Fuuuuuuuuuuck off.

Germany still could've beat us 4-0, such is how they were playing. We were playing most of the game with 10 men, after all.

"Thus also the frustration of being down 2-0 wouldnt have caused cahill to get his red either"

Are you Heineken in disguise, because this is probably one of the most retarded f*cking things ever uttered on this site.

While you're at at, why don't you blame Pim for Harry standing on the goal-line, and getting sent off for hand-ball?

To provide an alternative view there are a few things worth considering.


Compare 2006's World Cup group.

Japan

Croatia

Brazil

2010

Ghana

Serbia

Germany


It is highly plausible that Ivory Coast was a better side than Japan in 2006.

it is highly plausible that Serbia is better than Croatia was in 2010.

Germany is probably not as agood as Brazil in 2006.

It is highly probable this year's group was tougher. Independently considered the second hardest group by pundits in other parts of the world, with us considered the weakest team.


We suffered the controversial dismissal of Cahill in the 55th minute in the first match. Australia had its best period of the match in the 45 minute to 55 minute period before Cahill was sent off.

We suffered another equivocal send off in Kewell at the 23rd minute mark. Addy of Ghana committed a worse tackle than Cahill did in the German match when he was ejected from the pitch.
Kewell had two penalty appeals turned down before he was sent off. He was playing well. With a different referee we could have been playing 11 v 10 with a penalty awarded and Ghana's penalty dismissed.
Wilkshire had the best chance to score which wasn't converted in the Ghana game. If he had converted we would be going through to the next round.

Australia's victory againt Serbia is our greatest performance at a World Cup. It was more open football in the second half.

We had more unfavourable refereeing decisions than favourable ones over the three matches..

Australia got 4 points, the same as 2006. This time we played three halves out of six with 10 men, in a more difficult group. The 4 points we got can be considered to have been more meritorious than 2006 if one value adds.

Most other teams at the World Cup played a 4-2-3-1, a derivative of 4-3-3. The two screener system is common in Europe to counter the great ability of modern teams to counterattack.

The match plan in the forst game was plausible. If it had come off Verbeek would have been labelled a genius. The players claimed they didn't execute the plan effectively against Germany.

Given the logistics, qualification for the Asian and World Cup was very difficult in Asia.

This World Cup we have seen new players who have not been previously considered good enough who've stepped up and are still young enough.

Holman
Valeri
Wilkshire
Beauchamp

For the record I've extolled Holman's virtues for the last two tears. The only difference is at the moment he has been clinical around goal as opposed to profligate. His profligacy was what upset fans.

Verbeek took over a squad demoralised after a poor Asian Cup performance with a coach, Graham Arnold, who thought it would be very difficult to qualify through Asia.

Many outside this country consider we have too high an expectation for the Socceroos. Few of them play in the top teams in Germany, Spain, Italy, England and France. Few of our players are in teams who are in the last 16 UEFA Champions' League teams.

Top European club managers don't rate our players.

In the last World Cup nobody knew about us. Nobody rated us and probably did scant homework and preparation for us. We slipped under the radar. There wouldn't have been many videos around showing how we play. This time our opponents had all the Asian qualifiers to scrutinise us playing competitive matches. Before the 2006-2010 epoch we basically played friendlies as preparation.

All in all this encapsulates Verbeek's tenure as coach. He made us a difficult team to beat. Our worst result was against one of the top teams in the world Germany. They also played very good football against us. If Garcia had scored in the first few minutes when it was cleared off the line, the young German players could've panicked.

When one elucidates all these factors maybe some can see Verbeek's tenure in a different light.
Guus Hiddink couldn't qualify with Russia. This a nation which boasts the 6th strongest domestic league in Europe. Guus' tenure of Russia was a failure. He didn't qualify for the 2010 WC with a good team.

Guus had no logistical problems in traversing Asia, like Pim. He had to travel very short distances with his team.

Asian teams look like the big improvers at this year's World Cup. We qualified top in Asia.

Just presenting a different view.


Edited by Decentric: 24/6/2010 10:20:48 PM

- taking us to the World Cup through our maiden Asian qualifying campaign unconvincingly, struggling in 'easy' games that we should have won comfortably true
- Asian Cup qualification as above true

- achieving 4 points in the World Cup, a lofty target set by none other than Guus himself should have been six