Soccer Super Thread

[momo_amp_medo]

Well really ….. if we can’t beat this mob we just don’t deserve to be in the WC.
It’s just very poor that we couldn’t qualify through our group stages.
When you see the quality that Europe and South America and to some extent Africa groups have to get through ..... well it’s just extremely bad performance by the players and the coach.
If we can’t win this by at least 3 clear goals .... there needs to be an investigation@#$&.

Their arguably 3 best players missed the Honduran game either through injury or suspension

On a faster track they will be a completely different beast , I will nervously take the win if it comes , wipe the sweat off my brow and hope we can somehow find a striker before the World cup finals start

Well we shouldn’t be in “wipe the sweat” mode. It should have been done and dusted but for stuffing around the grand plan by the coach.
Anyway it is what it is.
For mine Jurich, Rogic to start and Cahil to come on with fresh legs.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Maclaren to get a run please. Juric can ride the pine with Cahill.

 

[momo_amp_medo]

Maclaren to get a run please. Juric can ride the pine with Cahill.

Gee that bloke just never impressed me particularly when stacked against quality opposition.
Well you may as well put him into the mix … case the others are just showing to be bumbling stooges in front of goal.

 

[happy_tiger]

Leckie has to come in. We are a poorer attacking side without him and it showed in Honduras.

Also, massive LOL @ Italy… #NeverForget

Some pretty big name sides have missed out

Netherlands ,Italy ,Ghana , Cameroon and the good ol USA

 

[Marshall_magic]

Leckie has to come in. We are a poorer attacking side without him and it showed in Honduras.

Also, massive LOL @ Italy… #NeverForget

Some pretty big name sides have missed out

Netherlands ,Italy ,Ghana , Cameroon and the good ol USA

Chile, Ivory Coast, Algeria, there's going to be some excellent players watching from their lounge rooms. If NZ & Australia miss out then 4/7 continental champions will not be in Russia.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Actually MM if Australia and NZ miss out all the confederation champions bar Portugal miss out. USA are actually CONCACAF champions. The Gold Cup is the confederation cup for CONCACAF.

 

[happy_tiger]

I'm hoping if we do qualify we draw England

 

[Marshall_magic]

Actually MM if Australia and NZ miss out all the confederation champions bar Portugal miss out. USA are actually CONCACAF champions. The Gold Cup is the confederation cup for CONCACAF.

I just went on the Confed cup teams (Mexico competed this year), I had Germany in there as well as world champions.

Maybe they need to expand the tournament to 48 teams….....

 

[Marshall_magic]

I'm hoping if we do qualify we draw England

England are highly overrated these days. Hope they get drawn with Iceland for a sequel.

 

[FreddyK]

I find it rather odd that we cannot produce world class strikers on a regular basis. Our sporting teams aside from football have got some real attacking players who have real vision, flair and accompanying skill.

It is not that we have not had good strikers but it is just that we are not consistent in producing them.

One way to judge a successful striker is the number of goals scored per game or conversion rate. Probably, the greatest is Pele whose conversion rate is 92% or nearly one goal for every game he played. The best in today's game is Messi with a 79% conversion. Our best is Tim Cahill with a 30% conversion and Juric's is 29%. Viduka had a conversion rate of 47% but our best ever striker was Roy Baartz with a conversion rate of 81%. It would be nice to see some players crack that 50% conversion.

 

[happy_tiger]

I find it rather odd that we cannot produce world class strikers on a regular basis. Our sporting teams aside from football have got some real attacking players who have real vision, flair and accompanying skill.

It is not that we have not had good strikers but it is just that we are not consistent in producing them.

One way to judge a successful striker is the number of goals scored per game or conversion rate. Probably, the greatest is Pele whose conversion rate is 92% or nearly one goal for every game he played. The best in today's game is Messi with a 79% conversion. Our best is Tim Cahill with a 30% conversion and Juric's is 29%. Viduka had a conversion rate of 47% but our best ever striker was Roy Baartz with a conversion rate of 81%. It would be nice to see some players crack that 50% conversion.

Viduka's figures would be highly inflated as he was fortunate to play a few games back in the old Oceania qualification days

Cahill isn't a striker , either was Kewell when we used him up front

I guess we start a AIS training plan solely set up around creating strikers , or convince some beautiful Australian women to marry some superstars strikers from around the world and we offer them a motza to become Australian citizens

 

[happy_tiger]

I'm hoping if we do qualify we draw England

England are highly overrated these days. Hope they get drawn with Iceland for a sequel.

