FIFA World Cup 2018: Tim Cahill's Socceroos selection triggers conspiracy theory after Jamie Maclaren snub

Updated about 2 hours ago

In keeping with the Socceroos oddly detached and discordant World Cup build-up, instead of a farewell game we got a Tim Cahill-themed petrol station.

The symbolism of having the team's major sponsor alter its signs to honour the veteran striker was not immediately apparent.

Did this mean the Socceroos intended to pump their opposition? That Australian football was no longer running on the smell of an oily rag? Would we get a 4 cents per-litre discount or two snack bars for $1 if Cahill hit the back of the net?

Regardless, using Cahill's name to promote this World Cup campaign created inevitable conspiracy theories due to his recent lack of game time and the hasty launch of the sponsor's activation.

Not even the swiftest ambush marketeer could have knocked up the "Cahilltex" signs or had Cahill pose in what looks like a banana skin onesie for a giveaway competition in the few hours between the squad announcement and the first sighting of the petrol-related promotional paraphernalia.

Thus the arch conclusion inevitably reached by some — that 38-year-old Cahill's place in the squad had been guaranteed by his marketing value, a theory that went viral when Jamie Maclaren, one of Cahill's rivals for a strikers berth, scored a hat-trick for Hibernian against Rangers and was overlooked.

Six months ago to suggest Cahill would be playing a fourth World Cup as a marketing ploy would have been to spit in the face of the grand legacy of Australia's greatest and most prolific international.

Since then Cahill had left Melbourne City for Millwall, where he spent far more time running up and down the sideline than on the pitch. Was about an hour of football in six months enough to justify his spot?

But as the old saying goes, if the choice is between a conspiracy and a stuff up, assume it was a stuff up every time.

With Cahill retaining the endorsement of most expert observers, you can assume his inclusion was for playing reasons alone.

Cahill's proven record in big games, dressing shed leadership and talisman status make him an obvious exception to any guidelines coach Bert van Marwijk might have set about recent form or match fitness.

Maclaren's hat-trick? On the back of the A-League grand final VAR debacle, just the latest example that anything that can embarrass Australian football right now probably will.

Yet beyond Cahill's enduring value, his selection is further evidence of the harsh and too often ignored reality of Australian football — the parade of stars that was supposed to be inspired by the heroics of the Golden Generation in 2006 has failed to materialise.

The odd talented youngster such as Melbourne City's Daniel Arzani has stepped up. But twelve years later, the new Tim Cahill is the old Tim Cahill.

Which in turn highlights a lesson Australian football is yet to learn. Reaching the World Cup finals is merely the chicken or the egg or whichever comes second. Not a cure-all for the game many believed it would be.

Australia's long and desperately frustrating absence from the World Cup between 1974 and 2006 entrenched the notion that a few weeks on the game's grandest international stage would be the answer to all the games domestic woes.

Only that shocking upset by the Kiwis, those awful second half goals by Iran or that sleepless night in Montevideo caused by drum-thumping Uruguayan fans had held the game back. Qualify for the World Cup and all the problems with the national league, player development and fan engagement would be fixed.

Three World Cups later, it is now obvious Australia's appearances in Germany, South Africa and Brazil provided no more than a brief sugar hit for the sport.

This time? The FFA will bank an eight figure cheque from FIFA that it uses to pay bills that weren't covered by a less-than-satisfactory A-League media rights deal. Huge audiences will watch Australia's games. Even more kids (participation is far from the game's greatest problem) will kick a ball in the playground.

And then … we return to business as usual. In this case, the squabble between the FFA and the A-League clubs for control of the domestic league.

Which is not to say the Socceroos' appearance — and, as unlikely as it seems this time — a stellar performance at the World Cup could not provide considerable momentum. But the game needs to be in a position to leverage the feel good factor into palpable gains.

The most obvious way in which Australian football can do that is to move rapidly to extend the A-League to a second tier and to find the money — the greatest challenge — to help fund the clubs beneath them.

This would require an acknowledgment that the game's prosperity should not rely solely on attempting to fill five large A-League arenas each weekend, but having vibrant crowds in 10,000 or even 5000 capacity stadiums operated by clubs with a deep connection with their local communities.

This would broaden the participation base of professional and semi-professional players and, in turn, the ranks from which the long-awaited next generation of stars could emerge.

Given its perfect prime-time kick-off, Australia's World Cup opener against France in Kazan on June 16 at 8:00pm (AEST) should be one the most watched Socceroos games in history.

Yet whether Australia's hopes are fuelled by Tim Cahill or someone else, such occasions will have no long-term impact until the game has sorted out its own backyard.

"Three World Cups later, it is now obvious Australia's appearances in Germany, South Africa and Brazil provided no more than a brief sugar hit for the sport".

