Picking a Socceroos Starting XI that will not be embarrassed in Brazil.

Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has shown great loyalty to the same eleven players in the past three world c

up qualifiers against the likes of Japan, Jordan and Iraq. Whilst Australia did secure qualification, albeit not in a particularly convincing manner, if they are to put up any sort of a fight in Brazil then Osieck must find a system and a group of players who will be able to match it with the world’s best.

Osieck's current favoured starting 11 from the qualifiers.

Osieck’s favoured starting eleven has an average age of 30.6 years, a remarkable statistic, especially when contrasted against tonight’s opponents Iraq, whose average age was a spritely 21. Australia certainly showed their age in attack at Stadium Australia, as they struggled to string together anything that resembled a fluid move in attack. Their reliance upon cross after cross after cross was a testament to their patience but it simply wasn’t productive. In the end it took a decision by Marco Bresciano to actually try passing the ball in the final third to finally find Josh Kennedy's head and in turn the decisive goal that secured qualification for the under par Aussies.

If Australia are to score goals in Brazil then they must find a balance between experience and youth, speed and technical ability. Where they have previously employed a 4-2-3-1 formation, they would perhaps be more suited to a 4-3-3 which would allow them to use Tom Rogic through the middle, push Brett Holman out to the left wing and allow for Tommy Oar’s pace to be an asset off the bench.

Rogic brings a great deal of technical ability to the table and offers a different dimension to the Socceroos attack. Brett Holman showed in the 2010 world cup in South Africa just what a destructive force he can be playing on the left, and this is where he can provide the Aussies with a real threat coming from wide and cutting into the middle with a view of goal. As for Tommy Oar, he is simply not ready for international football yet, whilst he provides pace, youth and energy, his form is sporadic and he tends to go missing just when he is most needed.

A new look 4-3-3 formation could provide a new dimension to the Socceroos going forward.

In terms of defence, the Aussies are already playing their best back four aside from one small issue. Matt Mckay is simply not a left back and if Australia are to solidify their defensive structure then it will suit them to have a natural left back in the side whose positioning is spot on and who will not lose his man as Mckay has recently been prone to doing. Therein lies a depth issue in Australian football, there is no man in the squad who is an international quality left back and so Mckay will have to do for the Aussies into Brazil.

On the whole, the Socceroos and their German coach Holger Osieck should be over the moon about their qualification to Brazil but if they are to stay in such a happy mood changes must be made to their side or else they will be delivered a wakeup call by whichever of the world’s best sides they are drawn up against in the opening rounds. Against sides of the calibre of Iraq and Jordan they are expected to win easily and judging by their inability to cement their qualification earlier it would seem they are simply not up to the lofty standards of the 32 best footballing nations in the world.

That’s Rosey’s wrap on how the Socceroos should line up in Brazil,

Thanks for reading,

By Jake Rosengarten

Still work to be done: Kruse stars as Socceroos hit Jordan for 4 at Etihad

Socceroos coach Holger Osieck fielded the same 11 who started in Australia’s intense 1-1 stalemate with Japan at Saitama just one week ago. The side, featuring players such as fan favourite Tim Cahill, last week’s scorer Tommy Oar and Leverkusen bound trickster Robbie Kruse, had to secure at least a point at Melbourne’s Etihad stadium against the travelling Jordan if they were to keep their chances of automatic qualification to Brazil alive. With Japan already securing their qualification last week, it remains between Australia, Jordan and well placed Oman to battle it out for the second automatic qualifying spot.

The match began as a back and forth through the midfield with neither side able to find any penetration into the final third. This changed in the 15^th minute as the referee ruled advantage for the lively Robbie Kruse to stroll into the box and find Marco Bresciano in the 6 yard box who was able to tap into the back of the net. The rest of the first half unfolded with little to get excited about, with Bresciano and his central midfield partner Mark Milligan controlling the midfield duel and looking to unleash Brett Holman between the Jordan midfield and defence. Holman then seeked to link up with Cahill, Oar and Kruse but was unsuccessful through the rest of the half as the first half ended at 1-0 to the socceroos.

The second half began as the first had ended; Jordan attempted to get forward through the likes of Odai Al Saify and Ahmed Hayel with little to no success as Australia’s back four comprising of captain Lucas Neill, Sasa Ognenovski, Matt Mckay and Luke Wilkshere continuing their brilliant form from their outing against the dangerous Japan. The Aussies continued to link up as Kruse and Holman found each other time and time again, threatening Amer Shafia in the Jordan goal on many occasions. However, Jordan managed to get themselves back into the contest in the first 15 minutes of the second half as they strung together some passes. This was until Osieck made his first change of the night in the 60^th minute, replacing the uncharacteristically quiet Tommy Oar with Archie Thompson, a man who always provides a great deal of flair down the left wing.

This change proved a masterstroke, as the Aussies sprung to life almost immediately. Australia found the back of the net again in the 61^st minute. It was Kruse again who played the final pass, drifting a nicely weighted cross onto the forehead of Tim Cahill who guided the ball into the right hand side of the net, sending the keeper the other way, putting Australia in the driving seat to secure 3 points.  From there, the pressure did not cease, the socceroos controlled the ball and pushed forward again and again, putting the Jordanian defence under great pressure.

