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  • EgejskaMakedonia
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2010
    • 1665

    Yeh Leckie was very impressive. Made some nice crosses throughout the game, which proved lethal in combination with Cahill's aerial ability. Also showed great composure in taking on players. Had he managed to nick a goal with that dribbling play he had, it would've been up there as one of the goals of the tournament.

    As for Spain v Holland, it was very surprising. Let's not forget that Spain also lost their first match to the Swiss in the 2010 WC and went on to win the competition, but to lose 5-1 is cause for concern. I'd love for Australia to deny them a spot in the last 16, at least we'd go out of the comp having caused a lot of damage.

    Comment

    • Phoenix
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2008
      • 4671

      Originally posted by EgejskaMakedonia View Post
      ...
      As for Spain v Holland, it was very surprising. Let's not forget that Spain also lost their first match to the Swiss in the 2010 WC and went on to win the competition, but to lose 5-1 is cause for concern. I'd love for Australia to deny them a spot in the last 16, at least we'd go out of the comp having caused a lot of damage.
      I'm still trying to get my head around that result and it's longer term implications, not just for this WC but Spanish football itself.
      I've had a quick look at the replay, although it was a rather disjointed viewing whilst doing some other shit around home but I didn't think Spain were that bad, they seemed to be moving the ball ever so nicely and beautifully working their way out of some very tight situations as we've come to expect from them over many years now but it seemed to me that everything that could possibly go wrong for the hapless bastards did and everything that could possibly go right for the Dutch did...???

      I'm not prepared to write them off just yet...I think they'll want to quickly turn things around and I don't fancy being Chile or Australia in the coming days...

      Conversely, has the result gone to the heads of the Dutch?
      I hope the Dutch are arrogant enough to totally disrespect us...

      Comment

      • Soldier of Macedon
        Senior Member
        • Sep 2008
        • 13670

        Australia and Holland are 1-1 at half time. And what a GOAL by Timmy Cahill!! He's an absolute champ. Unfortunately, he also got his second yellow card in as many games so he isn't playing against Spain. At least he took out the Dutch defender who had to be stretchered off the field. Overall a very strong performance by our boys, if they keep this up in the second half anything is possible.

        Edit update:

        Well, we went ahead with a penalty early in the second half, but then we totally dropped the ball and the Dutch punished us. The second goal from Holland was due to poor defending and the third could have been saved by our keeper. This game was ours for the taking and we should have won it. We had a number of chances but we didn't capitalise on them. I know it was a big ask to be seeking a win against the Dutch to begin with, but we had it. It was in our grasp. So in my view, disappointing result given the good effort shown throughout most of the game. Final result: Australia loses 3-2 against Holland.
        In the name of the blood and the sun, the dagger and the gun, Christ protect this soldier, a lion and a Macedonian.

        Comment

        • Macedonian_Nationalist
          Member
          • Jul 2012
          • 407

          Originally posted by Soldier of Macedon View Post
          Australia and Holland are 1-1 at half time. And what a GOAL by Timmy Cahill!! He's an absolute champ. Unfortunately, he also got his second yellow card in as many games so he isn't playing against Spain. At least he took out the Dutch defender who had to be stretchered off the field. Overall a very strong performance by our boys, if they keep this up in the second half anything is possible.

          Edit update:

          Well, we went ahead with a penalty early in the second half, but then we totally dropped the ball and the Dutch punished us. The second goal from Holland was due to poor defending and the third could have been saved by our keeper. This game was ours for the taking and we should have won it. We had a number of chances but we didn't capitalise on them. I know it was a big ask to be seeking a win against the Dutch to begin with, but we had it. It was in our grasp. So in my view, disappointing result given the good effort shown throughout most of the game. Final result: Australia loses 3-2 against Holland.
          Keeper was shit. If we had Swharzer we'd be on 2 wins right now

          Comment

          • Phoenix
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2008
            • 4671

            The Aussie boys are playing with a lot of heart, unfortunately it's the little things that are killing us.

