of its WPS Initial International Draft - with Sarah Walsh, Heather Garriock and Lisa De Vanna all making the list.

The draft listed Sarah Walsh for Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY), Heather Garriock for Chicago Red Stars and Lisa De Vanna for Washington Freedom.

They were joined by 10 players from Brazil, four from Japan and three from Canada and listed amongst some of the best players in the world.

The WPS competition commences after the Westfield W-League season has concluded.

And Australian women’s football continues to go from strength to strength with the Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ defeating China U20, 2-1, during the international friendly match in Canberra on Thursday.

The Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ team offers an opportunity for players to further develop their skills and show their capabilities at international level and in a match situation.

Westfield Young Matildas also defeated their Chinse counterparts, 2-1, in Canberra tonight; with the second match against the team to take place on Monday 29 September.

Canberra's 2010 A-League team starts to build

A young Canberra team took on Sydney FC in a Youth League game yesterday. I know we're not in the league...yet. But take a look at the names below....plus how quick is Kofi Danning?

How many of these lads could get a paid gig in a Canberra A-League Youth side in 2010if we get an A-League side?

How many would get (some) game time in Season 1 of Canberra's A-League side?

Codey Larkin (GK), Damien Mahon (GK), Zac Maybury, Jonathan Reis, Aaron Cashman, Bernard Rene, Edgar Daly, Luke Pilkington, Billy Sgouros, Taylor Beaton, Ben Mitchell, Dean Tomeski, Steven Lustica, Matt Atkins, Josip Jadric, Zvonimir Rogic

And great to see many families supporting the concept of Foundation Memberships. After all it's these players most likely to have a sniff of a contract in a Canberra team.

To all FM's, I'll vote for your son to have a place in the initial squad:)
And we're over 750 Members now, aren't we doing well. Well done Canberra.

For the record Canberra lost 3-2 with Sam Munro scoring two for Sydney and Kofi Danning scoring one and had a very impressive game..for Sydney.

One report from the game, "Kofi Danning is the quickest player I've ever seen live."

No news yet on the Canberra scorers.

FFA: Who's number 12.

The FFA handed, on a plate, the 11th spot in the A-League to a Melbourne consortium.

Hand in your plan and you get the gig. If you're from Melbourne.
No measuring alternative plans, we want Melbourne and probably Sydney and that's it.

The rest of you, Tassie, Canberra and Wollongong can well...go and play other sports for all we care. They haven't said that but they may as well, given no comparison of bids were made. Canberra hasn't even be told if their bid is good enough to succeed, needs more work, or plain won't cut it.

Maybe our bid was better than Melbourne, but market research appears to be guiding the FFA not the quality of the plan delivered. Yes the same Market Research that gave Townsville with it's 3,000 junior players a place in the league.

I'm not arguing against Melbourne. Indeed a second team from Victoria given population and interest in the game would make sense.

But what if the same logic applies for West Sydney. Will we just hand the next place to Sydney?

The FFA should tell us so we can all go home now.

And if so why are the other city/regions bothering to garner investors, present a business model and get community support?

And what about an open process. Or even a process. And when and how is the next spot the crucial 12th to be determined.

Or will it just be miraculously announced....and the winner is West Sydney despite Sydney FC being on it's knees in terms of crowds.

You don't want to upset the Nation's Capital, FFA do you?

The Hyundai A-League is set to expand further with confirmation today that Football Federation Australia (FFA) has granted exclusive negotiation status to a consortium for a second team based in Melbourne for entry into the Hyundai A-League in 2010-11.

FFA CEO Ben Buckley said that the consortium is led by Melbourne businessman, Peter Sidwell.

“We received two very high quality proposals for the second Melbourne license, and we had very good discussions with both consortia.

“We were very impressed with the professionalism and strength of both bids,” said Buckley.

“The level of interest and quality of the proposals reflect the momentum behind the growth and development of the Hyundai A-League,” said Buckley.

The other proposal came from a consortium known as Southern Cross FC.

FFA will now accelerates its discussions with the Sidwell-led consortium.

“We continue to be very encouraged with the level of interest in the Hyundai A-League,” Buckley said.

“The attractiveness of the competition is clearly reflected in the level of interest in the additional licenses and the quality of the bids we are receiving."

Buckley reiterated the FFA’s earlier view that, ultimately, the Hyundai A-League has the capacity to be at least a 12 team competition and possibly 14 teams.

“When and where we expand the competition is measured simply by whether it is right for football, right for the existing Hyundai A-League clubs, right for the new clubs and right for the local community,” Buckley said.

Friday, 26 September 2008

Kofi, "The Coffee Man!"

FourFourTwo are hyping up "our Kofi" Danning as he aims to take it to the other Youth Teams in the National Youth League.
Sydney FC's Kofi Danning (right) and Newcastle Jets, Jason Naidovski recently appeared on Nearpost Radio.

The former Majura junior club will be back to earth with a bang when he takes on his Canberra mates, the ACT Youth Rockets, in Sydney this arvo.

Not sure about the nickname, good old Australia I guess never lets you down does it!

And "The Coffee Man" as he's nicknamed perhaps not surprisingly hopes to be in Europe in the future, but right now, establishing himself in the A-League with a senior contract is his goal.

Full fourfourtwo article on Kofi below.

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the future face of the A-League - Ghana-born, Aussie-raised, AIS crafted attacking midfielder Kofi Danning.

The 17-year-old is set to debut for Sydney youth next week - and asked to describe himself, the AIS student says "excitement...

"I think I'll probably play on the right of mid. Yeah, I'm full of steam and excitement," Danning told au.fourfourtwo.com.

With the national youth league kicking off tonight, Sydney FC have a bye in the opening round of the new competition. Sky blue youth take their bow at the SFS the following week against Queensland Roar.

"The fans are going to see teams with young talent, I guess... young kids trying to play like adults."

Danning admits the league is not so much about results but says the games will be exciting and open because the pressure to get three points won't be as great. But it'll still have that edge.

"I want to take it to them. I want to beat them," he said.

The starlet's favourite Socceroo is Tim Cahill and Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien is also a hero. "I haven't really thought about my favourite A-League player though."

And while some fans have bemoaned the lack of African talent in the A-League, a quirk of fate could see a mini influx from within Australia.

Million Butshiire, Kamal Ibrahim. Teddy Yabio. Danai Gaspare. Four talented young Aussie footballers involved with the Joeys over the last year. All four hail from Africa (Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan and Zimbabwe respectively).

"Certainly based on recent trends we have quality young African players in our system now and see no reason why that trend should not continue,' said Ron Smith, who works for the FFA as a technical advisor. "Such players can bring something to our game.

"I guess we bring athleticism and a difference in technique," added Danning.

The youngster will continue to train with the AIS but will turn out for Sydney FC on weekends. However, during the school holidays he may train with the club. A number of AIS students will be doing likewise for various A-League youth teams.

