It is for the majority of countries. Look at the last World Cup. I don't remember any reported crowd trouble at all. 

Is karacic locked in to Australia with his allegiance change getting approval or is it only official if he plays a game? 
Ie can he change back if he is not picked ?

I think he will go in as our no. 1 right back

Only if he plays a game. Ersan Gulum actually sat on the bench for Turkey in  a World Cup qualifier and still could have been picked for Aust if the FFA got its act together. He played in a subsequent qualifier and was hence disqualified for playing for Aust then.

Anyone see the clip of Arzani breezing past 3 or so players and earning a pen in one of the practise sessions?

https://www.facebook.com/pg/optussport/posts/

Don't have direct link but younjustnhave to scroll down to yesterday's posts

He must be as psyched as fuck at the moment, this is a massive opportunity for exposure.  Hope he grabs it & plays his heart out.    

Here is the direct link - https://www.facebook.com/optussport/videos/636181213399892/

Nevermind.  Walnuts all over it.

Penalty ?

Booked for Diving if I was ref

@walnuts

Cheers

@2018 World Cup Winner 2.0

Come on, this isn't the aleague where refs have preemptively made decisions on certain players before they even happen

A league refs are much too lenient on contact there is probably a red card as well as a penalty every other game that gets missed. It's bad preparation for the world stage

Wow that was quality from Arzani.

you have to give him 10-15 mins at the end of games... the kid will win a free kick or penalty everyday of the week that's a pen. He wont get hacked to death at the WC either.

I rate him to start over Leikie or Kruse, the only issue for him us nerves and inexperience 

@gravorblade

The less than obvious thing here is you could probably look at every league in the world and there wouldn't be one where fans don't harp on about refs.

However Aleague refs tend to referee games on either end of the spectrum. They're either too lenient and let things slide when they clearly shouldn't or they are too heavy handed where they should let things slide. Making mistakes as a ref is one thing. But varying the level of stringency depending on reputation of a player, media and fan opinion etc. is wrong and should not happen. That's why Arzani will be fine in the World Cup, if he's selected, compared to when he plays here.

Inside Socceroos Camp: Bert's Key Message In Tough Session

23 May 2018, 01:00 AM  

By David Weiner in Antalya, Turkey
Sports Editor
It’s 30 degrees at 5.15pm and while resort after resort lining the streets in the southern Turkish town of Belek are filled with holiday goers lured to the searing sun in Antalya, one group are working harder than most in this relaxed coastal city. It’s day three in Socceroos camp, and Bert van Marwijk just upped the ante.

With 22 of his players having arrived (with Mile Jedinak, Danny Vukovic, Tom Rogic and Milos Degenek the last to arrive. Matthew Jurman arrived on Tuesday so trained separately, while Tomi Juric is almost ready to fully join in as he comes back from injury) they were put through a gruelling two hour session The players didn’t kick a ball in anger for the best part of an hour. They slalomed through poles, sprinting with the backdrop of a countdown, getting quicker each time, from Roel Coumans (pictured below); they jumped, and squatted, and bounced as they moved from the end of their club seasons, straight into a mini pre-season to get ready for a tournament in the European summer.

Jackson Irvine said: “It’s unusual to be part of the Socceroos set-up and be training as hard as we are … because when we come in normally it’s about getting a couple of days together and building into a game. “But with an extended period like this we can really start to train a bit harder and push ourselves a bit further, and I am sure it is only going to get tougher over the coming weeks.” Initially, it was quiet. Focused. Just the birds and the stray golf balls from the course over the fence plus the gaggle of Dutch voices – and there are a lot of them - surrounding van Marwijk, watching on from the halfway line. Attention to detail was clear. “No, jog around the goal”. “Get more speed in your turn”. When it finally came time to play, the desire to impress was plainly obvious. Competitiveness shone through. Three spots are still to be culled and with regulars Bailey Wright and Mitch Langerak already cut, there’s no need to remind about the stakes. But as the players tried to impress, so too is van Marwijk impressing upon a point, in just his second camp with this group.   Guus Hiddink famously remarked of his 2006 vintage that “the commitment was high, so they had passionate hearts, tactically and strategically it was not in balance with the super commitment of the guys so we worked on that”. And that’s where, after an hour or so, the latest Dutch veteran enters the fray, with a clear, but repetitive message. Move the ball. Quickly. Firmly. Don’t take that extra touch. Body position. Play the pass more firmly. Create new angles. And as games progressed from the traditional ‘sheva’ (piggy in the middle passing drill – with decisions hotly disputed) to variations of games on pitches of different sizes, so too did the intensity of the tempo, commitment and energy. But as that translated to enthusiastic efforts without the ball, van Marwjik called proceedings to a halt again: don’t press for the sake of it, he implored; once it’s mission impossible, get organised. 

