I thought "No More Moore" would have been a better headline!

Less is Moore?

Experience makes up for lack of speed.

When NZ scored, moore was in no mans land, if he had stood up instead of ducking he would have stopped the ball, it went over the top of him.

Moore defends honour MARCO MONTEVERDE From: The Advertiser May 29, 2010 10:56AM

SHOULD veteran defender Craig Moore's last hurrah on the international stage be limited to a bench-warming role at the 2010 World Cup?

Questions of that nature have been asked more often than the 34-year-old campaigner would care to admit in recent weeks and have become even more frequent since Moore's indifferent performance in the Socceroos' 2-1 win over New Zealand at the MCG last Monday night.

Regardless of how well the former Brisbane Roar skipper would have performed against All Whites, he was always going to be replaced at half-time as one of a host of pre-planned substitutions by Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek, who made five changes at the break.

However, a rusty Moore's battle to cope with the aerial prowess of New Zealand big man Rory Fallon and his positional error in being caught in no-man's land in the build-up to Chris Killen's first-half goal for the visitors has raised the heat on the ex-Rangers and Newcastle United hardman.

Adding to what could potentially be an unpleasant selection headache for Verbeek was the performance of Moore's replacement, Michael Beauchamp, in Melbourne.

Helped by a more polished second-half midfield display by the Socceroos, Beauchamp excelled alongside skipper Lucas Neill in the heart of the Australian defence and has come from the clouds to not only demand a spot in Australia's final 23-man World Cup squad but also put himself in the selection frame for Australia's all-important date with Germany on June 14 in Durban.

Whether the previously-maligned Beauchamp's effort was just a one-off form reversal will be known after Australia's upcoming warm-up matches against Denmark (June 1) and the USA (June 5) at Ruimsig Stadium. But there's no doubting the currently clubless Moores previously iron-clad hold on a spot in Australia's defence has been loosened.

Like Beauchamp, he too will get opportunities against the Danes and the Americans to further his selection claims for Australia's highly anticipated battle with Germany. And now that he has been backed into a corner, a determined Moore is expected to come out swinging.

He loves nothing more than a fight. This is, after all, the man who less than two years ago was diagnosed with testicular cancer and played in the A-League just days before surgery to remove his left testicle.

Moore showed enormous courage and will-power in winning what was an extremely public battle with the disease.

And having beaten cancer, a tussle with form hardly seems a challenge the much-loved Socceroo cannot conquer.

He will feed off critics questioning his worth in the Socceroos set up and use the "too old, too slow" barbs as motivation in his bid to end not only his international career, but potentially his footballing days full stop, on a similar level to his stellar displays at the World Cup four years ago.

While most of the plaudits went to a stylish Neill in Germany, Moore's composure, assurance and substance at the back allowed Neill to flourish. And despite scoring goals not being high on Moore's priority list, it should also be remembered that he became one of just four Australians to find the back of the net in a World Cup finals tournament when he took the responsibility to step up and take a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Croatia that sealed the Socceroos a second-round berth.

"There are a lot of people out there with agendas," Moore said earlier this month.

"I use the criticism to continue to drive me, but if people are honest, then I don't see there being any problems whatsoever.

"I'm pleased that Pim still feels that I have something to offer the squad."

Verbeek remains astounded by pundits and fans calling for Moore's head, saying it shows a disturbing lack of respect for someone who has played with aplomb for long periods at the highest level in England and Scotland.

"We're talking about a man who played for more than 10 years in Europe, has played almost 50 games for the national team, has played already in a World Cup and in every game he's played for the Socceroos, has done well," said Verbeek, who was a relieved man when Moore cut short his international retirement in September 2008.

"In eight (World Cup) qualification games, we had one goal against. There's nothing wrong with the defence, is there?

" I don't see any problems."

Verbeek said Moore's experience was invaluable not only during matches but in team camps, where he is often sounded out by emerging Socceroo stars.

"He's a leader on and off the field," the Dutchman said.

"He's a fantastic header of the ball, and he knows exactly what to do because of his experience."


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/world-cup-2010/moore-defends-honour/story-fn4k63e5-1225872829233