Socceroos International Friendlies - Australia V Venezuela / Colombia

[PowerfulPies2023]

South America will always crap all over Australia. Rankings don’t tell the full story.
Play with flair, possession and directness.

We did well last world cup beating Denmark who can beat some south American sides. Beat a tough Tunisian team too. On our day we're ok.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Hate to say this based on rankings, these are the types of sides Australia shouldn't be losing to.

Games aren't played on rankings alone but it can't be a good sign confronting America sides especially from CONEMBOL and CONCACAF in next years World Cup. Australia already lost to USA in their international friendly in their last international fixtures over there.

England, France are a level above the Socceroos too- maybe a 3-4 goal better side. Of the teams currently top in UEFA World Cup qualifying: Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, fairly confident right now those sides mentioned would beat the Socceroos by at least 2-3 goals right now. Austria, Croatia and Denmark is more Australias level right now. Those latter 3 sides are currently top of their groups in UEFA qualifying. Aussies would be praying somehow they can get matched up with an : Austria, Croatia and Denmark right now.

Yeah you're probably right. Croatia have been good in qualifying though.

 

[FreoRicci]

Especially in that part of the world, with a large Latino population. It feels like its worth a 0.5 goal head start alone.

Just saw the Veneuzela goal:




Yikes I can imagine a Doku (from Belgium) or any team with a right winger looking to exploit that much space, Anthony Gordon from England, Doue (from France)...............lol

Football is literally life in South America. No matter what country.

Here it’s just a pastime, something to train in after school. The fact that Australia perform as well as it does is the most encouraging aspect. 6 straight World Cups, in our lifetime, is something to be proud of.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Football is literally life in South America. No matter what country.

Here it’s just a pastime, something to train in after school. The fact that Australia perform as well as it does is the most encouraging aspect. 6 straight World Cups, in our lifetime, is something to be proud of.

Soccer isn't what it used to be in this country. It's definitely grown. More and more play it these days. 2nd most played sport aside from swimming amongst youths.

 

[ioppolo]

We did beat Peru last qualifying campaign and people gave us little chance then...

Look it's only a friendly so whatever, but it was disappointing to lose to Venezuela.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

We did beat Peru last qualifying campaign and people gave us little chance then...

Look it's only a friendly so whatever, but it was disappointing to lose to Venezuela.

Out of curiosity your back ground Italian? The name that's all.

 

[ioppolo]

Out of curiosity your back ground Italian? The name that's all.

Yeah

 

[FreoRicci]

Soccer isn't what it used to be in this country. It's definitely grown. More and more play it these days. 2nd most played sport aside from swimming amongst youths.

That has always been the case, no matter what generation. Spending in grassroots and development isn’t close to AFL NRL or even basketball.
The Australian media and CEOs of NRL and AFL etc have convinced the Australian public ‘Sokkah’ and hooliganism go hand in hand, which doesn’t help either

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

We did beat Peru last qualifying campaign and people gave us little chance then...

Look it's only a friendly so whatever, but it was disappointing to lose to Venezuela.

Not quite. It was a 0-0 grind via penalties but I get your point.

Hypothetical, if the Socceroos were in the CONMEBOL qualifying groups, where would there realistically finish? I think somewhere between 6th to 9th.

Dont think Socceroos have ever smashed South American opposition, even in the hey days of qualifying via 2005 Uruguay.



Australia isnt beating: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay in a World Cup.


Ecuador has arguably one of the top 10 midfielders in the world in Moises Caiciedo.

Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru are more the Socceroos level.

One thing is Australia has always been competitive against South American stage when the bright lights have shone. I hate to say it but the Socceroos aren't beating any of those Top 7 South American sides in a World Cup in that part of the world and I will stand by that. Even pinching a draw would be quite an achievement.

 

[omgfridge]

That was a painful watch. Was an experimental squad/team selection but I'd hope we'd be a bit more settled by now.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

I remember watching Australia v Uruguay in 2001 in South America, I know Aussies lost 3-0, but Australia werent that bad that day in Montevideo. The Aussie players had it tough upon landing and the South Americans used every tactic on-field and off-field to get into the Aussies heads.


Australia had a better result against Uruguay in 2005 qualifying losing 1-0 in Montevideo.


I was too young to see Australia lose 1-0 in 1993 qualifying in Argentina but even losing by a goal against Argentina is commendable in itself based on the scoreline alone.

After watching Copa America 2024 last year, the atmosphere over there will be hard for the Euro/Australian teams.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I remember watching Australia v Uruguay in 2001 in South America, I know Aussies lost 3-0, but Australia werent that bad that day in Montevideo. The Aussie players had it tough upon landing and the South Americans used every tactic on-field and off-field to get into the Aussies heads.


Australia had a better result against Uruguay in 2005 qualifying losing 1-0 in Montevideo.


I was too young to see Australia lose 1-0 in 1993 qualifying in Argentina but even losing by a goal against Argentina is commendable in itself based on the scoreline alone.