Van Marwijk was adamant that he was better off having an extended period in Europe with his squad rather than burn time playing a farewell game in Australia. It’s clear that he wanted the extra time for the devil in the detail, and first, to get back to basics. “Those little details: turning very quickly, looking over your shoulder, all that sort of stuff, as a pro footballer you tend to forget the smaller things sometimes concentrating on the big picture,” Andrew Nabbout told Optus Sport of how much he is learning from van Marwijk. “When they emphasise the small details it kind of makes the big difference much, much easier.” He added: "I’ve learnt so much, fine-tuning little details in the game you never thought were important before. They make it important, they emphasise it, then it really shows in a game situation. Those details are very important and they’ve changed my game a lot already."

The March friendlies showed a completely different approach that needs time for the players to acclimatise to over the coming weeks, but for all the assumptions that that will not include crisp, passing football, that was dispelled by that focus on tempo and passing energy. “No goals?” he quipped, after the first round of the final drill ended scoreless, almost egging his charges on to remedy that. Josh Risdon did just that, prodding home after Brad Jones misplaced a pass out from goal. Van Marwijk’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou was less hands on at training, but once the players were on the pitch playing with the ball, van Marwijk played traffic cop in the centre of the pitch. Brisk ball movement or touches brought compliments, but whether it was van Marwijk, or his chief lieutenant, van Bommel, they demanded an attention to detail on passing they’re clearly trying to boost. Former Dutch enforced van Bommel was right amongst it, too, riding the game of 7 v 2, encouraging movement and creating of angles. It might seem simple – this is a World Cup preparation after all! – but that’s exactly the early message being delivered at the Gloria Sports Complex, a facility renowned in Europe; teams from the continent come to train – their reception has a cabinet of jerseys from visiting teams, including Hertha Berlin and Ingolstadt, two of Mathew Leckie’s clubs – on what are pristine pitches.

Turkish based left-back Aziz Behich told Optus Sport: “Antalya’s always a destination for teams to come during the winter break, even teams outside of Turkey, because the weather’s so hot. “It’s a good climate for us to train in the heat and make sure our fitness is of the highest level.” He added: “There are great facilities here, we (Bursaspor) come here during the winter break all the time. The facilities here are second to none; when I heard we were coming here I knew it was good, what to expect  … we’re in the best (place) we possibly be to prepare ourselves for a big tournament.” That remit falls on van Marwijk, who strode purposefully onto his pitch, still wearing tracksuit pants despite the temperature, before consulting his notes for the session.  

The plan on those notes will become clearer in the coming weeks, and Optus Sport will be on hand to watch the evolve in the weeks ahead. 

One Moment Lights Up Day 4 As Bert Stresses Point

24 May 2018, 05:00 AM
By David Weiner in Antalya, Turkey
Sports Editor
Socceroos boss Bert van Marwijk gathers his squad in the middle of the park. His delivery is relaxed. He seems jovial. He is telling a story, before leading towards a lesson for the day’s session.  That lesson - tempo, smart passing and positioning to avoid unrequired pressure -  plays out over the next 90 minutes under the glorious Mediterranean sun. Well, for the travelling media it is; perhaps not for the players. This is a session, on the superb pitch, heavily watered right up until the session kicked off, full of passing – sharp, quick, firm and early passing – culminating in the first XI v XI game Optus Sport has viewed so far. Technique and form isn’t the only point of a brisk, sharp and repetitious passing drill that lasts 20 minutes. Once the game situation emerges, it’s clear van Marwijk wants that sharpness and communication replicated. He stops the game regularly; particularly when that isn’t executed and there’s a risk of the Socceroos inviting pressure – something France need no invitation to try and exploit.  He is vocal – full of encouragement too, especially when the passing is in full click – and so hands on he even plots the cones along in his drills, despite a seemingly endless supply of assistants nearby. 