            I thought the first goal was Wilkinson's fault through very poor body positioning which allowed Robben to take possession from Wilkinson's left hand side giving him a free run at goal through the middle of the park, instead of blocking that side and forcing Robben out wide and toward the sideline.

            Ryan should never have been beaten from that far out.

            We've conceded 3 goals in each game and I think it's one area of the selection of the team that the greek boofhead has totally fucked up.
            Nearly every defender in both games has been guilty of ball watching that has caused us a lot of damage on the scoreboard.

            I think there was a strong case for the inclusions of both Ognenovski and Wilkshire in the current squad.
            Every football code is built around solid defensive structures and we're clearly deficient in this regard.

            Comment

            • lavce pelagonski
              Senior Member
              • Nov 2009
              • 1993

              I'm not being racist but that's what happens when you put a Greek in charge if the team.
              Стравот на Атина од овој Македонец одел до таму што го нарекле „Страшниот Чакаларов“ „гркоубиец“ и „крвожеден комитаџија“.

              „Ако знам дека тука тече една капка грчка крв, јас сега би ја отсекол целата рака и би ја фрлил в море.“ Васил Чакаларов

              Comment

              • Soldier of Macedon
                Senior Member
                • Sep 2008
                • 13670

                Originally posted by lavce pelagonski View Post
                I'm not being racist but that's what happens when you put a Greek in charge if the team.
                I would like to think his exclusion of Ognenovski was not due to any ethnic bias, but who knows. Overall, he made some poor decisions but he also made some good decisions. In this regard, his own background should be irrelevant. The style of play he encouraged our boys to adopt is commendable.
                In the name of the blood and the sun, the dagger and the gun, Christ protect this soldier, a lion and a Macedonian.

                Comment

                • EgejskaMakedonia
                  Senior Member
                  • Jan 2010
                  • 1665

                  I think all this hate here for Ange is fairly harsh. I was sceptical of his appointment at first and would have preferred Popovic, but I think he has justified his position. Let's not forget he only had a few months to prepare the squad for the WC.

                  I don't think any of us expected Australia to be competitive at all given our group, let alone score a goal. We've all been proved wrong, yet all of a sudden expectations have increased ten-fold. We could've easily drawn or even won both games, and while we may feel annoyed at the outcome at the moment, we should be extremely proud of what this young squad has managed to do so far.

                  Maybe Ognenovski could've done better up back, but we have to remember the approach Ange decided to take when he was given the reigns, and that was to blood the youngsters. If Sasha played this probably would've been his last world cup, and provided that we weren't expected to do much at all (which Ange probably thought too), what's the point? He was left out for the same reason Kewell, Neill and others were left out. I highly doubt he was left out due to ethnic reasons, that just seems like a cheap shot to be honest.

                  The defence could use some improvement, but that the third goal in the Chile match was because of a last minute ditch for us to save the game. We also had two defenders injured for the match against Holland. Mat Ryan could've been better in the goal as well, but like the others, this experience will be absolutely vital in his development.

                  My main point that I wanted to make is that although he may be a grk, some of you need to cut him some slack and give credit where it is due.

                  Comment

                  • Phoenix
                    Senior Member
                    • Dec 2008
                    • 4671

                    My personal opinion is that Australian football (administrators, supporters & media) shouldn't be happy with any level of mediocrity.

                    In two games we've been pumped to the tune of 6 goals, all of which were particularly soft and totally unacceptable.
                    That blame falls at the feet of Postecoglou and his selection criteria.

                    Jason Culina summed it up nicely in the post game where he said that there's nothing revolutionary in the Postecoglou game plan that we haven't seen previously from an Australian side in the past two WC's.

                    The revolutionary thing has been Postecoglou's throwing the baby out with the bath water routine in selection.

                    To use an AFL analogy of the current Socceroos dilemma is the transition plan of Geelong compared to that of St Kilda...

                    Ultimately, Postecoglou has been given free reign at this WC, his first real test as coach/manager will come in the upcoming Asian championships...
                    I don't want to cut the guy any slack at any time, least of all at the World Cup.
                    Last edited by Phoenix; 06-19-2014, 04:15 PM.