What an absolute load of horseshit. Who reads this tripe and OKs it? I know this isn't a popular opinion on this forum, but the overall position of football in the Australian sporting realm is 10 times higher than it was prior to 2005. 

Even if Timmy was brought on for marketing reasons, as 1987 has said, Maclaren probably deserves a spot over Troisi. 

Thanks to an easier qualification path.

path ?

more like

I'm not talking about how we achieve qualification, rather the that football has achieved relative, sustained mainstream popularity since we qualified for 2006. 

Only mister football would argue otherwise. 

Why because they dont agree with you? Good logik that is. Football has always been popular. As for mainstream, only MK would say that.

I'm sorry, do you actually disagree that football is more popular now than pre-2005 or are you just arguing for the sake of it as usual? 

That doesn't look like what I said, Afroman. Try again pls.

Whilst the conspiracy theory is fun I seriously doubt it's veracity.  

Although I think Cahill is there for marketing (like Nike did with Brazilians)

The article is a little contradictory. They say the marketers couldn’t turn around the station in time after squad announced (which is true) but also the selectors wouldn’t be able to change squad either Off the back of Maclaren s hat trick, in which you would assume the squad was finalize in the days before he scored the three goals.

@ Sydney1987

Agree, it’s now the most popular participant sport in aus. Off the back of those tournaments. Something that’s overlooked.

Its been said on here that Maclaren knew he wasn't in the squad before he scored the 3 goals.

Back on topic:

Which of his recent performances have warranted a call-up? Asking for a friend. I don't want to hear about what happened in 2006. It's 2018, that shit is irrelevant

It was the most popular participant sport before 2005 but it has grown very quickly in the previously low participant AFL states due to continual WC qualification and the commencement of the A-League.

Which of his recent national team performances suggests he shouldn't be called up? Do you think he's seriously regressed as a footballer since his game against Syria? 

He’s clearly been selected with a specific role in mind. Not only is he an important leadership figure in the group, but he can actually make a difference in a limited role where form is largely irrelevant.  Anyone who argues against that is being influenced by their own personal biases/agendas.

I could mention his two goals against Syria that are the only reason we're at this World Cup but I'm sure you'll elect to ignore it because it doesn't fit the narrative. 

  Informed he had been cut from van Marwijk's World Cup group — trimmed from 32 to 26 — he then struck a hat-trick in Hibernian's 5-5 draw with Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-15/tim-cahill-still-worth-place-in-socceroos-world-cup-squad/9763698?section=sport

Germany I'd agree with (and implementation of the A-League). 2006 had a huge impact on football in Australia. 

South Africa and Brazil I'm less sure about.

and/or the growth of EPL & Euro Comps on Telly and Social Media

and head and knee injuries

and Thugby and rApeFL

I don't accept that narrative either, at least not by itself.  You don't justify someones inclusion based on one moment.

No one complained when Josh Kennedy was left out of the Brazil squad, despite scoring the winner that got us there.  No one came to the defense of Lucas Neill when he was left out either (maybe his performances justified it, but he was still the captain that lead us to qualification) - in fact most were calling for him to be left out due to his lack of playing time in the lead up.

Timmy just seems to be playing under different rules. 

For the record, I don't think Jamie Maclaren is good enough to be in the Socceroos squad, so that's not my complaint. What annoys me are the things people are using to justify Cahill's inclusion.

Timmys in because there's no-one better

Your opinion of Maclaren confirms it

The problem is not the selection, it's that there's no-one better than a 38 year old who can't get club game time

Sponsors care because there's no-one else with a recognisable face to the general public for them to use during the next 2 months

FFA are lucky Australia hasn't got any World Class Strikers and Timmy's not injured

Dodged a bullet this time 

Are they flying over a rocking chair for Timmy?

If we had some world class strikers pretty sure Timmy wouldn’t be our marketing man lol. Dodged a bullet, can’t make this stuff up. Your hatred must give you ulcers.

You've escaped the Unicorn-poo thread

and you misread what I said/ I typed it badly

That's a sad indictment on the quality of Australian football. 

There was a huge increase in registered player nationally in 2015 which I would attribute to the 2015 Asian Cup but there might be an upswing from Brazil in it too.  Unfortunately I don't have figures for 2010 and 2011 anymore but from memory there was an upswing that year as well.  Since 2005 the registered player number has gone up from 480k to over 600k.

Pretty certain a world class Australian striker would be a "recognisable face".

This and you have touche don it brilliantly. He has different rules. Not to mentioned as highlighted by paulc, that is one game out of the entire qualification. Since then he has warmed the bench for Melbourne City and copped a red card for Millwall.

Waste of a plane seat.