Already, it is fascinating to see the variety in the training sessions. Tuesday was intense, full of running, with a session that went for nearly two hours with a solid hour of different types of game drills (sheva – piggy in the middle, possession on different sized pitches, different rules for different scenarios, finishing with three-quarter field games involving goalkeepers). 

“Yesterday was really tough; a few boys are really feeling it now,” Massimo Luongo told Optus Sport.   “It’s like a mini pre-season; everyone was expecting that and I think we’ve got no games for 10 days so we can afford to push our bodies a bit more than we are used to. I think it’s the right thing to do and everyone is prepared for the challenge. We’re excited to get used to the tempo, and our bodies used to the intensity.  “That’s part of the challenge – trying to produce a decent session from every individual every single day. I don’t think we’re having too many days off. It’ll be tough. Then we’ll go into the friendly game against the Czech Republic; hopefully we can back up after a really tense training camp. It’s all part of the preparation.” Wednesday, differently, was on the ball, from the start; laughs were had but concentration was high with a game of keepy-uppy, before the passing drills.  Mark van Bommell came into his own there; he is a dynamic presence on the park and an echo for van Marwijk’s instructions. Clearly both love this granular level of coaching, waving their arms, demonstrating body positions and chirping instructions or encouragement. And they love a good touch, or crisp move.  The drills get quicker. They demand it gets quicker. Technique and accuracy is being tested and by and large, it’s a well-oiled picture of green moving parts buzzing around the park.  Luongo said that no video or meetings have been had yet; this is all about a mini pre-season and off the back of yesterday’s tough session, the side spent 45 minutes applying those messages in an XI v XI.  And when the defence was slow on the ball, or the ball got stuck in a cul-de-sac, or when there was a risk of inviting danger, both van Marwijk or van Bommel pounced. Interestingly, Mark Milligan partnered Matthew Jurman – in his first proper hit-out of the camp – in central defence, with Josh Brillante joining Trent Sainsbury in the heart of the backline at the other end. It seems Milligan, so often a No.6 in midfield in qualifying, is firmly in these calculations as a central defender, with all his ball playing abilities and poise, while Brillante, who moved into central midfield later, is being tested for his versatility.  Jackson Irvine lined up alongside Aaron Mooy, with Dimitri Petratos and Luongo opposing them, while Andrew Nabbout, who started as a No.10, moved into Tomi Juric’s No.9 position once he was rested. The striker looked sharp, and healthy, in his first full session as he returns from injury. 

Van Marwijk is happiest when the ball is moved quickly, but, with some heavy legs and a high intensity, it didn’t yield any goals or final third precision. It wasn’t for a lack of intensity, with one or two robust challenges - Irvine leading the way.  Mathew Leckie and Robbie Kruse worked Ryan in goal, while Nabbout couldn’t hit the target with his side’s best chance.  The brightest moment came from, none other than, teenage Daniel Arzani. “It’s always difficult coming in, such a big time in the Socceroos, at such a young age, but you’ve just got to work hard,” Luongo said of the challenge 2018’s bolters, like Arzani, face, as he did in Brazil four years ago.  “And if you are (behind someone), you’ve got to work harder or run harder or try find something to stand out to not get left behind.”  In one magnificent glimpse, where he danced through the heart of his opponents, it summed up the infatuation over the Melbourne City star. He certainly pushed his teammates’ patience with how long he held the ball up for, or when he dribbled or flicked, instead of passed. But in one or two tantalising glimpses, he showed the adventure, and cocksureness, that make him compelling. He may be the youngest, but it is as if he is unfazed by that. He provided width, as did all four fullbacks, able to get forward; encouraging signs for fans of attacking football. As importantly, there was clearly an awareness of one of van Marwijk’s key challenges: re-programing this side when he wants them to press, and when he wants them to set-up differently. 

Luongo explained: “(It’s) more about being a unit, defend as a unit, try and be solid, block lanes. “(Showing his style is) very minimal at the moment but coming from the last camp a lot came from being a tight unit … try and defend together. When we press we press together but if we can’t we bide our time and wait and be patient. We looked good, a lot better, when things were working with each other and I was working with the other midfielders. “There’s loads of room for improvement but we’ll work on it and pick it up fast. It’ll get better.” For one, Sainsbury is in no doubt that will happen. “I think this team has untapped potential at the moment and we’re going to go on a good run in Russia. I can feel it in my bones,” he said on Wednesday.  Thursday sees the side back on the park twice, with a double session. 

Day 5 Diary: Irvine's Class, Van Bommel's Masterpiece, Bert's Extra Edge

25 May 2018, 05:00 AM    
By David Weiner in Antalya, Turkey
Sports Editor
“6-5 to Red,” shouted Bert van Marwijk, nearly 90 minutes into another gruelling session on the pitch in Antalya. Ante Milicic was keeping score dutifully as red, a team of defenders and Aaron Mooy with Massimo Luongo, led yellow, all the Socceroos attackers with Jackson Irvine in the middle; the former had the luxury of shooting at two mini-goals. The latter had to get past Maty Ryan or Brad Jones (Danny Vukovic still has club commitments in Belgium). Competition permeates through the whole session – not just in the larger scale drills. Scores are kept, results are compared, tallies are kept.   It’s another edge to trainings that are getting more gruelling by the day. Thursday, day 5 in Antalya, featured two sessions on the track  – although the first one was largely a passive recovery hit-out, with a solid game of ‘rondos’ on the centre circle (three players in the middle chasing the ball with the entire team making up the circumference of the circle). Van Marwijk certainly enjoyed an exercise that allows for a bit of banter amidst the competitive tension, especially every time the there was conjecture when the ‘no sliding’ rule was broken.

“Everyone is very professional in the Socceroos but at the same time there’s a good atmosphere and buzz about the place, which is, I think, for a team to be successful, something you need,” James Meredith explained to Optus Sport. He added: “It’s (training) been quite difficult, difficult for everyone but it’s been good – we’re getting fit, players are looking sharp so it’s a good build-up to a World Cup.” At 5pm, where it was still 27 degrees amidst brilliant blue sky, they were at it again. Heartrates were up as Roel Coumans had the squad stepping, bouncing and jumping through ladders, sprinting and then passing – the Dutchman got stuck in chanting instructions as conditions and exercises constantly changed. One touch, chest and touch, sprint around, turn and so on. It was rapid. Breathless. He urged them on. ‘High knees! Fast!’ It was an effort for the coaches feeding the balls to keep up with their delivery! Then, the next chapter in the van Marwijk coaching manual, all the while, scores are kept and players/partnerships/teams are encouraged to prevail, or to stop others setting records. First, it’s a rapid fire one/two touch exercise around a small square, with pairs inside the square challenged to press and break it down. It’s exhausting just watching, and van Marwijk acknowledges that with a break just on the hour. The Dutchman is firm and clear in his concise messaging so far, but as well as being hands on, you’ll also see him pull a player over for a quiet chat. Daniel Arzani, case in point. 

At any level, it’s a good sign for a footballer when the goalkeepers get summoned from their training isolation; next up, the coaches translate those rapid fire pressing and passing ideas into a dynamic exercise around the 18-yard box. The attack gets to work combinations, the defence gets to work on positioning, shape and shrewd pressing – all taking place under pressure, with growing exhaustion, all while keeping score. Conditioning, plus tactics, plus combinations, all worked at once. With Tom Rogic yet to arrive, James Troisi and Dimitri Petratos share No.10 duties – are they vying for one spot in the 23? – while Irvine dictated the tempo behind them. His presence is noticeable; fittingly, he sealed the win for the reds with a classy chip with just about the last kick of the session. Mathew Leckie’s pace and strength is so clear it even shines through in this exercise in limited space, but the final ball, along with the likes of Arzani and Nikita Rukavytsya on either flank, remains a work in progress. Brad Jones was forced into a couple of eye-catching saves, one-on-one with Tim Cahill and acrobatically to thwart a Petratos blast. Petratos is busy, as he, along with the other newbies try seal a late surge into a World Cup 23. Josh Brillante has looked particularly solid across a number of positions, while wildcard right back option Fran Karacic, is quietly settling into proceedings on the park.

