Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posts recently. Have been really busy with school. But, holidays in two weeks time! In football related news, I am going down to Melbourne in the first week of the holidays to do work experience at Soccer International magazine, which should be a blast :).
In other news, I've started getting articles published in weekly Australian football magazine Goal Weekly. So you should definitely check it out. A list of the newsagents it is available from is here.
I'm also currently writing an article on Gold Coast United striker Golgol Mebrahtu, after I conducted an interview with him last week (well, via the GCU press officer), and finally two weeks ago I interviewed U20 Socceroo Ryan McGowan, who is currently on loan from Hearts at Ayr United. Ohh and I have an article on Aaron Mooy (Young Socceroo, currently at Bolton) that should be in Goal Weekly this week or next. Until then, enjoy this months HTH, and check out my article on Spanish progress in Europe.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Bling FC v The Sprightly Upstarts: Preliminary Final preview
Sydney FC v Wellington Phoenix, Preliminary Final, Sydney Football Stadium, Saturday March 13, 8pm (EDT)
After a disappointing loss to Melbourne on aggregate, the Sky Blues will be looking to bounce back against the high flying Phoenix. Wellington had a great last month, and have been flying high with the massive support of their supporters. But after two home games they may struggle to be playing in-front of a (hopefully) hostile crowd. Sydney however will be focused on bouncing back from last weekend's defeat, and while there is speculation Shannon Cole could still be out, they will otherwise have a strong team.
My Tip: As much as I'd like to tip Wellington to continue on their amazing run, I think it will be a bridge too far for the Phoenix. Sydney will probably bounce back stronger after their aggregate loss to Melbourne, and take down Wellington on their road for a Melbourne rematch. Sydney 2-1
Some words from Luka:
The biggest mistake Sydney FC has made over the course of it's short history (a noteworthy achievement) was strenuously denouncing their marvelous "Bling FC" moniker:
However, this nickname was at least a fan/media observation and view of the club that occurred naturally. It was not marketed, Sydney's "posh-ness" was not fabricated by some suits up in Moore Park or Frank Lowie's office in Martin Place. This epithet was an antithesis to what the A-League still is - gimmicky, plastic, lacking characters and, most importantly of all, lacking real club identities. Look at Kamasz' words - who is he, or club management, to forge or remove a club's nickname? I loved to be associated with "Bling FC", rather than "Rags FC", the soon-to-be nickname given to our poorer cousins Sydney Rovers (think of the Clippers to the Lakers, the Mets to the Yankees, the Citehs to the Uniteds before the Arab Invasion). Of course, all that talk has led to nothing.
Sydney FC are still the same team as they were 5 years ago, for better or worse, and let's keep it that way, eh? No need to appeal to the paupers. We're not in Penrith. At least Harry Ngata still agrees with me. It's what has given us consistent success over the years (Uncle Lowy's generous helping hand aside).
The same cannot be said about Wellington, who chose the right nickname in the Phoenix - think the Phoenix which rose from the ashes of that shockingly bad Auckland team - to describe their meteoric rise to prominence. The 'Nux ("Nix" in a lovely NZ accent) stand one match away from the A-League grand final, and by God do they deserve it. They couldn't have ridden the crest of their wave of good form better had they been the love-child of Layne Beachley and Kelly Slater. They have John McKain back at CB, while Paul Ifil will play with a slight injury but would probably be willing to play missing a limb or two. Their gameplan borders mostly on a simple application of physics - hoping that their momentum trumps Sydney's inertia. Though, no level of inertia is a match for Pep Guardiola's masterpiece of motivation:
which Vitezslav Lavicka will no doubt have given to each of his players as homework to study, to learn, to love and to ignite the burning desires within.
My tip: Trying...to...remain...unbiased...Sydney to win 1-0. Aloisi.
http://a-league.theoffside.com/team-news/bling-fc-v-the-sprightly-upstarts-preliminary-final-preview.html
After a disappointing loss to Melbourne on aggregate, the Sky Blues will be looking to bounce back against the high flying Phoenix. Wellington had a great last month, and have been flying high with the massive support of their supporters. But after two home games they may struggle to be playing in-front of a (hopefully) hostile crowd. Sydney however will be focused on bouncing back from last weekend's defeat, and while there is speculation Shannon Cole could still be out, they will otherwise have a strong team.
