Critics put Chippers off stint in A-League
DAN SILKSTONE
June 21, 2010

A CHIP in his name and one on his shoulder, Socceroo Scott Chipperfield is so upset by criticism of his performance in the loss to Germany that he is likely to retire from international football and never return to play in Australia again.

Chipperfield bounced back with an eye-catching cameo as a substitute forward in Australia's draw with Ghana on Saturday and was feeling vindicated in the aftermath. The Swiss-based veteran, who was leading scorer for his club Basel last season as a striker but has played mostly at left fullback for Australia, was roundly criticised for his performance against Germany, where he was terrorised down the left flank by Lukas Podolski and a host of midfield runners.

''I think 90 per cent of Australia thought I should retire after the last game,'' he said. ''You play one bad game and then all of a sudden you are finished. It's obviously disappointing to read things like that.''

While the 34-year-old did not announce his Socceroo retirement, he left little doubt about his anger at treatment he believes has ignored a proud record including 64 national caps, during which he has seldom let down his country or his teammates.

''I don't see much point in going on if you have one bad game and everyone hammers you,'' he said. ''For me, I don't see the point to continue, you have one bad game and everyone starts writing you off. I just won player of the year for Basel, I had a great season. You play one bad game there's stories written saying, 'He's finished, he should retire'. I know I can still play at this level, I don't need it to motivate me. It's just really disappointing.''

Chipperfield's furious reaction in Rustenburg highlights a growing problem for Football Federation Australia. The so-called golden generation - long encouraged to say they would finish their glittering careers back in the A-League as a way of ''putting something back'' into the game - are increasingly reluctant to do so.

On and off the record, top players talk with scorn about the treatment of their friend and former teammate John Aloisi by the A-League boo-boys. In half a season, Aloisi was transformed from the man whose penalty rocketed Australia into the World Cup finals to a taunted hack, unable to find the net. Many of his contemporaries now say they are not prepared to risk such a fall from grace.

''I won't be going back to the A-League,'' Chipperfield said. ''I live in Switzerland, I'm happy there, I don't really see the point. You go back to Australia and you just get criticised there. I don't want to ever end up that way. You wonder why you'd ever do that.''

Chipperfield said he enjoyed the more attacking role he plays with his club and revealed that coach Pim Verbeek had dropped him from the starting line-up because he felt David Carney offered more defensively. When Verbeek did inject him into the game it was as a forward and he had an immediate influence.

''At my club I play more attacking so it's sometimes difficult after you play a long time offensive to come back and play as a defender,'' he said


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