And "The Coffee Man" as he's nicknamed perhaps not surprisingly hopes to be in Europe in the future, but right now, establishing himself in the A-League with a senior contract is his goal.

"Of course I'll be nervous," he says of his Sydney FC debut. "It's a new thing but it'll be a good nervous.

"My message to the fans is to come support us. We're going to try our best to make everyone happy for the team."

And has Kofi met Kossie? "Yeah, he's really straight up and tells you what he wants. But he's nice."

Canberra United's Grace Gill

The camera never lies, well this one did. Apologies for the shot but Grace Gill pictured here with Christine Ng and Doug Gibbs in the background is looking a little bit concerned about the initial question from the Awesome Foursome on this weeks Nearpost Radio show.

But Grace soon had us running round in circles as the talented defender swotted us away like flies.

Grace not only handled "the lads," Canberra's finest football interviewers with, dare I say ease, but her skill and knowledge made for great radio. Thanks Grace, the mood in the sheds after the game was that we'd been well beaten on the day, but we'd enjoyed it anyway!

Grace a natural talent off the field, added to her playing record suggests she will be a wonderful asset to the newly formed Canberra United in the upcoming season.

Grace, a defender, who played with former Nearpost host Nicole Somi and new United signing striker Sash McDonnell in the Youth World Cup in Russia in 2006 is excited to be back at the elite level.

She misssed out on promotion to the full Matildas for last years World Cup and, like many other young players, had nowhere to go to continue her elite football development.

Well she does now and she is clearly delighted by the opportunity the National Women Leagues provides plus the chance to work with Assistant Matildas Coach Robbie Hooker and appeared delighted by the quality of player already signed.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Kids football should be free.

Craig Foster from SBS has written an explosive piece on football registration fees, coaching costs, coaching development etc.

Here's just one issue he picks out.

The best known example is the Coerver system, a private training franchise, which Football NSW formerly ran in what was a fundamental conflict of interest and led to a neglect of the junior clubs and Associations who were, in essence, in competition with their own State body for the training of young players.

What incentive was there for NSW to work diligently to improve the standard of coaching and the systems of youth development in the junior clubs, when they were selling training sessions to fill the gap for parents who could, or at least felt it necessary to, afford the extra training?

Coerver delivered millions of dollars of revenue for NSW and the excessive charging for the ‘training’ of young players still persists. The name may have changed and the license fee avoided, but the culture of greed still exists, and Lord help any parent whose child is persuaded to attend numerous camps, programs and costly overseas tours all in the name of ‘development’, with some parents forking out anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per year.

Read Fozzie's full script below and he invites email responses.twg@sbs.com.au

There is no doubt he will have huge support from across the country on this one. Anyone who listens to parents at their local clubs will realise he's on a winner.

So let the debate begin.
Full Fozzie post below.

Five years after the Crawford report, football has made wonderful strides forward, yet the next area of the game that require attention are (some of) the State administrative bodies.

Particularly, in my experience, Football NSW and Northern NSW.

Much of my time is spent in a volunteer capacity with Clubs and Associations around the country, a wonderful opportunity to put something back into the game at entry level and spend time with hundreds of passionate and committed volunteers, the very lifeblood of football, but also a valuable chance to gauge the mood at grass roots and hear the frustrations they face.

And throughout NSW the message is always the same, that cultural change is yet to occur at State level.

Countless times I hear about the endemic lack of support to Associations and the hundreds of thousands of dollars paid in levies with little in return, and it is clear that in many instances, the old political problems still exist.

This is partly because the ‘old guard’ of administrators, who led the game into its darkest period, continue to infest the management and boards of these bodies.

Certainly in the case of Northern NSW, outside of the Newcastle area they are a constant source of angst and a detriment to the game in the country and Northern areas, regions the FFA’s National Development Review specifically targeted to provide a rich vein of playing talent in future.

An inquiry into the management of NNSW would be a very valuable exercise, with every Association and Zone uniting to determine whether the service they receive from the State body is anywhere near adequate for the considerable levies they pay.

This is the next positive progression for football, now that the veneer has been reshaped with the National teams and the professional domestic competition, time to turn an intense spotlight on the real heart of the game, the grass roots, where hundreds of thousands of players and spectators, volunteers and administrators have their daily and weekly football experience, time for the game itself to demand better management at State level.

The same applies to Football NSW where the culture is, in my view, poisoned and in need of complete overhaul, because this organization has a history of putting profit before the development of the game.

The best known example is the Coerver system, a private training franchise, which Football NSW formerly ran in what was a fundamental conflict of interest and led to a neglect of the junior clubs and Associations who were, in essence, in competition with their own State body for the training of young players.

What incentive was there for NSW to work diligently to improve the standard of coaching and the systems of youth development in the junior clubs, when they were selling training sessions to fill the gap for parents who could, or at least felt it necessary to, afford the extra training?

Coerver delivered millions of dollars of revenue for NSW and the excessive charging for the ‘training’ of young players still persists. The name may have changed and the license fee avoided, but the culture of greed still exists, and Lord help any parent whose child is persuaded to attend numerous camps, programs and costly overseas tours all in the name of ‘development’, with some parents forking out anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per year.

I hesitate to say the ‘education’ of youngsters, because sadly Football NSW fail to understand that a football development coach is far more than a drills and skills practitioner, and have promoted former Coerver coaches throughout the elite development system.

Coerver has its place, and can be one element of a broader football education just like the many other skills based systems available, but for Football NSW to profit from a service they should have been giving to clubs and Associations to build the game was, in my view, abominable.

The proper role of Football NSW is to ensure the level of information, management and coaching is of such quality in our junior clubs that parents don’t have to pay for extra coaching, in a game that is already costly in relation to other codes, rather than competing directly with their paying clubs and profiting from the vacuum they created.

This culture of greed is anti-football because the focus is on youngsters whose parents can afford to pay, not on the best players as a matter of principle.

Now Football NSW have launched a site which fits perfectly within their culture of profit before the game, selling simple coaching sessions to parents around the State who are in the dark about how to conduct and plan the season’s training of a young team, and now are made to pay for the information.

So, in a fight with three other football codes who spend tens of millions of dollars on free education, equipment and resources to attract young talent and support their game, Football NSW continues to hoard their millions and charge the maximum for the most basic support resources for the football community.

The sole shareholder and managing director of the company behind the site is a Football NSW employee, in partnership with the State body, and thus is remunerated by the parent’s levies to support the growth and improvement of the game, then charging them for basic information.

Now, why are these parents and coaches in need of assistance?

Because Football NSW have done nothing to help them, yet now they seek to profit from their own incompetence.

So once again, instead of seeing a problem to be solved for the good of the game, Football NSW sense an opportunity from which to profit.

In my view, this is abhorrent, and naturally anyone who wants to personally profit from the game is entitled do so, but not while being in a position where one of their basic tasks is to improve the quality of players and coaches, in tandem with the coaching and development section of the organization, and every parent and Association in the State should right now ask why they do not receive this basic coaching information for free, when they have already paid for it in their levies?