My Tip: As much as I'd like to tip Wellington to continue on their amazing run, I think it will be a bridge too far for the Phoenix. Sydney will probably bounce back stronger after their aggregate loss to Melbourne, and take down Wellington on their road for a Melbourne rematch. Sydney 2-1
Some words from Luka:
The biggest mistake Sydney FC has made over the course of it's short history (a noteworthy achievement) was strenuously denouncing their marvelous "Bling FC" moniker:
"When people think of Sydney FC, we don't want them to think of Bling FC but as a team associated with quality, aspiration and as a club that represents everybody, whether you're talking about the bloke in the local pub or the senior business person," Former (or current, I've lost track really) chief executive Stefan Kamasz said last year.
However, this nickname was at least a fan/media observation and view of the club that occurred naturally. It was not marketed, Sydney's "posh-ness" was not fabricated by some suits up in Moore Park or Frank Lowie's office in Martin Place. This epithet was an antithesis to what the A-League still is - gimmicky, plastic, lacking characters and, most importantly of all, lacking real club identities. Look at Kamasz' words - who is he, or club management, to forge or remove a club's nickname? I loved to be associated with "Bling FC", rather than "Rags FC", the soon-to-be nickname given to our poorer cousins Sydney Rovers (think of the Clippers to the Lakers, the Mets to the Yankees, the Citehs to the Uniteds before the Arab Invasion). Of course, all that talk has led to nothing.
Sydney FC are still the same team as they were 5 years ago, for better or worse, and let's keep it that way, eh? No need to appeal to the paupers. We're not in Penrith. At least Harry Ngata still agrees with me. It's what has given us consistent success over the years (Uncle Lowy's generous helping hand aside).
The same cannot be said about Wellington, who chose the right nickname in the Phoenix - think the Phoenix which rose from the ashes of that shockingly bad Auckland team - to describe their meteoric rise to prominence. The 'Nux ("Nix" in a lovely NZ accent) stand one match away from the A-League grand final, and by God do they deserve it. They couldn't have ridden the crest of their wave of good form better had they been the love-child of Layne Beachley and Kelly Slater. They have John McKain back at CB, while Paul Ifil will play with a slight injury but would probably be willing to play missing a limb or two. Their gameplan borders mostly on a simple application of physics - hoping that their momentum trumps Sydney's inertia. Though, no level of inertia is a match for Pep Guardiola's masterpiece of motivation:
which Vitezslav Lavicka will no doubt have given to each of his players as homework to study, to learn, to love and to ignite the burning desires within.
My tip: Trying...to...remain...unbiased...Sydney to win 1-0. Aloisi.
http://a-league.theoffside.com/team-news/bling-fc-v-the-sprightly-upstarts-preliminary-final-preview.html
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Semi final preview
Four games to go. Two semi finals, a preliminary final and a grand final. So here's a preview of two of those games, the minor semi-final and the second leg of the major semi final.
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets, Minor semi-final, Westpac Stadium, Sunday, 2.00pm (both times EDT)
Luka: Mark Jones, Branko's right-hand mand man with the Jets, foreshadows (indirectly) an opening onslaught by the Phoenix: "It is important that we keep that shape especially for the first 30 minutes. It is important that we don't break down in the first 30 minutes and basically making sure in a nutshell that we have a system of play that we follow." In other words, defend and hope for the best in what is going to be a white-hot atmosphere at the sold out Cake Tin stadium (fitting name really) in Wellington. Tickets for the game were snapped up like hotcakes (ok I'll stop) in what are exciting times for football in New Zealand.
Kieran: Wellington have been building over the past few weeks, and although they had to go to penalties against Perth, they're still on hot form. Newcastle were very against Gold Coast, and will once again probably struggle up front (unless Kaz Patafta puts on a masterclass...). With a capacity crowd behind them I can't see anything other than a Phoenix victory. Wellington 2-1
Marcus: I can't see Newcastle winning this game. With a sold out Westpac Stadium and form on there side Wellington should do it relatively easily. On the team sheet Newcastle get Ben Kantarovski back and Wellington lose McKain through suspension, but I can't see it making a difference. Newcastle have been struggling especially without Michael Bridges up front, they were lucky to beat GCU last week as they rarely threatened for large periods during the match. Wellington 3-0
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets, Minor semi-final, Westpac Stadium, Sunday, 2.00pm (both times EDT)
Luka: Mark Jones, Branko's right-hand mand man with the Jets, foreshadows (indirectly) an opening onslaught by the Phoenix: "It is important that we keep that shape especially for the first 30 minutes. It is important that we don't break down in the first 30 minutes and basically making sure in a nutshell that we have a system of play that we follow." In other words, defend and hope for the best in what is going to be a white-hot atmosphere at the sold out Cake Tin stadium (fitting name really) in Wellington. Tickets for the game were snapped up like hotcakes (ok I'll stop) in what are exciting times for football in New Zealand.
