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♔ ♕ ♚ ♛ Australia U17/U20/U23 National Team Tournaments & Discussion Thread ♔ ♕ ♚ ♛

jas88 said:
I think its probably been 20 years since we had an actual striker who scared his defenders. It made a huge difference in helping us stay up the field in that mid block. I think at one point even Bennie got in behind too.



Bennie is straight up a Emerton regen lol
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hopefully his brother, mo toure (2004) gets game time. He has looked a beast for randers. Similar style player but further along in development
 
ossi said:
Good to see major newspaper covering the Young Socceroos:

Young Socceroos keen to add AFC Under-20 Asian Cup glory to World Cup qualification​


Loading…

www.news.com.au
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This is one of the many reasons that I think that results matter for youth tournaments even if they don't for european powerhouses

we struggle for print pages in Australia. Even the u17 world cup - results at this level are significantly less predictive at long term success with the majority that play at the world cup not even cracking pro football anywhere. Yet when we made the final it made the back page of major news papers
 
Decentric said:
At last I can comment after having seen the entire Japanese game.

On technique -

First touch, handling speed, passing and moving in tight spaces, passing over range, running with the ball, dribbling 1v1, striking the ball, overall Japan was better. Having said this, as you've mentioned, Irankunda, Youlley, and Zane Schreiber weren't playing, who have high level technique. Neither did Leonard, De Jesus and Kane Vidmar, plus Clayton Taylor.

Okon and Deli were as good as any of th e Japanese with handling speed and first touch, whilst Toure dribbled, ran with the ball better tha n most Japanese players.

Tackling, jockeying, heading, body on body duels, shielding - Australia was probably better.

Defensive organisation, structure, holding team shape, distance between and within the lines, Aus were better, but it might have been from more Aussies playing regular senior pro football, making them more match ready at this age. However, it might not be indicative of when a player peaks in his mid to late 20s.

Both teams played Half Presses, with moderate Squeezing, which is easier to maintain shape, but less likely to cause turnovers.

I didn't see possession stats, but they seemed pretty even, with Aus possibly being territorially disadvantaged.

Shots at goal - Aus only had 6 to Japan's 12.

Congrats to Aus for winning, but it wasn't a decisive victory apart from the scoreboard.
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For me, Okon has been the biggest revelation.

In the past, I think I dismissed him as a mainstay in the national setup because of his name and being based at a big European club. It is also much harder to follow his progress than many of his A-League-based teammates.

But his first touch, passing, and calmness under pressure has hugely impressed. He seems to have improved massively because I don’t recall him being such a standout in other games I’ve seen him.

Lisbon is a great city, so relocating may not be an option, but I would love to see him playing senior football regularly at a decent level. Would hate to see him become just another Aussie kid in love with the idea of settling for a career as a reserves footballer albeit at a big club.
 
Total Football said:
For me, Okon has been the biggest revelation.

In the past, I think I dismissed him as a mainstay in the national setup because of his name and being based at a big European club. It is also much harder to follow his progress than many of his A-League-based teammates.

But his first touch, passing, and calmness under pressure has hugely impressed. He seems to have improved massively because I don’t recall him being such a standout in other games I’ve seen him.

Lisbon is a great city, so relocating may not be an option, but I would love to see him playing senior football regularly at a decent level. Would hate to see him become just another Aussie kid in love with the idea of settling for a career as a reserves footballer albeit at a big club.
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It's hard to be patient when they're promising like this. I hate lost years and how the players go missing in reserve football. Okon has just 4 appearances this season. Highly competitive but that's such an indictment at 20 years old.

Someone like Peupion is just grasping it now. Had he left Brighton earlier he may have kicked on. Teague came good but it was a long hard wait for us to see him. I'd like Okon to break ranks and get senior football.

His father's Belgium contacts should be useful.
 
Empty stadiums in China but surely European clubs have scouts there. Surely!
 
JS96 said:
It's hard to be patient when they're promising like this. I hate lost years and how the players go missing in reserve football. Okon has just 4 appearances this season. Highly competitive but that's such an indictment at 20 years old.

Someone like Peupion is just grasping it now. Had he left Brighton earlier he may have kicked on. Teague came good but it was a long hard wait for us to see him. I'd like Okon to break ranks and get senior football.

His father's Belgium contacts should be useful.
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Go to Austria Switzerland or Denmark and climb the ladder. Don't rot in the reserves of a mega club
 
Torn. As a rule I never watch Saudi teams because of their simulation. Can't stand it. BUT this may be the game that I could make an exception of.
 
JS96 said:
It's hard to be patient when they're promising like this. I hate lost years and how the players go missing in reserve football. Okon has just 4 appearances this season. Highly competitive but that's such an indictment at 20 years old.

Someone like Peupion is just grasping it now. Had he left Brighton earlier he may have kicked on. Teague came good but it was a long hard wait for us to see him. I'd like Okon to break ranks and get senior football.

His father's Belgium contacts should be useful.
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I agree. He’s only 20, but in professional sport time is not on your side. There’s no waiting until you’re 30 to finish uni and land your first job.

On the other hand, I work in professional sport (boxing) and can tell you there are plenty who love the idea of being a professional athlete more than actually being one.

At the elite level, professional footballers are killers. It’s an aggressive industry and not everyone is built for it.

In the past, too many young Aussies have seen signing with a big/European club as the goal rather than step one in their journey. And there are plenty of dodgy agents willing to make a deal happen; very few care about setting these kids up to succeed once they get there. In that sense, football and boxing are the same game.

For me, Peupion’s willingness to linger in the reserves suggests a mentality that isn’t suited to elite sport. Rather than pushing for first team football against men, he has been content being a Brighton player and dominating in an U21 competition.

Ryan Teague’s path has been a little different. Although farmed out by Famalicao, he was at least playing senior football in the second division. And when it was clear that first team opportunities at Famalicao were limited, he didn’t waste vital years and jumped ship to Victory.

He’s now on the radar of at least two national teams (if you believe the China rumours).

A lot of people don’t want to admit it, but the A-League is now a viable alternative to Europe for many. Teague wouldn’t be earning rave reviews if he was slugging it out in Norway or League Two.

It may be an option Okon will need to explore if he hasn’t broken into Benfica’s matchday squad by next season. He’s way too talented to be making the same decision at 24 or 25.
 
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