Australian Squad

[ash chaulk]

one nil one nil

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Pretty good performance by Australia. First half was generally dominant, particularly from 10-40 mins or so, and there could have been a couple of goals. Game opened up from half time until the hour, and then died pretty quickly when all the substitutions began.

Greece were just hopeless before half time. Disorganised in defence, and constantly wasted the ball. Hard to imagine they played so well in 2004. Pretty good in patches in the second half, but Australia always looked the better side.

 

[Simon]

pretty sound performance
Kalac looked a bit unsure at times which is a worry, the highlght for me was the fact the back guys really all did their job perfectly, Grella an Neill were our best and everyone else just played their bit. Viduka showed signs of his top form, easily beating defenders with his strength at times...

Theres a lot to take out of the game but Holland will be a massive test...

 

[pasag]

Good stuff, should be a massive confidence booster and its always good to play infront of a huge crowd in preperation for Germany.

 

[Cloete]

pretty sound performance
Kalac looked a bit unsure at times which is a worry, the highlght for me was the fact the back guys really all did their job perfectly, Grella an Neill were our best and everyone else just played their bit. Viduka showed signs of his top form, easily beating defenders with his strength at times...

Theres a lot to take out of the game but Holland will be a massive test...

Nah Grella was good, didn't have a graet one though. Gave away the ball alot. Neill's a gun. Ithink Skoko and Culina were really dominant in midfield though. Emerton also had a pretty good game as well as Chipperfield, dominated Greece down the flanks.

Better team won pretty comfortably really. Nice way to send them off to Germany, with 98,000 people watching the 1-0 win.

 

[Simon]

Culina was quiet for mine until Viduka went off, he seemed to step up then...
I also think Thompson tried a bit too hard, he hasnt played much footy lately and it showed...

 

[TT Boy]

Nah Grella was good, didn't have a graet one though. Gave away the ball alot. Neill's a gun. Ithink Skoko and Culina were really dominant in midfield though. Emerton also had a pretty good game as well as Chipperfield, dominated Greece down the flanks.

Better team won pretty comfortably really. Nice way to send them off to Germany, with 98,000 people watching the 1-0 win.

Watched some of the game and he does like playing the dangerous ball in his own half, nearly cost the Australians on a few occasions.

Must say from what I saw of it, it was pretty dire game mainly because Greece have to be the most boring team in International football. They have technically good players, Basinas, Stelios, Karagounis et cetera but Otto Rehhagel's team have almost become a self parody of the defensive and strong organised team of Euro 2004, completely yielded of ambition.

 

[Simon]

the game itself wasnt that bad, anyone who sat down to watch it expecting a great free flowing open game shouldnt have bothered, was never going to happen. Our main objective was to try and break down their midfield and sneak a goal somewhere while scrapping our way to a clean sheet. I think we can be satisfied we achieved our aims for this game and now set some new goals for the Dutch match...

also which bright spark decided to schedule the Leichtenstien match on June 7, bit too close to our opening game for my liking...

 

[Cloete]

Watched some of the game and he does like playing the dangerous ball in his own half, nearly cost the Australians on a few occasions.

Must say from what I saw of it, it was pretty dire game mainly because Greece have to be the most boring team in International football. They have technically good players, Basinas, Stelios, Karagounis et cetera but Otto Rehhagel's team have almost become a self parody of the defensive and strong organised team of Euro 2004, completely yielded of ambition.

Yeah pretty much. Particularly if you saw the 2nd half. The large amounts of subs didn't help things, as Simon mentioned. Australia still should have scored a couple more though. Wilkshire's strike was very close, hit it very sweetly.

 

[TT Boy]

also which bright spark decided to schedule the Leichtenstien match on June 7, bit too close to our opening game for my liking...

Also what is the point of such a game? I can understand fixtures against competent and good International teams. Teams Australia will come across in the World Cup but this game is plain stupid.

 

[Simon]

Also what is the point of such a game? I can understand fixtures against competent and good International teams. Teams Australia will come across in the World Cup but this game is plain stupid.

just gives us one extra match to get the guys used to playing together, the match itself is barely above the level of a training match but i guess physcologically it will get the team into a good frame of mind before the tournament...

 

[vic_orthdox]

just gives us one extra match to get the guys used to playing together, the match itself is barely above the level of a training match but i guess physcologically it will get the team into a good frame of mind before the tournament...

...Australia to lose 2-1

 

[Craig]

That would be funny

(That and Marc would never let the whole CW forget about it)

 

[Simon]

...Australia to lose 2-1

cant see it happening

 

[marc71178]

That would be funny

(That and Marc would never let the whole CW forget about it)

It's a meaningless friendly isn't it?

Like all games between now and 9th June, the only things that will come out of them are injuries.

 

[Simon]

It's a meaningless friendly isn't it?

Like all games between now and 9th June, the only things that will come out of them are injuries.

and a chance to get some valuable practice in, not all countries have the chance to play their top team together 10 times a year...

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Top effort tonight. Schwarzer was the key obviously with several great saves, but Viduka, Bresciano, Chipperfield and Neill all played good games. Australia's defence was terrible for large parts of the first half, but after half time it was sensational, with only Moore being a bit disappointing.

1-1 is probably a little bit lucky considering that the Dutch had far more chances and also a penalty they should have been given in the first half, but it was a competitive match for most of it, which is a great success in and of itself.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Said on Sky News just now that Fat Mark shanked a pen too.

Impressive result, especially with ten men. It could be Oz are worth a cautious punt on making the 16, depending on what odds one can get, obv.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

That Robben sure can dive.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Said on Sky News just now that Fat Mark shanked a pen too.

Impressive result, especially with ten men. It could be Oz are worth a cautious punt on making the 16, depending on what odds one can get, obv.

He did, but Cahill scored off the rebound, so Australia still got a goal from it.

I'd say if Australia play like they did tonight, at least in the second half, it's unlikely that either Japan or Croatia would beat them. I'd back us to finish second, then be knocked out by Italy in the 16.