It was not long before the Aussies found the net again, this time it was Kruse who put the ball into the net himself, after a brilliant turn and nutmeg of a defender on the edge of the box, before stroking the ball into the net albeit with a deflection from Shafia. This 76^th minute goal had just about assured a victory here for Australia as they put the final touches on what was to be an emphatic victory over a lacklustre opponent.

Seeing as the result was sealed, Osieck decided to introduce a youngster whose potential instils hope into football fans all over Australia, young Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic. This change came in the 79^th minute for Brett Holman who made a significant contribution to an Australian attack which functioned very well throughout the match. Rogic wasted no time, becoming involved in what was Australia’s fourth and final goal which came in the 84^th minute. Luke Wilkshere whipped in the corner from the right hand side, onto the head of Cahill who tapped on to Rogic whose header founded Lucas Neill at the far post who tipped the header into the net. It was Neill’s first international goal, coming in his 91^st appearance for the socceroos which capped off a fantastic night for the Aussies who will look to back up this performance and secure qualification to Brazil with a win against Iraq in 7 days time in Sydney.

That’s Rosey’s Wrap on Australia vs. Jordan,

Thanks for reading,

Jake Rosengarten

Worth their weight in green and gold: Socceroos secure valuable point at Saitama in a performance which could have yielded more.

With Saitama Stadium buzzing with the sounds of tens of thousands of elated Japanese fans, looking to see their national side secure at least a point in order to cement their qualification to Brazil 2014, the Socceroos were considered great underdogs. The Japanese had never lost a competitive game at Saitama but were coming off the back of two losses, to Jordan and Bulgaria. Both teams fielded strong sides, with many players coming from Europe’s top leagues, including CSKA Moscow’s Keisuke Honda and Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa the key men for Japan, Australia’s attacking hopes lay with the front four of their 4-2-3-1 fielded by coach Holger Osieck, comprising of Robbie Kruse, Aston Villa’s Brett Holman, 21 year old Utrecht man Tommy Oar and the seemingly ever present Tim Cahill.

The game opened in a frenzy as both teams attempted to find their feet early, from the very start Japan controlled possession through the likes of Honda, captain Makoto Hasebe and 33 year old Yasuhito Endo. The first chance came in the 5^th minute as Endo struck a free kick from just outside the 18 yard box which went inches wide of Schwarzer’s right post, the keeper looked to have it covered but it was certainly a warning shot fired by the always creative Endo.

The game continued in a very familiar pattern, with Japan holding possession before breaking forward and giving the ball to the likes of Kagawa and Honda who would look play in others or rifle off a shot themselves. Their moves would either be blocked or intercepted by the Australian back four and dished off to Kruse or Oar who kick started a counter attack as the Aussies flurried forward looking for a ball to open up the Japanese centre backs and leave Cahill, Holman or Kruse in a one on one against Japanese keeper Kawashima.

The first half was by no means lifeless despite the score line; chances fell to both teams, with a combined total of 13 shots taken in the first 45. The Socceroos were at their best when Bresciano and Milligan passed the ball and constructed play from the middle, looking to release their forwards at every opportunity or simply keeping their composure and the ball.

The Japanese were certainly the better team, especially in the first twenty minutes or so of the second half, as Kagawa and Honda got forward and saw their moves stifled by the likes of 40 year old Aussie keeper Mark Schwarzer  and centre backs Lucas Neill, who captained Australia for the 45^th time as well as Sasa Ognenovski. Notably in the 59^th minute, Kagawa managed to beat Schwarzer for the first time with a delightful chip into the far corner of the goal but was denied by the woodwork as the ball deflected away off the crossbar.

The 2^nd half so a continuation of the high intensity of the 1^st, chances fell to both sides with neither team able to capitalize on some brilliant opportunities with marvelous saves from both keepers, notably Schwarzer who was his reliable self, playing in his 106^th match for his country. The deadlock was finally broken in the 82^nd minute by young speedster Tommy Oar who scored his first ever international goal with a mind blowing run beating two players and attempting to cross to Dario Vidosic at the far post, with the ball swirling in the air and beating keeper Kawashima and somehow landing in the far corner of the net. The Socceroos celebrated with ecstatic Oar as Japanese coach Alberto Zaccheroni looked on in disbelief.

Deep into the half, the Japanese kept throwing all they had at the socceroos, bringing on attacking substitutes in an attempt to find the goal which would book their tickets to the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil next year.  The tense final minutes looked as if they would not yield an equalizer, and it seemed as though the Socceroos had taken a valuable and famous three points in Japan until a corner was awarded to the Samurai Blues in the 90^th minute.

The ball was played in short as a cross was put into the middle, which struck Socceroo’s makeshift left back Matt Mckay on the arm and the referee rightly pointed to the spot. With the heart of every Australian football fan in their mouth, Keisuke Honda stepped up and emphatically blasted the ball down the centre of the net and Japan had secured their qualification to the world cup.

This match is one which the Socceroos will take confidence from, but Osieck needs to instill a winning mentality in them, and work on sharpening their skills if they are to make the world cup and make an impact in Brazil against the world’s top sides. Possession is the key, and Bresciano is the man who Osieck should be working with as well as the young Oar who can be a trump card for the Aussies in their upcoming fixtures against Jordan and Iraq.

That’s the Rosey Wrap on the Japan vs. Australia,

Thanks for reading,

Jake Rosengarten