Socceroos draw 1-1 with Netherlands

You got me wrong, enzo. I’m not talking about the result – yes, eventually it was 1-1 and that’s it. The result is what is gonna count in the cup. But there are some comments in the newspaper and here that now talk about how good the Socceroos are and blablabla. That’s not what I’ve seen yesterday. It’s a great result, but any other day, this match is gonna end 5-1 or something the like. I think the last Shots on Goal statistics I’ve seen was 18-4. And of the 18 about 5 or 6 were fantastic shots/tries that took everything out of Schwarzer. And you must be kidding if you say he had anything to do with the goal they conceded!

All I’m saying is, there was still a difference of class visible between the Dutch and Australia. Yesterday it didn’t show in the result. But that was yesterday. Just remember the the Confederations Cup! The Socceroos played an as ‘gutsy’ tournament as they did yesterday against the Dutch. And what did they get?

Not every team can be a WC contender. And while supporting your team is certainly the right thing to do, you also should try to stay realistic on what is going on. I’m Swiss. We’re about in the same position: solid team, CAN pull off a few good games – but it can easy go into the other direction as well. Just because we drew Italy (and qualified with France, Ireland and Israel in one group and against Turkey in a play-off) doesn’t make me go running around and expecting wonders! Yes, we’re not ‘bad’ – but we’re not great either. It’s the same with the Aussies….

Posted from  Australia

@Marco

You gotta be kidding?? So I know nothing about football?? Now, for your info: even Marco van Basten – the Great Marco, that is – said after the match that he didn’t think Oz played to tough, that the Dutch players needed to cope with that and that it’s better to prepare on the edge than with summer evening football ( as we call it)…

May I remind you, Marco, that:

1) I am Dutch (football is in my genes)
2. I played along side the great Willem van Hanegem and Wim Jansen
3) I personally know v Basten. Gullit, Adriaanse, van Gaal and Richard Witschge (to name a few)
4) I organized the AD tournament in the Kuip in Rotterdam for Feyenoord
5) I trained/coached the ASWH amateur team (first division amateurs in Holland)

The fact of the matter is, that Sneijder was responsible for his own injury (no one els), Cocu’s injury was a collision, not a faul and if the team couldn’t stand the heat the Socceroos put upon the team, they shouldn’t go to the WC in the first place… Man…

Do not attack me personally on my football know-how ever again, dear boy. You may have another opinion than me, that’s fine… But I expect you to respect my opinion.

Other than that: HUP HOLLAND HUP (etc)

Posted from  Australia

Marco, I have noticed that you have made alot of posts on this site and your opinion on topics is welcome. However, please refrain from instigating unnecessary arguments and bickering, as well as the constant putting down and dismissal of other people’s opinions.

Posted from  Australia

If Holland didn’t have Van der sar…
If we didn’t have Schwarzer…

Surely the point is that both teams DID have those keepers?? Hence 1-1.

I kind of agree with maark1 though. When Cahill took the initiative and scored it just highlighted how stodgy we’d been up to that point. For all the talk of increased tactical nous under Hiddink, I get the feeling we still fly by the seat of our pants and rely on grit and determination to squeak through. Which is fine… up to a point… but where’s the plan?

Thanks for the analysis Akbar. Brazil apparently picked NZ for a friendly because of their similarity to Australia. Mmmm, okay…

p.s Our national Rugby League team is the Kangaroos. Football is the Socceroos. Very dorky name, I know, but it’s too late to change it now!

Posted from  Australia

australia had never played someone to the caliber of the dutch side before. i think we were just overwhelmed. who wouldnt feel like bowing to the mistro that is nistlerooy. australia is better that what they played. when hiddink layed down the law at half time and the players realised they are worthy of mixing it with teams like the dutch. we almost beat them with 10 men. if that doesnt say watch out world i dont know what does. comming from an aussie rules back ground, why did the ducth seem to feel the need in a trial match to con the ref with girlie screams and diving. if the rumours are true about the world cup refs carding diving, the dutch will be in trouble from the start. it was disgusting. grown men acting like girls.

Posted from  Australia

haha ill drink to that Troy!

Posted from  Australia

Pat, Viduka is a striker. His job is to score goals. If he can’t even manage to score from the penalty spot, why should he be in the starting line up?

Thompson and Aloisi need to be given more chance as the starting striker. Maybe even Culina.

The defence wasn’t very good but at least they only conceded one goal. Schwarzer should be made captain, instead of Viduka.

Posted from  Australia

Some of the people on this site really just need to chill out!!!!! okay, its just football.

