Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Revenge for Ange - served cold and as a dessert
From 1984 to 1993, Ange Postecoglou played 193 times for South Melbourne and coached the club from 1996 to 2000. He was key to FIFA recognition that South Melbourne was Oceania's best club of the 20th century with twice as many evaluation points as second placed Sydney City. Ange won two national titles as a player and two as a coach.
From there Ange coached the Socceroo under 20s from 2000 to 2007. Coaching the U20s is difficult, some countries put a lot of resources behind their teams, e.g. in Asia South and North Korea. Australia doesn't have that type of resources. Therefore, Australian U20s coach mandate is participating in as many tournaments as possible, and finding and developing potential Socceroos. And Ange's win-loss record looks good compared to more recent Dutch coaches. However, there were critics, SBS and Craig Foster most notably (you can probably find the youtube video).
In 2008, he spend around 9 months as coach of Greek team Panachaiki. Again he may have felt he wasn't judged fairly.
On his return to Australia, Ange would have been keep to return to the top of Australian coaching and an A-League contract. Melbourne Heart was the opportunity. However, there was a feeling that Heart was to be distanced from South Melbourne (and old Soccer). It is understood that the appointed coach, Johannes van't Schip, was offered Ange as his assistant. Schip hesitated. Schip wanted to link up with a former team mate (they played together in the early 1980s) from Ajax - Jesper Olsen. Olsen was already living in Victoria and had some involvement in the local soccer community. Offered an additional Australian assistant (to do their part training the next generation of coaches?), Schip now chose legendary Australian player Ante Milicic who had recently become coach of Sydney United in the NSW Premier league.
Ange had to wait. And the Roar provided, albeit with a move away from family to a region where his feats where not known. And to replace a local hero.
So, Brisbane's domination of Heart must have provided special satisfaction for Ange. But he didn't say so. He wouldn't. And didn't need to.
From there Ange coached the Socceroo under 20s from 2000 to 2007. Coaching the U20s is difficult, some countries put a lot of resources behind their teams, e.g. in Asia South and North Korea. Australia doesn't have that type of resources. Therefore, Australian U20s coach mandate is participating in as many tournaments as possible, and finding and developing potential Socceroos. And Ange's win-loss record looks good compared to more recent Dutch coaches. However, there were critics, SBS and Craig Foster most notably (you can probably find the youtube video).
In 2008, he spend around 9 months as coach of Greek team Panachaiki. Again he may have felt he wasn't judged fairly.
On his return to Australia, Ange would have been keep to return to the top of Australian coaching and an A-League contract. Melbourne Heart was the opportunity. However, there was a feeling that Heart was to be distanced from South Melbourne (and old Soccer). It is understood that the appointed coach, Johannes van't Schip, was offered Ange as his assistant. Schip hesitated. Schip wanted to link up with a former team mate (they played together in the early 1980s) from Ajax - Jesper Olsen. Olsen was already living in Victoria and had some involvement in the local soccer community. Offered an additional Australian assistant (to do their part training the next generation of coaches?), Schip now chose legendary Australian player Ante Milicic who had recently become coach of Sydney United in the NSW Premier league.
Ange had to wait. And the Roar provided, albeit with a move away from family to a region where his feats where not known. And to replace a local hero.
So, Brisbane's domination of Heart must have provided special satisfaction for Ange. But he didn't say so. He wouldn't. And didn't need to.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Brisbane 4 v Heart 0 - C'est Bon C'est Bon
There were two key things about this game; 1. the way Brisbane played and 2. what is, or isn't happening at the Heart.
Brisbane added long balls to their game. In the first 30 minutes, lots of them, lots and lots. It wasn't quite what I had in mind but it did the job. Especially when they mixed it in with a fast short passing game.
So what is happening at the Heart? They seemed OK for the first 10 minutes then seemed to fall apart or give up. Colosimo came off injured (51 mins) in the second half. But in the first it was Matt Thompson that looked injured - at least could not or would not run. The Roar made mince meat of Heart's defence - a fairer indication of the difference between the teams would have been 8-0. Next week Heart play Victory and the AFL reply will be the last of their worries.
Clearly the Heart have problems on the pitch. Hopefully they are not reflecting something else off the pitch.
The other note is on Skoko. This guy was lucky to only get one yellow card. He could have picked up 2 in the first half. And Alex Terra is a diver but after missing one in the first half Chris Boyle saw what he was up to in the second.