Yeah agree , my reasoning , would love to shove right up where you sun doesn't shine

They'd have no excuses if we managed a draw or win

 

[momo_amp_medo]

I find it rather odd that we cannot produce world class strikers on a regular basis. Our sporting teams aside from football have got some real attacking players who have real vision, flair and accompanying skill.

It is not that we have not had good strikers but it is just that we are not consistent in producing them.

One way to judge a successful striker is the number of goals scored per game or conversion rate. Probably, the greatest is Pele whose conversion rate is 92% or nearly one goal for every game he played. The best in today's game is Messi with a 79% conversion. Our best is Tim Cahill with a 30% conversion and Juric's is 29%. Viduka had a conversion rate of 47% but our best ever striker was Roy Baartz with a conversion rate of 81%. It would be nice to see some players crack that 50% conversion.

Viduka's figures would be highly inflated as he was fortunate to play a few games back in the old Oceania qualification days

Cahill isn't a striker , either was Kewell when we used him up front

I guess we start a AIS training plan solely set up around creating strikers , or convince some beautiful Australian women to marry some superstars strikers from around the world and we offer them a motza to become Australian citizens

Football needs to tap into & build better pathways and incentives in order to attract greater numbers of young indigenous Australians and kids with islander heritage. They have athleticism and natural abilities which are sorely needed in the sport. Currently AFL, NRL and Union are cornering the market and doing much better in selling their products in this area.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Actually MM if Australia and NZ miss out all the confederation champions bar Portugal miss out. USA are actually CONCACAF champions. The Gold Cup is the confederation cup for CONCACAF.

I just went on the Confed cup teams (Mexico competed this year), I had Germany in there as well as world champions.

Maybe they need to expand the tournament to 48 teams….....

I don't think so.

What I do think is the reigning Confederation champs should get automatic placing, and then take one spot out of the allotment of places in each confederation. Unfortunately that would mean that NZ would virtually get an automatic qualification every World Cup.

 

[old_man_tiger]

Question about away goals.

If it is a scoring draw tonight we miss out, but if we win 3 - 2 do they go through on away goals, or do we go through with the win.

In other words, away goals only kick in if the wins and draws ledger is equal, right?

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Question about away goals.

If it is a scoring draw tonight we miss out, but if we win 3 - 2 do they go through on away goals, or do we go through with the win.

In other words, away goals only kick in if the wins and draws ledger is equal, right?

That's right OMT, if we win we go through.

It goes based on head to head results first, so a draw and a win to us means we go through based on aggregate, doesn't matter how many goals they score tonight as long as we score more.

If it is based on draws they then look at away goals scored.

 

[FreddyK]

I hope that Ange puts four at the back. We have been caught out too often on the counter and one goal could make the difference.

Remember Japan's tactics against the Socceroos? Wait for an error and then move fast. All teams that we have played know that we make silly errors coming out of the back and most have the pace to exploit them. Fingers crossed.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I hope that Ange puts four at the back. We have been caught out too often on the counter and one goal could make the difference.

Remember Japan's tactics against the Socceroos? Wait for an error and then move fast. All teams that we have played know that we make silly errors coming out of the back and most have the pace to exploit them. Fingers crossed.

It won't happen (Ange putting four at the back.) A few unknowns with players coming back into both teams. ANZ won't be a heavy 10 like the Honduras paddock so they'll benefit from a speed pitch, I imagine a plan that relies on sitting back and beating us on the counter is very likely from them.

 

[eyewonder]

id prefer to see them play defensively and wait for goals.however,this does not seem to be the coaches philosphy.i think this way as an away goal by honduras could be too much for the team.The value of away goals is still clear in my memory from the iran debacle in the late 90's .they scored two away goals which
sunk us.
postecoglu is a dead man walking if we lose.it would be to his advantage to have his coaching style shown on the world stage at the world cup.
we all hope he coaches the team to a win- without penalty shootout.

 

[Tacky]

So what are everyones predictions for tonights game?

We have a good record at home but, our main issue is obviously in the forwards. If Timmy Cahill doesn't play it'll be a lot harder for us.

I'm thinking 2-1 if Timmy plays and 1-0 if he doesn't. We'll have to lean on Mooy and hope can lead us around the park.