We are less then a week out from our 1st game in a world cup - almost every competing nation is getting match practice but for some reason we are playing no one? 

why the hell are the matildas playing friendlies right now but not the Socceroos? 

Someone want to explain this? i mean f--k me there is a load of nations that are both in Qatar and failed to make the world cup how hard would of been to get some match practice? 

The FA are a joke 

It's a master plan. Actually a stroke of genius. We are going to lure the opposition into a false sense of security by thinking we are no good and also depriving them the opportunity to get a look at us before the game. 

Then when they least expect it - we are going to come out and play tiki taka and pass 6 into the back of the net. 

Even teams that arn't countries have even lined up International friendlies - like Kosovo.

It's pretty annoying but I think Arnie feels there's nothin to be gained from another friendly.

he MIGHT have a point....

The players aren't going to learn any more about themselves now, they are all match fit as it's mid-season and they aren't going to play anyone that matches France levels and if we did what would be the point of losing a game just before kick off.

They will obviously spend 6 days training to an exact plan for France. If the players don't know each other's game by now we are in more trouble than we even thought aha

it is called 'match fitness' some of the players in the squad has barely played 180mins in the past  month....

you also have players with minimal time in the squad thus they will lack chemistry...

https://www.90min.com/posts/all-confirmed-pre-world-cup-friendlies-01ge2cp3tdza

A lot teams actually aren't playing pre tournament game. No one in group B is. Neither are France, Denmark. Brazil, Portugal or South Korea.

Germany played Oman in which proved to be an utter waste of time giving them more headaches not to mention the flight to Oman now the short hop to Qatar. 

While I personally wish we'd put something together for Thursday, I'm not overly bothered.

South Korea played Iceland less then a week ago...

I mean to get match fitness you'd have to be playing at a decent intensity and with the limited time in camp I don't think throwing in an extra game is going to do anything extra tire the guys out. 

yeah ,  great   organisational   skills  FA .

what   a   Joke ...

The article seems to have some errors. Some nations have also seen their leagues end allowing for a domestic camp. Good for them.

Rest assured Australia's sport scientists will be pushing the less fit up a notch in the training sessions and we're bound to have mini matches. 

There is no fitness like match fitness 

you also can't build team chemistry just on the training park 

anyone who has played football at any level knows this.... 

- we are up against the current world champions and i'd argue on paper the best team on the planet and we are going in under-prepared. 

I mean we cannot magically make our players better but there are things we can do to make sure we are the best version of ourselves on the day and we are simply not doing that. 

im annoyed by it and if we get slapped 4-nil on Wednesday the FA deserve some criticism  

I mean the last two games we played were about a month before our 1st WC game and it was against NZ a weak and pointless opponent in regards to what we are facing in Qatar - i kind of feel like the FAs push for Womens football has completely neglected the mens game and they deserve right stick for the shit show probably will be 

I was with you right up until your last sentence which just shows YOUR issues not the federation's.

There's no way there is a correlation between women's football and the mens world cup squad not playing a friendly.

Ugh

Just my two bobs worth......Arnold knows he was never going to win the WC, so to go out on a high, has he taken a squad of 'popular' players to keep fans happy? People on social media have been crying out for Cummings, Devlin, Baccus. Yes, they're all good players (well, Baccus is pretty average) but seriously are they the best he could take to a WC?  Is he just sucking up to Scotland for a job after this?
I personally don't rate Cummings and his stupid mouth tattoo, would've much rather seen someone like Dagastino selected as a he has been part of the Socceroo's journey. He's a young Aussie kid who's been working away for many years now, come through the ranks at junior and now senior level, consistently works hard on the pitch and Arnold selects a Scot that couldn't get game time in his own country!! Must be such a kick in the gut to players like Daggers. Makes you wonder if Arnold has been asked or even told to select these 'popular' players for FFA to flog on social media and sell football.

Anyway......rant over, have a good day everyone.

i got no 'issue' with womens football ive watched every match the Matildas have played but fuck me if they could organise a bunch of games for the girls this time of year 1 year out from a world cup they could of line up a game for the mens side a week out for the world cup. 

i know people here are not too bright but not everything is sexism - it is a legit concern - i mean fuck me whilst your on the phone to Swedan say btw do your boys want to play our boys as well? - we will pay them to fly down to Qatar it would be good practice for our game against Denmark...

im so over everyone making everything about Political correctness - harden the the fuck up this is football if it was the other way around and the women were a week out from the WWC and the men were playing friendlies over a year out id be saying same shit 

ugh 

yeah we were there very early compared to some other teams, we could of easily played one yesterday or today like some of the other teams.

