as seen on euroos.blogspot.com
Australian star Nick Carle has admitted his frustration at his continued Socceroos snub but believes his experience at Crystal Palace has matured him to his benefit.
Carle has been left out of Pim Verbeek's Australia squads for last three World Cup qualifiers (against Uzbekistan, Qatar and Bahrain) and the Socceroos boss has admitted the ex-Newcastle Jets man needs a change if he's to get back in the national team frame.
But Carle remains optimistic about his Socceroos chances and thinks his recent experiences in England with Championship club Crystal Palace have wisened him up.
In November, Carle lost his spot in the Palace side after some poor form but the former Johnny Warren Medallist explained to the London News Shopper that he had bounced back stronger from the experience.
"I think I’m old enough and wise enough to know that there are going to be ups and downs and not to let my head down when I get dropped, but work harder to get back in," Carle said.
Indeed, Carle has won back his spot at Palace and only last weekend scored a late equaliser in a crucial match against Sheffield United. And Carle would love to replicate his experiences with his club on the international scene.
“Unfortunately, there are some good players who play in my position who are doing the business in top leagues such as Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano - who plays in Serie A - and Harry Kewell.
“There are so many players who can play in my position and I’ve just mentioned a few, so I have to work as hard as I can.
"If I do get my chance, then I’ve got to be ready to take it because there’s no bigger honour than playing for your national team.”
Verbeek had explained Carle's absence from the national team as a result of playing in the wrong league. The Australia boss believes Carle would be better suited in a more technical league perhaps on the continent.
But Carle countered that argument saying, “I think the Championship is a very good level, but these boys (Cahill, Bresciano etc.) are doing it in the Premiership and Serie A.
“That’s no disrespect to the Championship because I feel it’s a great league.
“There are so many internationals playing in this league and it’s the best second league in the world, I don’t think anywhere else compares to it.
“I’m really happy to be playing here, but I’m one of those who are a bit unfortunate because our midfield is the strong point in our national team.”
as seen on euroos.blogspot.com
Socceroo Matt Spiranovic is back in Australia for Christmas but he's working hard after suffering a bad ankle injury at training in November with his German club FC Nürnberg.
Spiranovic sustained the injury just days prior to Australia's recent Bahrain match, thus ruling out the young defender from Socceroos duty on that occasion. The injury was diagnosed as a ruptured ankle tendon and it is estimated he'll be out until mid-February.
But despite the setback, Spiranovic is determined to fight his way back into the Australia frame having made his debut for the Socceroos against Ghana in May this year.
And even though the 20-year-old has returned to home town Geelong to enjoy the festive season with family and friends, he's still working hard to get back onto the park and having rehabilitation at the local clinic in Corio Bay.
Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser recently, Spiranovic said, "I'm doing everything from massage to electro-therapy and a bit of aqua jogging in the pool."
Spiranovic's injury came at a bad time for the youngster, as he confirmed when he said, "I was actually selected for the team (Socceroos team against Bahrain) and pretty much had my bags packed when this happened. I had played the last nine games (with Nürnberg), everything was falling into place."
But Spiranovic has remained professional and is on track for a February recovery.
The injury meant Spiranovic had to have screws inserted in his ankle to hold the tendon together and he is scheduled to have surgery to remove the screws on January 5 back in Germany. From there, hopefully Spiranovic will be back at training two weeks after the surgery.
Nonetheless, Spiranovic admitted it was nice to be back in Australia adding, "I'm just enjoying being back home, it takes my mind off things a bit.
"When I'm over in Germany you feel pressure on yourself and it can be frustrating ... it's good to get away from it here."
as seen on www.insidefutbol.com
A fortnight ago, on the final day of the 2008 Chinese Super League season, Shandong Luneng were dramatically crowned the champions of China, but behind the winners it was a familiar story for serial-runners-up Shanghai Shenhua.
Shenhua, or the Blue Devils as they are known by fans, have a history of falling short and when you consider during the club’s brief 15 year history they have finished runners-up in the Chinese top flight eight times, you begin to realize it isn’t only a case of hard luck.
Heading into the final day of the 2008 season, Shenhua trailed Shandong by two points and could leapfrog their rivals and win the championship if they won and Shandong didn’t.
Both sides would be playing at home against midtable sides in their respective fixtures, with Shenhua facing Zhejiang Lucheng while Shandong hosted Guangzhou Yiyao.
Shandong with their two point advantage coming into the game were favourites to take out the title.
But it wouldn’t be easy going for the Jinan-based club as they were frustratingly held goalless by Guangzhou in the first-half of the contest.
Elsewhere, with the games played simultaneously, Shenhua had taken an early lead against Zhejiang only to surrender that advantage before scoring again minutes before the break to lead 2-1 at half-time.
If the results stayed the way they were, Shenhua would take out the title.
For the Blue Devils, a club who have come so close so many times, it was a great opportunity.
But as former Shenhua coach Wu Jingui explained, “The team tends to make mistakes at critical moments.”
Indeed, Shenhua would make those ‘mistakes’ during those ‘critical moments’.
With Shandong’s match remaining deadlocked, the pressure increased on Shenhua and they began to feel it in the second-half. Shanghai’s former English Premier League star Hamilton Ricard would miss a penalty before the Blue Devils wilted under the pressure to concede with around quarter of an hour to go, as Tang Yang equalized for Zhejiang.
