Agreed. I thought he improved a good deal in the match against Peru

Gonna change the direction a bit and try to make a suggestion:

If the Pro guys really want to connect with the recreational clubs, help them (and by doing so help themselves), then they need to set up a program where they send people out to "coach the coaches" of the clubs around them.

It is expensive for both the individual and the Clubs to bring Coaches up to the levels required to produce the players that the Pro game and the National Teams need.

If any or all of the teams playing in say just sky blue were in constant contact with their "franchise area" Clubs through coaching the coaches then:

The standard of players produced would improve.
The relationship between professional and recreational would change from hostile to best friends forever.
The scouting system for future players would automatically assemble itself.
The cost of bringing a player from recreational to pro would be reduced.
Kids would stay in the game longer because they would recognise there is a link/relationship between their Club and the Pro club. (This beats the shit out of an envelope of free tickets for kids who bring a paying adult ripoff, that remains a cynical ploy by the marketing dept).
The Pro conglomerate will get their money back in spades if they genuinely do it, not just count it out of the community benefit fund.

When you are trying to field a bunch of teams in the Junior ranks and yet again you have to accept the Dad who played "a lot of AFL but I went to a Socceroos game" as coach, handing him a coaching booklet and knowing that it just isn't going to work...........even after the intro level course that will take 2 months to organise.

The problems are not those that the TV pundits, players from yesteryear, like to bang on about. 

The people that deal with these problems don't post here and they don't have much of a voice that is heard anywhere.  When they hear the garbage about how badly they are coaching to produce a new generation, how much it costs to play the game, how it was so so much better back in the dark ages, well they could turn it up and just say "well other than talking crap, what are you doing about it?"

They don't.  They just head to committee meeting night, repair the gear, look for shirt sponsors knowing that is dead cat, get the field mown, try to get the field bookings done, figure out where the new nets are going to come from, cry when they discover the destruction from the Friday night hoons who did the "circle work" on the main field and on and on and on.  

Take a moment.  Before you have another rave about how poorly players are being coached or how expensive the game is.....just think.  There are thousands, not hundreds, but thousands of amazing people out there bearing the load of your abuse and just getting on with the never ending job.  The help that is needed is not required from the FA.  It's from you.

FT: 🇰🇭 Cambodia 0-1 Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Rakib Hossain hands Bangladesh their first win of the year as they beat Cambodia in Phnom Penh!
FT: 🇹🇭 Thailand 1-1 Malaysia 🇲🇾 (3-5 on penalties)
Malaysia reach the #KingsCup48 Final!
Harimau Malaya edge hosts Thailand on penalties & set up a date with Tajikistan.
FT: 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago 1-2 Tajikistan 🇹🇯
Tajikistan edge their Caribbean opponents to reach the #KingsCup48 Final!
FT: 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 2-0 Cameroon 🇨🇲
Khojimat Erkinov & Oston Urunov score in either side of half-time as The White Wolves beat Cameroon in their friendly!
📍 Goyang Stadium

There have been some interesting results in the last couple of days.
Japan🇯🇵 beat USA 🇺🇸 2-0
Iran 🇮🇷 beat Uruguay🇺🇾 1-0
SA 🇸🇦 drew with Ecuador 🇪🇨 0-0

I may be wrong but I honestly think this could be one of the weakest WCs for South Americans in a long time.To add NA hasnt impressed either with the exception of canada.
This year outside of the European clubs I see Japan, Iran, S Korea, Canada, Brazil, Argentina. As for the African flip a coin .

I can't wait for the Saudi Argentina game. It's either 6:0 for Argentina or with all that local support, a gallant and exciting Saudi performance. Atmosphere should be great with two football cultures coming to a clash. 

FT: 🇮🇩 Indonesia 3 - 2 Curacao 🇨🇼

Indonesia continue their winning ways against Curacao in a friendly match!

Yep - I'm expecting a lot of upsets and suspect there will be a number of unexpected teams making it through the group stages. Playing in the ME will be a new experience for many and while they may play and train in air-conditioning 30 degree whether with high humidity will likely affect a lot of teams.

