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Soccer Ashes thread

I was at Homebush in 2005, supporting the AMNT, against Uruguay. Don't surmise you know how i operate.;)
So was I. I remember after the game being embraced by many Uruguayan-Australians with their Uruguayan flags and scarfs with tears running down their faces - not from disappointment - but from joy that Australia had qualified after so many years.
 
It's New Zealand. Expectations weren't high.
Interestingly they have probably the best football player they have ever had doing very well in the EPL !
Scored a hat trick in '23, got POTM through '24 - first ever NZ player doing as such, Forests EPL leading goal scorer ever,.
Then another hat trick against Brighton - like these feats are succeeding going back to Clough days, his scoring has helped Forest get back to Europe.
To cap it off, he got player votes into team of the season just passed !
His last few seasons been like HK/Dukes in the sense of heights one could say, put it this way, as mentioned imo their best ever.
His class ran through in Canbra and post subbing you saw the NZ drop off.
Wood off 63min followed by Singh - their 2 best imo.
Locally Barba been obvious and way back Smeltz highly locally speaking.
 
So was I. I remember after the game being embraced by many Uruguayan-Australians with their Uruguayan flags and scarfs with tears running down their faces - not from disappointment - but from joy that Australia had qualified after so many years.
yer - I recall telling some I was soso happy being Aussie/Italian they doubly cried with me hahaha walking outside the stad was epic !
 
hey TSF, many would have seen over the times my take on stats and all @ 442.
Analysis Paralysis - I smile at the repsonse's that I know draws the modern day picture of intel and that Wenger etc made use of but all that matters is one stat - who put the bloody ball into the net and how many times is all the stat that stands out.
Even with the least possesion all that matter is the score !
Point proven in Canbra, Wood missed his 2 good chances - we weren't truely effective till from the 74min onwards.
In the end its a simple game of checkers/chess made complicated.
Yeah effective possession is the key. I still care about who controls the match, it feels nicer to watch your side dictate. But that doesn't necessarily mean they played better. I will give up nice play and dictating a match for creating more good chances every day. Even though I still prefer both if possible.

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If we are going to give up possession against a side like NZ, I'd really like to see us creating more chances and more good chances.

Comparing this to the draw with SA at home
1757311851833.png

SA controlled possession but could not create chances. We deserved a better result in this match. Maybe the NZ game was a blip, Popa said he was unhappy with the first half in particular. Still, it was probably the most disappointing performance so far.
 
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What changed in between these now and 2005 then?
When players just started en masse playing for whoever they felt like playing for. The grandparent rule ruined international football along with the corruption at UEFA & FIFA. My opinions only, of course.

I also include the champions league in all of this.
 
When players just started en masse playing for whoever they felt like playing for. The grandparent rule ruined international football along with the corruption at UEFA & FIFA. My opinions only, of course.

I also include the champions league in all of this.
surely club football is the most mercenary and international football the least these days
 
When players just started en masse playing for whoever they felt like playing for. The grandparent rule ruined international football along with the corruption at UEFA & FIFA. My opinions only, of course.

I also include the champions league in all of this.
Fair assessment to be honest, but...

surely club football is the most mercenary and international football the least these days
This. I actually fail to follow club football as much as I used to these days, purely for this fact. The only clubs I support are those that I feel a direct connection to (locality, ancestry, and grassroots connections)
 
Thank Mr Bosman for that, and of course freedom of movement in Europe.
Sure, now compare that to the australian team or any team

For australia u have a mere 3 players who should be there buy arent, and all but 2 of our best 23 were either born in oz or spent their childhood there. You would have to go to the fifteenth division in a country to get that much connection between the clubs and players
 
I’m at the 22 min mark in my compilation of stats. Teague has been okay in the first 22 mins.

The off the ball work when they have the ball hasn’t been that good from Hrustic, Boyle and Silvera. All playing in close proximity to each other.

If Miller was playing RWB, Leckie was playing RW and Duke/Toure/Borello/ Yengi were playing central striker, the defence would be better screened.

Kiwis are also suffering by committing players to the Full Press and intensive Squeeze. There is space behind to exploit.
Just shuddered. Leckie, Duke, Borello are yesterdays men
 
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