Scores would end that way, as Shandong claimed the title despite being held to a goalless draw at home. For Shenhua, it was another disappointing runners-up finish for the club who hadn’t won the league title since 2003.
Unfortunately, Shenhua will know coming second is something which has occurred all too much in Shanghai. And it isn’t for a shortage of resources, as the club are a Chinese powerhouse with strong financial backing from owner Zhu Jun along with big companies like Shanghai SVA Group, SMEG and Huangpu Investment Ltd.
Indeed, the club’s financial power have afforded it several high profile players including internationals such as Costa Rica’s Erick Scott, Colombian Ricard and Honduran Emil Martínez along with Chinese national team members including Sun Xiang, Du Wei, Mao Jianqing and Xiao Zhanbo.
Wu Jingui, who coached the club recently before having to leave his post due to health problems, argues, “Shenhua takes the lead but doesn’t know how to keep it. It has been a problem for the team for years.”
Indeed, Shenhua’s problems have been occurring for years as their history suggests, with runners-up finishes in the old Jia-A League in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001. It should be noted, they did manage to win the title in 1995 and 2003 but the story doesn’t get any brighter in the new Chinese Super League, as the Blue Devils have fallen short again in 2005 and 2006 along with their latest failure in 2008.
So perhaps you could say it is endemic of the club to not be able to handle pressure.
Indeed, a fine indicator of that point is the club’s fortunes in the top level AFC Champions League.
Being a powerhouse club who continually finishes near the top of the Chinese top flight, Shenhua have qualified many times for the continental competition, but have struggled to handle the pressure of high-class football.
No more proof of that point is during the 2007 AFC Champions League when they were in a group along with Japanese giants Urawa Red Diamonds, Australian glamour club Sydney FC and Indonesian side Persik Kediri.
What seemed a difficult group on paper was too much for Shenhua who capitulated in the tournament losing their first three games.
But once they were out of the running in the tournament and with the pressure off, Shenhua’s fortunes turned around dramatically as they finished off the group stage with draws against eventual Asian champions Urawa and Sydney before a 6-0 rout of Persik.
Indeed, it is a peculiar club which is struggling to mature into the beast it could be.
Shenhua, which means ‘flower of Shanghai’ in Chinese, is a club wanting to spawn into something greater but it can not find a way to shake off its fragile past.
Following the 2008 season’s final day failure, Shenhua owner Zhu Jun philosophically commented, "Our players tried their best today and did well the whole season."
Perhaps Zhu Jun is in denial because for a club with so much financial might and muscle, their best shouldn’t be second best.
How China’s perennial underachievers should try to resolve their recurring problems is a difficult question to answer. It seems Wu Jingui is right that Shenhua tend to make mistakes at critical moments and have been doing so for years.
Maybe they need to acknowledge there is a problem first and foremost and in the modern sporting culture of club psychologists, therapists and psychiatrists who knows what lengths Shenhua’s big backers might go to in order to fix the club’s endemic mental fragility.
For now though, they’ll have several months to mull over it, before the 2009 Chinese Super League begins again in March.
as seen on euroos.blogspot.com
Reading manager Steve Coppell has labelled Socceroos shot-stopper Adam Federici a 'terrific' goalkeeper and explained he has full confidence in the Australian international.
Coppell's comments come in the wake of a calf injury to Royals number one Marcus Hahnemann which has resulted in the 23-year-old Australian earning an opportunity in between the sticks in the American's absence.
Reading will host Norwich City at Madejski Stadium this weekend and Federici will make his first Championship start for the Royals in the fixture.
And Coppell declared, “We have an able deputy. Adam has been very patient. We all feel he’s ready for this challenge. It is a great opportunity for him."
The Royals boss went onto say, "Fedders is ready. He's been looking forward to it and this is a great opportunity. I've got no qualms about him, none. He's been out on loan and played well.
"Everybody has confidence in him, not just me. The players and staff do too and I'm sure in time the fans will see that."
Federici's has had to wait for an opportunity at Reading, with the consistent Hahnemann having played 100 consecutive league games for the Royals. Indeed, the Australian shot-stopper has a hard act to follow considering the 36-year-old American's performances over the last four years at Reading.
Coppell added, "Is he the same as Marcus? No, but what we might lose from Marcus we gain with Fedders. He's a different type of goalkeeper. He might not have the experience or may not possibly have the presence - as yet.
"Once he starts playing he'll quickly gain respect from everyone. In football it's easy to say 'have patience' but he's done that and bided his time because of Marcus' form.
"Now it's the chance for him to do that. We feel he's a terrific goalkeeper and I'm sure he will show that to everyone.
"He works tremendously hard, he's been supportive of Marcus, always backing him up in their banter and I'm sure he will return the favour now."
And when Coppell was pressed on whether Federici had a chance of retaining his spot in goals when Hahnemann eventually returned from injury, the Royals boss commented, “Everyone is judged on performance. If he does his stuff then possession is nine tenths of the law. It’s Marcus’ job to move him out of there, but let’s see how he does before we make decisions."
Third-placed Reading host 20th Norwich City in the English Championship on Saturday.
Australian star Nick Carle has admitted his frustration at his continued Socceroos snub but believes his experience at Crystal Palace has matured him to his benefit.
