Australian manager Pim Verbeek is keen to get Tim Cahill back in the squad for the next round of World Cup qualifiers after watching the midfielder earn his side a victory 2 weeks ago and a point at the weekend as he looks to try and regain his full fitness. As ... Click to continue reading...

Feyenoord had victory on it's mind at three levels: three points, confidence and the fans goodwill. Instead of three points, Feyenoord had to make do with one, but it did score on the two other objectives. Gertjan Verbeek: "We didn't play great football, but we fought for every meter and showed Click to continue reading...

Scott MacDonald, Jade North, Josh Kennedy, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, Mark Viduka, Tim Cahill, Matthew Spiranovic, Michael Beauchamp, Mile Sterjovski, Bruce Djite. Non of these players started tonight and don't forget Nicky Carle!


Asia has tested the Socceroos; and Pim Verbeek now has a depth of player few could have dreamed of after the last World Cup. Click to continue reading...

Carl Valeri to start.

Remember the Socceroos at the World Cup in Germany 2006. How could you forget one of Australia's greatest sporting moments?

How many Canberrans played against Carl in his junior days. Maybe beat him in a sprint or a tackle, maybe even nutmegged him.

Well Canberra's Carl Valeri, the former Tuggeranong United junior, is crucial to Australia's hopes to get to South Africa 2010. Click to continue reading...

The entire A-League has been handed a weekend's recess to allow the national team to concentrate on their World Cup qualifying visit to Uzbekistan on September 10, but it turns out only one side will actually be affected by national team coach Pim Verbeek's call-ups.

After finally being convinced to elongate the regular season to allow byes over FIFA-recognised match dates, Australian football authorities must now wonder why they bothered. Click to continue reading...

Just a few quick (they were meant to be short) thoughts on the game: Our passing was sloppy and often impatient. We weren't as careful and measured in our build up as we normally are under Verbeek. Too often, Grella hit hopeful long-balls up the park that would result in a turnover. Even some of [. Click to continue reading...

And I mean literally... The influence of the coach gets more and more. Marco van Basten, Louis van Gaal and Gertjan Verbeek were also in charge of the actual renovations of their respective stadiums. When Van Basten started as youth coach in Amsterdam, 5 years ago, he'd wander around in the dressing Click to continue reading...

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Australia play South Africa at Loftus Road, Tuesday 19 August (Maybe Nick Ward will be returning?)

Football Federation Australia - South Africa and The Netherlands to face Qantas Socceroos Monday, 7 July 2008
The road to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is being mapped out at Football Federation Australia (FFA) with the announcement today of two prestigious international matches in August and September to kick-off the next stage of the World Cup qualifying campaign as well as qualifiers for the 2011 Asian Cup, courtesy of FOXTEL. Click to continue reading...

Pim Verbeek's Australia have made it through to their toughest qualifying campaign since joining the Asian confederation - and with a match to spare at that. But a flattering points total wasn't enough to paper over the cracks of some suspect selections by the new national coach.

It's perhaps not so much Verbeek's first choice side which is suspect. Click to continue reading...

A young Socceroos side lost 1-0 at home to China tonight at the ANZ stadium in Sydney in front of 70,000 fans.

And the performance showed, what most have always said about Australia, that we lack depth, real depth, beyond the first squad.

This is not a new situation.

Australia has never been able to put out a "second eleven" in it's football history and beat sides the quality of China. Click to continue reading...

Come back Craig we loved you as a critic:)

SBS Commentator Craig Foster has written a piece in the SMH, see full article below, on the Dutchification of Aussie football.

In general it's fine but there are a few glaring mis-placed passes.

While the Socceroos' performances against Iraq raise concerns about their ability against stronger opposition, Verbeek has answered every question put to him, and his management of the logistical challenges of Asia has been perfect.

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After some weeks of negotiation, it was today announced that hapless ex-England manager Steve McLaren has agreed to be the new manager of Dutch top-flight side FC Twente. An interesting career decision it is, but a good one, I think. Twente are a nice side, have just qualified for the Champions League and are in a league where the dominance of the top three sides is not as strong as it has been in previous eras. Click to continue reading...

Tuggeranong United fans are heading to Sydney in big numbers for the Australia China game on the weekend.

And they are expected to be rewarded by seeing Carl Valeri and his former Under 11 Tuggers team-mate Nikolai Topor-Stanley in the starting line-up.

What the Armchair Aussies want, we get. Click to continue reading...

Well, John Howard warned us it would happen. He even went to war cause of it. Now finally, he has been vindicated. Australia has finally been hit by a weapon of mass destruction fired from the Middle East, or is this more of a case of friendly fire? Verbeek has come out and really expressed himself [. Click to continue reading...

Australia coach Pim Verbeek will have received cold comfort from watching his hotchpotch Socceroos flail and flounder in Singapore.

In a night of numbers in the humid and damp island nation, two would have jumped out at Verbeek: 0-0. Not exactly what the doctor ordered for a match primarily designed to prepare the national side for the gruelling World Cup qualifying clash with China at 1900m Kunming in thee days time. Click to continue reading...

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek didn't quite measure up to his illustrious predecessor in charge of South Korea. On Wednesday night, Verbeek retried Guus Hiddink's shoes on for size as Australia mounted their maiden World Cup qualifying campaign through the AFC.

If Verbeek's 3-0 victory over Qatar wasn't quite enough to prove the bulk of his doubters wrong, it must have gone mighty close. Click to continue reading...

After a whirlwind start to summer down under, nobody has been left in any doubt the capacity for football, the world game, to make Australians scratch their heads in befuddlement.

From the celebrity to the downright unknown, from David Beckham to new Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek say, it's been a confusing time for many. Click to continue reading...