Socceroos in Danger Zone

  SOCCEROOS IN DANGER ZONE

"Oman's a completely different (pause), competitive game to this one. So, we look forward you know, in confident mood." After a 2-nil defeat to Denmark on Saturday, Socceroos captain Lucas Neill is not panicking. However, despite what the captain says, Australia's path to World Cup 2014 is beginning to look very dangerous. With imminent retirements and a star player out over family issues, Australia might well find itself chasing the pack.

This Friday 11pm AEST, the Socceroos face Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The Omanies got their qualifying campaign off to a disappointing start when being downed 3-nil by Japan at Saitama Stadium on Sunday. That 3-nil scoreline is what is most dangerous for the Socceroos. With what seems a comfortable victory for Japan the Socceroos will quite plausibly head to the middle east expecting to pick up the three points in standard manner, but the defeat to Japan wasn't as ugly as the scoreline depicts.

Japan picked up an early goal from a Nagatomo cross and a superb volleyed finish by Keisuke Honda. From there the Samurai Blue dominated possession, it's true, but the Oman back four held firm. This was a defensive unit unlike most from west Asia. They moved as one, and it was only an offside goal and an unfortunate deflection which provided for the second and third goals (check video below). Make no mistake, a Socceroos outfit lacking it's most potent strike weapon in recent times (Brett Holman), will struggle to prise this team open.

With Holman on paternal duties (expecting his second child), expect Australia to look to the famous faces , Cahill, Kewell and Bresciano. The old faces at the back though, are cause for concern. Socceroos fans are all aware of their aging line-up, and the lack of mobility in the centre back position is becoming more and more a liability. In the Denmark clash we saw Matthew Spiranovic (squad member at Urawa Reds) slot in for Sasa Ognenovski (33 yrs old), and unfortunately he had a game to forget. Responsible for the penalty that provided Denmark with their first goal, the defender then failed to make contact with a corner, leading to the second goal. The 'icing on the cake' came when the 23 year old played a neat through ball  (a woeful back pass) into the path of Nicklas Bendtner, who should have made it 3-nil.

These are worrying times for Australia. With a lack of speed and mobility at the back the Socceroos cannot afford to be 'behind the eight ball' in this qualifying campaign. Given that Australia's second opponent in qualifying is Japan the need for three points in Oman is paramount. Imagine this hypothetical situation: Australia take 1 point from Oman, and Japan defeat Australia in Brisbane. Suddenly the Socceroos are chasing the pack. Does Holger Osieck ring in the inevitable changes before our third qualifying match in September? Or does he stick with the experience to get us out of trouble, in full knowledge that even skipper Lucas Neill (34 yrs old) may struggle to make a starting eleven in Brazil?

Check out Japan vs Oman below:

DORTMUND MAKE A MINT ON KAGAWA

KAGAWA OFF TO ENGLAND

Shinji Kagawa - Samurai Blue

Japan's rising star Shinji Kagawa is set to make official the signing that the entire world already seems to know about. Kagawa has spent the past two seasons winning trophies with German champs Borussia Dortmund, and is now set to move to Manchester United.

The versatile midfielder slash forward is said to be on his way for a transfer fee of 17.5m euros. Dortmund have the player on contract only for one more season so the option to take the cash now is an obvious choice. The Germans however, have made a 'motza' with the 23 year old, having signed him for just 350,000 euros in the summer of 2010. Wow! Unlucky Japan, unlucky Cerezo Osaka.

Some have questioned the signing not on terms of ability but a 'star' factor that fans sometimes crave. Jamie Jackson at the Guardian in the U.K. sees Kagawa as the second pick behind 21 year old Belgian talent Eden Hazard who went for 32m pounds (English pounds - not euros) to Chelsea. Jackson said, ". . . there is nothing hollywood about Kagawa . . ." in his piece, but it's the 'fans' while always craving big names, that can also be responsible for making big names. Kagawa may be humble, but if Manchester United enjoy success off the back of him, he'll soon become a household name. Lionel Messi is a star and he doesn't have to blow his own trumpet.

