LiveBlog: Australia v Greece

This is my attempt at a LiveBlog while watching a video stream. No idea what the quality will be like, both of the picture, or of the LiveBlog. Wish me luck…

Full time: 1-0 Australia (Skoko 16′)

Game Over: Australia looks comfortable against the reigning European Champions and comes away with a nice win. That will make the 10,000 Australian fans happy and the 85,000 Greek-Australian fans able to play both sides of the fence.

Bresciano looked sharp and demonstrated he’s the key to the Aussies doing well in Germany. The passing looked good and comfortable. I think the Aussies will hold their own against European opposition at the World Cup.

90:10 – Not so friendly. Archie Thompson goes in hard in a tackle and brings down the Greek player who’s not happy. I wouldn’t be happy either if my holiday to Australia was made miserable by a broken ankle in a friendly. Thompson will have to curb that enthusiasm with World Cup referees.

89:45 – Tense moment for Aussie fans with a long ball over the top by the Greeks. Spiderman Kalac comes right out and times the distance perfectly but the smallest touch by defender or striker puts the ball over his head and make him look like a fool.

87:47 – Stan Lazaridis showing again why he’s in the team – standing on one leg and crossing the ball into the middle. As usual, not to anyone in particular. In this case, there were no yellow shirts in the box. Nce one, Stan. When are you going to retire?

85:24 – Hearing some noise from the crowd now. Sounds like singing so it’s more than likely the Greek fans getting excited.

83:04 – Nice build up play from a wide free kick leads to a Thompson fancy flick and a shot outside the area just flashing wide.

80:30 – Thompson, sporting a nasty faux-hawk, gets involved early, chasing down a Greek defender and scrapping for possession. More cheers, unfortunately no shears.

60:00-80:00 – Somewhere along the way I either fell asleep or the feed caught up with the actual match-time cos one minute it was 60 mins on the clock and now it’s 80. No goals in that time so I guess I didn’t miss anything.

60:15 – Aust playing the ball around nicely but only in middle third of the park. Greeks frustrating the Aussies well. Big cheer from the crowd as goal scorer Skoko comes off, but bigger cheer for Archie Thompson, who plays for the Melbourne A League side and a sentimental favourite.

57:10 – Go the biff! Greek number 10 is pissed at Skoko for giving him a nudge. He gets nothing from the ref.

55: 00 – Greeks settling better in the second half, but Australia breaks nicely out wide. Poor cross though and the ball is headed out for a corner.

51:15 – Lucas Neill dicking around with the ball at the back with Bresciano and gives away possession and then a free kick. It was a dive by the Greek but he was lucky not to get a booking. Free kick breaks down but Australia does not clear the danger quickly enough. Greeks shoot from outside the area high and wide.

49:30 – Free kick on the sideline and some shoody defense from Aust lets the Greeks get a shot off that goes wide. Need to tighten that up.

48:00 – Shot of Craig Moore there. Looks like he made it through a full half of footy unscathed. Sometimes I think he studied at the John O’Brien School of Repetitive Injuries.

46:10 – the lackof sideline definition on the feed makes it look like the linesman is interfering in play. The ball has a pretty white contrail on every long pass.

Alright, back in business. Couple of second half subs for the Greeks. Loooks like I’ll see the rest of the game after all. Nearly went back to bed.

Update: Don’t know what has happened to the feed. Constant cycle of sports news programs, but no second half! What the hell?! I don’t care about trick shot pool. Where’s my footy?!

Half-time: The quality of these internet streams really isn’t bad. The lines on the field are difficult to see and the players are all the same until you get a close-up, but overall pretty impressed. Some nice highlights of snooker, gymnastics and dragon boat racers drowning in heavy seas during the half time interval.

45:00 – Half time at the MCG. Missed the goal and the first 25 minutes, but Australia looking good and in control.

44: 59 – Quailty of the feed not so great but Bresciano easily recognizeable with his bald dome. He also falls down a lot.

43:47 – More patient build-up from the Aussies. Not sure if it’s the stream but the crowd seems muted. Chinese commentators have taken off for the Dim sum trolley cos they hanve’t spoken in minutes.

42:45 – Greece with a rare attacking opportunity. Aust pouring back in defence and deal with the danger well.

41:20 – Nice control by Dukes in the box. Got his shirt tugged but the ref missed it. The Aussie bench didn’t and they’re up in arms. Especially possible next Aussie coach Graeme Arnold trying to impress the selectors.

39:19 – Sterjovski with a break down the byline. Could have played Viduka in for a tap in if he’d played it on the deck.

38:44 – Spiderman in goal for Australia tonite. Great nickname for your ‘keeper, eh?

37:24 – Greece not showing much, Australia controlling the pace of the game nicely. Game entering a dull patch, think the Chinese commentators have fallen asleep.

36:24 – Free kick for Oz. Greek goalkeeper looks like he should be on the pension. Bresicano wastes the free. He must have a mate in the stands he keeps kicking it too.

35:33 Greece playing hopefull ball forward that ends in their striker going arse up. Might be a bit slippery at the MCG. Get Tony Greig out there with the pitch report.

34: 45 – Aust looking patient in their build-up. Knocking the ball sharply around the midfield, not kicking long balls.

25: 10 – Missed the first part of this match due to time differential screw-up. Australia is up 1-0. Bugger, I missed the good stuff already. It’s 3am in the morning here so I’m lucky I’m even conscious at this point.

Apparently Josip Skoko scored after just 16 minutes with a great strike from the edge of the area after a corner had broken down. Good to see some scoring touch from our midfield.