And c'est bon, Sibon - hardly in the game. Was Rutger Worm even playing?
The Roar's only bleak spot was Reinaldo's performance. I am a big fan and I want him to do well. But his form this year has been below expectations. And tonight it was just plain poor. Poor touches, poor shots. And yet now and again he found space, or put colleagues into space. But he should be an out and out goal scorer and he just has not been. His striking form was underlined by a straight forward one-on-one with the keeper that he kicked straight too him. Contrast Reinaldo to Mitch Nichols who was everywhere playing a real number 10 role and scoring a brilliantly composed goal.
Ange responded to calls to mix up the single focus short passing, well done for that.
Brisbane added long balls to their game. In the first 30 minutes, lots of them, lots and lots. It wasn't quite what I had in mind but it did the job. Especially when they mixed it in with a fast short passing game.
So what is happening at the Heart? They seemed OK for the first 10 minutes then seemed to fall apart or give up. Colosimo came off injured (51 mins) in the second half. But in the first it was Matt Thompson that looked injured - at least could not or would not run. The Roar made mince meat of Heart's defence - a fairer indication of the difference between the teams would have been 8-0. Next week Heart play Victory and the AFL reply will be the last of their worries.
Clearly the Heart have problems on the pitch. Hopefully they are not reflecting something else off the pitch.
The other note is on Skoko. This guy was lucky to only get one yellow card. He could have picked up 2 in the first half. And Alex Terra is a diver but after missing one in the first half Chris Boyle saw what he was up to in the second.
And c'est bon, Sibon - hardly in the game. Was Rutger Worm even playing?
The Roar's only bleak spot was Reinaldo's performance. I am a big fan and I want him to do well. But his form this year has been below expectations. And tonight it was just plain poor. Poor touches, poor shots. And yet now and again he found space, or put colleagues into space. But he should be an out and out goal scorer and he just has not been. His striking form was underlined by a straight forward one-on-one with the keeper that he kicked straight too him. Contrast Reinaldo to Mitch Nichols who was everywhere playing a real number 10 role and scoring a brilliantly composed goal.
Ange responded to calls to mix up the single focus short passing, well done for that.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wellington 2 v NQ Fury 1
Beaten by the wind. Ooopps.
So much for the World Cup influence on Wellington. Only 3 New Zealand players are in the Wellington starting 11, Tim Brown, Leo Bertos and Ben Sigmund. And Mark Paston is the only Kiwi on the bench. Little wonder that young up-and-comers like Kosta Barbarouses have to leave. Still it is expected that Kosta will be playing in Holland after the end of the season.
So much for the World Cup influence on Wellington. Only 3 New Zealand players are in the Wellington starting 11, Tim Brown, Leo Bertos and Ben Sigmund. And Mark Paston is the only Kiwi on the bench. Little wonder that young up-and-comers like Kosta Barbarouses have to leave. Still it is expected that Kosta will be playing in Holland after the end of the season.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Gold Coast 1 v Newcastle 0 - Dijte no Duke
For 88 minutes Gold Coast can showed how dull short passing possession football can be. Especially when so many runs end in a poor pass or shot from way too far out. Then right back John Curtis worked some individual magic on his own for a cracking goal to save the game.
Newcastle found it too easy to sit back and defend for all but around 15 minutes in the middle of the second half.
Poor Bruce Dijte, he isn't a replacement for Smeltz, and too easily hustled out of the game.
The crowd of 2092 was a few people bigger than the weekend but hardly great for a school holiday crowd. Surely there are coast kids on leave and tourists from all over Australia? They aren't at the beach at night.
Gold Coast need a Charlie Miller to back up Jason Culina - who once again had to do just about everything. Miron was very aware that without the goal, he'd be under real pressure - not as coach but leader of the club.
Newcastle found it too easy to sit back and defend for all but around 15 minutes in the middle of the second half.
Poor Bruce Dijte, he isn't a replacement for Smeltz, and too easily hustled out of the game.
The crowd of 2092 was a few people bigger than the weekend but hardly great for a school holiday crowd. Surely there are coast kids on leave and tourists from all over Australia? They aren't at the beach at night.
Gold Coast need a Charlie Miller to back up Jason Culina - who once again had to do just about everything. Miron was very aware that without the goal, he'd be under real pressure - not as coach but leader of the club.
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