16 October 2011 223.2 Mark Fiorenti comes on to talk about the Socceroos and their 3-0 win againt Oman and says all Australia need is a point from their remaining games to qualify for the next round of World Cup qualifiers. He is full of praise for Holger Osieck and also reviews the other Asian Group standings. Mark looks at the A League and the Professor asks how long before the Melbourne Victory coach is under pressure. Mark says if Victory don’t beat Heart it will be a disastrous start to the season. Daniel talks basketball and the Professor takes him to task about how One HD are selecting the games. He feels decisions are made on a financial basis because it must be cheaper to go to Townsville than Perth. The Panel talk about the poor television ratings for the NBL while Sportzfan Stan discusses the benefit that Mills has given to the sport whilst he has been here. The Gelding compares the amount of newspaper columns given to all sports and decides basketball gets less coverage than rugby and soccer. The Professor asks Paul Dalligan where Todd Carney will land as it has been rumored he is being chased by at least four teams. Paul previews the Australia v New Zealand rugby league match predicting a close game but an Australian win. He also comments on Tim Tebow starting at QB for his Denver Broncos. The Panel talk about the big clash in the World Cup semi final between the Wallabies and New Zealand. The Panel unanimously select the Wallabies. To round off the show the Panel discuss AFL trade week and Casey Stoner winning the motorcycle GP.
Tag Archives: world-cup
2014 FIFA World Cup – “The ‘Slow’ and the Restless” to “The Bold and the Beautiful”…a soap box opera week for the Socceroos
“A week is a long time in football” – author unknown.
The Socceroos are in pole position to advance to the next and final phase of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
But not without making a meal of beating lowly ranked Thailand 2-1 in their first qualifying match!
Australia’s performance against Thailand was plain awful and the cause of great distress.
During the Asian Cup, “The ‘F’ Word” lamented the Socceroos’ use of the “long ball” route to goal which led to nothing at times and the players’ apparent arrogance against inferior opposition. Those lessons had clearly not been learned…
Down 1-0 at half time the Socceroos appeared unimaginative and one dimensional in their path to goal. Midfielders Carl Valeri and Neil Kilkenny appeared slow and static and the hopeful strategy of having strikers Josh Kennedy and Tim Cahill getting their heads on the end of a cross or long ball (which were generally woeful) was predictable and constituted anti-football. The Thais, missing a number of their first choice players, were threatening a major upset that was only averted by a second half equaliser from Kennedy and a late, lucky winner from Alex Brosque who found the net after being served by Kennedy, who suspiciously used his arm to deliver the assist.
In short, the performance provided more questions than answers. Socceroos coach, Holger Osieck himself conceded that one of the few good things to come out of game was the result. A much sterner test awaited the team in the shape of Saudi Arabia in the city of Dammam on Wednesday morning…
Saudi Arabia 1 Australia 3
Al-Shamrani (65’) Kennedy (40’), Kennedy (56’) and Wilkshire (77’)
Now that was a better performance from the team!
The Socceroos appeared more cohesive against Saudi Arabia than the team that played against Thailand and played with more purpose and less arrogance amid the desert heat. Gone were the futile long balls and slow transition from defence to attack and in came a composed, passing game whereby the players were able to dictate the tempo of the match from start to finish.
Nowhere was the difference more evident than on the right flank. Against the Thais, Luke Wilkshere and Brett Emerton looked more out of place than the writer at an anti-donut rally. Against Frank Rijkaard’s men however, the duo had more chemistry than “The Curiosity Show”. Their movement stretched the Saudis, forcing them to take a reactive approach.
Osieck too, bravely rung the changes and ought to be commended for doing so. He dropped Cahill and Kilkenny, who were ineffective against Thailand and replaced the inexperienced Matthew Spiranovic with the more assured Sasa Ognenovski. The tinkering meant Mile Jedinak won back his defensive midfielder’s spot, Matt McKay slotted back into his preferred playmaking role in midfield making way for the fresh and exciting Michael Zullo at left back and Brett Holman played in “the hole” (ie between midfield and defence).
With six points in the bag, yesterday’s B grade actors beginning to look more accustomed to the big stage and a producer who is able to guide them there, the Socceroos are now in an almost impregnable position to march into the final round of qualification.
I only hope they show us more beauty and less beast on their way there.