The point at which you begin to scream the words you are typing and when you can’t just disagree with someone’s point of view but actually have to trash it too…..this is the point at which you to take a step back (literally…away from the computer) and have a look at yourself….becasue your acting like a dick.

….despite all this i thought there was some good analysis in this blog.

Cheers

Posted from  Australia

JUST FOOTBALL??????

J-U-S-T FOOTBALL?

I’m gonna have nightmares tonight!

Posted from  Australia

Jan the Man, Don’t worry mate. I’ve been reading your comments on the blogs for a while and I take your comments with respect. I know you understand football and have a great footballing knoweledge.

Saying that, we all should know by now that Marco is just the complete opposite. His comments are pro-Italian and just trying to put down everyone else who does not see his point of view. We all know that you can put your opinion across without putting down others. Until Marco understands this, we all should just skip over his thoughts.

Jan, I was on the Dutch blog straight after the game and the comments were about the physical nature of the game. Then when I read VB comments it made me feel better. BV said it straight. It’s a mans game and they will see this pressure in the WC. If you don’t deal with it then you won’t survive. It’s probably good for the Dutch to see this just prior to the WC so VB can sort this out. But I still don’t know why Robben and Landzaat need to dive?

Let’s look forward to our last warm-up game then the big one against Japan.

@Jan, I think your Dutch team will have a great WC!

Posted from  United States

Bigone, from your argument about brazil as good as holland, i definately take that as a compliment, but no way in hell are as good as brazil. we stand a fair chance, but it will be very, very, very hard to beat them. Aussie’s, dont expect to much of the football team in germnay this summer. I love rugby and play it alot, and you guys rule at it. But for now, Aussies are no good in Football. Dont forget, this is only the second time you guys qualified for the world cup. Brazil will steam over you with 4-0, maybe 4-1. No one in friendlies gives everything. Remember that. Holland will go far in Germany this summer, even with you aussies tackling and hacking our players. shows the difference in quality. But then again. I thank you guys for showing us what teams can be like, and what they will do to piss off other teams. But anyways, alot of compliment to your goal keeper. Brilliant saves, n verduka was dangerous at some points.

Posted from  Oman

It would be nice if people could have logical and thoughtful comments. We have beaten top teams such as Brazil. May i remind you, Croatia and Japan have never achieved this.

Yes, the Australian team does not have the vision and skills of the south americans (and some of the european teams)…but we have teamwork and a lot of heart.

Don’t forget, the squad consists of players playing in a range of leagues worldwide. They play against european, south american, asian opposition week in week out.

We may not be up there with them yet, but this is the world cup. If you have any knowledge about football (and about Australian’s in general)…you’ll see that we are capable of more than a few surprises.

Posted from  New Zealand

hey Martin, yeah everyone is entitled to their own opinion so here’s mine farkwit!

yeah soccer is a mans game but it also a game of skill…something the soccerwhos are lacking big time…Craig Foster even admits this haha…if you want to play argy bargy football (shiiet can you believe they are calling it football now…farkin bandwagoners) go play rugby or league…something ozzies are actually good at…cut the BS about tough this and wuss that…play with skill…thats what football/soccer is all about…keep the argy bargy shiiet with all the over-weight weekend soccer heros haha

Posted from  Australia

@Martin
Thanks for your kind words , I sould’ve thought twice before shooting at the hi to Marco II…

The diving… I don’t like it. In HOlland we used to say the Zjermans invented it… I really don’t know. It’s hopefully an expression of people who’d do anything to win? That would be a new one for Dutch players . But it does ruin the game and refs can’t read that stuff. I am always very frustrated with linesman who miss handdballs in the box or can’t see who last touched the ball…

Posted from  Australia

@sickemrex…

You know I wanted to like you and listen to what you had to say. I liked your name but then as soon as I started to read, I am thinking, is this Marco’s long lost brother here.

You can have your opinion mate but no need to bring that negativity crap here. Speak your mind but speak it with class.

I haven’t listen to a thing Craig Foster has said in a long time and taken him seriously. I don’t know who does?

The socceroos have a ton of skill. You can’t play for big clubs like Liverpool, Parma, AC Milan, PSV and to a lesser extent Blackburn, Boro, Newcastle etc without any skill. The Aussies have skill but they have been more renowned over the years for their physical tough game. Now we have skill to go along with it and this is why we are in the WC with a shot at making the second round.

And, mate, we have been calling it football for a while now, just the FFA took a while to catch up. There is no problem calling it soccer or football (or remember wogball mate), it’s all the same game. Does it make you better just cause you call if football?

