2014 Team - prace bets now!!

[Portmanteau]

The Socceroos are out of the 2010 World Cup. Presumably, a similar contigent will take the field in Yemen 2011 and the transition to a new look team will begin thereafter.

Let us now, arrogantly assuming that we qualify for the 2014 World Cup, look into the crystal ball and predict what a 2014 Socceroos team might look like. Hopefully this thread can be bumped in 3-4 years and we look like complete spanners.

My thoughts:

Jones
Wilkshire, Spiranovic, Milligan, Jamieson
Holland, Jedinak, Valeri, Oar
Holman, Kennedy

Langerak, R. Williams, Lowry, Burns, Carney, Djite, Vidosic, Troisi, Rukavytsya + a few others obviously, but I would hope a few youngsters/current no-names surprise us.


Maybe a bit of wishful thinking with the ex-Adelaide boys, but I'm banking on them coming into their own overseas in their mid-20s.

I also would not put it past (in order): Beauchamp, Cahill, Neill and Emerton going around again, but we saw how that worked out with the Crows this year. Beauchamp may be needed, as we're shaping up very light on in central defense.

The centre of midfield also looks fairly dire. Hopefully Bradden Inman comes to his senses.

Do we have anyone else coming through in central defense and midfield?

 

[Damon_3388]

We'll probably be forced to by default, but IMO we should aim to develop a young(er) side for the next World Cup.

The following formula works well Australian football, but it probably works well for soccer too - If you go under the assumption that a player's 'prime years' are between the ages of 24-29, we should be aiming to have the majority of the team be 29 or under by the time 2014 come around. That would mean they'd be born in 1985 or later. Obviously it's not a hard-and-fast rule (there's obviously plenty of soccer players who perform well into their 30s too), but it presents players who have a good base of experience, but who aren't that old that they're slowing down with age/losing their touch/struggling with fitness/struggling to maintain a place in top flight leagues. From the current World Cup squad, those that would fit that criteria include:

• Adam Federici
• Nikita Rukavytsya
• Mark Milligan
• Dario Vidosic

The following from the current World Cup squad will be between 29-32 (born 1982-1984) once 2014 rolls around, and will probably be in the mix for selection (IMO, we shouldn't carry players older than 32 unless they're absolutely crucial to our chances eg. like Mark Schwarzer this time around, or are in great form around that time):

• Joshua Kennedy
• Brett Holman
• Mile Jedinak
• Carl Valeri
• David Carney

Just out of interest, can someone more knowledgeable than I create a prospective squad of 23 based on the age criteria (born 1985 or later) I presented?

 

[Seriously]

This may help the topic, it was in the Sunday Mail on the 20th of June David Davutovic predicted the 2014 World Cup Squad.

Adam Federici
Luke Wilkshire
Rhys Williams
Matthew Spiranovic
David Carney
James Holland
Carl Valeri
Dario Vidosic
Tim Cahill
Nathan Burns
Josh Kennedy
Eugene Galekovic
Mark Milligan
Shane Lowry
Ben Kantarovski
Tommy Oar
Mile Jedinak
Aaron Mooy
Brett Holman
Richard Garcia
Nikita Rukavytsya
Scott McDonald
Matthew Leckie

 

[madman]

I think it will be...

GK: Galekovic
DEF: Wilkshire, Ruban, Jamieson, Miligan
MID: Oar, Leckie, Grella, Sterjovski
FWD: Hollman, Kennedy, Cahill

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I know to the soccer world we're considered Asian, but prace might be taking it a little far.

 

[jimmy_clement#8]

Hopefully the likes of Troisi, Davidson, Esposito, Oar, Ruka, just someone under the age of 23 comes through.

 

[jimmy_clement#8]

We've lost Inman though haven't we? That would've been a massive boost, but you win some you lose some.

 

[dajesmac]

We've lost Inman though haven't we? That would've been a massive boost, but you win some you lose some.

Have we lost him for sure?

Damn, apparently our next crop isn't much good, we could sure use him.

 

[Jabso]

Troisi is one of these players who could be playing solid football at a solid European club 4 years from now. McDonald could actually show what he has shown at Celtic and improve on that. He just can't play in a 1 striker formation, he is a pure poacher. He'll ony be 30/31 in 2014.

 

[Portmanteau]

I don't believe we have yet, he has only played at underage level for Scotland. Players locked in after first senior cap. Bouzanis is in this boat too, but he has gone off the radar, no?

 

[RoJo Junior]

We've lost Inman though haven't we? That would've been a massive boost, but you win some you lose some.

He has been called into the Scottish under 19 squad... but he won't be locked into playing for the country at full level until he takes his bow at under 21 level.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/98155,aussie-inman-set-to-slip-away.aspx

 

[grimlock]

I don't believe we have yet, he has only played at underage level for Scotland. Players locked in after first senior cap. Bouzanis is in this boat too, but he has gone off the radar, no?

Bouzanis went on loan to some conference side, but lost the number 1 position late in the season.

 

[Portmanteau]

Davutovic's squad has the same problem as mine tbh, only three central defenders in Spira, Spike and Williams, two of those being part time. Also, only two goalkeepers?

So who is coming through at CB? No one say Cornthwaite .

What of Neil "oh my god, you" Kilkenny?

 

[Damon_3388]

"He has been called into the Scottish under 19 squad... but he won't be locked into playing for the country at full level until he takes his bow at under 21 level."

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/98155,aussie-inman-set-to-slip-away.aspx

Kevin Prince Boateng was born in Germany, and represented them at U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19, U-20 and U-21 level, yet is playing for Ghana in this current World Cup. Rhys Williams represented Wales at U-21 level too. There's a few other players in this current World Cup who represented different nations at U-21 level as well.

If Inman and Bouzanis don't see chances to represent Scotland and Greece respectively at senior international level, they can and might make themselves available to play for Australia.

 

[RangaInTeal]

Offer them both a game in our first match after the world cup, if they decline, rub the World Cup qualification into the wounds and forget about them.

 

[meh]

Davutovic's squad has the same problem as mine tbh, only three central defenders in Spira, Spike and Williams, two of those being part time. Also, only two goalkeepers?

So who is coming through at CB? No one say Cornthwaite .

What of Neil "oh my god, you" Kilkenny?

Ryan McGowan playing for Hearts in the SPL is only young and can play central defence, but is generally a DM.

 

[that_dood]

Kevin Prince Boateng was born in Germany, and represented them at U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19, U-20 and U-21 level, yet is playing for Ghana in this current World Cup. Rhys Williams represented Wales at U-21 level too. There's a few other players in this current World Cup who represented different nations at U-21 level as well.

If Inman and Bouzanis don't see chances to represent Scotland and Greece respectively at senior international level, they can and might make themselves available to play for Australia.

Yeah isn't it only once you play for the senior team?

 

[Borgsta]

Yeah isn't it only once you play for the senior team?

I think it is the U21's but you can change as long as you get permission from FIFA.

 

[Seriously]

Last I heard Bouzanis said that he wants to play for Australia. I hope we get Inman though I remember reading somewhere that his teamates at Newcastle call him 'Mini Kaka' or 'Little Kaka'.

 

[Damon_3388]

Last I heard Bouzanis said that he wants to play for Australia. I hope we get Inman though I remember reading somewhere that his teamates at Newcastle call him 'Mini Kaka' or 'Little Kaka'.

Not only do we need good players, we need some with flair too, to allow us to play some different formations and actually play for the win against better sides. That assessment of Inman is encouraging, provided he does end up playing for us.

 

[Alberton_Magpie]

Ryan McGowan playing for Hearts in the SPL is only young and can play central defence, but is generally a DM.

He has not exactly set the world on fire since moving there, didnt he get loaned out to a Div 2 or 3 Scottish team?

 

[Ray Nolan]

He has not exactly set the world on fire since moving there, didnt he get loaned out to a Div 2 or 3 Scottish team?

He's been at Ayr United in the First Division.

He's barely had a senior game at Hearts.

 

[RoJo Junior]

I think it is the U21's but you can change as long as you get permission from FIFA.

This.

Generally once you play under 21s you're locked to the country. KPB had to go through a lot of crap to get permission to represent Ghana.

Also it's why we thought we'd lost Williams to Wales for a while, until eventually being allowed to play for us.

 

[Norfolk & Clew]

Keepers - Bouzianis, Langerak, Federici, Jones, Velaphi, Vukovic, Coe.

Defenders - Williams, Carney, Spiranovic, Leijer, Milligan, Lowry.