The “F” word
Sportzfan Radio show #216.1
28 August 2011 216.1 – The Professor is back behind the microphone with Daniel Eade and Brett. Dan Butterly comes on to talk US sport with the College football season about to start next week. He is keen to see how the Mountain West Conference teams go. He also talks NBA, NFL and MLB. The Gelding is away on holidays in Hawaii so the Gambler calls in to talk horse racing and defend his selections for yesterday’s race meeting at Caulfield. Mark Fiorenti talks soccer and previews the Socceroos World Cup tie against Thailand on Friday.
Sportzfan Radio 31 July 2011 #212.2
31 July 2011 212.2 – Mark Fiorenti continues talking about the draw for World Cup 2014. He thinks the group with Spain and France in is the ‘Group of Death’. There is a discusson of Dean Bailey’s tenure as coach at the Melbourne FC and whether he should be sacked or not. This is followed by Glenn Hampson talking about whether the AFL are getting bang for their buck from the signings of Karmichael Hunt & Israel Folau. Sportzfan Stan says their is no loyalty for clubs these days, just players going for the money. The Panel talk with Paul Dalligan about NRL players involvement in AFL and his duties serving champagne at his lovelies baby shower. He also talks Melbourne Storm’s shackle tackle. Paul also discusses the NRL round in depth. The Gelding calls in to talk horse racing and the results from Caulfield. The Professor talks about using Daniel’s method of selecting horses and picked Mr Griswold for a nice collect. The Gelding even awards an S-hit ride to Keiran McEvoy for his ride on Scarf that upset his all up bet. He also saw Danish Rock’s jump out and says the horse was a bit green and reminded him of a lawyer going to his first conference – all over the place. Glenn finishes off with a discussion on the controversy about Australian cricket contracts. Sportzfan Stan again calls for the sacking of the Australian selectors.
Sportzfan Radio 31 July 2011 #212.1
31 July 2011 212.1 – Sportzfan Stan starts the show ripping the Melbourne FC saying they are a ‘team of the past’ and don’t deserve to be in the AFL. He doesn’t think Dean Bailey should be sacked though and that Melbourne should wait until the end of the season before making a move. Daniel Eade comes on to talk about the NBA lockout – he thinks games will definitely be lost and playing won’t commence until December at the earliest, the chances of Patrick Mills playing in the NBL this season and the coming international matches between the Boomers & Opals and New Zealand at the Cage. He also talks ice hockey with the AIHL finals to be played in Melbourne on 3 -4 September. Sportzfan Stan looks at performance enhancing drugs in sport again and the prevalence of their use. Glenn Hampson makes his debut as a member of the Sportzfan Radio panel and joins the discussion on Alberto Contador. Mark Fiorenti talks soccer and the World Cup 2014 preliminary draw and reviews the Asian section group. He feels the Socceroos should make it through the first round of qualifying.
Germany vs Australia – A cause for concern to a cause célèbre
“…..the blame no doubt lies with Pim Verbeek and the fearful, naive and nonsensical tactics he employed in that match. Further, Verbeek’s tactics against Germany disarmed the players of their unique and natural cultural qualities, that being their attacking, fighting spirit. Put simply, he did not believe in the players…..(we need) to recruit a new custodian who, unlike Verbeek, understands and is able to harness the cultural qualities of Australia’s players and moreover, believes in them” – The F Word’s musings in a previous blog.
They say time heals all wounds.
I agree.
But so too does self belief, a willingness to change and a desire to right the wrongs of the past.
When Australia took to the field against Germany at last year’s World Cup the team appeared bereft of ideas, spirit and passion. The 4-0 drubbing always meant the Socceroos would need to play catch up football in their remaining two games to secure qualification to the knockout stages of the World Cup. Despite restoring some pride against Ghana and Serbia, the mountain was insurmountable and early elimination confirmed.
In recent months, the team, and new coach Holger Osieck, have appeared determined to make a point that they were better than their first-round exit at the World Cup. First, an appearance at the final of the AFC Asian Cup in January and now an astonishing come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany in their own backyard.
The world’s number three ranked side looked on course to replicate its 4-0 win in Durban as they dominated the first half with their speed, passing and movement on and off the ball and duly went ahead after 26 minutes. But Osieck’s spirited half time team talk sparked the turnaround. He later told Fox Sports, “…I said (to the players) ‘you can do it’….I told them we are Australia, we are somebody and we don’t have to be afraid of them”. The Australian players’ actions mirrored those words as they came out of the dressing-room for the second half with a changed approach and a determination to get back into the contest. Playing the ball on the ground and moving it about with short, crisp passing the Socceroos stunned the hosts with two goals in the 61st and 65th minute, first through David Carney and then a Luke Wilkshire penalty, to claim a first ever win over the European side.
