Australia versus Ghana is now up on Stattoz.

There are now stats for team percentage passes, percentage of successful team defensive passes in the defensive half and percentage of team successful team offensive passes in the attacking half.

There are 4 tables.

1. Individual stats for the Socceroos before Kewell was sent off.

2. Team stats comparing the Socceroos and Ghana before Kewell was sent off.

3. Individual stats for the Socceroos when they went to 10 men at the 23 minute mark.

4. Team stats comparing Australia and Ghana after Kewell was sent off.

You don't seem to have much to say about Mark S. in goal. He just seems to be slightly off song. Is he carrying an injury?

Thanks for raising Schwarzer's performance. This is the second time someone has raised it today. In the attempt to get all the different parts of players' stats into articles, and comment on them, I often forget the keeper. I know less about keeping than outfield play.

Schwarzer made 4 fingertip or difficult saves in the match. He kept Australia in the game against Ghana.

Another facet of his game was that he executed a number of long passes up to the half way line. I think he made three in total. This is very good for a keeper.

Rale Rasic said that Schwarzer is a better line goalkeeper than one who commands the penalty box.

One player who had different stats from normal, was David Carney.

In the past I've had reservations about him playing left back. Over a few years he has struggled to win sufficient one on one duels. His problem has been using his body well enough, and winning enough tackles and heading duels. His one on one strength has been that he is pretty decent at dribbling around opponents.

Against Ghana Carney won 5 more one on one duels than he lost.

I'm pleased he has improved this facet of his game.

I wonder if Schwarzer is not coming off his line as well as in the past. Maybe he is carrying an injury?

Rale Rasic and others, have possibly noticed something which can be construed as form, being an impediment to perform the goalkeeping role to his maximum capability.

Edited by Decentric: 23/6/2010 01:45:32 PM

Who would you like to see play in the tonights game Jon?

Beauchamp as CB, because he is as tall as Kennedy, and negated Fallon for NZ. He may be tall enough to negate the tall Serbian. I don't think we are good enough to stop his service.

I think Milligan is too short, but still a good player.

Jedinak may have been an option, but to the best of my knowledge has not played as a CB before. Positioning could be a worry for him.

Carney finally held his own physically against Ghana, but I've always thought Chipperfield is a superior left back. Chipper was pretty effective in the wide position when he cam on against Ghana. I'm not sure about the Carney/Chipperfield /Bresciano selection dilemma.

Whether to play Holman or Kennedy at the point I'm not sure either. Kennedy can also negate the tall Serbian at set pieces.

Holman gets through more work and is quicker than Cahill, and is better defensively, when playing as the attacking midfielder. Cahill is superior in the penalty box though, but Holman has scored two excellent goals in the last few weeks.

I wouldn't like to be Verbeek!

Edited by Decentric: 23/6/2010 02:50:25 PM

great to read, as usual. Thanks Decentric.