Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan

[TT Boy]

I’m a huge Lucas Neill mark, before the tournament started I said he would have a good tournament but I did not think he would be this impressive. His come on leaps and bounds since the days of seeing him at the Den. Where he was nothing more than a Kevin Muscat clone, hard to imagine this guy will be playing against Francesco Totti but he was always one of the most determined and industrious individuals at Millwall and good luck for it.

 

[TT Boy]

He's done very well. Shame he's second only to Lee Bowyer in the Premiership's "Most Hated Players" list.

On the pitch possibly but his a pretty good guy off it, the likes of Bowyer, Butt, Diouf et cetera are far worse because not only are they scumbags on the field but off it as well.

 

[luckyeddie]

what can you say that hasnt already been said?

Szechwan, Charybdis and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

I don't think that any of those have been said so far within this thread, but I can definitely say them.

 

[luckyeddie]

He's done very well. Shame he's second only to Lee Bowyer in the Premiership's "Most Hated Players" list.

Who? Lucas Neill? No way. I wouldn't put him anywhere near the top of a 'most hated players' list.

 

[Robertinho]

I thought that your influence in midfield was the foundation of Australia's second-half domination.

I'll pay that Eddie, good show.

 

[aussie]

How did he do that - sit on them?

i dunno maybe him scoring 2 goals had something to do with it..

 

[superkingdave]

Lucas Neil 2006 = Gary Breen 2002?

 

[TT Boy]

Lucas Neil 2006 = Gary Breen 2002?

Not when you consider he has been one of Blackburn’s best players over the past three years. Prior to the World Cup, Neill was the subject of much transfer talk, AC Milan sent scouts to watch him even so I don’t think Neill is or will be a one hit wonder like Breen was in Japan.

 

[Great Birtannia]

Who? Lucas Neill? No way. I wouldn't put him anywhere near the top of a 'most hated players' list.

Liverpool supporters may disagree

 

[luckyeddie]

Liverpool supporters may disagree

Sod Liverpool supporters.

Bunch of hubcap stealers.

 

[marc71178]

Not when you consider he has been one of Blackburn’s best players over the past three years. Prior to the World Cup, Neill was the subject of much transfer talk, AC Milan sent scouts to watch him even so I don’t think Neill is or will be a one hit wonder like Breen was in Japan.

He has?

First I've heard of it to be honest.

 

[BoyBrumby]

He's done very well. Shame he's second only to Lee Bowyer in the Premiership's "Most Hated Players" list.

Sorry, but not while Craig Bellamy & Robbie Savage draw breath he isn't!

 

[Barney Rubble]

Sorry, but not while Craig Bellamy & Robbie Savage draw breath he isn't!

Ok, ok, my bad. I hate Bellamy and Savage so much I'd wiped their existence from my mind completely.

I do hate Neill though. And while I'm at it, I also hate Southampton Football Club and everything to do with them.

 

[Cloete]

He has?

First I've heard of it to be honest.

Indeed. That's fairly well known too.

Neill is an absolute legend off the pitch. One of my favourite Socceroo "personalities". He's just a good, down to earth guy who's very well spoken and it's not a surprise that he was one of the most itnerviewed in the lead-up to the WC. On the pitch he gets a fair few reds for Blackers. But it's interesting, I've never seen him red carded for Australia. Might be that he dives in at right back or something?

One thing for sure though, after this tournament he MUST be in the centre of defence for whichever club he's at. Hope he doesn't go to Italy after the WC though.

 

[Nate]

I thought that your influence in midfield was the foundation of Australia's second-half domination.

Winner.