State bodies have a responsibility to deliver every possible program and education resource at the lowest possible cost in order to support the game and their paying customers the Associations, clubs and parents, and their stance should be that the cheaper and more accessible coaching information is at club level, the better our youngsters will be coached, the greater our future prospects, the stronger the game.

Football NSW evidently takes the view that the less people know, the better the opportunity to profit, and it’s fine to do so from the very customers who partly fund the organization through registration levies.

The FFA would do well to initiate a very close inspection of the conduct of two bodies who are poisoning our game at many levels, and grass roots Associations should immediately organise themselves to collectively question whether they are receiving the service the game requires, and deserves.

It is time to question ant conflicts of interest and all commercial agreements and whether they are appropriate, and for the grass roots, the heart and soul of football, to rise up and demand game-centred management, not greed before the game.

Many grass roots administrators tell me they feel powerless and that any attempts to question NNSW or Football NSW leads to victimisation, but this culture of fear must end, and it is through the solidarity of genuine lovers of the beautiful game that the grass roots can effect positive change.

And be very certain of this, any ethical State body will welcome their Association constituents getting together, sharing knowledge and resources, asking probing questions, and demanding outstanding service in the interests of the sport.

Those who don’t support this are the final blight to be removed from the game.

If you don't have enough character space here when replying, please feel free to send me a note at twg@sbs.com.au about your experiences with these organizations.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blogs/craigfoster/greed-poisons-the-game-138801/

National Youth League kicks off

And look at some of the players who will be playing.

Socceroo Nik Mrdja, Victory's Steve Pantelidis, Steven Pace, Griffin McMaster, Ben Griffin, Greg Owens, Nick Rizzo, Anton Kovacic, Nathan Elasi.

Just some of the players who the youngsters will get to match it with in the opening round of the Youth League....see Release below.

Friday 26 September
Melbourne Victory v Queensland Roar
Green Gully Reserve, Green Gully Road, Keilor Downs (Melway map reference: 14 E8)
Local kick off 3.30pm AEST
Referee: Alex Azcurra

Melbourne Victory squad: Mijo MARINOVIC (gk), Robert WYNNE, Ante CICAK, Matthew FOSCHINI, Steven PANTELIDIS (OA), Cameron DRAKE, Aziz BEHICH, Stephen HATZIKOSTA, Mathew THEODORE, Milos LUJIC, Dimitri HATZIMOURATIS, Nathan ELASI, Daniel VASILEVSKI (OA), Steven PACE (OA), Sebastian MATTEI (gk)

Queensland Roar squad: Griffin McMASTER (gk) (OA), Michael RYAN, Michael ANGUS, Tyler THURTELL, Josh McVEY, Isaka CERNAK, Matthew MUNDY, Ben GRIFFIN (OA), Adam SAROTA, Mitch NICHOLS, Tim SMITS (OA), Matthew ACTON (gk), Tom OAR, Chris GROSSMAN, Daniel BOWLES
Unavailable: Luke MUIR (injured), Will TUMUSIIME (injured)

Friday 26 September
Central Coast Mariners v Perth Glory
Bluetongue Stadium
Local kick off 5.15pm AEST
Referee: Matthew Gillett

Central Coast Mariners squad: Laurence BRAUDE, David D'APUZZO, Nick KAPSIS, Matthew LEWIS, Sean MITCHELL, Nik MRDJA (OA), Matthew NASH (gk) (OA), Paul O'GRADY (OA), Greg OWENS (OA), Andrew REDMAYNE (gk), Nathan SHERLOCK, Brady SMITH, Steven TIBBETTS, Glen TRIFIRO, Darko VIDOVIC, Scott WRIGHT
*one to be omitted

Perth Glory squad: Ludovic BOI, Hayden DOYLE, Dean EVANS, Howard FONDYKE, Brent GRIFFITHS, Andrija JUKIC, Frank JURIC (gk) (OA), Adam LUCA, Scott NEVILLE, Ryan PEARSON, Nick RIZZO (OA), James SAMMUT, Anthony SKORICH, Tando VELAPHI (gk), Reece VITTIGLIA

Saturday 27 September
Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets
Hindmarsh Stadium
Local kick off 3.45pm (4.15pm AEST)
Referee: Stephen Toth

Adelaide United squad: Lucas ANDRUCCI, Alexander SUNASKY, Matthew MULLEN, Andrew CIARLA, Michael MARRONE, Joel ALLWRIGHT, Osama MALIK, Francesco MONTEROSSO, Michael DOYLE, Shane TOBIAS, Scott WEIDNEBACH, Angelo ARAMBATSIS
OA players to be confirmed

Newcastle Jets squad: Jordan GRIFFITHS (gk), Jon GRIFFITHS, Joel WITHERDIN, Simon MOONEY, Jarrad ROSS, George STROGYLOS, Taylor REGAN, Matt HARPER, Jesse PINTO, Adrian KARAKOLEVSKI, Marko JESIC, Brodie MOOY, Jason NAIDOVSKI, Antun KOVACIC (OA)

BYE: Sydney FC

AFL Grand Final Week

In case you don't have Fox and wondering what the heck I'm going on about in AFL/NRL Grand Final week(s), here's the video of the Adelaide goal.

And who would have thought that five years ago Adelaide newspapers and media would be front and back page football in Grand Final week.

The game takes another leap?

Why Canberra needs this.

Adelaide United fans celebrate last nights historic win. But how many people will turn-up for the Semi Final, they're already talking about switching venues to cope with the crowd...

And whilst Australia and particularly Canberra has been slow to grasp the opportunities that Asia can provide to football, to the city and the region; our own A-League side would benefit the city/region like no other sport.

And football in Australia isn't going to get any smaller is it....in the next twenty years?

So does the Capital want to be a part of this while the price of entry is reasonable, or wait and wait and miss out when the Salary Cap grows and start-up costs become higher and higher.

With our junior base coming through it's a marketer's goldmine....only a fool could stuff up. And Canberra is not full of fools!

And clearly neither is Adelaide. Already strolling around Asia like they own the joint. China. Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan have all been conquered. And the Asian shirt sponsor Compaction firm SAKAI has got a heap of value from it's sponsorship.

Maybe the CFMEU, (Radiers and Canberra United sponsors) should think about expanding its membership into Asia and sponsor an A-Leauge side:)

Canberra has a stadium, a player base...(did you know Townsville have 3,000 juniors compared to our 13,000)and of course we can do professional sport in this town. Ask the Brumbies how to win an International competition:)

The A-League would provide a minimum 11 home games, add in pre-season and finals and that's a nice start.

Pre-season games go to regional centres providing professional football coaching clinics and quality games for the kids to see. For the kids to watch the game they play.

And of course an Asian Champions League entry is going to be even more desirable once next years revamped tournament starts.

