Home-Based Players Thin on the Ground in Aussie Squad

In Europe and much of the football world, the mid-point of the season in a World Cup year heralds the beginning of a debate in respective national media about which established players will do enough to make the team sheet when the tournament kicks off in June. The progression to the sharp end of the season will also throw a few fringe players into contention for the majority of countries.

Not so in Australia, where (baring injuries or catastrophic loss of form) national coach Pim Verbeek will give little consideration to those domestic-based players who might have had an outside chance of forcing their way into the national side of a different country.

With the Hyundai A-League heading into the finals season and the title to be decided by March, the majority of home-based Australian players will be smack in the middle of the close season when the World Cup kicks off.

Verbeek (much to the chagrin of League and club officials) candidly announced that any A-League players hoping to sneak a spot on the plane to South Africa would be advised to secure a loan to an overseas club during the January transfer window, or risk being ignored altogether.

Verbeek’s comments sparked fears among the big clubs of a mass exodus of star players hoping to impress the national coach by toiling in a second tier European or Asian league in a bid to squeeze into the final 23-man squad.

Fearing the loss of key players at a crucial point of the season, Sydney FC nipped any such thoughts among it’s own players firmly in the bud by banning all players from leaving before the February/March finals season reached its conclusion, effectively dashing the World Cup hopes of sometime Socceroo and star striker for the NSW outfit, Alex Brosque, along with those of any other players with designs on making the squad.

Melbourne Victory man Archie Thompson is another who has been in and out of the Socceroo second string and stood an outside chance of warming the bench in South Africa. A foot injury has ruled Thompson out for a month and may have ended his slim hopes of making the World Cup squad.

Even if Thompson returns before the Grand Final (and assuming the reigning champions are present to defend their trophy) Thompson will only have played one or two games of competitive football in five months when the Socceroo’s first game kicks off.

Perth Glory’s Mile Sterjovski was another hoping to cling on to the national team spot he has retained since the last tournament in Germany. The former Derby County man had been angling for a loan move to bolster his chances, but a back injury and several months on the sidelines will severely dent his prospects.

Regular centre-back Craig Moore will have pleased his coach by falling out with the Brisbane Roar hierarchy and packing his bags to see out the season with Greek club Kavala F.C.

Verbeek’s dim view on the quality of the A-League is renowned and the Dutchman will doubtless consider game time with the Hellenic yo-yo team more valuable than seeing out the season with the A-League outfit. Sadly, he is right.

Ultimately, the men most likely to pull on the green and gold tracksuit and charge their ipods for the flight to South Africa are those already based with overseas clubs and who have featured throughout the qualification campaign.

In all the major nations, very few players are beyond reproach. While aiming for trophies with their clubs, every player will keep in mind that their place in the national team is at stake and their performance during the remainder of the season will make or break their chance of heroics in the national shirt during the biggest show on earth.

While the likes of Lucas Neil, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill realise that getting repeatedly sent off and banging in own goals home and away will be unlikely to impress Mr. Verbeek, the worrying fact remains that there is a severe shortage of hungry young players threatening to take their place.

In the short term, this could lead to complacency amongst the established first team line up. In the long term, question marks must be raised over who will step forward to replace the golden generation that have taken Australia to consecutive World Cups.