The A-League is returning for a third season - and it threatens to be the best yet. Alan Belton previews.
The first two seasons of the A-league have been a runaway success and while it would be over the top to say that the world’s eyes are on Australian football, there have certainly been more than a few global glances in this direction; this being highlighted by the number of players leaving during the off season to accept offers from abroad. In fact, at one point there was such a rush of players leaving the country that it threatened to rob the league of its best players before version 3 kicked off, but then the flow changed with one small signing, Sydney F.C. announced the capture of diminutive Brazilian Juninho Paulista and all was good again.
The mass exodus began as the dust was still settling on season 2. A couple of weeks after the Grand Final, Melbourne Victory’s creative midfielder Fred was sighted in America, smoozing up to representatives of DC United. At the time I paid no attention to the rumours, after all, this was the man that only a few months previously had stated that he wanted to stay in Australia until he was eligible for citizenship and then represent the Socceroos; and besides what have the Yanks got to offer that we don’t, well apart from goldenballs! The league over there is similar to ours, the players are professional, but some a lot more professional than others, the standard is roughly the same, so what made Fred decide to leave? Well he was one of the players that is to more professional than the others, Melbourne could not match his demands, so we lost Fred.
He was followed out of the club by fellow countryman Alessandro, the Brazilian decided he deserved similar wages to the amount offered to Fred, Melbourne and the rest of country disagreed, so Melbourne lost an occasionally exciting but for the most part predictable bench warmer. Although Alessandro will not be missed, the collective that followed him in leaving most certainly will. Another Melbourne player left, this time for England. Young centre back Adrian Leijer has decided to give the premiership a go (as you do!) and has joined Fulham. Exciting winger David Carney has moved to England, he has joined Sheffield United from Sydney, and probably most disappointing of all, Nick Carle, winner of the Johnny Warren medal (player of the year) last season has left the Newcastle Jets to join Genclerbirligi Ankara in Turkey’s Super League. All of these players seemed to leave at the same time, also during that period Sydney’s Mark Milligan was rumoured to be in Europe looking for a club.
From the average fan to F.F.A. directors, rarely has a tournament meant so much for so many for such diverse reasons.
Australia’s shaky start to the Asian Cup will have hearts fluttering right across the nation. The pre-tournament favourites are suddenly on shaky ground, and failure to qualify from the supposedly easy group would have fans and reporters calling for heads to roll. Ok, so they are not out yet, but they are certainly in precarious position, and on current form they will struggle against the co-hosts Thailand, whom they need to beat and beat well to guarantee progression.
The supporters saw this as a chance to win an international tournament, for the FFA a chance to validate their decision to join Asia, for Arnold a chance to prove his worth, and for the A-league a chance to cement their position in the tough Australian sports market…all could be left disappointed unless the green and gold can improve drastically.
For the average Australian football fan, the Asian cup represented a real chance for the Socceroos to collect their first major international honours and would go some way to showing the rest of the world that Australia are a footballing nation, to be taken seriously on the world stage. It would also allow them to boast to supporters of the other footballing codes (AFL, Rugby) in Australia.
Whilst you are unlikely to find too many of them to outwardly express their anxiety, the normally confident fans will be very concerned with the opening displays of the Socceroos. Although they were the pre-tournament favourites, there was plenty of concern in
Australia about performances in the lead up to the tournament, especially in defence, where they seemed unbalanced and lacking leadership. These doubts have come into the light now as Oman could have, and if not for the heroics of Mark Schwarzer, would have scored two or three more. Iraq did score three and also could have had more.
The shaky defence, coupled with the lack of match fitness of Kewell and Cahill, meant the Aussies were also going to start the tournament light up front, something rarely said of a front line containing Mark Viduka, and with a real lack of creativity. This is something that was also highlighted in the opening two games. Australia failed to create many real chances created in the 180 minutes of football played thus far. They now need goals and a positive display to save humilation, for more than just the players and fans.
If Australia don’t make it to the semi-finals at least, Arnold will surely be sacked
For the F.F.A. directors, success would validate their decision to join the Asian Confederation, and also to leave Graham Arnold in charge, rather than appoint an experienced manager in the ilk of Guus Hiddink, defeat would leave them having to answer some tough questions about both decisions. Most notably about the decision to leave Arnold in charge when so many wanted another experienced European boss. If they don’t make it to the semi-finals at least, Arnold will surely be sacked. He has blamed the players, the conditions, the facilities, but most acknowledge that it’ll be him who must take responsibility for the shocking performances, especially with the talented squad at his disposal.
The F.F.A. must be incredibly worried by the level of football so far. What really came to the fore against Oman, a team ranked 74th in the world, was the lack of organisation as a team and the lack of individual spark, all hinting at a lack of preparation and match fitness; some of the things that were the trademark of Hiddink’s Australian team.
During the World Cup, Australia were a well disciplined, well organised, a super fit outfit, willing to pressurise their opponents into submission, but it was luck more than anything that got them a point against Oman and if things do not improve against Thailand, the F.F.A. will attempt to defend their decision that allowed a manager with no competitive experience to lead a nation into an international tournament.
But probably most nervous of all will be the heads of each of the eight A-league teams,. After all, the fans may face disappointment if their team fail, but that can soon be forgotten, and the F.F.A. may come in for criticism, but they have an easy out by sacking Arnold and thus diverting the blame, but the real danger of a disappointing campaign could be the knock on effect it has on the A-league.
So far the A-league has been a considerable success, but once the stats are analysed closer, it’s not all positive. It shows that, although the fans have been turning up, their attendance has largely been based on the success of their local club. Melbourne Victory, who won the league, regularly attracted large crowds of over 40,000. By comparison, bottom of the table, New Zealand Knights, struggled to attract a crowd of over 2,000.
The first A-league season was launched with a huge marketing campaing, revolving mainly around the arrival of Dwight Yorke. The second season was also heavily marketed, but was greatly supported by the Socceroos having a succesful World Cup campaign. Something the A-league have relied on heavily, so if the national team fail to progress from the group stages in the Asian Cup, the fans could again revert to the more popular Rugby and AFL codes.
So as the Socceroos take to the pitch tonight, they must show more passion and fight, they have never been ones to take the easy route, as Arnold says Aussies perform best “when their backs are against the wall”, but let’s hope they soon start. If not for themselves, the fans, the F.F.A., then at least for the hearts of a nation, whose tickers must be getting used to pumping heavily for 90 minutes.
Is Arnold the right man to lead Australia in the future? Share your views by leaving a comment below.
August 25th, 2007 | 