FT: 🇹🇭 Thailand 2️⃣ - 1️⃣ Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹

Hosts Thailand edge Trinidad & Tobago to claim third place at the 48th King's Cup!

Australia's A League was recently voted the best in Asia and the eighth best 'in the World' for contract stability, youth development and investment.
What's now needed is a Euro snob reaction, hectic!

Well hello there

Saudi beating Argentina 2-1 at 2022 WC is impressive!

Hahahaha

Start watching the Saudi league ? Is that close enough to euro pe ? 

Saudis very impressive both technically and physically. 

Absolutely... Was such a boilover of a result their king declared today a national holiday.....

First four games for Asia in this world cup:  3 thrashings, one boilover.
Asia not really underrated so far, pretty much going to script to be honest.

Iran and Socceroos just had they're arses handed to them in Qatar.

yep.....  

so far we have scored 5 and conceded 13

i think fans over-rate Asia - i personally do not and never have rated the confederation at all and maintain we would of been no worse off and probably better off in remaining in the OFC 

Credit to Saudis for getting a massive win but overall the confederation as looked ass - hopefully Japan and Korea can so some fight. 

Qatar wont win a game in that group 

I dont think we can really judge the confed until we see how many actually make it out of the group compared to other confeds. Comparing the first game is a bit unfair as all 3/4 asian teams actually faced their groups top seeds (with one of them winning)

I think you can excuse Iran, their minds were elsewhere, you could see in their faces during the national anthem.

honestly speaking Asia might have 2 probably 1 nation make it out 

AFCON will probably have 1 

CONCACAF will also have 1 or 2 

best case Scenario 5 teams from confeds outside of the big 2 

Don’t think Argentina was expecting such quality from Saudis being an AFC nation.
Neither was Germany with Japan.

No wonder Roos struggled so much with Saudis and Japan in qualifying. 

Surely Germany knew what to expect, seems like the whole Japanese squad plays in the Bundesliga haha. They just got beat by another top team, nothing about not expecting the quality they would have. 

half the Japanese team play in Germany....

This, and it's clear that you can't put the Japan and Saudis in the same camp.
The Japan v Germany game was a game of high quality.  Japan came from 1 down against a very good team which was playing really well, it was a phenomenal effort by Japan, and marked their emergence as one of the elite nations.
The Saudi game wasn't really that at all.
Obviously being influenced by a very good coach, they did the physical stuff we don't normally associate with the Saudis, against an aging Argentine side.  They dealt with Messi with ease, he was a liability to be honest.  They had two shots on target and got them both in the back of the net.  Great effort, but do not try and equate it with the Japan v Germany game - that game was another level of football again.

Australia is arguably the only country in the AFC that plays far less games than it's compatriots. 

This needs to change to have a chance of success at future World Cups. 

It's the number 1 issue in my opinion.

Reckon we have a few problems


1) summer football - research shows that you have a drop in passes per minute of around ten percent if you play in summer rather than winter
2) fees for youth pushing away the best talent
3) short season meaning we make more silly mistakes and are less fit than opponents
4) lack of 2nd division meaning so many young players are mid twenties before they have 100 games under their belt
5) lack of p&r. This is complicated, there is research that suggests it does improve the standard but in the short term it probably hurts you. 

all these problems are easy to 'fix' the issue is $$$ 

1- we dont play in winter because we get more TV money for a summer competition - i personally dont mind the summer comp but it needs to be at least 2 months longer 
2- yes and no the fees are comparable to other European nations but it certainly could be cheaper 
3-  yep agree
4- yep agree, easily fixed by bring in established npl clubs into the league via 2nd division 
5- as above 

Yeah i think thats right, i think the rego fees  probably are the one thing that needs government help if it is to be fixed in the short term. 

Divine right.  The reaction of the German press says it all.  They expected a huge win because they were playing an Asian (weak) team.  I hope Japan goes through the group undefeated and makes the semis.  It might give us some heart as we are competitive...ish against the Japanese.  Albeit Japan has looked a much stronger side than us for the last few years, sadly for us.