The Socceroos have booked a quarter-final berth at the Asian Cup after the 4-0 rout of co-hosts Thailand over-night.
In a must-win game for the Aussies, the 'real' Socceroos finally turned up to score a flurry of late goals to book a meeting with three-time Asian Cup winners Japan in a repeat of last year's FIFA World Cup opening game (Australia famously won 3-1).
After the shocking display against Iraq in the previous game, coach Graham Arnold rang some changes to the starting line-up which included dropping Liverpool star Harry Kewell to the bench.
John Aloisi, Michael Beauchamp, David Carney and Mark Milligan all came in, while Brett Holman and Patrick Kisnorbo joined Kewell on the substitutes bench.
Despite both teams starting brightly, it was the Aussies that drew first blood in the 21st minute with Michael Beauchamp latching onto a free-kick floated in by Wilkshire to head the first goal of the evening.
After the break, Arnold looked to find the crucial goal that would seal the tie for the Socceroos and introduced the 'super-subs' Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill.
The latter's introduction in the 73rd minute was influential and he had only been on the pitch for 7 minutes when he setup Mark Viduka to score the Socceroos crucial 2nd goal.
Minutes later, 'Dukes' bagged his second goal and Australia's third for the evening when he headed home a Cahill cross.
Kewell, the golden boy of Australian soccer was keen to get in on the act and he got his reward in the closing minutes of the game when another Cahill pass found its target for the pacy Liverpool winger to slot the ball home.
But there was no doubt the real hero of the night was Everton's Tim Cahill.
The Quarter Final clash between Australia and Japan is on July 21.
The Socceroo's Asian Cup campaign is hanging by a thread after a draw with Oman in the opening game followed by a morale-shattering 3-1 loss to Iraq on Friday.
With reports of unrest within the camp, the Socceroos will have to pull their socks up in the must-win game against Thailand.
To progress through to the Quarter Finals, the Socceroos must win their match against Thailand and hope Iraq get at least a draw in the other Group A clash with Oman - both matches will be played simultaneously at Supachalasai Stadium.
However, if Oman wins the clash with Iraq, all four teams will be tied on four points and goal difference will come into play to decide the top two nations in the group.
Ultimately, the Socceroos will have to win and win big against the Thais to secure a safe passage into the last eight.
Whilst the critics and media have been quick to hammer Socceroos manager Graham Arnold and his troops, Soccer.org.au sends our support and best wishes to the Aussies at the Asian Cup.
A friendly clash between the Socceroos and China over the weekend resulted in an Australian victory that sent out an ominous warning to its rivals for the upcoming Asian cup.
Despite missing a whole host of first-team regulars namely, Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton, the Socceroos were still too strong for China with Brett Holman (8) and Marco Bresciano (28) getting on the scoresheet for a richly deserved 2- 0 win.
Australia:
Mark Schwarzer (gk), Lucas Neill, Luke Wilkshire, Shane Steffanuto (Jade North 66'), Michael Beauchamp, Patrick Kisnorbo, Mark Bresciano (Nick Carle 80'), Carl Valeri (Jacob Burns 90'), Brett Holman (Archie Thompson 69'), Mile Sterjovski (Simon Colosimo 85'), Mark Viduka (c) (Scott McDonald 76')
Sydney FC wasted a golden opportunity to inflict an upset on Asia's biggest club site Urawa Red Diamonds over-night when they allowed the Japanese champions to come back from a 0-2 deficit to level the match at Aussie Stadium.
The Sydney-siders started the match with frantic pace which resulted in a dream start with a goal as early as the 56th second when Mark Milligan fed a perfect through ball for David Carney to open the scoring.
In the 22nd minute, Sydney doubled their lead when Ufak Talay scored from the spot after David Carney had been foulded in the visitor's box.
But instead of switching the cruise-control button on, Sydney FC allowed the Diamonds back in the game soon after when midfielder Robson Ponte pegged one back to give the visitors some hope of finding a way back into the game.
After the half-time break, Urawa Red Diamonds began to show their class and capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Clint Bolton to draw level with a Yuichiro Nagai goal in the 55th minute.
Despite letting slip a 2-0 lead, Sydney FC should be proud of the way they played against an experienced side and will be in confident mood when they play their next two games against Indonesia's Persik Kediri.