Van Marwijk stations himself right in the thick of the action to observe and correct. The stereotype that he will only play conservatively is being challenges as he encourages forward passing and facilitates width – but, at the same, priorities are clear, as sloppiness, and poor tactical and positional decisions at the back are broken down and rebuked. One such mistake against France, and boom: it could be game over. As they strive for that attention to detail from the players, the coaches are certainly exhibiting it. Van Bommel spent most of the morning session working on what ended up looking like a personal masterpiece. It started as laying out poles in a grid shape, before he started measuring the intervals with maniacal detail. At one point, after deep discussions with his colleagues, he even lay down to calculate the distance with his height, before the local staff came out with measuring tape. It was a task attacked with such focus it was almost comical. But, hopefully, emblematic. The devil is in the detail.  Later in the afternoon, the fruits of the 41-year-old's labour of love were laid out with a freshly painted grid, perfect to the nearest millimetre. An immaculate attention to detail as the players know another fresh challenge awaits them on the park tomorrow. 

The important points from the above articles:
> Van Marwijk is far more intense and hands-on at training than Ange was
> Lots of emphasis on sharp passing, communication, and organisation. Encouraging quick movement of the ball when in possession
> Mark Milligan is being played at CB
> Daniel Arzani has been a standout player and provided the best moment in the first 11v11 training game
> Van Marwijk has been encouraging lots of forward passing and attacking play, suggesting we wont be setting up entirely defensively or playing conservatively the whole tournament

Thanks for finding those, good insight.

This all sounds super promising, particularly regarding Arzani. Milligan at CB though? Been at bit hit and miss there hasn't he?

No worries!
I found them all here (they are pumping out daily articles by the looks of it): https://www.optus.com.au/for-you/entertainment/hype-2018-world-cup

Indeed! And yeah I am not too sure about Milligan at CB...had a good game against Chile at the Confeds Cup IIRC, but other than that I am not sold about him there. Definitely worth trying though, especially under BVM. From the sounds of the articles and training camp diaries, its looking likely he will start at CB against Czech Republic or Hungary.

if a french/peruvian/danish player did that to our defence we would be outraged at them

Looks like those who want us to play hoofball or think BVM is a defensive manager will be shocked. Milligan and Sainsbury are both good ball playing defenders and if what he did with Saudi Arabia is any indication we won't just sit back and rather try and control the game to the best of our ability.

Turkey Diary: Arzani Warning As Schwarzer picks Day 6 Standout

26 May 2018, 05:00 AM
By David Weiner in Antalya, Turkey
Sports Editor
For five days, the Socceroos have been toiling in the sun on the Turquoise Coast in Turkey, a mix of conditioning and ball work in a mini pre-season environment. Mile Jedinak, Danny Vukovic and Tom Rogic are yet to arrive in Antalya, but on Friday, with the day’s only session in the 11am heat, Bert van Marwijk followed up a passing drill by coaching his 23 players through a full field sized XI v XI tactical set-up for the first time.  One backline featured Fran Karacic, Mark Milligan, Trent Sainsbury and Aziz Behich; the other involved Josh Risdon, Matthew Jurman, Milos Degenek and James Meredith.  There’s been a big emphasis on quick passing and sharp ball movement in a series of games, situations and drills so far; on Friday, he walked the side through where he wants them to sit when they are not pressing maniacally. These ideas started yesterday in smaller games, expanding in size and the number of players involved. Friday started as a half a field exercise, with central midfielders challenged to play through an aggressive press. Then, it went full field: different circumstances and conditions will require different approaches and this looked at organising a compact rear guard.   Attack was still encouraged, to examine the defensive organisation, but there were some heavy legs after a week of arduous work on the training track, and so little by way of goal mouth quality. 