                    Comment

                    • Bill77
                      Senior Member
                      • Oct 2009
                      • 4545

                      Very good post EM.
                      I totally agree with with everything you said.

                      I would like to add that it was clear that this current team made up of youth was not intended for Brazil, but for Russia 2018. (And Asian cup coming up on our soil).

                      I have no doubt, if we had our most experienced on the field in this current tournament.......such as Sash (who was never realy part of the Socceroos to begin with even with the former coach's) Neil', Emerton, Luke Wiltshire, Kenedy etc etc, we would be facing more of the 6-0 defeats like the France and Brazil games because our best (as in most expeiriance ) is no where near good enough to compete against the best. What got us through now, and became respected was enthusiasm which only youth can achieve.

                      Another point made was our defence has been poor. Firstly if Sash is to play, he would most likely take the position of Spiranovic. Matt Spiranovic is class and having a good tournament, he is clearly not the missing link at back. Davidson is also a talent who is doing fine apart from that mistake keeping Van Persie on side, but he will learn and I'm sure he will not make that mistake again. Our biggest problem was the right back which is the side Holland identified and used to attack. For many years now the right back has been our issue. McGowan is very poor IMHO, I know he was only make shift, but even Franjic, who was intended to play there, isn't ideal.

                      The only criticism I have with Ange's selection is Mat Ryan over Langerak. But it's Ange's style, I noticed what criteria you need to Keep under Ange is you need to have foot skil as good as a defender. It suits his style in playing from the back. He has done the same at Victory, where he released Covic (who won clubs best and fairest) and replaced him with Coe who has copped some embarrassing goal when using his hands, but can hit a target 50 meters by foot. I see the same situation with the Socceroos where Langerak IMO....throws himself better at the ball, even Schwarzer, but obviously they wouldn't have the skill if the ball is on the ground and needed to be played by foot in situations where the ball is played back by defenders.
                      http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum/showthread.php?p=120873#post120873

                      Comment

                      • Phoenix
                        Senior Member
                        • Dec 2008
                        • 4671

                        IMHO, Australia's defence is sadly lacking a guy like Ognenovski who can act as a general and marshal the troops, keep them focused on their shape and defensive positioning, instead we continually get caught out ball watching while the opposition forwards have gaps wide enough to drive trucks through onto their target.

                        This is the fundamental flaw in Postecoglou's team, a very poor defence that lacks technical nous and experience on the world stage
                        Last edited by Phoenix; 06-19-2014, 09:37 PM.

                        Comment

                        • EgejskaMakedonia
                          Senior Member
                          • Jan 2010
                          • 1665

                          Originally posted by Phoenix View Post
                          My personal opinion is that Australian football (administrators, supporters & media) shouldn't be happy with any level of mediocrity.

                          In two games we've been pumped to the tune of 6 goals, all of which were particularly soft and totally unacceptable.
                          That blame falls at the feet of Postecoglou and his selection criteria.

                          Jason Culina summed it up nicely in the post game where he said that there's nothing revolutionary in the Postecoglou game plan that we haven't seen previously from an Australian side in the past two WC's.

                          The revolutionary thing has been Postecoglou's throwing the baby out with the bath water routine in selection.

                          To use an AFL analogy of the current Socceroos dilemma is the transition plan of Geelong compared to that of St Kilda...

                          Ultimately, Postecoglou has been given free reign at this WC, his first real test as coach/manager will come in the upcoming Asian championships...
                          I don't want to cut the guy any slack at any time, least of all at the World Cup.
                          I agree, but the Socceroos were never at a standard that was comparable to Geelong or St Kilda from 2007 onwards. We were quite poor at the South African WC, so there wasn't really an opportunity for transition at all. We have to build the squad up from the bottom, and that will only be achieved by giving as many youngsters as possible some game-time on the world stage. It's not like footy where they may be given an opportunity to play on any given week...here we are talking about once every 4 years. Most players will only experience 2 or 3 WCs in their career at most, so I don't think the concept of transition here is quite the same. Sure you have the Asian Championship to give them exposure, but the opportunities are very limited on an international level. There is still enough experience and quality in the extended team to guide the up and comers, but for every veteran we play, we are simply denying an invaluable experience for a potential future gun.