And why can't a Canberra side go to Indonesia, India, or China each year for pre-season and take our business entourage from the Capital and the Region with it.

Perth Glory did. 100 million viewers had access to the game..and Perth are ..well I won't say it!

Last nights game doesn't make a supporter base.

But Adelaide have a strong base already. And last nights games and events like this enable the club to build on the success already acheived. And a great feel good factor for the town.

And it provides an opportunity for the club to grow.

Last season 25,000 watched Adelaide take on Sydney in a normal pre-season game.

Last night was their first ever sell-out, this on a Wednesday night.

What other clubs in any code get a Wednesday night sell-out in Australia. None because no-one plays midweek.

And the Adelaide papers have covered front and back page with the Adelaide United Asian adventure over the last ten days.

And this in the middle of the AFL final series.

The country has changed. Football is here to stay. It's mainstream.

With the Socceroos, Matildas and our junior base it's never going to get any smaller is it?

With Asian opportunities the smart cities and regions will benefit.

Canberra needs to be in the mix and quick.

Guess who's coming to Adelaide!

Rivaldo plays for Adelaide United's Asian Champions League Semi-Final opponents Uzbek side Bunyodkor.

And they thrashed Pierre Littbarski's Iranian side Saipa 7-2 on aggregate.

Out of interest how do you get from Uzbekistan to Adelaide for a Wednesday night game..for that matter the the other way as well:)

And you thought Perth Wellington was a long trip!

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Canberra United games live on Radio

2XX 98.3FM will be calling all the Canberra United W-League home games live. And the Station will, by then, be streamed live across Australia and the World!

So delighted to announce 2XX is taking Canberra's premier sporting team across the city, country and beyond.

No longer will a Caitlin Munoz shield, an Amy Chapman goal, or Lydia Williams save just be seen by those at the game.

Across the World those at home, wherever they are, will see the action through Russ Gibbs call with his expert team alongside.

Which Adelaide Football Club is known in Japan and Asia?

Well it's not the AFL Club's, Adelaide Crows or Port Adelaide. They might have been going 150 years but who's heard of them outside Melbourne:)

Is there even a Rugby League or Union side from Adelaide?

Adelaide United a club just a few years old, already well known across Pohang, Korea, Changchun, China and Kashima, Japan.

Adelaide....and I dare say as the Quarter-Finals of the Asian Champions League are played out a few more million fans across our region and the globe have noted the Aussie team gaining results across Asia.

That's football, that's our future....not just for Adelaide for Canberra too.

Sign up for Canberra Foundation Membership now:)

Finals football in September

It's Adelaide United' chance to make history..tonight.

Finals football in September, and midweek to boot. Great news. So put away your Hawks and Geelong scarves until the weekend, it's time to support the mighty Aussies, the mighty Reds.

And looking good for a sell-out withover 12,000 tickets pre-sold.

Adelaide will rely on Asian Champions League star Travis Dodd. Diego the Braziliand midfielder will need to improve, but we know he can. Paul Reid is a great signing giving further quality to the midfield.

Cristiano upfront has lessened the absence of Bruce Djite, Scott Jamieson at left-back arguably the best returning Aussie this year and he's only nineteen with a crisp left foot to die for. He's worth watching alone as he overcomes his disappointment on missing out on English football with Bolton Wanderers.

On this form he could return.

Kashima are missing a couple of key players including their skipper. Will they be mentally here?

As they aim to defend their title in Japan, surely the players will have some doubt about their ability to get a result in Adelaide. It's a long trip and could be intimidating if the Reds fans are out in force.

Should be a belter of a game. Lucas Pantelis is out. Adelaide's central defence in dodgy and slow and they've been less than impressive as a team in the A-League this year....the whole team I mean.

But in Asia they've been wonderful.

Defensively sound apart from the bizarre Robbie Cornthwaite own goal last week.

Coach Aurelio Vidmar is impressive, at least in Asia.

And now they have a fantastic chance of moving into the Semi-Finals.

How good would that be?

Game is live on Fox. Good stuff.

Nearpost Podcast Failed!

Again technical problemo's so no podcast. We will fix it for next week, we have a cunning plan.

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Promising/Young Matildas Squads announced

FFA Release below

The Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ have arrived in Canberra ahead of an international friendly against China U20 this Thursday at 4.00pm AEST.

“Every game that we can play against Asian opponents is important to further our development –particularly when it is against a power nation like China,” said National Women’s Coach, Tom Sermanni.

The Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ squad offers an opportunity for players to further develop their skills and show their capabilities at international level and in a match situation.

The match will provide good preparation for players in the lead up to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championships to be held in Ho Chi Minh City next month.

The AFF Women’s Championships will see Australia play against Thailand, Philippines and Singapore.

Joining the Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’ in Canberra will be the Westfield Young Matildas (U20) who arrive on Friday for two matches against their Chinese counterparts on Saturday 27 September and Monday 29 September.

Many of the Young Matildas players will be in contention to participate in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U19 Championships to be held in Kuala Lumpur in October/November.

ENDS

Squad Lists

Westfield ‘Promising Matildas’