Bert woulda sorted one out. Also watched the Mooy interview any chance a journo could ask about maybe the tactics? got 15 questions about his time in China. 

The matildas are now responsible for the Socceroos not playing friendlies. Haha.

Cool and normal.

That is literally all you do on here!!! 

Don't you get it?
You've obviously created some online bubble for yourself where all YOU see are people that complain about these issues and the people who react to the complaints..
I promise you in the real world 90% of people don't give two shits and are just living their life.
The other 2x 5% from each side yelling at each other online is not real life and you've been brainwashed to believe it is.
C'mon man, you are fairly bright I can tell that, you need to open your eyes and get over this anger you have.

I totally agree with this section of your rant man

Remember   too   how   Japan    played   a   bunch   of   friendlies    during   covid .

But    FA    organised    NONE   for   the   socceroos .

I actually have been vocal about the lack of friendlies in the last 4+ years.

I can just see why MAYBE they thought this time there were more cons than pros to it....maybe.

I like Davstar, ,maybe he's more flustered since CR7's interview rants :)
I get his train of thought mind you - if you could count the amount of touchs of the ball by player attending the WC last 3yrs our guys surely would be in the bottom third or worse the bottom.
Then match fitness - the sudden on off bursts/change of direction is never simulated perfectly in training like in a game.
Fingers crossed we're proven wrong.

I never disagreed we should be playing friendlies.
I just think it's batshit crazy to blame the women's game for it :hehe::hehe::hehe::Whistling:

Players don't lose match fitness in a fortnight so most of the team is fine.  That said I wouldn't have minded a game so some of the fringe players and the players that won't get a run in the WC get some time together on the pitch.  No outsiders should get to see Kuol before he comes onto the pitch in the 70th minute against France.

Im not 'blaming the womens game' im comparing ffs look how well organised the womens matches have been and against some good Opposition - im having ago at the FA for ZERO organisation in the Mens game 

I mean FFS NZ is the Laziest friendly to organise and teaches us nothing - for some piss poor reason we played them twice..... whilst we are in Qatar our 1st match will be against France. 

to not pick up the phone and try and organise a single game when we have been in camp for almost 2 weeks now is f**ken disgrace. 

Perhaps im the last person left with common sense but it is 'bat shit' crazy that arguably one of the weakest squads in Qatar is going in under-prepared and out of match practice against 'quality' opposition. - Iran, Saudi Arab, Korea, Japan and Qatar have all played matches against good teams recently in prep but flogs here think 'Australia doesnt need to play anyone' WTAF is wrong with you idiots   

When was the last time Australia played a team in the top 30 nations? (that wasnt part of the AFC) if the answer is FUCKEN LAST WORLD CUP then i think im well within my rights to call the FA out for being fucken useless 

Exhibit A. of dumb PC idiot 

Peru 14 June 2022  ranked 23.

Aha this is not a display of common sense

i kind of feel like the FAs push for Womens football has completely neglected the mens game

You so badly want to be "anti woke" you're jumping at women's shadows my friend

last 2 AL seasons :

Cummings 26 games, 12 goals, 8 assists.
Daggers 32 games, 12 goals, 0 assists.

Cummings also has advantage of playing with Kuol at CCM and also Boyle at Hibs which MIGHT help him combine with them to create/score goals

It's a bit unusual.
I can recall back in 2006, the squad set itself up in Holland, next door to the host nation, and we had a good hit out against the Netherlands, and then even squeezed in a practice game against a local amateur team.
Fair enough, it's probably more difficult these days, you can't trust airlines at the moment, and there's nothing in around Qatar.  They could have played against a local club side as a training run.
Maybe Arnie thinks that with 26 players, it's just as easy to play 11x11 scratch matches from within the squad, and maybe that's true.
Anyway, if we were all perfectly honest with each other, this squad is a pretty average one, and the preparation has been sub-par so far.

although i cant stand woke idiots this 'really is not about that' and nor do i want it to be about that - it is about why we arent preping for the 3 matches we will play in the world cup..... 

regardless of your Woke or Anti-Woke stance it is still unacceptable we are not playing any matches for over a month....

i feel like 'you're' woke so your upset im not a fan of your agenda but lets leave that 'at the door' we dont need social political outrage merchants right now - because we are all football fans and try and keep this about 'football' and we should be questioning the competence of the FA and why we arent prepping for a world cup correctly.