Kieran: Wellington have been building over the past few weeks, and although they had to go to penalties against Perth, they're still on hot form. Newcastle were very against Gold Coast, and will once again probably struggle up front (unless Kaz Patafta puts on a masterclass...). With a capacity crowd behind them I can't see anything other than a Phoenix victory. Wellington 2-1
Marcus: I can't see Newcastle winning this game. With a sold out Westpac Stadium and form on there side Wellington should do it relatively easily. On the team sheet Newcastle get Ben Kantarovski back and Wellington lose McKain through suspension, but I can't see it making a difference. Newcastle have been struggling especially without Michael Bridges up front, they were lucky to beat GCU last week as they rarely threatened for large periods during the match. Wellington 3-0
Friday, February 26, 2010
News round
Lots of news is flying around in the A-League world, so here is a quick wrap and lots of links.
Sydney's move for Carle unlikely
Sydney FC's bid to replace retired Steve Corica with Nicky Carle looks to have failed. The World Game reports that the Sky Blues were very interested in Carle but believe Crystal Palace valuation is to high.
Worm in the Heart
Melbourne Heart have signed Dutch winger Rutger Worm from NEC Nijmegen. Worm will join the likes of Matt Thompson, Clint Bolton, Kristian Sarkies and Jason Hoffman ahead of the club's A League debut season.
Viduka has decided!
Mark Viduka has decided on which Melbourne club to join, the Melbourne Knights. The club today announced that Viduka will be their number one season ticket holder this season. The news does seem to suggest that the V-Bomber has given up on any future playing career.
Interesting news and opinion:
Asians head home for World Cup while Australians look to leave (Goal)
GCU sack Okon (Fox Sports)
Heart sign teen star Ibrahim (TWG)
Culina move still a mystery (Fox Sports)
Roar bring Paartalu back home (Soccernet)
Milligan: Asia is good for me (TWG)
Allsopp: Roo dream no more (442)
http://a-league.theoffside.com/team-news/news-round.html
Sydney's move for Carle unlikely
Sydney FC's bid to replace retired Steve Corica with Nicky Carle looks to have failed. The World Game reports that the Sky Blues were very interested in Carle but believe Crystal Palace valuation is to high.
Worm in the Heart
Melbourne Heart have signed Dutch winger Rutger Worm from NEC Nijmegen. Worm will join the likes of Matt Thompson, Clint Bolton, Kristian Sarkies and Jason Hoffman ahead of the club's A League debut season.
Viduka has decided!
Mark Viduka has decided on which Melbourne club to join, the Melbourne Knights. The club today announced that Viduka will be their number one season ticket holder this season. The news does seem to suggest that the V-Bomber has given up on any future playing career.
Interesting news and opinion:
Asians head home for World Cup while Australians look to leave (Goal)
GCU sack Okon (Fox Sports)
Heart sign teen star Ibrahim (TWG)
Culina move still a mystery (Fox Sports)
Roar bring Paartalu back home (Soccernet)
Milligan: Asia is good for me (TWG)
Allsopp: Roo dream no more (442)
http://a-league.theoffside.com/team-news/news-round.html
Monday, February 22, 2010
Trans-Tasman rivalry set to reignite
The Australia v New Zealand rivalry is set to heat up after the announcement of a farewell game before the World Cup against the All Whites.
The game, which is expected to be played by the full strength Socceroo squad, will take place on May 24th at the MCG.
FFA CEO Ben Buckley told the media that:
(FFA)
Australia played Greece in their farewell game before the 2006 World Cup, in a game attended by 90,000 fans. So lets hope we can get that many for this game!
The game, which is expected to be played by the full strength Socceroo squad, will take place on May 24th at the MCG.
