SA Footy

The Socceroos were bloody lucky to scrape a 1-1 draw tonight against Oman in their Group Stage opening Asian Cup match.

Apart from the desperate last 5 minutes or so when we equalised we really shoud have been dead and buried at about 3-0 down.

The one dimensional game plan and complete lack of attacking flair and intensity is a worry IMO regardless of the weather conditions. To think we are the heavily backed favourites?

BPBRB wrote:The Socceroos were bloody lucky to scrape a 1-1 draw tonight against Oman in their Group Stage opening Asian Cup match.

Apart from the desperate last 5 minutes or so when we equalised we really shoud have been dead and buried at about 3-0 down.

The one dimensional game plan and complete lack of attacking flair and intensity is a worry IMO regardless of the weather conditions. To think we are the heavily backed favourites?

Did Harry Kewell and Mark viduka play in this game?

Both played. Little impact.

Both marked very closely.

Schwarzer was brilliant. Rest were ordinary.

Let's hope it's only a speed bump. A good wake up to life in Asia.

Very slow, and flat footed last night.
Oman marked Viduka and Kewell very well.
Wiltshire had no penetration on any corner or free kick.
Only 5 minutes of desperation as posted earlier saved our hides.
Thought Neill did OK down back, Schwarzer easily best...
Emerton looked slow, Kisnorbo looked Ok, little bit indicisive at times.Sterjovski did nothing, Kewell first touch was average,
Viduka had a blanket on him all night, The Ref sucked into the Omanians making it look like a scene from MASH...
Need to start Aliosi along side Viduka, with Kewell in a attacking midfield role with Cahill. Bresciano needs to be pushed further back
to help bolster the defence. Grella & Cullina both had quite games also...
If they play Iraq like this it will be curtains.....

All spot on there Sjab, although I don't think any of the defensive unit, Neill included, produced acceptable performances .. Without Schwarz we could justifiably have been 4-nil down before the equaliser.

How big a relief was it when Cahill scored that goal?

Another performance like that and it's cheerio Arnold, if it isn't already.
Hope the media, players and fans alike wake up and realise that they aren't playing in Ocenia anymore.
I dread the thought of facing Oman away in a WC qualifier let alone a Korea, China or Japan.
Let's hope it is the wake up call that DW has alluded to.

Best thing about the game is that we got a point out of it.

Best thing about it is that we get to be passionate about Australian soccer again so soon after the World Cup. It's a shorter time in between drinks than it's been in the past.

The formation was ridiculous. Why play one up front against the likes of Oman? Viduka was left by himself quite often and a few times he held the ball up well but other times he was simply outnumbered. He has since mentioned that he would like to partner Aloisi up front, the perfect combination really and I think they will work off each other well as they are both different types of players. Wilkshire doesn't add much and his ball control and set pieces were terrible, why does he take the dead ball over Bresciano, Kewell, even Emerton?

MightyEagles wrote:Best thing about the game is that we got a point out of it.

Surely you're not happy with just the 1 point?

Wouldn't say happy with JUST the one point. But better than what it was five minutes from the end.

I sat there thinking, who the fk are Oman???
For a country many are ignorant of it's existence, they played a pretty good game.
Interesting to see how they go against other teams as well.

pafc1870 wrote:

MightyEagles wrote:Best thing about the game is that we got a point out of it.

Surely you're not happy with just the 1 point?

Of course not, would have liked to get all 3 points, but under the circumstances, 1 point is better then no points at all.