Thanks for playing though Leggy.
Thanks for playing though Leggy.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
4 games in 7 days in Hong Kong for the Socceroos. Wonder if there is any chance they might catch a case of the Honiara horrors? The games are not played during the middle of the day sadly.
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/osieck-finalises-east-asian-cup-squad/54226
Surprised to see Taggart picked ahead of Halloran.
yeah very surprised
Although they lack any other strikers.
Aussie v North Korea tonight, if Aussie win they become the Unofficial Football World Champions again.
I think another issue is this is been billed in some quarters as a chance to develop young up and coming players with the senior euro pros not available and the ages of the XI on the field were:
Archie Thompson - 33 years old -
Brett Emerton - 33 years old
Richard Garcia - 31 years old
Matt Smith - 30 years old -
Matt McKay - 29 years old
Michael Thwaite - 29 years old
Mark Milligan - 27 years old -
Robert Cornwhwaite - 27 years old -
Ivan Franjic - 25 years old -
Aziz Behich - 21 years old -
Matthew Ryan - 20 years old.
I can understand the frustration of the Aussie supporters!
Only change he made after scraping to the win against Hong Kong, was to swap the goalie. It's criminal that he has picked two converted CB's in midfield over Mooy, and only been subbing on Rogic late in the game.
North Korea has a +10 GD, so if Aussie are going to win this, they need to hammer Guam & Chinese Taipei to progress to the main tournament.
Only change he made after scraping to the win against Hong Kong, was to swap the goalie. It's criminal that he has picked two converted CB's in midfield over Mooy, and only been subbing on Rogic late in the game.
North Korea has a +10 GD, so if Aussie are going to win this, they need to hammer Guam & Chinese Taipei to progress to the main tournament.
Aussie play Chinese Taipei in the last game, so they will know what they need to do if they are to qualify for the main Cup.
Australia qualifies for East Asian Cup with another minnow-kicking, this time an 8-0 romp over Chinese-Taipei
(From 442)
The Socceroos needed to win by five goals or more to secure top spot in the qualification group ahead of North Korea and had that tally wrapped up by the 34th minute.
Holger Osieck's men went on to add another three goals in a dominant performance against a side ranked 176 in the world, 143 spots below the Socceroos.
Adam Taggart and Aziz Behich netted braces, with Richard Garcia, Robert Cornthwaite and Aaron Mooy also getting on the scoresheet and Yang Chao-Hsun scoring an own goal.
Australia had Chinese Taipei pegged back from the outset and opened the scoring on 11 minutes through Garcia.
Behich beat his marker down the left before crossing for his unmarked Melbourne Heart team-mate to head in.
A long-range Behich drive was unable to trouble goalkeeper Lu Kun-Chi moments later and Michael Thwaite headed a Mooy corner wide when he should have done better.
Mooy's corners were causing Chinese Taipei all sorts of problems and the Socceroos doubled their lead in the 17th minute.
The set-piece was partly cleared before Scott Jamieson had an effort saved, only for Cornthwaite to tap in the rebound.
It was 3-0 just two minutes later when Thwaite took control of a loose ball in the middle and slid a perfectly weighted through pass to Taggart, who beat Lu in a one-on-one after the goalkeeper moved early.
Dino Djulbic had a header saved after another excellent Mooy corner before Taggart headed in his second after a Jamieson cross on 29 minutes.
Taggart became the first teenage multiple goalscorer for the Socceroos since David Mitchell managed the feat in 1981.
Garcia and Behich were denied before the latter got his maiden international goal in the 34th minute, with Lu fumbling his header over the line.
Australia only needed two minutes into the second half to make it six, with Mooy continuing to impress with his set-pieces.
The Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder curled in a 30-yard free-kick of the highest quality, the second he has scored at the qualifying tournament.
Chinese Taipei somehow survived a seventh three minutes later when they twice blocked shots off their line and Emerton, who was playing his 100th match, struck the post.
Behich netted his second in the 56th minute after Garcia played him through and he finished neatly past Lu.
Substitute Archie Thompson, needing two goals to become Australia's all-time leading goalscorer, hit the post in the 72nd minute.
There was a 26-minute wait for Australia's eighth and it came courtesy of unlucky defender Yang Chao-Hsun, who diverted an Ivan Franjic cut-back past Lu.
Thompson wasted a glorious chance to equal Damian Mori's record of 29 Australia goals, but he blazed a close-range effort well over after a neat pass from the impressive Jamieson.
It was the last of the genuine chances as Australia qualified for South Korea 2013 ahead of North Korea on goal difference.
Australia 8 (Garcia 11', Cornthwaite 17', Taggart 19', 29', Behich 34', 56,' Mooy 47', Yang Chao-Hsun og 82')
Chinese Taipei 0
No A-League players at all? Wow.
No A-League players at all? Wow.
who would you swap into that squad from the A-League? Just curious?
Its predominantly European with a few asian based players there - although its their off season isnt it?
who would you swap into that squad from the A-League? Just curious?
Its predominantly European with a few asian based players there - although its their off season isnt it?
No A-League players at all? Wow.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
No A-League players at all? Wow.
Romania v Australia on Watch & Bet atm. 1-1 at HT, took a softish penalty just before half time for the Soccerooos to level it.
Aussie international & Leeds defender Patrick Kisnorbo has joined Liaoning Whowin. China can't get enough of Aussies, can they?
Maybe they know that players from our side of the world will find it harder to get a gig in Europe now that Spanish, Italian and Greek players are going cheaply. And it could be something to do with English language, although I am not sure on that.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Another Aussie chasing the big bucks in the Middle East, Lolman to the UAE.
What on earth is he thinking!?
Shit. There must be more Kiwis now in the EPL than Ozzies....
Maybe they know that players from our side of the world will find it harder to get a gig in Europe now that Spanish, Italian and Greek players are going cheaply. And it could be something to do with English language, although I am not sure on that.
Aussie players not counted as foreigners in Asia therefore they are cheap and capable signings!
"Ive just re-visited this and once again realised that C-Diddy is a genius - a drunk, Newcastle bred disgrace - but a genius." - Hard News, 11:39am 4th June 2009
No Mark Schwarzer in the latest Aussie team to play Canada & France.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
No Mark Schwarzer in the latest Aussie team to play Canada & France.
No Mark Schwarzer in the latest Aussie team to play Canada & France.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
Oziek says he's just giving other keepers some experience and Schwarzer guaranteed for Brazil squad.
Robbie Kruse - two goals for Bayer Leverkusen on weekend in his starting debut v Mainz - was on Sommet Sport, Freeview.
Man, that was some debut !!!
Big Pete 65, Christchurch
Oziek says he's just giving other keepers some experience and Schwarzer guaranteed for Brazil squad.
Robbie Kruse - two goals for Bayer Leverkusen on weekend in his starting debut v Mainz - was on Sommet Sport, Freeview.
Man, that was some debut !!!