Player
Home city
Position

Casey Dumont
Gold Coast
Goalkeeper

Lydia Williams
Canberra
Goalkeeper

Brooke Spence
Brisbane
Defender

Christine Walters
Canberra
Defender

Clare Polkinghorne
Brisbane
Defender

Kim Carroll
Brisbane
Defender

Lyndsay Glohe
Sydney
Defender

Ruth Blackburn
Brisbane
Defender

Amy Chapman
Canberra
Midfielder

Elise Kellond-Knight
Gold Coast
Midfielder

Ella Mastrantonio
Perth
Midfielder

Karina Roweth
Sydney
Midfielder

Lauren Colthorpe
Brisbane
Midfielder

Nicole Sykes
Dubbo
Midfielder

Renee Rollason
Sydney
Midfielder

Tameka Butt
Gold Coast
Midfielder

Ashley Sykes
Dubbo
Striker

Servet Uzunlar
Sydney
Striker

Angela Fimmano
Adelaide
Striker

Leena Khamis
Sydney
Striker

Victoria Balomenos
Adelaide
Striker

Westfield Young Matildas

Player
Home city
Position

Casey Dumont*
Gold Coast
Goalkeeper

Nikki Dieter
Corowa
Goalkeeper

Sian McLaren
Adelaide
Goalkeeper

Alesha Clifford
Sydney
Defender

Bronwyn Studman
Canberra
Defender

Christine Walters*
Canberra
Defender

Jessica Seaman
Sydney
Defender

Ruth Blackburn*
Brisbane
Defender

Samantha Spackman
Sydney
Defender

Elise Kellond-Knight*
Gold Coast
Midfielder

Ella Mastrantonio*
Perth
Midfielder

Emily van Egmond
Newcastle
Midfielder

Karina Roweth*
Sydney
Midfielder

Linda O'Neill
Sydney
Midfielder

Marianna Tabain
Perth
Midfielder

Nicole Sykes*
Dubbo
Midfielder

Samantha Kerr
Perth
Midfielder

Samantha Wood
Newcastle
Midfielder

Sophie Hogben
Brisbane
Midfielder

Tameka Butt*
Gold Coast
Midfielder

Teresa Polias
Sydney
Midfielder

Angela Fimmano*
Adelaide
Striker

Ashleigh Sykes*
Dubbo
Striker

Kyah Simon
Sydney
Striker

Rachel Quigley
Adelaide
Striker

* staying on after Westfield Promising Matildas camp

Upcoming Match Details

Thursday 25 September

* Westfield 'Promising Matildas' v China U20, AIS Canberra, 4.00pm AEST

Saturday 27 September

* Westfield Young Matildas v China U20, AIS Canberra, 4.00pm AEST

Monday 29 September

* Westfield Young Matildas v China U20, AIS Canberra, 4.00pm AEST

Aussies back to Tashkent

Asia. Football is teaching me all about the Asian cities and countries. If it's Tashkent it must be Uzbekistan and THREE Canberrans, including Goulburns favourite player Chris Bush are included in the Australian Under 16 side. FFA Release below.

Qantas Joeys Head Coach Martyn Crook has selected a 23 player squad to compete at the upcoming AFC U16 Championships which will be held in Uzbekistan from 4-18 October 2008.

“We have been working hard for the past 18 months to prepare for this tournament and our performances at the ASEAN Cup and recent European tour have been promising,’ said Crook.

“This tournament is extremely important for us as it serves as the qualifier for FIFA U17 World Cup.

“We have very good information on our opposition and a quality group of players.

“On this basis, I am confident that we can do the job in Tashkent,” concluded Crook.

The Qantas Joeys qualified for the tournament last year. Earlier this year, the Qantas Joeys won the ASEAN Football Federation Under 16 Youth Championships in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Bahrain.

The Qantas Joeys are drawn in Group C of the Championships alongside China PR, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan.

They play their play their first match of the tournament against Saudi Arabia on Sunday 5 October (kick-off 01.00am AEST Monday 6 October), and then face China PR on Tuesday 7 October (kick-ff 9:00pm AEST) before their final group match against Turkmenistan on Thursday 9 October (kick-off 10.00pm AEST).

The top two teams from each group then advance to the quarter finals on Sunday 12 October, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals which will be held on Wednesday 15 October. The final will be played on Saturday 18 October.

The venue for the Qantas Joeys first two matches will be the Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent which is the same venue that recently saw the Qantas Socceroos defeat Uzbekistan 0-1 in their 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier match.

The winner, runners-up, third-placed and fourth placed team in the competition will qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2009 which will be held Nigeria in October.

The Qantas Joeys will depart Australia on Wednesday and will play a friendly match against host nation Uzbekistan on 28 September as part of their preparations for the AFC U16 Youth Championships.

ENDS

The Qantas Joeys will be departing Sydney International Airport on Wednesday 24 September (check-in 5:30am). Any media interested in interviewing or filming squad members should contact Adam Mark on 0409 390340 by 5.00pm Tuesday 23 September.

QANTAS JOEYS SQUAD

AFC U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS - UZBEKISTAN 2008

4-18 October 2008

Eli Babalj (WA), Chris Bush (ACTAS), Julius Davies (WA), Stephen Domenici (ACTAS), Cameron Edwards (WA), Petar Franjic (VIS), Nathan Farrell (SASI), Danai Gapare (ACTAS), Brendan Hamill (NSWIS), Kamal Ibrahim (VIS), Ben Kantarovski (Newcastle Jets), Robert Kolac (NSWIS), Aaron Lennox (NSWIS), Jared Lum (NSWIS), Chahine Noujaim (SASI), Mark Perrone (SASI), Dimitrios Petratos (NSWIS), Trent Sainsbury (WA), Nikola Stanojevic (NSWIS), Nicholas Tubbs (QAS), Marc Warren (NSWIS), Bailey Wright (VIS) and Teddy Yabio (VIS).

AFC U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS - UZBEKISTAN 2008

OFFCIAL MATCH SCHEDULE

Group A: BAHRAIN, I.R. IRAN, SINGAPORE, UZBEKISTAN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

1
4 Oct 2008
I.R. IRAN vs. BAHRAIN
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

2
4 Oct 2008
SINGAPORE vs. UZBEKISTAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

9
6 Oct 2008
BAHRAIN vs. SINGAPORE
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

10
6 Oct 2008
UZBEKISTAN vs. I.R. IRAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

17
8 Oct 2008
I.R. IRAN vs. SINGAPORE
MHSK Stadium
15:00

19
8 Oct 2008
UZBEKISTAN vs. BAHRAIN
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

Group B: INDIA, INDONESIA, KOREA REPUBLIC, SYRIA

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

3
4 Oct 2008
SYRIA vs. INDONESIA
MHSK Stadium
18:00

4
4 Oct 2008
KOREA REPUBLIC vs. INDIA
MHSK Stadium
14:00

11
6 Oct 2008
INDONESIA vs. KOREA REPUBLIC
MHSK Stadium
14:00

12
6 Oct 2008
INDIA vs. SYRIA
MHSK Stadium
18:00

18
8 Oct 2008
SYRIA vs. KOREA REPUBLIC
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

20
8 Oct 2008
INDIA vs. INDONESIA
MHSK Stadium
19:00

Group C: AUSTRALIA, CHINA P.R., SAUDI ARABIA, TURKMENISTAN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

5
5 Oct 2008
CHINA P.R. vs. TURKMENISTAN
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

6
5 Oct 2008
SAUDI ARABIA vs. AUSTRALIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

13
7 Oct 2008
TURKMENISTAN vs. SAUDI ARABIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

14
7 Oct 2008
AUSTRALIA vs. CHINA P.R.
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

21
9 Oct 2008
CHINA P.R. vs. SAUDI ARABIA
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

23
9 Oct 2008
AUSTRALIA

vs. TURKMENISTAN MHSK Stadium
15:00

Group D: JAPAN, MALAYSIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, YEMEN

#
Date
Match
Venue
Kick-Off

7
5 Oct 2008
JAPAN vs. MALAYSIA
MHSK Stadium
14:00

8
5 Oct 2008
YEMEN vs. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
MHSK Stadium
18:00

15
7 Oct 2008
MALAYSIA vs. YEMEN
MHSK Stadium
14:00

16
7 Oct 2008
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES vs. JAPAN
MHSK Stadium
18:00

22
9 Oct 2008
JAPAN vs. YEMEN
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

24
9 Oct 2008
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES vs. MALAYSIA
MHSK Stadium
19:00

Quarter Finals

#
Date
Match
Venue

QF1
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group A vs. Runner Up Group B
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

QF2
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group B vs. Runner Up Group A
Pakhtakor Stadium
20:00

QF3
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group C vs. Runner Up Group D
MHSK Stadium
14:00

QF4
12 Oct 2008
Winner Group D vs. Runner Up Group C
MHSK Stadium
18:00

Semi Finals

#
Date
Match
Venue

SF1
15 Oct 2008
Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF3
Pakhtakor Stadium
15:00

SF2
15 Oct 2008
Winner QF2 vs. Winner QF4
Pakhtakor Stadium
19:00

Final

#
Date
Match
Venue

F
18 Oct 2008
Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2
Pakhtakor Stadium
16:00

Nearpost Radio tonight

Nationally we talk to Matildas Coach Tom Sermanni about the new W-League, and AIS Under 20 Coach Jan Versleijen on Coaching at Australian Junior Clubs.

