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Friday, June 08, 2007

 

Australia announce Asian Cup squad

John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Michael Beauchamp (Nuremberg, Germany), Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Nick Carle (Newcastle Jets, Australia), David Carney (Sydney FC, Australia), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Holland), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Vincenzo Grella (Parma, Italy), Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Holland), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough, England), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC, Australia), Lucas Neill (West Ham, England), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Australia), Michael Thwaite (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Carl Valeri (US Grosseto, Italy), Mark Viduka (Newcastle, England), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Holland)

No Zoran Ilic eh?

Interesting to see just a couple of players from Sydney FC who did so well in their first season the the Asian Champions League, make the squad.

Australia will have a few days in Singapore before flying up to their base in Bangkok where they are in the same group as Thailand, Oman and Iraq and they will probably start favourites but as Sydney found out, especially away to Persik Kediri in the ACL they would do well not to underestimate any of their opponents.

Coach Graham Arnold is a familiar name to me. He spent several years at what was once known as Sydney Croatia (now Sydney United) before tying his luck in the Netherlands and Belguim.

Comments:
I agree Australia should be weary. Refing is very different to Australia and Europe (where most of the Socceroos play). Also they are not used to hot conditions and uneven surfaces.

Graham Arnold is part of what I would call the 'Australian Football Paradise Club' ie all mates together. He has had responsibility for the u23s for some years and looks set to get them again after the Asia cup (particularly if he doesn't win - and Australia signs a European coach). He was a well capped Socceroo at the time of Robbie Slater (now Foxtel presenter), Frank Farina (now Qld Roar coach)etc and coached the ill fated Northern Spirit (based at North Sydney) in the year before the A-League. He was Guus Hiddink's assistant at the World Cup. Likely to get another go at coaching the Socceroos post 2010 world cup.
 
I remember Slater and Farina. In fadct the first game I saw downunder was St George against Marconi and Farina stod out in that game
 
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