Much will be made of the fact the game was a meaningless friendly and that Germany coach, Joachim Low made a host of changes to the side that beat Kazakhstan 4-0 in its Euro 2012 qualifier last weekend. But given their stature, playing depth and superior head-to-head record, the Germans should have still comfortably beaten the Socceroos. This was still a side that had Lukas Podolski, Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger, all of whom started on that fateful day in Durban. Finally, no country, regardless of the importance of the fixture would want to lose a game at home.
The surprising thing was that the overall performance of the Socceroos was not perfect. In truth, the Germans completely controlled the opening period and had the better of the contest until the Socceroos equalised. Further, Mile Jedinak was yet again inefficient and unimaginative in the engine room and gave the ball away too easily, whilst Lucas Neill consistently overlooked the midfield by persistently hoofing the ball forward.
But the fact Australia managed to beat the three-time World champions without playing at its best is a clear indication of how far the team has come as a football nation. The confidence sapped by Pim Verbeek’s complete lack of faith in the players has bounced back under Osieck and the players are beginning to rate themselves again. With the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign fast approaching, I have no doubt the national team is heading in the right direction.
Mark ‘The F Word’ Fiorenti
A Heart stopper for this fan
My visit to the heart mechanic this morning didn’t exactly go to plan….
I (unusually) arrived early so I decided to kill the time reading the headlines in one of our leading newspapers…..Whilst the 1.25 litre bottle of water I was drinking may have disguised my morning custard tart and flat white from the impending blood pressure reading, the headline on the front page certainly didn’t.
“Soccer fans the Worst”.
So a top cop says.
I’m not a police officer, but a fan of the A-League and moreover, the world game, and not here to dispute what the chief says. I repeat however, I am a football fan….something I’m unsure Victoria Police and large sections of our media fail to understand. But more on that later…
I am baffled though, why this newspaper felt so compelled to report this story on its front page….
This, on the same day the A-League finals commence. Coincidence or conspiracy?Where was the report previewing the A-League finals campaign? Half way through the sports section…..Or the report reviewing the football purists’ wet dream (that is, Arsenal vs Barcelona in the Champions’ League round of 16) and the former’s stirring comeback? It was a mere footnote…..
Or the right of reply to the refreshing and challenging remarks made by former Socceroo, Llubo Milicevic earlier this week in which he stated, amongst other things, many AFL and NRL players allegedly take drugs, yet get away with it because those codes’ stance on drugs being built on thin “ice”. No pun intended. I’m still looking for it…..
I did however, read an article the other day in the same newspaper about a self confessed drug and alcohol user and former AFL star whose former partner would rather spend a night with the lions (no, not the AFL club) on their African holiday than him, being offered a lucrative contract to try and do his best Fred Astaire impersonation on Dancing with the Stars It’s ironic how sections of our media continually throw lifelines to AFL footballers who can’t, nor know, how to control their emotions, yet throws the boot in on passionate and emotional fans at football games!
This is not the first time my temples have been pounding at the sight of such news…..
The night after the first A-League and Melbourne football derby was played, sections of our media, rather than embrace the significance of the game, ran beat up stories about alleged violence between sections of supporters of both clubs and how those supporters allegedly vandalised our public transport system. Yet how many people did Victoria Police arrest that night? One. It must have been a slow news day….Oh, but the Caulfield Guineas was on that same weekend and 57 people were allegedly arrested for underage drinking. Well so I heard on the grapevine…..
With A-League crowd numbers already way down on those of the opening season, sections of our media seem intent on chasing more fans away from the world game. Even lower crowd numbers are surely to be the consequence of such stories and the heavy handed manner in which the more enthusiastic, active fans are being treated by security staff and police around the country.
And so to the point I alluded to earlier…..
Football fans are a rare and unique breed. Our authorities, media and the administrators of the game cannot expect a passive and sanitised form of support witnessed in other football codes. Football supporters are, above all, fans. They have too much pent-up passion to be able to sit there quietly and cheer when the odd goal goes in. Of course they will get passionate if and when the winning and only goal is scored in the 94th minute of a pulsating context or the referee makes a bad decision which affects the outcome of the game!
Football fans see themselves as members of the team and will do whatever they can to contribute to the defeat of the opposing team. Hence the songs they sing, the giant banners supporting a team or player, the horns, the drums and the hardcore fan groups. The passion extends beyond the field and into the stands and a connection is built that makes every fan more than a mere spectator.