Locally Russ Gibbs, Chris Gottaas and Aaron Walker talk to Canberra United signing Grace Gill and Russ and Aaron preview the Rockets game with Sydney FC Youth on Friday.

6.30-7.30pm 98.3fm

Daily Telly's Gary Linnell

is hardly a journalist worthy of the label.

His latest effort, got into the paper, why is anybody's guess, and his bitter little rant included football in his list. Was he supposed to be funny? Heard it all before Gary.

For the record a dull-scoring game goes for 90 minutes Gary, a dull cricket draw goes for 5 days!! Work it out yourself Gary.

Here's what Gary the Goose had to say....

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24385271-5017479,00.html

Name: Soccer fans.
Crime: Pretentiousness, false and misleading conduct.
The Court says: Despite claims their sport is the true "world game'', will soon become Australia's premier sporting competition and should only be referred to as "football'', indisputable evidence proves soccer has duller draws than cricket and more players who fall to the ground feigning injury than the entire cast of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Sentence: Writing on the blackboard no less than 100 times: "The A-League is nothing more than a dressed-up backwater suburban competition.''

Monday, 22 September 2008

Craig Foster: Why I support Canberra bid

SBS Chief Football Analyst and Former Socceroo Craig Foster was interviewed recently, along with former Socceroo and Canberra Cosmos player Paul Wade, by freelance journo Julius Ross.

Asked their thoughts on Tassie's A-League bid Fozzie revealed his support for Canberra, the Nation's Capital and SBS will be running the Canberra A-League story next Sunday on their World Game show around 5pm.

Fozzie said,

I believe that one of the advantages of our code which we have to capitalise on, is that it is the only truly national football code, that has penetration right down to the very grass roots all the way up. So we are arguably the only football code, which must, or should, have a team in every state. That’s is the reason why I support the Canberra bid,

Full article..http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/09/22/craig-foster-and-paul-wade-on-tasmania-in-the-a-league/
Craig Foster and Paul Wade on Tasmania in the A-League
In Hobart for junior development clinics, freelance journalist Julius Ross queried former Socceroo duo Craig Foster and Paul Wade on the potential expansion of the A-League into Tasmanian territory and the hopes for a truly national competition.

Julius Ross: What are your thoughts on the A-League’s potential expansion to include a Tasmanian team?

Paul Wade: I think it’s a great idea - absolutely wonderful idea. To have the length and breath – from Sydney to Perth, and possibly from Townsville to Tasmania – would be fantastic.

Craig Foster: I believe that one of the advantages of our code which we have to capitalise on, is that it is the only truly national football code, that has penetration right down to the very grass roots all the way up. So we are arguably the only football code, which must, or should, have a team in every state. That’s the reason why I believe Tasmania should have [a team], that is the reason why I support the Canberra bid, why I believe eventually, whilst it might be difficult, even a Darwin/Northern Territory team would be great. Now that’s a strength of our game, it’s a weakness of the other football codes and therefore it is something we have to capitalise on. So when I heard from some of the people involved in the potential bid here [in Tasmania]….we are certainly very supportive of it and we hope it gets going.

JR: If Tasmania was to be granted an A-League license it would make it a truly national competition, correct Paul?

PW: Oh, absolutely. We could walk up to all the other [football] codes and say “there you go.” Not only did we have the first national competition, but now we have the first ‘totally’ national competition.

JR: What do you think the realistic time frame for the Tasmania bid is, Craig?

CF: The process of [getting into the A-League] is a funny one so it can be hard to put a time frame on it.

All the current A-League clubs’ genesis has happened in many different ways. Sydney FC for instance, started off with the NSW Federation being involved and then some investors took it away from that, they wanted to remove themselves from the Federation, probably correctly in the end – as there are a lot of politics at that level.

Others, for instance, Townsville went directly to the council and the state government and I think they secured 1-1.5 million dollars in support from them.

Canberra has gone in the other direction, I think there are some parameters [of a successful bid] one of them you must show the FFA is considerable support in the community and one is to have somewhere around 5,000 pledges for season membership to show the community is engaged and they know about the bid. The Canberra bid has the government on board I think to the tune of at least 2-2.5 million dollars, and that has happened very quickly I understand it has all happened in a couple of months.

The idea seems to be to go public, get some traction in the media, get awareness, then there is such a big surge in following.

JR: Obviously in comparison with current A-League sides and other current bids, Tasmania’s population base is much smaller. Do you think we could sustain the minimum fan base?

PW: Well, Perth Glory are only getting around 8,000 [per game], so if you’re not winning nobody turns up. But honestly it is like the Central Coast, the Rugby League were in there and offering them a spot, but they turned their back on it and now soccer has got it. This would be another way of coming down here [to Tassie] and saying “alright, if not going to develop an AFL or Rugby League team in here , we’ll take it.”

CF: Well, the players’ association, of which I am a life member, not too long ago did a very extensive research into the modelling and market for football, and what the research revealed was you need a minimum population base in the surrounds of 250,000 people to support a regular 10,000 crowd. And in fact, if a club runs itself commercially and financially well, that regular 10,000 crowd is sustainable. So when you start to talk those numbers, there are possibilities for a lot of clubs in a lot of areas of the country. But of course the smaller the population, the better you have to engage per capita, therefore the model to follow would be most similar to the Central Coast Mariners.

JR: The Tasmanian bid is under the heading ‘Tasmania United’. Do you think this is suitable given our smaller population base, and that sustaining a team in Hobart alone would be difficult?

PW: Hopefully it is a Tasmanian team and not a Hobart team, we learnt that from Wellington Pheonix – just keep it all together, especially with the part of country this small.

JR: What aspect could be of detriment to the bid?

PW: [Separate] factions could tear the bid apart. Factions which say “we want control of this, we want control of that, we do this better.” Once that starts happening, forget it. Because the FFA have so many bids going in they’ll just wipe it out. That’s the danger.

JR: So in your opinion, what is the likelihood of Tasmania getting a team in the near future?

PW: Look, if everyone can get together and get behind the bid, I can’t see any reason why not. If they can come up with enough sponsors and people to back it, and follow the criteria – get it organised now, don’t go in half-cocked, because it’s not going to work. I’m just hoping, for the [Tasmanian] kid’s sake, they get a team.