Interesting times for Japanese soccer and Manchester United.  On a personal note I can see Kagawa forming a great partnership on and off the field with Wayne Rooney. The Briton will appreciate Kagawa's unselfish attitude, and he'll be happy to help the new man settle, while his own star returns to top billing. The only disappointment for Japan is the tiny fee Kagawa went for in 2010. Unfortunately Cerezo Osaka didn't have a sell on clause in the contract either. A time of contrasts for Japanese soccer.

ADELAIDE UNITED CONFIDENT AGIANST NAGOYA

KOSMINA IN BUOYANT MOOD

Sergio Van Dijk and Bruce Djite

John Kosmina has made it clear he believes his men are in with a massive chance of knocking off Japan's Nagoya Grampus tonight. “Any of the Japanese teams are beatable, they’ve got to make the trip and these are all things that can help us get on with the job . . ." claimed Kosmina. Adelaide are easily Australia's most successful club in Asian competition. It's now their third incursion into the knockout stages of the ACL.

Nagoya's most recent match was a 1-nil defeat to Cerezo Osaka on Friday 25th May. Prior to that they crashed 4-nil to J league leaders Vegalta Sendai in a pulsating match (2-nil until 87mins) at Yurtec Stadium, Sendai. The form may not be as patchy as it appears on paper and we can't forget the Aichi based side put the cleaners through the Mariners in their last ACL outing.

For Adelaide, their last league match was way back on March 23rd. They had a terrible domestic season with current manager John Kosmina coming in just before the midway point of the season, yet still being powerless to turn things around. Just like the year that Adelaide went all the way to the final of the ACL (2008), this year's continental success comes off the back of a dismal domestic season. Keeper Eugene Galekovic said "No one has really rated us since day one . . ." and the Reds have thrived on the underdog status. Throughout the ACL the Reds have made no secret of their intentions to sit back and hit on the counter. It's been successful, and that can be attributed largely to the speed of players like Dario Vidosic and former Sydney sider Ian Ramsey. Most surprising has been the sparing use of Sergio Van Dijk. The A-League stalwart seems out of favour with Kosmina, but he popped up to grab a goal in the recent outing against Gamba Osaka.

So tonight's result really hinges on Adelaide making the most of their limited chances. I can see some reprisals if Adelaide surge forward in a counter attack and a player the calibre of Kensuke Nagai or Mu Kanazaki find the ball. But who wants this the most? Motivation is always a huge factor when very little separates the teams on paper. This is a shop window for many of the Reds younger players and maybe the biggest game of their lives. On that note, I'll have to give it to the Reds (of Adelaide).

Nagoya Grampus Star in Contender Capitulation

GRAMPUS CAPITULATE AT SENDAI

Grampus manager Dragan Stojkovic was blunt in his assessment. "These kinds of mistakes in professional league is unacceptable." The former Nagoya player witnessed his club nosedive from contention while Sendai stamped their credentials on the J League title.

A 4-nil scoreline was perhaps harsh for the game had a touch of the 'thrust and parry' about it. Nagoya were happy to attack the home team from the opening whistle. The home team however, chose their moments carefully but attacked in numbers. It was Sendai's speed in transition from defence to attack which was the difference though. The 3rd goal of the match truly accentuated this. Coming in the 87th minute Brazilian Wilson finished off an attacking thrust which had evolved out of a Nagoya counter attack. A counter - counter attack!

Stojkovic made point of the difference in speed saying that Vegalta Sendai were very quick and that the match was a ". . . very good lesson for us." The manager went on to say that he would ". . . have to find a solution for the next game." He couldn't hide his disappointment, but perhaps Grampus had rolled into town disrespecting Sendai, as many pundits have.

