Enjoy the 2010 World Cup..next time we play we may be hosts!
We're bidding for the 2018 World Cup: Is the reason we are bidding because we know our Golden Generation retires in August 2010, and only Hosts are guaranteed qualification?
The Socceroos are so important to the growth of the game in Australia, the rise of the next generation, and there is nothing like a World Cup to focus our youth on football rather than League, Union or AFL. but it's starting to look very scary for football in Australia post-2010. (Remember the Beijing Olympic Team?)
Okay so we're nearly there for 2010,....
barring an Iranian-style finish Australia should make it. And we should enjoy it....because next time with the players we have we may not be able to get a draw in China, a win in Bahrain or Uzbekistan, we even could struggle at home to Iraq, and god forbid Qatar.
With the side that took the field in Japan in Feb, only missing Emerton, Viduka and Kewell from the one that took the field against Japan in the last World Cup....and all of these would have played if fit...
We're going to be left in dire trouble come 2014 qualification aren't we, unless you know something I don't.....
Chipperfield, Emerton, Viduka, Kewell, Neill, Scharwzer, Culina, Cahill, Grella, Bresciano, Sterjovski, Wilkshire, Moore, Coyne may all be gone.
If there are two of the above still walking around for the Socceroos that will be about it.
So welcome to the new team post-2010.
Federici
Spiranovic, Beauchamp, North, Kisnorbo, Carney..a few unproven there aren't there...can De Vere step up, Mullen Jamieson or anyone else in the next couple of years..step up to Internationl football?
Valeri, Holman, Jedinak....not the elite we have had in the past but maybe Culina can go around again, Kantarovski to sneak through as a new Zelic/Okon by 2014 he'll only be 21..the age Zelic was heading overseas.
Kennedy, Djite, Troisi, MacDonald, Rukavystya...we need Bruce and Nikita to shine in the coming years and Troisi but there's not much depth and no real star like Viduka.
Who else? Holland, Nichols, Celeski...the challenge is there and the gap between the current and immediate generation is lacking somewhat in my view.
We'd better enjoy our qualification this time...the Golden Generation is about to depart.
Milligan and Milicevic should have been able to go and be first picks in the post 2010 team but they have gone completely off the boil.
Have I missed anyone?
2 comments:
mclellanhan could be impressive; and i think you also point out that a lot of the youngsters had better 'step up' - but with the hosting a good nine, mebbe thirteen, years away we have a lot of scope for a few young'uns to turn up the gas and get some richer experience in europe and developing leagues like china and japan, as a-league's asian push expands.
so while it may look dour now, i rekkun revisiting this blog in five years could be illuminating.
i`m kinda fatalistic about it.
i want to see everybody try to move forward and make it happen ...
but if you don`t get to the world cup finals, its cos you don`t deserve to be there. there is another team, who performed better in qualifications. and they deserve to be there.
clayton
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