The draw: Not the World Game for nothing is it?
Australia 2009 is not as good as team as the one which took the field in Germany.
The group is much stronger this time: Germany and Brazil are not dis-similar, Croatia are nowhere near as strong as this young Serbian side, and of course Ghana are a much stronger proposition than Japan.
All that and a much more battle hardened Aussie team, one which has achieved wonderfully well to qualify, but has not convinced it's supporters it has the goal power to do well in South Africa. Not to mention the defensive abilities despite their meagre goals conceded in Asia qualifying.
Since Germany, Mark Viduka has not been replaced. Key players Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Brett Emerton, Harry Kewell, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill have big big question marks over their pace and potential performances going into this World Cup.
Will they all make it?
Carl Valeri, Rhys Williams, Dario Vidosic, Brett Holman are all new World Cup possible starters. None are ripping it up at a top top club in Europe just yet.
But the draw is good.
Most Australians will expect Australia to do well especially after Germany. It's a World Cup, it's sport and Aussies often do well in Cricket, Union, and League albeit on a much much smaller World stage.
But by June 2010, no-one will expect us to get through this group easily. I don't think we can. But if we'd have drawn Algeria and USA everyone would have thought we'd walk that group, but of course we may not come through such a group either.
So the second World Cup may see us fail to achieve the heights of last time, but at least the expectations across the country will be tempered after a cruel cruel draw.
Will we win a game? Will we get a point? Who knows, it will be that tight and not completely impossible to see us go through, or indeed fail to get a point.
Should we fail the Aussie media will have their field day of course; but for football fans we know where we're at and what we are capable of.
The draw is a great test of Pim Verbeek and the Australian team. Will we succeed? It's going to be a test of the highest order and providing the "second appearance syndrome" doesn't raise it's head and the team bonds, remains focused and doesn't get distracted by Tim Cahill's media grabs and the like then we should perform to our potential.
Will we get through the group.
Not too optimistic..are you?
3 comments:
No, I'm not too confident, especially when I think about it.
But I'm a sucker for the romantic notion of Ozzie Spirit (hope they never find a drug test for that) and my heart will remain hopeful to the end. Then again, Kiwis would say the same, and they're gonna get drubbed.
Whether we qualify or not it's already a victory for Australian Football. Just listen to the football talk in the cafes, in the media and around town.
Football's the winner.
By the way.. my tip is we'll do the Germans
i don't think we'll get past ghana, who will eek out second spot behind the germans...
that's the head; the heart rekkuns we _may_ eek out a poit against the germans and the ghanaians and beat serbia and go on to fall to the english (who will wind up winning the 3rd/4th play-off against argentina as spain beat cote d'ivoire in a thrilling final...)
you're right about the press here, who will maul the boys if they don't get past th group stage. but we'll know to rate their performance - as groups go, were almost 'even' with the serbs and ghanaians, so anything is possible. possibly. be a great world cup - pity groups g & h contain most of my pre-tournament favourites and so we'll see the rd16 games knock out half of them!
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