Wins in those two matches could very well see Sydney FC topping the group and qualifying for the next phase of Asia's premier club competition.
Sydney FC will face their toughest challenge yet when they take on Japanese champions Urawa Red Diamonds in the Asian Champion's League at Aussie stadium tonight.
The Japanese side boasts a host of international players in their line-up including ex-Feyenoord player Shinji Ono and are favourites to top the group.
Both teams are on three points with the Diamonds just ahead by virtue of goal difference.
Click here for Four Four Two magazine's team sheet and player profiles.
A near full strength Socceroos outfit claimed a 2-0 victory over an Under-23 Bahrain side in an Asian Cup qualifier over-night.
Lone-striker John Aloisi opened the scoring with a clinical goal in the 17th minute, but to be fair, the team looked far from comfortable as Bahrain played on the counter-attack and at times, caused trouble for defenders Lucas Neill and Michael Beauchamp.
The Socceroos pressed on, however, and were duly rewarded in the 24th minute when Bresciano ended his 2006 Socceroos goal-drought in spectacular fashion when he met Sterjovski's cross into the six-yard box.
Pivoting his body in mid-air, Bresciano unleased an exquisite scissor-kick volley into the net - a goal sure to be replayed on Aussie television over and over again.
The crowd were in ecstacy.
Moments later, Aloisi thought he had scored a second goal but his effort was ruled off-side. This was disputable given the new rules in place that play should be allowed to continue even if a team-mate is in an off-side position provided that he/she does not interfere with play.
Cahill, the player adjudged to have been offside could be argued that he played no part in the goal.
The tempo seemed to die down in the second half as the Socceroos were kept scoreless by a reorganised Bahrain defence. With many of the players having one eye on their club commitments this coming weekend, it was inevitable that the pace dropped as to avoid injuries etc.
All in all, not the totally dominant victory one would've hoped against a much more inexperienced team, but a great victory in front of a home crowd nonetheless.
A-League and Sydney FC's possible new marquee player, Italian Benito Carbone, has arrived in Sydney and completed his first training session yesterday (Thurs 14/9).
The journeyman (a tag given for players that frequently moves clubs) has a wealth of experience in the Italian and English leagues, with stints in his native Italy at Torino, Reggina, Napoli and Inter Milan (just to name a few) before moving to the then English Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday.
It was here where he arguably achieved his greatest success with 25 goals in 96 appearances and is still regarded as a hero with the fans before moving onto other English clubs like Aston Villa, Bradford City and Middlesborough.
Sydney FC boss Terry Butcher said, "He is a player that demands respect because of what he has done and when he plays because he is a good player."
However, an initial four-match contract has only been discussed between the player and club with on-going discussions to make it a permanent deal.
"There have been lots of names put forward as guests and marquee players. We don't want to rush into it because there is still an option for us to have a marquee player but that may be Benito Carbone, we have to wait and see." said Butcher.
Carbone, on the other hand, is delighted to be in Australia and would love to make the deal a permanent one: "I want to play, I come here to play. I hope to enjoy playing with this team, there are some good lads here and the manager is a big name, I think I could spend a very good time here in Australia."
As Butcher said, I don't think there is a rush to appoint a marquee player out of desperation when the club can take advantage of the four-match guest player stint. I personally feel that Dwight Yorke is in a totally different class as a player and that Carbone may find it difficult to fill his shoes as a marquee player for Sydney FC.
The Socceroos succumbed to a shock 0 - 2 loss to Kuwait in the Asian Cup qualifiers overnight.
The Australian squad, boasting seven players from the one that graced the World Cup, were brought back down to earth by two early second half goals.
Despite the Socceroos having already qualified for next year's Asian Cup after beating Kuwait 2-0 with in Sydney last month, victory was expected to be a formality against a side that was supposedly "amateurish" at best.
Heading into half-time, the Socceroos were in control of the match, but ultimately came unstuck early in the second half after a combination of defensive errors and poor finishing.
Interim coach Graham Arnold said: "We definitely had chances to win the game. We had a great chance at 0-0 just before halftime, had that have gone in the result could have been totally different."