And mate, make-up your mind….is the argy bargy stuff for rugby or league or for over-weight weekend soccer heros. I just got to know!!!!

sickemrex I have warned Marco about putting people down on here and now I am warning you. Please refrain from trashing other peoples opinions on topics. This is a dicussion area so debate/disagreement on topics is fine but there is no need to put down other people on here. If you fail to do this I will be forced to ban you from this site. Thanks.

Posted from  Australia

The posters on this Ozzie fansite remind me of the Dutch team in ‘96, when Hiddink was just appointed as team manager…

Posted from  Australia

Martin. Not really sure if I’d call Viduka ’skilled’. He has other qualities. Additionally, I don’t regard the EPL as high as other do as the difference in talent between top teams (Chelsea, ManU, Liverpool, Arsenal) and the big rest of the league is quite astonishing. Just because you play in England, doesn’t mean you’re a good player (I know, I saw Bernt Haas play for an English club. Hehe.). Additionally, some of your players play in bloody Switzerland. Man, even our national team doesn’t use players working for Swiss clubs. (More or less. And the ones who do are usually a worry in the team.)

Like I said before: you have a solid team (otherwise you wouldn’t be there). But you don’t have a great team. Don’t get over-excited for the WC. Second round: yes, maybe, if all goes well (as it did against the Dutch).

Posted from  Australia

Whose interest is Viduka thinking of? Can one imagine the horror of 0-0 against Japan, and Australia is awarded a penalty in the last minute and Viduka wants to take because “I’ll take another 100 if that’s what it takes for me to score.” and he misses. So what, right, Viduka? You’ve got another 99 penalties to take before it sinks in that the team comes first rather than your desire to rid yourself of the nervousness when taking penalties.

Posted from  Australia

Oi matt you talk about banning me and sickemrex yet you say nothing to martin who i says insulting things about me … now lets talk about his post …
So Australian players play for big clubs i dont think you can say kalac starts for Ac so it dont count.. Kewel barley gets a run at Liverpool and cullina barley ever starts for PSV .. and lets not even talk about Archie Thompson … Viduca grella and bresciano are the only consistent starting players Australia has (and if you want to look at it from this point of view .. you say Australia can beat brazil yet there’s not one player from Australia who could go into the brazil team!!!!). With regard to physical play Australia has already dug it self into a hole with the Holland game .. i can bet that even if they dont go past group stage they will rack up a ton of yellow and a couple red cards!!

VIVA L’ITALIAN AND FORZA LUCA TONI!!!!!!

Posted from  Australia

To all Aussie supporters, go the US site, ie, click on its flag and then go to “Guardian Optimistic About US Future” ,and then read wthe derogatory comments that a person called Mike makes of Australia. The Americans think the US will be the next soccer superpower. I am still laughing.

Posted from  Australia

I think that too many of you guys are reading in to this result far too much. It annoys me how the media now portray the Roos as an almost certainty to make it out of the group stage just beause we (very luckily) drew with The Netherlands. On 9/10 days that result would have been at the very least 2-1. If the Aust. public or the Aust. team think that this is the level of intensity which the Dutch would be playing come the WC then they are in for a huge surprise. After their goal on 9 mins. you can see that they sat back and playd keep-ball and pass-back in order to rest and smply maintain posession. If that was the WC the Dutch would be peppering the Aust. goal with their hit-men while their runners off the ball cause havoc to the Aust. defence. They WOULD NOT sit deep, they would maintain pressure higher up the park making constant attacks at goal as the physical and psychological effects of the first 10 minutes sinks in.

I am a HUGE fan of both the Socceroos and the Oranje and i am completely unbiased when i say that the Dutch are, and were, a far superior team, and this 1-1 draw is in no way an indicator as to how the Aust. will fare should they face the Oranje again, or any other attack and posession minded team.

Posted from  Australia

enxo .. if america wanted to they prob could .. They have produced joe rossi who si 17 (althugth i think wants to play for italy) is only 17, is already signed up with man U and is the next huge thing in football … and as for ayl18 i totally agree with you on ur comments

Posted from  Australia

Marco,

Mark Schwarzer is superior to Dida. If he was Brazilian, he would be their starting goalie.

Regarding Australia beating Brazil, I think it’s possible. We didn’t deserve a draw against Holland but we got it. We don’t deserve a draw (or even a victory) against Brazil, but we may get it. The better team don’t always win. It’s the result that matters.

Posted from  Australia

Firstly, Dida is better then Schwarzer, thats why hes at milan and in 2003-2004 dida was the best or on par with buffon, with regard to top goal keeper.. .. the result does count .. but dont tell me you can fluke 6 or 7 games in a row tho

Posted from  Australia