Australian Squad vs. France and 5th placed Sth American team

MUFC4me

Guest
Today in Melbourne, Frank Farina named the 22 men who will take on World and European Champions France and for the 2 leg World Cup qualification matches.

Goal-keepers:

Zeliko Kalac
Mark Schwarzer

Defenders:

Steve Horvat
Craig Moore
Shaun Murphy
Kevin Muscatt
Tony Popovic
Tony Vidmar

Midfielders:

Marco Bresciano
Steve Corica
Brett Emerton
Stan Lazaridis
Lucas Neill
Paul Okon (captain)
Josip Skoko
Mile Sterjovski
Danny Tiatto

Forwards:

Paul Agostino
John Aloisi
Harry Kewell
Mark Viduka
David Zdrillic

Predicted line-up if Harry Kewell is used in the position he plays for at Leeds:

------------------Schwarzer----------------------
Muscatt-------Moore--------Popovic--------Vidmar
Emerton--------Okon----------Skoko---------Kewell
--------------Agostino------Viduka---------------

if Kewell does play up front with Viduka, then Stan Lazaridis should come in on the left.

Mark Bosnich was not included in the 22 man squad, after a few years ago was named the captain of the national side.

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Soccer Australia are on a collision course with Leeds though if the dates are changed for the two World Cup qualfiying games. FIFA set the dates as the 18th and 25th of November, however the South Americans want the dates to be played on the 21st and 28th of November and it looks like FIFA will grant them their wish.

Most of the players will arrive in Melbourne on November the 7th and no one leaves until the last match is played.

Leeds would certainly be pissed of if the dates are changed.
 
good side , i will be there .

are you going to the france game ?

must be bonus living in melbourne with these air fairs ....

its costing me a fortune . <img src="graemlins/houllier.gif" border="0" alt="[Houllier]" />
 
What a side !
I really think Australia is going to shock alot of people "when" they play in the World Cup next year.

This is what the lineup should be IMO.

Schwarzer
Moore Muscatt Murphy Tiatto
Emerton Okon Lazaridis
Kewell
Viduka Agostino

I think we should use Moore and Tiatto as wing backs , which then allows a 3 man midfield ultimately allowing Kewell to play behind the 2 strikers.
I think that is his best position.
Whatever team Frank puts on, I think we shall do well.

CMON AUSSIE CMON CMON !!!
 
I agree with Beckham 007, i was thinking that Kewell would be great playing behind the front two. That way Viduka could hold the ball up and Agostino draw defenders away for Kewell to make runs through the middle. I cant really see him playing on the left because that would mean leaving Tiatto(f**cking city) and Lazaridis on the bench. All together looks like a bloody good side and hopefully we'll be in Japan/Korea next year. Wish i could be there but dont have any money to fly down.

GO AUSSIES!!!

:D :D :D
 
I want you to win but I want Vids and Harry back safe and sound with no injuries as soon as possible pleeeeese! :D
 
Originally posted by Beckham007:
<strong>

This is what the lineup should be IMO.

Schwarzer
Moore Muscatt Murphy Tiatto
Emerton Okon Lazaridis
Kewell
Viduka Agostino

I think we should use Moore and Tiatto as wing backs ,

</strong><hr></blockquote>

I doubt Danny Tiatto will be starting any of the games IMO. He is suspended for the French game. I have a feeling that Kewell will not be playing in his usual spot that he plays for Leeds. I think he will play up front and partner Mark Viduka. Just from what Frank Farina has said and naming Kewell as one of the strikers.

I also doubt that Craig Moore will be used as a wing back, Muscatt has performed well in that position in the last few appearances in Australia. The midfield does look very good.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by wolf man:
<strong>good side , i will be there .

are you going to the france game ?

must be bonus living in melbourne with these air fairs ....

its costing me a fortune . <img src="graemlins/houllier.gif" border="0" alt="[Houllier]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

No to the France game, but i will be looking to buy tickets for the home leg vs. the 5th best South American side.

I have always thought that i was lucky to live in Melbourne, never wanted to live in any other city but Melbourne.

It would be very expensive getting to Melbourne and finding accomodation and all that. It would put a severe dent in anyone pocket and that is not including a ticket to the game.

When i go to the MCG, i never drive down there, i always catch the train. It is only 35 minutes to the MCG so that is not bad and trains run every 20 minutes back to my house so it is an easy option.
Click to expand...
 