CF: At the moment, I think it is competitive but there is opportunity there. Everyone is keen to grow the league therefore they are still in the growth faze so it is a very good time for a bid to be put together.

JR: So can you see us progressing ahead of any of the other current bids?

PW: The Canberra bid is probably, and I’m not completely sure, at a similar stage of preparation, Wollongong the same thing, so there are three horses I know of, right at the same point.

JR: Including Tasmania?

PW: Yes. Now it’s a real race. They [the FFA] are going to introduce the teams two at a time, so the quicker it happens the better, the more [bids] we get, the more chance that [Tasmania’s bid] might not work.

Adelaide United to make history?

Wednesday night watch Adelaide United take on Japanese Champions Kashima Antlers for their historic place in the Asian Champions League Semi-Finals. First leg was 1-1.

And interestingly they've been getting front and back page coverage in the Adelaide newspapers. Even in AFL finals time.

It won't be easy but The Reds certainly are in with a great chance after last weeks, if not Satuday's, performance. Go the Aussies!

Matildas very busy.

Matildas are in Camp in Canberra from Tuesday, Thursday the Promising Matildas v China U20, AIS Canberra, 4.00pm AEST also on Sat same time same teams, and Young Matildas in Camp from Thursday.

Perth won!

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Archie beats Bozzo at the death, Adelaide were death warmed up.

Matt Simon scored two stunning goals for the Mariners last night, and with Victory's erratic keeper Michael Theoklitos given his marching orders for stomping on Sasho " I'm never innocent" Petrovski in the second half, at 2-1 in 93+40 seconds everyone must have thought the game was won.

And then the ball broke to Archie Thompson.

A good entertaining game. Always is at BlueTongue between these two. Partly because Mariners attack in good numbers these days and also because they defend so poorly against Melbourne every year that the Victory resort to booting it over the top to Archie and Danny Allsopp and we all hold our breadth as one-on-one after one-on-one takes place.

Mark Bosnich played well.

But great to see Matt Simon outfox and outjump the overrated former Socceroo Michael Thwaites. In this form he'll remain that.

Brad Porter continues to develop and created both goals for Matt Simon with great crosses, although Simon had a bit to do.

Simon a gangly, aggressive forward with an improving touch and good pace is leading the line well for the Mariners and now is the leagues top scorer. Great to see a young local lad improving so rapidly.

But Lawrie McKinna must have forgot previous Victory games. Very open with a ball over the top or played through to Archie Thompson and Victory are in time and time again.

Can't be that hard to plan for, especially if you've seen it all before.

Archie scored at the death, cue Mark Bosnich outrage.

Mariners are improving and could well, with Dylan MacAllister looking lively make the final four comfortably.

In Sydney, the 12,000 who rocked up saw sensational goals from Terry McFlynn, Brendan Santalab and Alex Brosque.

Sydney are the luckiest team in the league so far.

Beat Perth when Perth self-destructed, beat the Mariners when they were missing key players and got a result against Melbourne when in the first half they were run ragged.

Last night they beat our Asian Champions flag bearers Adelaide who were Wellington-esque in the first half.

Sydney hardly broke sweat, were never tested and didn't really play that well. They didn't have to.

John Aloisi started but he seems to be slowing the Sydney attack rather than enabling the skills of Mark Bridge and Alex Brosque to flourish.

Adelaide had eight players who didn't play in Japan on Wednesday, although you wouldn't have guessed it.

Let's hope they perform better in their ACL quarter final on Sunday. I'm sure they will.

Saturday, 20 September 2008

Jets Kruse past Farina's men

Joel Griffiths who else, tucked a scrappy goal away to earn the Newcastle Jets their first win of the season, and an away win in Fortress Suncorp:)

Uber Coach Gary Van Egmond is making the best of a bad bunch and quickly.

A side looking a shadow of their former Champion selves stuttered early in the season and got flogged 5-0 in Melbourne.

Two weeks later against a team fresh from a 3-0 away win in Perth, the Jets kept a second top team scoreless and pinched one at the end.

Not pretty, but Frank Farina's tactics play into everyone's plans when they play at home.

How many goals do Matt Mackay and Massimo Murdocha ever score or perhaps more importantly create. Nil, certainly not at home.

Everyone talks about the pace of these guys, but you need more than pace.

And you need Robbie Kruse. Last year he was the star for the Roar. Not Michael Zullo.

It was Kruse who can play that special ball, score a goal and create something every game.

Time to play him, and often.

Kruse could change this Roar side. A side with too much experience and not enough guile.

But Farina sends the same pattern out week after week at home, and it doesn't work.

And if it does it's more by luck than a plan. And it's pretty easy to overcome for the following weeks coach.

Defend, let the Roar huff and puff which they do so well but rarely create real chances, or not many of them, and then when the Roar goes out of them you start to attack.

And even if like Newcastle you have few forwards, one is all you need to come alive around the 80th minute.

This defeat is blamed fairly and squarely on Frank Farina. He has the squad.

A squad that can hit teams away from home but our former National Coach has done little or nothing to improve on all-attack home style of former Coach Miron Bleiberg.

Time for a rethink Queensland.

Bring in Robbie Kruse get rid of Massimo Murdocha, or move him into full-back to replace Seo and give the ageing team more pace out wide, and see what difference that makes.

As for the Jets they have sorted their defence but will they ever score more than one?

Unlikely, but Gary Van Egmond will be sorting something, don't worry about that.

At this stage expect the Jets to soar above the Roar in the League table and stay there.

Canberra United first nine signings

Great to hear Canberra United announce their first signings this morning. I listened to Robbie Hooker on ABC radio this morning list the first signings. And ABC's Tim Gavel got a few things wrong:)

Firstly the signings:

Caitlin Munoz, Amy Chapman. Lydia Williams and Grace Gill are all Matildas and local players who have signed up.

World Cup star Thea Slatyer, pacy striker Sasha McDonnell, Hayley Crawford, Karla Reuters and Rhian Davies are other Matildas adding depth to Canberra United. Eight players have already been signed. They are aiming for 18.

Robbie mentioned that he was trying to get a couple of players from the USA, and trialling for other places is taking place with players from ACTAS, and the local Premier League.

So there will be a large number of local players in the squad, as expected.

Now ABC Commentator Tim Gavel continually called the club Canberra FC. Canberra media would hardly get the Brumbies or Raiders name wrong, and it's not as if the name has been just announced is it?

Also a debate occurred with Tim and his offsider Bronwyn Fagan amazed that Canberra United would sign players outside of Canberra, maybe even from America.

Well are all Raiders and Brumbies players from Canberra? Even Australia? What about Transact Capitals everyone born within cooee of Parliament House?

It's a National League. And that's the point. If we want the team to be competitive we can't compete, yet, by signing 18 Canberra players.

That said we want to see as many players from the local region as possible pushing into the squad and the starting line-up.

Which is why Coach Robbie Hooker has trials all weekend, this weekend, for local players.