The A-League has suffered its second blow of the week following marquee player Dwight Yorke's confirmed departure to English Championship club, Sunderland FC. Earlier this week, FFA Chief Executive John O'Neill confirmed that he will not be extending his current contract, which is due to expire in March 2007.
Dwight Yorke, or 'All night Dwight' - as he is so affectionately known in the press, joins Sunderland on a two-year deal in a fee of Ł200,000 (AU$500,000).
Dwight Yorke returns to English football. (fotball.aftenposten.no)
He scored the first goal for Sydney in its first A-League regular season against Melbourne Victory and went onto help the club win the inaugural A-League Grand Final on March 5th, 2006. He was awarded the Joe Marston Medal as the best player in the grand final.
When asked about this departure, the former Manchester United striker laid the blame for his A-League departure squarely on Sydney FC.
"If they did not really want me to go, they would not have let me go because they have the pulling power, so to speak," Yorke said.
"At the end of the day, I have six months remaining on my contract and then I am out of contract.
"There was no talk about me extending the contract and whether that was the case, it was not documented to me or my manager.
"That being the case and I have a two-year deal in England, I had to think about it." he added.
However, Yorke has credited Sydney FC with helping him to resurrect his career which had previously been on a downward-spiral.
I don't think this is the best move for Yorke. Yes, he has a two-year contract and will not have to worry about his future, but a move back to English football, albeit not in the Premiership, is going to be tough on a 36 year-old that is 'past-it' in football terms.
Yorke may well have a vast experience in English football, but this will be his first taste of football outside of the Premier League and he may struggle with the physical brutality of the Championship, which is a few notches up from the tamer top-flight where there is greater emphasis on skill.
Perhaps he has forgotten how much his star had waned in English football, which was evident by his constant change of clubs during the latter stages of his time in England prior to joining Sydney FC.
Sydney FC fans will undoubtedly be worried about the departure of their star player, but Sydney FC chairman Walter Bugno says he has no fear the A-League club can sign another marquee player to rival the calibre of departing superstar Dwight Yorke.
Dwight Yorke in Trinidad and Tobago colours. (fotball.aftenposten.no)
There have been rumours in the press that new Sunderland FC manager, Roy Keane, would like to sign his ex-Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke.
Keane highlighted his interest whilst doing the endless rounds of interviews after his recent unveiling as manager of the Championship side after being impressed with Yorke's performance as a midfielder at the recent World Cup.
The two of them share fond memories of their treble winning season at Manchester United, although Keane had criticised Yorke in the past for his partying lifestyle.
Meanwhile, the man himself has done nothing to dispel such rumours by missing Sydney FC's flight when it departed for Melbourne where the club plays the Victory in an A-League match on Saturday night.
Sydney chief executive Tim Parker confirmed the club is speaking to English Championship outfit Sutherland about a transfer deal for Yorke before the European transfer window closes on Thursday (GMT).
Whilst I'm sure Sydney FC will do whatever they can to hold onto their marquee player and the face of the A-league, the attractiveness of the offer which is rumoured to include a pay-rise of $600,000 over his existing contract combined with the desire of returning to English football may see the player leave our shores.
An inexperienced Socceroos team made up of domestic A-league players left it late to see off Kuwait to progress through to the Asian Cup finals next year.
A strong 32,000 crowd showed up at Aussie stadium to cheer on the make-shift Socceroos side in their first appearance after the successful World Cup campaign.
However, with the side missing its European-based players and departed coach Guus Hiddink, the Aussies had to wait until the 76th minute before debutant midfielder Travis Dodd opened the scoring and setup the second goal with a powerful run and shot which left substitute Sasho Petrovski with a formality.
Graham Arnold, temporarily in charge for the Asian Cup qualifying campaign, praised the team's efforts in the face of a determined Kuwait defence and singled out veteran captain Kevin Muscat.
Although this was not an emphatic victory, the team and its inexperienced players deserve credit for grinding out a win in the absence of Kewell and co.
Sydney FC, the current club of former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke is expected to name a new coach within days after Pierre Littbarski refused to accept a cut price deal with the inaugural A-League champion.
footballnotsoccer
Paladin
Hardy
KC Hill
techman
Graham Fisher
Andrew Aigner-Muehler
LukeS
Craig Hill
Add Comments
Comments (5)