FFA CEO Ben Buckley told the media that:
“This is a great opportunity for Australian sports fans to fill the stadium with green and gold to send the team off to the FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa in grand style. A wonderful tradition started in 2006 when a huge crowd saw a fantastic game of football and showed to the Qantas Socceroos that they had the whole country behind them before they left to take on the world in Germany.
The anticipation around the 2010 is building rapidly and the fact that New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa adds to the excitement.”
(FFA)
Australia played Greece in their farewell game before the 2006 World Cup, in a game attended by 90,000 fans. So lets hope we can get that many for this game!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Finals series week one preview
Well the final series is here! (Well, it already started, but I was in Sydney and away from internet when that happened.) But here is a preview of the two big games this weekend.
Gold Coast United v Newcastle Jets, First semi-final, Saturday, 8pm (All time EDT)
The Newcastle Jets, once serious contenders, have slipped away and only have 3 wins in their last nine games. Gold Coast have also slipped up recently, with two straight loses, but have otherwise been in good form. Despite the consecutive losses the Gold Coast are still favourites, and at home will be expecting to advance to the next round. That said, the Culina v Culina battle is a fairytale to be written, the much maligned coach beating his son's glory team. My brain is telling me to tip Gold Coast, but I really think the Jets could turn this into an upset. I hope... Jets 2-1
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory, Second semi-final, Sunday, 3pm
Wellington are on a sensational run, having only lost twice in their last nine games. The Glory have also been solid, but will need to really lift against a flying Phoenix side. The location of the game, Wellington, will make it difficult for a Perth side that is rather dodgy on the road, and I really can't see this being anything other than a Phoenix win. Wellington 1-0
Well enjoy the finals footie folks!
Gold Coast United v Newcastle Jets, First semi-final, Saturday, 8pm (All time EDT)
The Newcastle Jets, once serious contenders, have slipped away and only have 3 wins in their last nine games. Gold Coast have also slipped up recently, with two straight loses, but have otherwise been in good form. Despite the consecutive losses the Gold Coast are still favourites, and at home will be expecting to advance to the next round. That said, the Culina v Culina battle is a fairytale to be written, the much maligned coach beating his son's glory team. My brain is telling me to tip Gold Coast, but I really think the Jets could turn this into an upset. I hope... Jets 2-1
Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory, Second semi-final, Sunday, 3pm
Wellington are on a sensational run, having only lost twice in their last nine games. The Glory have also been solid, but will need to really lift against a flying Phoenix side. The location of the game, Wellington, will make it difficult for a Perth side that is rather dodgy on the road, and I really can't see this being anything other than a Phoenix win. Wellington 1-0
Well enjoy the finals footie folks!
Asian Cup squad announced for vital game against Indo
Pim Verbeek has named a predominately Australian based squad for the last Asian Cup qualifier, against Indonesia in March. The extended twenty five man squad included only four overseas Aussies, of which only one (Luke Wilkshire) is currently playing in Europe. While the game is on a FIFA sanctioned date, it is a date set for friendlies, and as such any Euroos would only have a few days to get to Australia and then back.
Australia could possibly qualify with a loss against Indonesia, but would need Kuwait to defeat Oman. As such I think Verbeek will be setting out to win (especially as the game is in Brisbane).
The inclusion of Tommy Oar, Ben Kantarovskim Matthew Leckie and Luke De Vere is a good sign, with all four youngsters looking very promising. However whether or not they will actually take part in the fixture is still unknown.
The complete squad is:
Australia could possibly qualify with a loss against Indonesia, but would need Kuwait to defeat Oman. As such I think Verbeek will be setting out to win (especially as the game is in Brisbane).
The inclusion of Tommy Oar, Ben Kantarovskim Matthew Leckie and Luke De Vere is a good sign, with all four youngsters looking very promising. However whether or not they will actually take part in the fixture is still unknown.
The complete squad is:
Clint Bolton, Alex Brosque, Shannon Cole, Simon Colosimo, Jason Culina, Luke Devere, Andrew Durante, Eugene Galekovic, Scott Jamieson, Ben Kantarovski, Josh Kennedy, Mathew Leckie, Michael Marrone, Daniel McBreen, Jon Mckain, Matt Mckay, Mark Milligan, Stuart Musialik, Jade North, Tommy Oar, Matt Thompson, Danny Vukovic, David Williams, Luke Wilkshire, Michael Zullo.
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