Mid-2018 THE STATE Of PLAY

Pictured below is the late great Johnny Warren (no.9), captain of St George Budapest when they took the field at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium in 1971 during the Tokyo International Tournament. As mentioned earlier in this blog, St George won that tournament against strong opposition comprising the Japan national team, Japan B and Danish club Frem. Is there an Australian club side capable of such a feat today? Probably not, going by the rapid exits of A-League clubs from the Asian Champions League in 2017/18. 

Johnny Warren & St George Budapest in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium 1971

The 2018 World Cup in Russia has now come and gone, the Socceroos bowing out at the group stage after losing to France 1-2, drawing with Denmark 1-1 and losing to Peru 0-2.  The team certainly wasn’t disgraced and under the experienced Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk, revealed an improved defensive stability and confidence that had been evaporating at crucial times under former coach Ange Postecoglou. It was only by fine margins that the Socceroos failed to go through to the second round when a draw against eventual World Cup winners France and a victory over Denmark appeared to be within range. And it begged the question whether the Socceroos would have had further improvement in them if coach Van Marwijk had been given more time to fully develop the team, rather than being brought in at virtually the eleventh hour. Van Marwijk’s final assessment was correct in that the decisive factor against the Socceroos was the lack of a reliable cutting edge in attack, something that has plagued the team for years and especially when facing quality opposition. Commentator Michael Bridges (ex-Leeds Utd striker) observed that the role of striker was a “dying trade” in Australian soccer, citing that many senior clubs aren’t concentrating on shooting drills or the other skills necessary to be a goal scoring threat. In an era where Football Federation Australia (FFA) employs national performance managers and national technical directors, it is difficult to comprehend how such problems have apparently gone unaddressed. In the end the 2018 World Cup yielded a draw and two losses - exactly the same as Australia’s first world cup appearance in West Germany 1974.

Coach Ange Postecoglou addressing the Socceroos squad at a training session prior to the 2014 World Cup

The most disturbing aspect of Australian soccer in 2018 is that the sport still has many of the same problems that it did 50 years ago, exemplified by the divisive politics within the game and the failure to address significant issues on the field of play. The political argument between Football Federation Australia (FFA), the A-League clubs and the other stakeholders is ongoing (with the threat of FIFA intervention) and yet are any of the combatants fully equipped with the expertise and judgement to take the game forward? Indeed, the most pressing fundamental question is why has the development of Australian players gone backwards since the 2006 World Cup? Why have the Socceroos failed to equal or exceed the achievements of 2006 and why do we have fewer mature players like Aaron Mooy who are capable of consistently playing in the best competitions in the world? Where are the other exciting young attacking players like Daniel Arzani? Where is the next generation capable of emulating Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Johnny Warren and Ray Baartz? Why do the A-League clubs still have so many mediocre imported players and why isn’t the A-League a more fertile breeding ground for young Australian talent?

The Socceroos warm up at a training session during 2014

On top of that, we had the bizarre situation of FFA announcing Graham Arnold as the new long term coach of the Socceroos before a ball had been kicked under the then recently appointed World Cup coach Bert Van Marwijk, evidently overlooking Arnold’s failure when he coached the national team back in 2007. Whether Arnold’s subsequent A-League success with Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC translates to success in the international arena remains to be seen. The Socceroos may have now qualified for five world cups but we in Australia still have a lot to learn about developing our talent - something we are most certainly capable of achieving but only if we go about it correctly. World class coaching is required at all levels to develop Australian players to their full potential. People can play politics all they like but the real revolution in Australian soccer will flow from the continual development of better players and improved playing standards.