Ange P holds the same view as you, Grazor.Amazingly it looks like only 2 teams qualify from asia?
Football at the 2028 Summer Olympics - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
In any case I was curious about our youth record in asia and how often we make the final 4. The credentials of the coach make a massive difference
Coach Tournaments played top 4/qualified T Vidmar 4 1 Graham Arnold 2 2 Brad Maloey 2 0 Aurelio vidmar 3 0 Ante Milicic 2 0 Trevor Morgan 4 3 Ufuk Talay 1 0 Paul Okon 2 1 Jan Versleijen 3 3 Alistair edwards 1 0 Martyn Crook 1 0
In his book Ange thinks Aus u23s and u20s need really experienced coaches, not a training ground to develop coaches early in their careers.
However, having said this, I think the u23 team improved immeasurably over the 4 games.
* Thailand - was pretty disappointing with 11 v10 for most of the game. I didn't know what the experienced refs on here, Paul01, Muz and NCB think? I thought the Thai sending off might be a fraction soft at the 7min mark.
* China - can't quite remember the fine details of the game, but I thought China got a goal against the run of play. Our finishing was awful from the chances created. There was also often a disconnect between the midfield and attacking line. Forwards didn't angle their forward runs enough, to prevent offsides. Also, they weren't reading/anticpating the through balls, potentially killer passes, from Jordi V.
* Iraq - as usual another poor/slow start. When I revisited the game and watched the replay from 60 mins on when Iraq scored, from then on Aus started to get on top, but the game was slowed down a lot from Iraq injured players. I think they were genuine injuries, after at first thinking they were faking to time waste. Lots of stop start, which meant an extra 9 mins of play, when Aus finally scored 2 quality goals.
* South K - as usual the normal slow start, but the defence had tightened up a lot as a unit. The defensive line and the midfield line had better distancing between them, and within them, in BPO and Defensive Transitions.
Simmons was starting to become comfortable playing as LB. Before he I've always seen him play at RB. He won a lot of 1v1s and even dribbled around players, with well-timed cuts and shoulder feints.
Rawlins was also really rugged ball winner at RB. The CB was still struggling, whose name begins with M, but he did achieve 1 sublime action of ball mastery. Has this guy been playing a lot of football? It was a problem position. I thought Rawlins would have been better there, with a generally disappointing Bovalina at RB.
Also, Valadon's passing from range was being better anticipated by the more attacking players. Off side was still a problem despite the brilliant Drew and Jovanovic goal. Apart from Hall's save in 90 from a SK counterattack as Aus committed payers forward, that was his only save for the game - I think? The SK keeper had to make a lot more saves than Hall over the duration of the game.
IMO the major fault of Tony V was playing a flat, or bowl shaped 4-4-2 in possession. This is a crossing formation, not a passing formation. Aus struggled not having a designated number 10 or attacking midfielder.
Instead Vidmar often had 1 of the 2 strikers dropping back into midfield, or/and, Jordi V sitting and generally Alagich going forwards, Agosti doing it in the SK game, as the build up progressed in the attacking half.
A designated Attacking Mid in a 4-3-3 defensive midfield triangle, or 4-2-3-1, or even a 4-4-2 midfield diamond avoids the often too big a space between the Aus midfield line and the attacking line.
Often neither central striker was involved in the build up play. I think before in earlier qualifiers, Valadon was partnered by Rhys Bozinovski, as DMs/deep lying playmakers and they bossed the central midfield. Alagich, played in front of them in a defensive midfield triangle, as the designated 10 or AM, in Ball Possession. It worked better, but acknowledge they were inferior teams.
Last edited:
BREAKING
️ New pathway to the Finals
ASEAN – 4 slots
The host nation will qualify automatically within its Zone’s allocated slots. No other automatic berths.
Qualifying windows aligned with the calendar
NEW FORMAT FOR AFC U20 ASIAN CUP™ QUALIFIERS FROM 2027 
Two-phase system introduced (from 2027):
Qualification Phase
Development Phase
Key points: