Thu 24 May 2012 | 
Verbeek's message: Get out
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Enlarge textIf you want to be selected in the Socceroos World Cup squad you had better be playing overseas, writes Matthew Hall.
The A-League has done its job for Roar's Tommy Oar and he is now off to Dutch club Feyenoord [GETTY]
- 6 Comments | Join the discussion
If I were Tommy Oar, the 18-year-old Brisbane Roar midfielder, I'd be looking at my watch right about now.
I'd be counting down the days – not for his potential role in Australia's upcoming Asian Cup qualifier with Indonesia in Brisbane – but for April's arrival when Oar will leave his home town to spend time trialing with Dutch club Feyenoord.
The A-League can claim to have now done its job for Oar.
It has provided a taste of full-time football for a promising young talent and now one of the world's top clubs – with a reputation for developing young talent and catapulting it even further into football's professional stratosphere – wants to see Oar in action.
Oar, an awesome headline waiting to happen, should be glad to be shot of the A-League if he harbours any ambition to play for Australia.
Pim Verbeek has done exactly the right thing picking a squad containing a majority of could-be-and-possibles for the Indonesia game but if any player named (other than Jason Culina, Josh Kennedy, and Luke Wilkshire) shows up in South Africa as anything more than a backpacker it will be a shock for FFA's travel agent.
Verbeek has sent yet another message to players and public with the squad named to face Indonesia in Brisbane.
Get the hell out.
Selecting Jade North and Mark Milligan, players who should by now be Socceroo regulars but neither blazing a trail with clubs in Korea and Japan, again suggests that if you're playing anywhere other than Australia Verbeek will give you a call.
For Australia's returning Socceroos, the message is even clearer.
This season's Johnny Warren Medal, – the award given to the A-League's best player – was fought out between Carlos Hernandez, a Costa Rican international, World Cup-bound Kiwi Shane Smeltz, and Paul Ifill, originally from football power Barbados.
This is a great reward for these players and the recruiting smarts of Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix.
But where are the older Aussies?
While Perth Glory's returning heroes Jacob Burns and Mile Sterjovski will later link up with the squad to face Indonesia, they face a battle to be serious contenders for World Cup selection later this year.
Which, let's face it, is the only squad that matters.
Those guys must be feeling a little short-changed by coming home one season out from the World Cup (except, of course, for the "lifestyle" and the weather).
But another year in Europe and it seems they might be coming home via Johannesburg.
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Comments (6)
the internatinoal game.
When are people in this country going to realise that if you want the socceroos to do well you need our best talent playing in the best leagues,Europe.You can't honestly expect us to win against the best countries in the world, whose players play in Europe where they are tactically and technically proficient,with our MEDIOCRE A-League players.We won't see great players emerge from our league for 5-10 years because that will be when our Dutch trained youth finally start to emerge.If our national league of yesteryear,the N.S.L,had been so good we would have made more world cups and succeeded more as a football nation.
18 Feb 2010 16:12 AEST
From: Kunming, China
Give it time
I think we are forgetting that the A-League is only five years old. Give it some time...
18 Feb 2010 13:58 AEST
From: Brunswick
A-league bread and butter
That's rubbish Matt, the Glory's returning Socceroos have been underwhelming and would never have featured regardless of where they were playing. There are better Aussies playing in the A-league than Mile, Chris and Jacob. Let hope the next socceroo coach has a more nurturing view of the A-league because its our bread and butter.
18 Feb 2010 13:39 AEST
From: Newcastle
Qantas seat warmers are on...
...for all but 3 or 4 players, so Pim has said. Craig Moore has already left, even when the Roar were still in for a chance in the finals series so that is how much weight the 'play or stay' mantra has (well, personality clashes with the Roar coach aside). Which of the players for the Indonesian game are being looked at for South Africa? Milligan and North could be defensive cover for SA2010, but Ryse Williams, Dario Vidosic et al could still be in the mix regardless. Good luck for that ticket if you don't play against Indonesia.
18 Feb 2010 13:01 AEST
From: collie
a-league
i think the a-league can be a lot better in the clubs look in there own back yard. some of the so called better players are to old and get paid a lot of money. clubs should be getting talent from there own state leagues i am sure the are lot of younger quality players out there.
18 Feb 2010 10:48 AEST
From: Sydney
book a ticket
Unfortunately I feel that this is the hard truth... It's about every football interaction being at higher stakes. Players are not going to be at their best potential if they do not have the BEST in the world around them. That includes other players around them, coaching staff and a professional set up. Often a player in the A-league that shows something different is told to dumb down in order for other players to be able to read their play. European players will always be one or more steps ahead because they are encouraged to have flair World Cup Blog at http://www.girlmeetsball.blogspot.com
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Sport, without spin, from around the world. Matthew Hall considers the issues behind the headlines and tells the stories that others don't.
Matthew Hall Sport, without spin, from around the world. Matthew Hall considers the issues behind the headlines and tells the stories that others don't. Matt is a writer, author, and filmmaker, originally from Perth, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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From: nsw