 

[irfan]

what an absolutely wonderful perfomance by Australia, their mental resilience has got to be one of the strongest out of all of the remaining teams. In a game marred by controversy, and absolutely appalling refereeing, Aus did a super job in getting to the next ground. Someone shud tell Kalac to not use his gloves to wipe off the wax in his hair, as that "perfomance" would have embarassed an keeper playing for the U-10's. Simunic, what a clever bugger, he distracted the umpire with his 2nd yellow card by showing dissent, so much so that the umpire forgot to look at the back of the card where all the carded players are named.
Anywayz, for the game against Italy we're without Emerton (who IMHO shudnt have been send off - wasnt a DELIBERATE handball) which will really disrupt our structure. Hiddink never starts all the big name players and prefers to throw them in when we are in desperate need of a goal. However, against Italy we are gonna need all the creative fireprower possible as the Italians have got a hell of a defence (even without Nesta) and are the best team at sitting on a 1 goal lead. We shud try and take it to the Italians so in the absence of Emerton i propose and attacking formation:
Gk: Schwarzer
BACKS: Neill, Moore, Chipperfield
MIDFIELDERS:Strejovski,Bresciano,Grella,Cahill,Kewell
ATTACK: Aloisi, Viduka

Culina doesnt really offer anything extra unless he can play RWB

 

[Great Birtannia]

Anywayz, for the game against Italy we're without Emerton (who IMHO shudnt have been send off - wasnt a DELIBERATE handball)

The red card was irrelevant as he already received his second yellow in the group stage. The first for dissent in the Brazil game and then the professional foul for his first against Croatia. He was out of this game regardless.

Culina doesnt really offer anything extra unless he can play RWB

Cough cough splutter. He does the leg work in the midfield alongside Grella, the stuff that you cannot appreciate properly watching the game on tv. Playing a back 3 with Chipperfield, who is a natural winger, with only Grella as support in midfield is suicide.

 

[Sir Redman]

Anywayz, for the game against Italy we're without Emerton (who IMHO shudnt have been send off - wasnt a DELIBERATE handball) which will really disrupt our structure.

Looked like a bit of blatant cheating to me. He saw where the guy was going to kick it and moved his arm into that position. Definately deserved the yellow card.

 

[Cloete]

The red card was irrelevant as he already received his second yellow in the group stage. The first for dissent in the Brazil game and then the professional foul for his first against Croatia. He was out of this game regardless.



Cough cough splutter. He does the leg work in the midfield alongside Grella, the stuff that you cannot appreciate properly watching the game on tv. Playing a back 3 with Chipperfield, who is a natural winger, with only Grella as support in midfield is suicide.

Yeah Culina must play. He and Grella are the workers of the team. Also his distribution is probably the best out of all the Australians. It's very rare that a pass of his doesn't find the feet of another Aussie, same can't be said about Grella unfortunately.

I thought Emerton deserved the red for the handball. Clearly stuck it out to avoid it going to the other Croat, worth a yellow and hence the red. He's stupid though, we would have been better off them crossing than having a set piece anyway.

 

[irfan]

Yeah Culina must play. He and Grella are the workers of the team. Also his distribution is probably the best out of all the Australians. It's very rare that a pass of his doesn't find the feet of another Aussie, same can't be said about Grella unfortunately.

I thought Emerton deserved the red for the handball. Clearly stuck it out to avoid it going to the other Croat, worth a yellow and hence the red. He's stupid though, we would have been better off them crossing than having a set piece anyway.

I understand its a big risk to play the back three suggested with a variety of offensive midfielders bar Grella but I don't feel the Italians have too much fireprower going forward then they have solidity down back - gilardino,toni whilst they have been banging it in Serie A are a relatively inexperienced international strikeforce and as Lippi doesnt prefer playig Del Piero, Totti is the major playmaker we have to shut out - this is where Grella comes in. Down back the Italians have Gattuso, Cannavaro,Materazzi, Zaccardo & Zambrotta, a defence which is both experienced and oozes with class - we can't just keep crossing the ball and trying to force the ball in the net like in the end against Croatia and for most of the Japan game, we're gonna need all the creative impetus that we got to split this Italian defence.
My two cents anyway, feel free to disagree,
P.S Hiddink will probably start with a back 5 and slowly go offensive as the game goes on