But ABC Media seem to have lost the plot this morning when it comes to National Women's League sport.

Question:
Would you expect all 18 players to be from Canberra/local region?

Canberra United Media Release below:

Canberra United FC Announce First Signings

Canberra United FC is pleased to welcome Caitlin Munoz, Lydia Williams, Amy Chapman, Grace Gill, Hayley Crawford, Rhian Davies, Thea Slatyer, Sasha McDonnell and Karla Reuter as their first signings for the inaugural season of the Westfield W-League kicking off at the end of October.

Local Matildas' Munoz, Williams and Chapman along with former Young Matilda Gill make up the first contingent of local players to line up in the green this summer while Crawford, Davies, Slayter, McDonnell and Reuter were selected off the FFA designated player list to join Canberra United.

The first recruitment and registration period closed yesterday, Friday 19th September, with all clubs signing their big name players in the first instance.

"We've recruited really well in the first window of opportunity, attracting not only our local players but signing a number of national players from other parts of Australia who will make up the solid foundation for the first season," head coach Robbie Hooker said.

"We've got a fantastic base to build from and we can only get stronger from here as we look to give the league a big shake this season."

The available signed players are this weekend taking part in Canberra United's first training camp at the AIS and the team looks to build towards to start of the season.

"Unfortunately we couldn't get everyone here this weekend at short notice but having said that we've got a lot of players who have both signed with the club and are trialling for contracts."

No further players can be signed between now and the end of the month with the second registration window opening on October 1, but the side will continue to train and trial players looking to be selected.

Biographies:

Caitlin Munoz
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 04 Oct 1983
Position: Striker
Appearances: 50
Goals: 13

Lydia Williams
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 13 May 1988
Position: Goalkeeper
Appearances: 14
Winner of the 2006 'Deadly' Award for Best Indigenous Sportswoman

Amy Chapman
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 02 Dec 1987
Position: Striker
Appearances: 13
Goals: 3

Grace Gill
Former Westfield Young Matilda
Birthday: 27 June 1989
Position: Defender

Thea Slatyer
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 02 Fed 1983
Position: Defender
Appearances: 39
Goals: 2

Hayley Crawford
Former Young Matilda
Birthday: 27 March 1984
Position: Striker

Sasha McDonnell
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 12 Jan 1987
Position: Striker

Rhian Davies
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 05 Jan 1981
Position: Defender
Appearances: 66
Goals: 3

Karla Reuters
Westfield Matilda
Birthday: 14 June 1984
Position: Defender

Friday, 19 September 2008

Canberra v Wollongong A-League bid

Over 700 fully paid up Foundation Members in Canberra v just 500 signed up supporters (no paid component!) to the South Coast FC bid, who is must be said have been going a lot longer...which bid would you say is progressing better?

Canberra United to announce signings

Canberra United FC will announce their first signings tomorrow at Capital Football’s ActewAGL Junior League Presentation Day, at 11:00am. So go along and find out who is in the team, take a few photo's etc. Details below.

Capital Football

Media Alert

Canberra’s newest national league team, Canberra United FC, will tomorrow (Saturday, 20th September) make a significant announcement regarding the club’s playing roster for the inaugural season with the introduction of the clubs first signings at Capital Football’s ActewAGL Junior League Presentation Day, at 11:00am.

Event Details

Who: Canberra United FC
What: First Signings
When: Saturday, 20th September 2008
Where: Deakin Stadium, Grose St, Deakin
Time: 11:00am

Background

The landscape of women’s football in the ACT was changed forever on Monday, 28th July when Canberra United FC was formally announced by the Football Federation of Australia as the only none A-League franchise to be included in the inaugural season of the Westfield W-League to commence in late October.

Canberra has a proud history of producing talented female footballers, with the likes of Lydia Williams, Amy Chapman and Caitlin Munoz in the current national team, as well as a strong local competition comprising 1200 women playing in dedicated competitions including the only women’s over 35’s competition in Australia. At a junior level, 3394 girls lace up the boots on a weekly basis in Canberra to take part in Australia’s fastest growing sector of sport with participation numbers up nearly 10% from last year.

Where in the World?

Where is this?

And which Aussie footballers were playing in the region this week? Answer below.

Matildas Stars Caitlin Munoz and Heather Garriock...

The Mosque in the UAE.

Adelaide: Finals footy alive in September

Adelaide taking their city to Asia, and I ain't talking about the Crows!

Anyone who saw Urawa Reds or Gamba Osaka take on Sydney and Melbourne in previous Asian Champions League encounters will have expected the cashed up Japanese club Kashima Antlers to give Adelaide a good thumping in the home game of the Asian Champions League Quarter Finals...but they didn't.

Adelaide United drew 1-1 and probably should have won given the bizarre own goal by Robbie Cornthwaite and missed chances in particular from Paul Reid.

United have started the A-League season, despite their points tally, less than impressive. Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite have gone. Flowing football has been rare, except against the hapless New Zealand side Wellington Phoenix.

So after been beaten by ten-man Melbourne Victory last weekend most Aussies neutrals(if there is such a thing when we play in Asia) weren't expecting too much on an Australian sides first ever ACL quarter final.

But the Reds were excellent.

Once again they seem to be more Asian than Australian. The style and discipline that gained results against Pohang in Korea earlier in the tournament was again evident.

New players did well.

Paul Reid, former Wollongong Wolves star, is a great addition to the A-League. A modern footballer, in centre midfield, who can play the ball adds great value to the team.

Although he did miss a match winning opportunity the fact that he was in that position at that stage of an away game is great for Coach Aurelio Vidmar.

And Vidmar is working miracles. Bonding a new team, a team to play in Asia now on the cusp of the Semi-Final.

Scott Jamieson is another back from England, Bolton Wanderers. In the same Australian Youth side as Kaz Patafta, Jamieson has started the season at left-back in the place of Red's injured favourite Cassio.

His assured left footed displays means his future with Adelaide or elsewhere is a given.

And it's great to see a sharp incisive left footer playing from the back , and an Aussie at that. He can only get better.

Diego is still to return to his best but he will, Travis Dodd was outstanding as he has been everytime in Asia.

And I'd have Cristiano ahead of the increasingly immobile Paul Agostino. Is Agostino another overseas striker who came back to late to play in the percieved weaker Aussie league. Again it's the former overseas star who is struggling to meet the grade, not the league.

There were many hero's.

Kashima surprised. Given the depth of the other Japanese teams we have seen, it was a poor Kashima performance. Particularly in the first half.

Well off the pace, allowing United space all over the midfield. It was strange to see a Japanese side so slow to the ball.

For United next weeks home game where they need a win or a 0-0 draw should be a belter. Finals football in September in Adelaide.

An Asian Champions League Semi-Final place awaits.

This weekend they take on Sydney FC, and that'll be a great game as well.

And of you want style I'd be leaving John Alosi for Sydney and Paul Agostino for United on the benches.

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