Down 2-nil at halftime after a scrambled goal and an own goal, Grampus threw Tulio up front alongside Kennedy. The international gave everything but the supreme fitness of the Vegalta Sendai squad proved too much. The 16000 odd fans assembled at Yurtec Stadium were treated to one of them 'heady moments'.The 3rd goal referred to earlier was one to behold. Soccer at the edge of reality, the edge of human endeavour. In forty seconds the ball travels 300 metres with the third shot on goal in the movement being Wilson's straw that broke the camel's back. It's possible this goal has demolished Nagoya's season, while the victors . . . they have the world at their feet.

NEWS BURST

GUANGZHOU TOP GROUP AND GRAB LIPPI

Chinese Super League super club Guangzhou Evergrande have topped their Asian Champions League group, and completed a great week by signing 64 year old Italian manager Marcello Lippi.

In what are exciting times for Asian soccer the club from Guangdong province in south China, are earning a reputation as a 'bottomless pit', in terms of available funding. On May 30 the club face exciting Japanese outfit FC Tokyo, in the ACL final 16.

Lippi has signed on for 30 months and said,  "I am very enthusiastic about coming to China." The experienced manager had an assistant monitor the team for some matches and the details that he received only provided more motivation. In other news for Guangzhou, they have signed Paraguayan Lucas Barrios from Borussia Dortmund. Reports have it that the forward will be available for the ACL clash with 'the Gas Men' of FC Tokyo.

NEW A LEAGUE CLUB SIGNS LOCAL BOY

The new A - League club currently known as Western Sydney (they are so young they don't have a real name yet) have signed 'local boy - done good' Tony Popovic as their inaugural manager.

The Fairfield boy will take charge of the fledgling club in his first appearance as first team manager at any club. Previously posted at Crystal Palace in a coaching role, and also Sydney FC as assistant, 'Poppa' is respected in Australia by players and fans alike. He had a stellar playing career, starting out with western Sydney NSL side (pre A - League) Sydney United, from there pioneering into Japan. He was based with Sanfrecce Hiroshima between 1997 and 2001 before stints at Crystal Palace, Al Arabi (Qatar) and finally returning home to play for Sydney FC (07/08 & 08/09). The tall defender also made a name for himself on the international stage. He appeared for the Socceroos more than 50 times and amongst his achievements were, playing both matches in the two legged World Cup play-off against Uruguay in 2005, appearing at the World Cup in 2006, and his headed goal against England in a memorable victory in 2003.

Popovic has a huge job ahead of him in filling the playing roster from scratch. With a contract of four years the 'local boy' spoke to FOXSports about expectations recently. He said, ". . . knowing the area, growing up in the area, I know what the, what the people of the region expect." He added that he hoped the club could play a brand of soccer that the people of western Sydney could be proud of.

FOOTNOTE: For those unaware, western Sydney is considered by most as the 'heartland' of soccer in Australia. It's known as 'the breeding ground' for many of Australia's best soccer products. Watch this space, as in this blogger's opinion this will be 'the club' in Australian soccer.

Tri Colours Make it Four in a Row

F MARINOS ON A ROLL

Marquinos leaves them in his wake

After a dreadful start to the season Yokohama F Marinos have turned the tide. The Tri Colours downed high flying Hiroshima 3-1 at Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium. From a 1-nil deficit after 6 minutes the boys from Yokohama were able to take the three points and re-install faith in their under-fire manager Yasuhiro Higuchi.

The match was barely underway when Hiroshima's midfielder Aoyama launched a shot from inside his own half. Successfully lobbing the keeper from over 60 metres, the ball did not bounce until finding it's way into the back of the Yokohama net. Hiroshima were also denied a second goal before Brazilian Marquinos headed home a Yuji Ono cross. Marquinos was appearing in only his third game for F Marinos this season and the upsurge in form form the club has coincided with the Brazilian's appearance on the teamsheet.

In the 79th minute a goalkeeping blunder allowed Yokohama to go ahead. 22 year old Manabu Saito appearing for the ninth time picked up the scraps from a mishandled header. The youngster had picked up a yellow card just 12 minutes earlier. Finally, defender Tomisawa headed home a Shunsuke Nakamura cross to put a stamp on the result.