A few statistics of the 22 man squad Frank Farina announced:

Goal-keepers:

Zeliko Kalac (Roda JC, Netherlands) Age 28, 41 caps
Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England) Age 29, 17 caps

Defenders:

Steve Horvat (Melbourne Knights, Australia) Age 30, 28 caps
Craig Moore (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) Age 25, 19 caps
Shaun Murphy (Sheffield Utd, England) Age 30, 17 caps
Kevin Muscatt (Wolves, England) Age 28, 39 caps
Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace, England) Age 28, 41 caps
Tony Vidmar (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) Age 30, 65 caps

Midfielders:

Marco Bresciano (Empoli, Italy) Age 21, 5 caps
Steve Corica (Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Japan) Age 28, 40 caps
Brett Emerton (Feyenoord, Netherlands) Age 22, 24 caps
Stan Lazaridis (Birmingham City, England) Age 29, 52 caps
Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers, England) Age 23, 2 caps
Paul Okon (captain) Age 29, 31 caps
Josip Skoko (Genk, Belgium) Age 25, 21 caps
Mile Sterjovski (Lille, France) Age 22, 3 caps
Danny Tiatto (Manchester City, England) Age 28, 23 caps

Forwards:

Paul Agostino (1860 Munich, Germany) Age 26, 16 caps
John Aloisi (Osasuna, Spain) Age 25, 23 caps
Harry Kewell (Leeds, England) Age 23, 10 caps
Mark Viduka (Leeds, England) Age 26, 18 caps
David Zdrillic (Unterhaching, Germany) Age 27, 22 caps

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I found it amazing that Harry Kewell who has been on the international scene for over 4 has only been involved in 10 Australian games.

10 out of the 21 players are based in England. There is only one locally based player picked in Farina's 22 man squad.
 
It looks like we may not be seeing Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and a number of the French stars for the friendly at the MCG on Novermber 11.

FIFA general secretary Michel Zen Ruffenen wrote to Soccer Australia, the French Football Assoication and Arsenal "strongly recommending" a restriction of "one national team player per club irrespective of their national team" as a fair compromise to the dispute between European clubs and the two national sides.

FIFA's strong recommendation would mean that Leeds could choose to release Oliver Dacourt to France and hold both Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka.

Arsenal for instance has 4 French players in their squad, and if this recommendation is ratified then it would hardly seem worthwhile just sending one of their French stars. As for United, Fabein Barthez has made it clear he has had some thought about flying down to Australia.

However, on the bright side, the chief executive of Soccer Australia Ian Holmes said this recommendation has no constitutional basis and no legal standing and the recommendation will be promptly ignored. That was followed by French Football Federation's general manager Gerrard Enault who contacted Ian Holmes to confirm France would be ignoring the recommendation as well. His words were that Roger Lemerre picks the national team of France, not FIFA and not English clubs.

The campaign to stop French players travelling down to Australia was supported by United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Fulham, Marseille, Parma, Real Madrid and Roma.
 
Australian captain, Paul Okon, is quitting Midlesbrough. Paul Okon, 29, who in teh next month will be trying to lead Australia to only their 2nd ever World Cup, made the decision after a brief chat with fomrer United no.2, Steve Mclaren. Okon said that Mclaren made it clear to him that it would be better for him to move on. Okon had 7 months to go on his two year contract at Middlesbrough, but it seems as though he will become a free-agent.

Paul Okon who helped Middlesbrough avoid the drop lst season feels he should have read the signs earlier on after Mclaren's arrival from United.

Okon said "There has been no fallout. This game is all about opinions. I don't figure in the plans of Mclaren. I don't need an explanation. I just feel I'm good enough to be playing regularly."

Okon has started in just one game out of 10 for Middlesbrough.
 
South American standings with 2 rounds left:

Standings:
Argentina-39
Paraguay-30
Ecuador-29
Brazil-27
Uruguay-25
Columbia-21

Next matches (home team first):

07 November 2001

Argentina vs Peru
Bolivia vs Brazil
Ecuador vs Uruguay
Colombia vs Chile

08 November 2001

Venezuela vs Paraguay

14 November 2001

Uruguay vs. Argentina
Brazil vs. Venezuela
Paraguay vs. Colombia
Chile vs. Ecuador
Peru vs. Bolivia

My prediction:
1. Argentina-43
2. Paraguay-34
3. Brazil-31
4. Ecuador-31
5. Uruguay-27
6. Columbia-25

I would be more worried about playing Columbia than Uruguay. The Aussies are lucky in that respect. Should be an interesting two legs...
 
Who called it? The points are a little off...

Good luck against Uruguay...
 
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