Midfielders - Holman, Holland, Valeri, Jedinak, Vidosic, Oar, Kilkenny, Wesolowski, Cahill

Forwards - Djite, Kennedy, McDonald, Ruka, Burns, Zullo, Troisi


Wildcards I don't know much about

Goalkeepers
Alex Baird, 16, Newcastle United, England
Andrew Bazi, 21, Fylkir, Iceland
Alex Cisak, 21, Leicester City, England
Daniel Ireland, 19, Coventry City, England
Liam Jacob, 15, Liverpool, England



Defenders
Jason Davidson, 19, Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal
Aaron Downes, 25, Chesterfield, England
Daniel Georgievski, 22, NK Medimurje, Croatia
Ersan Gulum, 23, Adanaspor, Turkey
Trent McClenehan, 25, Hamilton Academical, Scotland
Dylan McGowan, 18, Hearts, Scotland
Nick Modaffari, 18, Vicenza Calcio, Italy
Ante Rozic, 24, Sedan, France
Billy Tsolovos, 17, Portsmouth, England
Bailey Wright, 17, Preston North End, England

Midfielders
Julius Doe Davies, 15, Bayern Munich U17, Germany
Harris Gaitatzis, 23, Panserraiokos, Greece
Chris Herd, 21, Aston Villa, England
Bradden Inman, 18, Newcastle United, England
Theo Markelis, 18, Valencia, Spain
Stephen Maselli, 19, Vicenza Calcio, Italy
Ryan McGowan, 20, Hearts, Scotland
Aaron Mooy, 20, Bolton, England
Matthew Park, 22, Hearts, Scotland
Cameron Parrish, 17, Preston North End, England
Adam Sarota, 21, FC Utrecht, Netherlands
Francesco Stella, 18, A.C. Siena, Italy
Adrian Ucchino, 18, Frosinone, Italy

Forwards
Ryan Gazet Du Chattelier, 19, Portsmouth, England
Christian Esposito, 19, Albinoleffe, Italy
Matthew Fletcher, 18, Sunderland, England
Brent McGrath, 19, Brondby, Denmark
Robert Stambolziev, 19, Panathinaikos, Greece
Dylan Tombides, 16, West Ham, England

 

[Seriously]

Keepers - Bouzianis, Langerak, Federici, Jones, Velaphi, Vukovic, Coe.

Defenders - Williams, Carney, Spiranovic, Leijer, Milligan, Lowry.

Midfielders - Holman, Holland, Valeri, Jedinak, Vidosic, Oar, Kilkenny, Wesolowski, Cahill

Forwards - Djite, Kennedy, McDonald, Ruka, Burns, Zullo, Troisi


Wildcards I don't know much about

Goalkeepers
Alex Baird, 16, Newcastle United, England
Andrew Bazi, 21, Fylkir, Iceland
Alex Cisak, 21, Leicester City, England
Daniel Ireland, 19, Coventry City, England
Liam Jacob, 15, Liverpool, England



Defenders
Jason Davidson, 19, Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal
Aaron Downes, 25, Chesterfield, England
Daniel Georgievski, 22, NK Medimurje, Croatia
Ersan Gulum, 23, Adanaspor, Turkey
Trent McClenehan, 25, Hamilton Academical, Scotland
Dylan McGowan, 18, Hearts, Scotland
Nick Modaffari, 18, Vicenza Calcio, Italy
Ante Rozic, 24, Sedan, France
Billy Tsolovos, 17, Portsmouth, England
Bailey Wright, 17, Preston North End, England

Midfielders
Julius Doe Davies, 15, Bayern Munich U17, Germany
Harris Gaitatzis, 23, Panserraiokos, Greece
Chris Herd, 21, Aston Villa, England
Bradden Inman, 18, Newcastle United, England
Theo Markelis, 18, Valencia, Spain
Stephen Maselli, 19, Vicenza Calcio, Italy
Ryan McGowan, 20, Hearts, Scotland
Aaron Mooy, 20, Bolton, England
Matthew Park, 22, Hearts, Scotland
Cameron Parrish, 17, Preston North End, England
Adam Sarota, 21, FC Utrecht, Netherlands
Francesco Stella, 18, A.C. Siena, Italy
Adrian Ucchino, 18, Frosinone, Italy

Forwards
Ryan Gazet Du Chattelier, 19, Portsmouth, England
Christian Esposito, 19, Albinoleffe, Italy
Matthew Fletcher, 18, Sunderland, England
Brent McGrath, 19, Brondby, Denmark
Robert Stambolziev, 19, Panathinaikos, Greece
Dylan Tombides, 16, West Ham, England

Wow, I never realised how many youngsters we had overseas