                          The fact that we matched it with the likes of Chile and Holland (and potentially Spain next week), will be a massive confidence boost to a young side. Yes it may have been risky to field a young side if we were completely decimated every game, but I reckon the risk has paid off. Culina was absolutely right in saying that Ange's game style is no different to previous Aussie sides (I'd add with the exception of always playing it from the back as opposed to smashing it forward), but that doesn't necessarily make him a bad manager. It's more the fact that he's been able to play some good football with such a young squad that has left an impression on spectators.

                          We can't go from poor to good in the blink of an eye, which is why we may have to accept mediocrity for the time-being.

                          Comment

                          • George S.
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2009
                            • 10116

                            I regard the soccer as a complete fiasco.THe standard of play of world soccer is from crap to abysmal.I',m not seeing professional playing much these days.People are merely kicking the ball to each other whoopy do.There is no man on.I hardly see much dramatic play.There is no heating up in a match where there is desperation to score.Not only this the doping has left people home & dry to the huge extent that it goes on.lso FIFA is so corrupt that it defys the imagination.Our 50 million has actually vanished into thin air.WE didn't accopmplish much just one vote??Also of that 50 million 500k was found to have gone into one official's bank account.I can't wait for the soccer season to end.seriously.
                            "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                            GOTSE DELCEV

                            Comment

                            • Macedonian_Nationalist
                              Member
                              • Jul 2012
                              • 407

                              Got to hand it to Hellarse. They cheat by playing minnows in friendlies so that they keep their FIFA ranking up and then get easy beats in euro and WC qualifying.

                              I think Macedonia should do the same so that we have a better chance of making it to one of these major tournaments. I'd be the first one to buy tickets to Russia 2018 if Macedonia made it.

                              Comment

                              • Sweet Sixteen
                                Banned
                                • Jan 2014
                                • 203

                                Originally posted by Macedonian_Nationalist View Post
                                Got to hand it to Hellarse. They cheat by playing minnows in friendlies so that they keep their FIFA ranking up and then get easy beats in euro and WC qualifying.

                                I think Macedonia should do the same so that we have a better chance of making it to one of these major tournaments. I'd be the first one to buy tickets to Russia 2018 if Macedonia made it.
                                Greece's friendlies don't seem so easy to me:

                                03/03/2010 Volos Greece 0:2 (0:0) Senegal
                                25/05/2010 Altach Greece 2:2 (1:1) Korea DPR
                                02/06/2010 Winterthur Greece 0:2 (0:2) Paraguay
                                11/08/2010 Belgrade Serbia 0:1 (0:1) Greece
                                17/11/2010 Vienna Austria 1:2 (0:0) Greece
                                09/02/2011 Larissa Greece 1:0 (0:0) Canada
                                29/03/2011 Larissa Greece 0:0 Poland
                                07/06/2011 New York Ecuador 1:1 (0:1) Greece
                                10/08/2011 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina 0:0 Greece
                                11/11/2011 Piraeus Greece 1:1 (0:1) Russia
                                15/11/2011 Altach Greece 1:3 (1:1) Romania
                                29/02/2012 Heraklion Greece 1:1 (1:1) Belgium
                                26/05/2012 Kufstein Greece 1:1 (1:0) Slovenia
                                31/05/2012 Kufstein Armenia 0:1 (0:1) Greece
                                15/08/2012 Oslo Norway 2:3 (1:2) Greece
                                14/11/2012 Dublin Republic of Ireland 0:1 (0:1) Greece
                                06/02/2013 Piraeus Greece 0:0 Switzerland
                                14/08/2013 Salzburg Austria 0:2 (0:1) Greece
                                05/03/2014 Piraeus Greece 0:2 (0:1) Korea Republic
                                31/05/2014 Lisbon Portugal 0:0 Greece
                                03/06/2014 Chester Greece 0:0 Nigeria
                                06/06/2014 Harrison Greece 2:1 (1:0) Bolivia

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