After watching Copa America 2024 last year, the atmosphere over there will be hard for the Euro/Australian teams.

In America though there will be big support for a lot of countries. In 94 Italy games were mad. If they qualify which I doubt they'd get huge support in Canada or USA. Not that they'll do anything with it even if they get there. Portugal would get a big support base too.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

In America though there will be big support for a lot of countries. In 94 Italy games were mad. If they qualify which I doubt they'd get huge support in Canada or USA. Not that they'll do anything with it even if they get there. Portugal would get a big support base too.

What really surprised me about the latest FIFA Club World Cup, was Man City and Chelsea fans were outnumbered by the South American fans.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

It’s a bad loss overall as Venezuela aren’t much chop at full strength and they had as many out as we did. Pretty much torpedoes any chance of Pot 2 as well, but I suspect that was a pipe dream anyway.

I thought the first 5 minutes looked good, Mo Toure rolling his man twice. But after that for some reason we decided to show them far too much respect and sat way too deep.

Concerning how little we created after going behind. Bos was the biggest out, and Irvine back to full fitness will help.

Okon showed a couple of signs on the ball although didn’t always finish his passes and Beach made one cracking save.

Trewin not up to the level at this stage.

Colombia a real test of where we are at, but need to be far better than today. The key for mine is getting close to the first XI settled and playing in the March window.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Debuting 3 players in a game you need to win against an average side is stupidity.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Oh yeah, if Bos is injured for World Cup we have problems as Rowles and Goodwin have shown in last two windows they can’t be used there.

 

[Pres]

Anyone see this game? How bad did we look?

 

[Hamingja]

Hate to say this based on rankings, these are the types of sides Australia shouldn't be losing to.

The rankings are completely pointless, they always have been. It gets inflated because of all our matches against Asian opposition. Then last WC we had a big advantage over Peru in the final qualifier and Tunisia/Denmark in the group stages because we had spent the last couple of years playing all our games in the Middle East because of COVID. It was practically a home world cup for that cycle.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I agree the rankings mean very little but Venezuela have never qualified for a WC and they had at least 6 of their best players missing.

I’m reserving judgement until we have close to our best XI playing but the concern yesterday was the haram ball - completely unnecessary against a team like that. I’m ok to play that if we draw an Argentina or France, but some of the teams in Pot 4 we should be all over

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

The rankings are completely pointless, they always have been. It gets inflated because of all our matches against Asian opposition. Then last WC we had a big advantage over Peru in the final qualifier and Tunisia/Denmark in the group stages because we had spent the last couple of years playing all our games in the Middle East because of COVID. It was practically a home world cup for that cycle.

Yeah right. We won on penalties so it's not like it was a huge advantage. Two narrow one nil wins as well. We got by with a lot of luck.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Anyone see this game? How bad did we look?

Looked like grilled cheese.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

One thing is Australia has always been competitive against South American stage when the bright lights have shone.

After a bit of reflection this statement is not true.

Still remember losing to Brazil 6-0 in 1997 and whilst preparing for 2014 World Cup, losing by same margin. Remember reading somewhere that its hard enough to beat Brazil then current world champions with 11 men, let alone 10 men.





This is probably the kind of behaviour Socceroos will have to deal with playing South American oppo next summer:



The fans too will be right in their face.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

After a bit of reflection this statement is not true.

Still remember losing to Brazil 6-0 in 1997 and whilst preparing for 2014 World Cup, losing by same margin. Remember reading somewhere that its hard enough to beat Brazil then current world champions with 11 men, let alone 10 men.





This is probably the kind of behaviour Socceroos will have to deal with playing South American oppo next summer:



The fans too will be right in their face.

Australia beat Brazil and France in the 2001 confed cup. In 1997 somehow drew with them nil all in the group too. Also got smashed 6 nil by France around the same time they got smacked 6 nil by Brazil in prep for 2014.

 

[ExchangeStatMan]

Australia beat Brazil and France in the 2001 confed cup. In 1997 somehow drew with them nil all in the group too. Also got smashed 6 nil by France around the same time they got smacked 6 nil by Brazil in prep for 2014.

Yep and the Confed cup came pretty much straight away after the disappointment of losing to Iran in the World Cup playoffs.

To get a 0-0 result against that Brazil team was a huge achievement- in a competitive tournament. That was a mighty Brazilian team: Roberto Carlos, Bebeto, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Leonardo, Dida. And then you had bench players of the like of: Cafu, Dunga, Romario, Denilson, Juninho.

 

[FreoRicci]

We did beat Peru last qualifying campaign and people gave us little chance then...

Look it's only a friendly so whatever, but it was disappointing to lose to Venezuela.

Drew.
Only won on penalties.

Have faced Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile Peru (in World Cup 2018) since 2005. Don’t think Australia has even got 50% possession against any of those countries.

Just grateful Australia are in Asian qualifying and not South America. No way in hell would Australia even manage to get 8-10th best team. It’s ridiculous how much talent and intense it is over there.