That will come – hopefully - but Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer, who has arrived in Antalya to observe training with Optus Sport, explained the questions that van Marwijk will be fine tuning over the coming weeks.  “I think there’ll be a balance,” he explained, after watching Friday’s session.  “Of course when you play against a team like France, you can’t be on the front foot all the time.  “There’s going to have to be a defensive aspect to that game. “But they’re still going to want to hurt them. They still want to hit them on the counter, and surprise them sometimes, hurt them on the front foot in their own half rather than waiting for them to come on. “It’s a dangerous game to sit back and hold out for a result. You’ve got to have a weapon there, try hurt the opposition. I’m sure there’ll be more they work on between now and the start of the World Cup.”  James Troisi looked really sharp in a No.10 role on Friday, and broke through at one moment with a particularly eye-catching interchange with Dimitri Petratos. Schwarzer identified Andrew Nabbout as the player that caught his eye in the session; he was playing as a No.9 (Tim Cahill was the other striker, with Tomi Juric icing his knee), who was flanked by Daniel Arzani.

A clip of the talented 19-year-old taking on defenders at training has gone viral off Optus Sport’s social media channels, but it is a snapshot of the reality facing the teenager. Viewed in isolation, that clip is irresistible but he is still clearly acclimatising to the intensity and demands of this camp, where his delivery, and execution, from the left flank, hasn’t always been as spectacular as that clip suggests. Schwarzer would pick him in the 23, but called for caution amidst the hype. He explained: “We all saw on Optus Sport, on social media, those skills he showed at training how he took on players. “That always brings out excitement out of the Australian public, we’re not used to those type of skills: that naivety, youthfulness is important – having that little bit of extra outside the norm is exciting to see. “I’d like to see them in the 23 (Fran Karacic, Nabbout and Arzani) - they’re all exciting players for different reasons … attacking, it shows the manager is not all about defence … when you talk about Arzani what’s important is you want him to take players on and not be afraid to do it but there’s also that fine line. “Keep him under control a little bit sometimes. Give him an understanding when to take players on and when not to but you also want him to express himself. “(But) at times, let him loose, take the shackles off. He’s an unknown quantity.”

Mark van Bommel pulled the strings for a large portion of the session, encouraging Massimo Luongo and Aaron Mooy to play through the pressure of Jackson Irvine and Josh Brillante. Then van Marwijk took charge; the side he worked with was the side defending, working on when to retreat and to where. It's a balance the side struggled with in the first friendlies. Now, the real integration of this different approach begins.  It has been well noted that the Dutchman, often in the middle of the action at training, has a very different style to his Socceroos predecessor. “I think it’s important, it makes a difference believe it or not,” Schwarzer said of the hands on approach. At one point, he was seen having a one-on-one chat with key defender Trent Sainsbury. “It’s important the manager has the feel with the players, that contact, not only as the figure head but someone on the training field putting them through some exercises, giving his ideas there and then on the football pitch. “It’s all well and good talking about it later in a room, but I think it’s important to do it on the pitch. I think when you have a manager who sits back all the time, there’s distance between the players and the manager. It’s always good when you have that little bit of a connection.”

It seems that connection is developing, all while maintaining a focused attention to detail. Milos Degenek, who had just arrived in camp, had a comical moment in a rondos drill (two players in the middle with everyone else on the outside) in his first session on Thursday. He slipped, and clattered into Brad Jones. Slipping, clearly, is not something van Marwijk is willing to take a chance on – even in a game that is largely light hearted. “I obviously didn’t mean to hurt anyone; I slipped yesterday and the boss just said stay on your feet, don’t slide around,” he told Optus Sport. “He’s very calm and very good about those situations and just lets you know what he thinks. “He’s fair enough. It’s for us to concentrate and not let bad things happen to us on the pitch. It’s very good, obviously a different type of character to what we had before. Very professional and down to earth.” The side has one more session this week before their families arrive for a well-earned Sunday off.

which we heard about karacic

sounds like nabbout is impressing as well

I hope Arzani is in the final squad and that he plays. But I'm not so sure at present.

I think he will, BVM probably realising he is one of the very few technically good players in the squad.

Yeah it's just if his final product hasn't been so great and all the other attackers are standing out. It's tricky to guess which ones don't go. Maybe BvM will think he lacks composure and maturity while the others have more of that?

But, imo, unless the others are literally adding new Arzani-esque aspects to their style of play, he should be there for the sake of variety, imo.

Thats pretty much been my read on Arzani. Heaps of talent and potential but still a bit naive with his on the ball decision making and final product. If the world cup was in a year or two hed be in my squad but this one just seems a bit too soon to make the final 23