The fourth win in a row puts the Tri Colours on 16 points. It's hard to believe that they sat second last on 4 points after seven rounds. After the disappointment of missing out on ACL spots last year the team are now in a position to challenge once again. They currently sit just 3 points adrift of third place which guarantees a place in Asia.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

In other news Nagoya Grampus tonight play for survival in the ACL. Nagoya take on Australia's Central Coast Mariners who are fresh from their biggest win in Asia, two weeks ago. They beat Chinese team Tianjin Teda 5-1 at home and with the news that manager Graham Arnold has decided to extend his time with the club, spirits will be high. Mariners defender Patrick Zwaanwijk spoke with confidence saying ". . . I think we can beat them" if the team play as well as they did in Gosford the last time the two met. Grampus come into the match with a victory over Kobe on Saturday. It was the first win for the club since April 14th.

Check the video below for Patrick Zwaanswijk's comments on the Mariners website.

NEWS BURST

 SHIMIZU CLIMBING HIGH

In a week where the fixture list was jammed with top flight action Shimizu took the opportunity to scale the heights of the J League ladder. It began on Saturday (April 28th) with victory over FC Tokyo, then Thursday a drubbing of Kashima Antlers had the home fans in raptures, before Sunday's win over competition leaders Vegalta Sendai. Wow!

Most remarkable of all the victories was the 1-nil victory over FC Tokyo on April 28th. S-Pulse were away to the 'Gas Men' and played from the 56th minute with just ten men. Adding to that Aussie Alex Brosque was sent off in the 73rd minute bringing the Shimizu down to nine men. But someone was watching over the men in orange as youngster Toshiyuki Takagi slotted his fourth goal of the J League season. With just 13 minutes remaining plus stoppages S-Pulse defended resolutely to go home with the three points and a famous victory.

After the recent run of success Shimizu S-Pulse now sit 2nd on the ladder and just two points off the leaders Vegalta Sendai. Now it is S-Pulse who are being touted as title winners in many quarters. With 24 games to play there is still many twists and turn to come in what is arguably Asia's most exciting league.

GRAHAM ARNOLD STAYS AT GOSFORD

Graham Arnold is staying put. The man who has steered the Mariners into calm and prosperous waters over the past two seasons will remain on board much to the chagrin of his Sky Blue suitors.

Sydney FC are still looking for a manager after Graham Arnold made a negotiation too many for their liking. Football director Gary Cole (Sydney FC) said yesterday, “We had asked Graham for a final answer by today but we were presented with some last minute requests, which we were not prepared to meet." According to Cole, Graham Arnold had requested that he be able to bring along his Central Coast Mariners assistants.

However bad this is for Sydney FC, it's double that in positive measures for the Mariners. In two years at the helm Arnold has took the team to a Grand Final appearance in 2010/2011 and this season they carried off the Premiers Plate which grants them automatic entry to the ACL. And lets not forget the Mariners are still in with a fighting chance of making it through to the knockout phase of the ACL, pending their fate in Nagoya next week.

ALOISI HAS HEART IN RIGHT PLACE

After being on the playing roster just last year (2010/2011) Socceroos golden boy John Aloisi now finds himself the Heart's head coach. 

Aloisi was full of praise for the board and the achievements of the team in the season just passed. In 2011/2012 Aloisi was in charge of the Melbourne Heart Youth League team. With his insider knowledge he confidently stated, "The club is well positioned to succeed, with an exciting young core at the heart of our team, and I'm confident we will be able to build on last season's success over the next few years."

Ante Milicic was also in the running for the head coach role but now that it's clear that he won't have the top job rumours are rife that the former Sydney United marksman will be lining up the top job at the new Western Sydney A League side. Milicic was assistant to departing manager John van't Schip and many had touted Milicic as the man for the job. Aloisi has said, "I want Ante to stay on. We're good friends off the pitch and he is an integral part of this club." Only time will tell if Ante's heart rules his head.

Aloisi at the press conference