I don't think there will be a dominant team. Paraguay and Australia can take points of both the favouites.

The only good part of playing Turkiye is that we are doing it up front. One advantage is that none of the team have played at a World Cup, though they have played Euros. The question will be how nervous will they be in the first game at the first World Cup in over 20 years for their country...

Okon never really hit the heights of his talents (mostly because of injury) for Australia. Even if we said one of Australia's greatest midfielders there is plenty of competition especially for the national team. Jedinak, Mooy, Bresciano, Cahill, Warren, Rogic, Wade, Zelic, Milligan, Grella and...

If it does get moved we would be well placed. China wanted it before Covid but January in China can be brutally cold.

I was talking about the ability of the TV producer to manipulate the game for the higher rating team.

Very North Korean!!

No wonder people are writing us off!!!

Poch quoting Brian Clough after we beat the US - "We had a good team on paper. Unfortunately, the game was played on grass."

It's not Byzantium, it's not Constantinople, it's Istanbul

Yes - they are two similar - both want to get forward - they need a destroyer beside them.

Ryan and Irvine won't be valued highly because of their age. The others are not only valued for what that can do now but for the potential that clubs see in them.

I never really warmed to Zads - but he certainly picked that one!!

Little wonder they wanted to change. Turkey: A large, heavy-set bird in the genus Meleagris. It is native to the Americas and features distinctive featherless, wattled heads and necks. Turkey: Used to describe something that completely fails or flops (such as a bad movie or play). Turkey...

That was my point - and i think why the HSR and a filly fibre internet are important. We need to encourage growth in more than the bifg cities. while people see the HSR as an expensive project it allows population to be spread over a much larger area.

To me this World Cup came a couple of years too soon. In 4 years time the basis of this team plus the talent coming through will make Australia a very strong squad at the 2030 World Cup

I come from a different point of view 1) What do we what Australia to look like. That may be your 'Big Australia' or it may not be. 2) Do we have the infrastructure to support what we decide on? 3) What is needed in terms of infrastructure to get there? What is clear is that many of our big...

From what I hear is the APL has approached South Melbourne - but what does that mean. I doubt that means that SMFC will have to pay $25 million. Maybe $1 million to play - but no ownership stake. I don't know if other teams have been approached. The APL still talking about Canberra for next...

The other thing that was different in the Mexico game was the World Cup ball. It seemed to ping around quicker than most balls and it's movement from long distant strikes was quite marked. Love to see what Irankunda could do with it from distance.

Brattan was picked for an October window - what al form?

Out of the 26 at the World Cup - 19 are from reasonably high leagues The other 7 by the time the Asian Cup comes around there are a few that have to perform here or may find themselves on the outer and others may retire. Remember Miller and McGree likely to come in and with retirements...

and Brattan and Caceres.

The other thing that worried me in the Mexico game was the drinks break. I was hanging out for it because we were under the pump and the break would have given Popovic the chance to reset - which he did when it eventually came in the 33rd minute. In the meantime we had already conceded after...

That's the answer and realistically that is quite different than the World Cup squad.

I doubt it but Poch has picked too very good sides for the team morale in Senegal and Germany. While Senegal are very good going forward they are not one of the best defensive sides. The same with Germany, their defence is in a state of transition. They could actually go in with two wins and...

Probably worth noting that a club level hiis club plays a higher line and his lack of speed does not help. His role in the Socceroos his a lot simplers and he has less errors for country than club.

I think that is proving my point. A player that has played every minute of a 46 game season isn't go to anticipate - he is going to see what is happening and take responsibility himself as he has done for Australia many times. Part of being a youngster in a squad and team is learning who you can...

Look at it from behind, Herrington was static - and fairly isolated. Burgess would have attacked the ball and taken them all out.

I still think if Burgess was there it would be no goal - he would have got the ball, O'Neill and the Mexican. Herrington looked very solid for the rest of the game but I just can't help but think that would have been easily repelled if Burgess was there - he was too deferential to O'Neill.

See that's where it falls down. Before 2025 the ALP where pretty thin on the ground. They took a couple of Green seats that the Greens might win back and a bunch from the LNP that may well go to PHON this time. Their real trouble will lie at the outer metro areas the fringes of the metro area...

He almost went to the 2002 with Ireland

You do realise that Tim Cahill almost played for Ireland. Didn't seem to affect the team psychology.

Borello should not have been there in camp. But we have included Beach, Behich, Vellupillay and Leckie from what has basically been relatively poor Melbourne sides and Okon-Englster from Sydney FC. All could be argued have better options OS playing well at a higher level as well as a number of...

I can't agree with that - we tend to play with a box midfield. The problem here is the front two will want to get forward and Irvine is always the one looking for the late run into the box. Okon really does not play as a HM either - very similar to Irvine as he is always looking forward. I think...

Maybe - but a lot of California Mexicans went to the Rose Bowl today and may well go to Mexico where some of the prices are less I believe that the USA tickets. But I can imagine the US games will be full of corporates and event goers.

I know it was O'Neill that was beaten for the header but I think if Burgess is there he gets the header and O'Neill and the Mexican end up on the floor. That said Herrington will be arong the first team for a decade at least.

When I was looking at picking the 26 before camp - I had 18 that made camp (didn't know about Volpato but had Arena as Striker 3). so i had around 7 that are in the squad that I wouldn't have picked. With the exception of Arena I think that could have been picked by Popovic when he first...