The Joeys are currently kicking about in the 2016 AFF U-16 Youth Championship, as all our male and female youth teams do every two years, but strangely the Socceroos are absent from the senior edition, the locally very popular AFF Championship, also known as the Suzuki Cup, while lately we've been sending our Female U20s to the Women's senior edition.

Australia has been a full member of the AFF, the South East Asian federation, since a unanimous vote from the existing members in 2013.

I think it'd be a great boost to have the Socceroos involved in this competition in this part of the world that is hugely passionate for football, and growing all the time in economic importance.

The comp is every two years, providing some more regular meaningful matches, and the Semi Finals and Finals are played as home and away ties, also meaning valuable meaningful home matches for FFA to market, and that's even without hosting a Group Stage, another event that would bring fantastic attention to football in Australia and bring back those Asian Cup feels. One state could easily host a group stage on their own.

One stumbling block is scheduling, held for three weeks every second year in late November, early December, in the early stages of the A-League season. If the Socceroos were competing in this year's edition and made the finals, any A-League players called up would miss rounds 7 through to 11, although the Chinese and Korean seasons both end neatly just before the cup.

The other countries might be reticent to risk a full strength Socceroos side stealing the show every time, but we could easily agree to only play Australian/Asian based players, which would be a necessity anyway given the scheduling of the tournament.

I think the good for entering would definitely outweigh the bad, I'd love to see Australia more integrate with our immediate region through football, and I'd love to see us host more meaningful games more often.

No.

We can't send a full strength team. These games are full internationals and effect would effect our FIFA ranking.

Better to suck up to South America and try to get an invitation there every 4-8 years.

I also don't imagine it would be popular with the other countries if we kept winning with a "handicapped" team.

Edited by scott21: 19/7/2016 03:52:41 AM

I say yes. We need to help with the development of the game in Asean because that's our role, being the number 1 team in the Asean region.

How are the Asean nations going to get better if we don't play against them with our full strength side.

Besides it will help our squads chemistry so we better understand each other as a team.

Win win as far as I'm concerned

Hows that our fault they're shite?

I'd be all for it. Send a squad of A-League players over. Be able to cap a few new players each tournement. Players like Mustafa Amini, Bernie Ibini, etc would be able to cut their teeth at international level.

Just like we're not sending a team to the East Asian Cup every time. We're missing out.

There's also the EAFF cup (we played in 2013 but skipped 2015 for some reason) where teams like Japan and SKorea always send their B or C team. I'll be happy if we just bring A-League only or U23 players who otherwise are benching warming at their club anyway. It's still great tournament experience and Ange will get to play with different tactics.

I'm always up for more football, and especially if we have a decent shot at winning it.

But you've made a good point - it's more about engaging with the ASEAN football community. Flights are easy for fans, and engaging with our neighbours is important in the 21st century.

Also, more international games = more opportunities for the other prospective Socceroos who might not usually get their shot at a cap.

And as for the existing Socceroos, it's more opportunity for them to develop tactics and playing style. Building on what we've already got will help when it comes to taking on the bigger European teams.

Even with the risk of a ranking plummet, I agree that more international football is a good thing.

Well if there is a problem I would like it to be discovered early.

Most European players wouldn't be allowed to play ... as I believe it isn't an authorised FIFA break (so teams don't need to release players). We could still send an Asian based team and A-League players (although again players may not be released by clubs as not required too).

I think we definitely should be sending a team to the tournament. We would stroll through some games but struggle in others (our joeys drew 1-1 with Myanmar in the first game of the current tournament)

Would not be shocked if some A-League clubs refused to release players for the tournament if we entered it.

I am pretty sure releasing players for national duty is a condition of the collective bargaining agreement, I just can't get Acrobat to work on my PC atm.

A win-win solution would be to pick mostly NYL / U23 players or other non-starter seniors. For the players, they get a free trip to Thailand/Vietnam/etc, senior Socceroo caps and any additional bonus. For the clubs and coaches, their players that aren't featuring much in A-League get free publicity and additional game time.

The only way you could get a team together is by using A-League players.

Why would the FFA want to piss off the clubs and Foxtel/FTA?

Who will broadcast these matches?

The FFA want people to watch A-League not Australia C vs Brunei

People want international breaks but this is ok? Bonkers

We have enough complaining from team managers already.

Edited by scott21: 19/7/2016 03:33:26 PM

It is a complete farce that we aren't participating in it already.

For all the wank from Lowy and co of using our AFC move to further integrate with the continent, the other side won't believe that until we actually properly fulfill our commitments.

Fully participating and putting ourselves in a leadership role in the ASEAN region is part of those commitments.

Already we appear to have a dichotomy in Australian football between those who prefer domestic football and international football.

I much prefer watching international football with Australian teams playing to viewing HAL.

I also prefer watching ACL to HAL.

I've noticed some posters on here only comment about their HAL clubs, and rarely seem to post anything about the Socceroos.

After last year's Asian Cup, I found it an anti-climax returning to the HAL. Having said this I watch between 3-5 HAL games per HAL round, often taping them if I'm out.

If HAL clubs lose players to international duties , so what? I'm sure the HAL squad players and bench players would simply love a chance to play some HAL senior football.

Graham Arnold used to whinge when he was Socceroo coach about clubs not wanting to release players for international games. Since he has been a HAL coach he now whinges about releasing players for international duty.](*,) :roll:

I'm sure a few HAL players , like Dimi Petratos, who could be in very good form, or recently improved , would love a Socceroo call up.



Edited by Decentric: 19/7/2016 10:32:13 PM

Lets assume the Socceroos made the final. First you have the 3 group matches overseas. Then the 2 semi and 2 legs of the finals. The semi and final legs are played home and away with 3 days apart. If the Socceroos manager can select any players in the A-League then to me it would make sense to have an extended squad (those who travel and some to stay home). They would all be in camp, so you potentially lose 25 players from the league. One team could end up losing 6 players potentially, how good would their A-League weekend fixture be? Then you have the problem of stadium selection. Should the FFA schudule games around "just in case we make the final"?

This is just a result of the time of year we play.

We should also be careful not to seem disrespectful to Asean. It should be their decision, we the newest members and should not come in and try to dictate terms.

You have to think of what they have to lose. Perhaps they arent so keen for a scernario where we come in and dominate every tournament. This tournament is their equivilant of the WC as most struggle to even make the Asian Cup. This could be an instigator of tension. Australia has to be politically and stratigically smart about this. Perhaps the best method is to wait for an invitation.

Nice end result if all we gain is a good feeling that our b team can still beat them and they just get resentful.




Edited by scott21: 19/7/2016 11:02:54 PM

Now is not the right time. The next Asian Cup (2019) will be an expansion to 24 teams instead of 16. As it seems more likely that more Asean country will qualify in the future Australia may be invited to post 2020.

Side note- Good to see Indonesia is playing 2016 and have their FIFA ban lifted.

Edited by scott21: 19/7/2016 11:16:26 PM

All your points make a lot of sense from a club perspective and for fans who think domestic club football is paramount over international fixtures, albeit at a lower level.

Everything you suggest is plausible - from a club perspective. Club coaches are also far more interested in their own career successes than their players' potential international futures.

Even if 25 payers were absent, with an average of 2-3 from each HAL club, it creates an opportunity for fringe players at those clubs.

The one thing is that no player should be denied an opportunity to play international team football, because it is not in the best interests of a club coach.

Benjamin and I have often had this discussion. I see a league as subservient to the best interests of the national teams. He sees the league as totally independent and relatively autonomous. That is why England underperforms as a national team and we probably overperform.

I'm concerned about a few players, who HAL coaches deem lack the requisite skill set to be HAL regulars ATM.

Josh McDonald - this guy is a decent technician. Is he another player like Mooy or Elrich, who Popa thinks is not good enough, but who excel in another HAL setting?

McDonald 's development appears to have suffered from the recruitment of the two Spanish midfielders and Nichols. I think McDonald would greatly benefit by Nichols being called up into a Socceroo camp.


Kieran Bacchus- when he has played for WSW to me he looks the goods. He should be a HAL regular. He would benefit from a few teammates disappearing for a month.

Connor Pain- seemed to go backwards after having a lot of bench time. An enforced Socceroo absence from teammates, would be good. As BFK faded last year, MV did not have a replacement in Pain, as he had lost confidence and form from not playing.

Devante Clut - looked good at Roar under Thiessen. The Aloisi's had a different view. Another guy who could've benefited from some teammates in a Socceroo camp.

Thomas Deng - looked good enough for to be a HAL regular. Another who would've benefited from team-mates disappearing for a while.

Hagi Gligor - another prospect.


To me national teams create an opportunity for other players.

Arnie is now under pressure as a coach as his adversaries have improved . He is under the pump and moans about everything.

didnt we refuse to participate in 2014?

Or just expand the league....

Or just a create second tier league...

I don't see why not. An Australian U23 side, or A-League Socceroo side would be a great fit.
I have personally been to a few Suzuki Cup games in the past when I was based in Singapore and Hanoi.
It is a massive cup for the ASEAN countries, more followed than the Asian cup or World Cup Qualifying.
Its competitive, the atmpsohere is very good, especially at the Thai, Vietnam, Malaysia home games. It means alot to them because realistically they know its the only tournament they could win.

The usual format is 2 groups of 4. Hosted in 2 countries.
Two teams from each group advance. The Semi's and Final both involved 2 legs, home and away, with no away goal rules.

We'd easily sell out AAMI Park if it was a Australia v Vietnam final :)

Don't forget we'd probably have our Asian based players in the squad too ... e.g. Giannou, Sainsbury, Spiranovic, Milligan etc. etc.

In a 10 team league we just don't have enough players to cover the loss of 20+ players for such a significant part of the season. Against that level of opposition we would learn nothing about any players ability to perform at a serious international level either. We should engage in Asian football more, but realistically all we could send to this is a youth team which could be seen as pretty disrespectful.

Let's say all Asian based players are also available, then our list could include:

Giannou (current Socceroo)
Cahill (??) (current Socceroo)
Spiranovic (recent Socceroo)
McGowan (current Socceroo)
Sainsbury (current Socceroo)
Thwaite (ex-Socceroo)
Vidosic (recent Socceroo)
Troisi (recent Socceroo)
Jovanovic
Griffiths, Ryan (ex-Socceroo)
Burns (current Socceroo)
Velaphi
Duke
Paartalu
Mrcela
Leijer
McKain
Smith, Mat
Bridge
Milligan
Holman (come out of retirement?)
Anderson

So that is a list of 23. Then I'd imagine you might be able to get some European players that might not be getting game time (got a few keepers who are third in line). The FFA could then say only 1 to 2 players allowed to be picked from each A-League side (that would give you between 9 and 18 players). Could also pick some youth players to top up numbers ... maybe those sitting on the bench in the A-League but have potential (maybe played for under age Australian teams).

I don't see the problem ...

These aren't FIFA dates. Asian clubs won't release their players .... They don't have to.

They will if their season is over and it already happens anyway for every other regional tournament in Asia. :roll:

Will interrupt their Xmas holiday