It is why at many football clubs around the world, like Boca Juniors for example, there is no number 12 squad shirt – the number being reserved for the fans who are collectively seen as the 12th man. This is non existent in other football codes.
This does not of course mean that passion which is channelled into violence should be accepted or go uncontrolled. There is no doubt certain fans are tarnishing the A-League brand. I’m not that ignorant and/or one eyed. But as a regular attendant at many A-League games since its inception, I cannot help but observe and note a consistent misunderstanding between our authorities and the games’ fans. Passionate, positive support should not be confused with football hooliganism, an extremely different and ugly beast. It is this difference that I feel our authorities and media do not fully understand and moreover, embrace.
Further, I see no justification for an unnecessarily high police presence at A-League games such as the one witnessed at the Melbourne Victory vs Newcastle Jets game last month. As a friend later remarked, “There was not one hint of violence….That sort of police presence will only fire up fans even more!”
And let’s not let the flare throwing individual take the headlines away from a game which has given the world mouth watering local derbies steeped in history and many nations joy in times of despair.
Sportzfan Radio #183.2
12 December 2010 183.2 – Mark Fiorenti continues his discussion of the A League looking at Sydney Rovers dropping their bid to join and also reviews at Premier League and Champions League. John O’Callaghan and Nicole Chvastek return to discuss a number of sporting topics including the World Cup bid fiasco which highlighted the lack of leadership by those running the bid process for Australia and the secrecy of surrounding money spent on the bid. Daniel says that it was OK for Elle MacPherson to be involved with the bid….he wouldn’t complain about that. Nicole queries the cost benefit analysis of spending so much money for one vote. The Professor eblieves the money paid to consultants was an absolute waste.
John also looks at the ‘rivalry’ round in the ABL and he believes after four weeks that is an absolute nonsense idea. Sean says Brendan Fevola smashing a car windscreen in a baseball promotion gave the ABL some main stream press during the week but for all the wrong reasons. Daniel talks about the stupidity of one match last week being called a tie becaue of the time curfew restrictions at the stadium.
Nicole starts off a discussion with the Panel about Shane Warne – his suntan, his eyebrows and his teeth, the mediocrity that is Australia cricket and whether or not Warne will make a comeback. She also believes that Geelong officials should be deemed to be ‘negligent’ for allowing Bomber Thompson and Garry Ablett to not talk to each other for about eight months. She says whoever oversaw such a debacle should be kicked out of the Club.
Daniel and the Professor discuss the NBL, particularly the new imports with both the Adelaide 36ers and the Sydney Kings. They also talk NBA and the improvement of the New York Knicks this season after recruiting Amare Stoudemire. Daniel wonders if Carmelo Anthony will sign soon with the Knicks. He talks about Julius Hodge who says he has finished with Australia and won’t be back to play in the NBL.
Paul Dalligan also wants to talk ABL and he was impressed with his first game watching the Melbourne Aces. He also has NRL mail that Wayne Bennett will coach the Rabbitohs in 2012.
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD CUP BID DIDN’T SELL
So, what was Australia’s point of difference to make us unquestionably the only choice for the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Hmmm… Beaches, Kangaroos, and locally known sports celebrities. No, they’re not strong enough to make our pitch unlosable. That’s a selfish and cheesy chest beat.
The question we needed to ask ourselves was, how would Australasia, the game of soccer, and the world, benefit from Australia winning?”
So how would it? That’s where the brain storming starts. That’s where we find our point of difference, that’s where we find THE ANSWER!
After we have the answer, we then work out the best way to sell our solution (the pitch process). That’s when we look at who we are presenting to, which in this case was to older, wiser and well travelled FIFA officials. That’s where we make our sell interesting for them, because they make the decision.
Bells and whistles usually means the polishing of a turd. And didn’t we polish it well. A 45 million dollar polish on a thieving cartoon Kangaroo, that reminded me of a Caramello Koala commercial.
I hope we learn from Qatar. They did it beautifully, using changing the world’s perception of The Middle East, and recycling stadiums in developing countries after the World Cup ends with the over arching idea of PEACE. Qatar’s bid sold the idea that if Qatar wins then lives will be saved. That’s powerful, that’s pitch winning. You’re not choosing Qatar, you’re choosing peace. That’s unquestionably the only choice!
What I don’t know is after the announcement was made that Qatar won, why did our bid stop. Why didn’t we have something ready to steal the lime light away from Qatar to make us favourite for the next bid and already show that we are committed to bringing the World Cup to Australia?
Scott Hall
Art/Design Director
McCann Erickson Melbourne
From the colony to the colonised….Football’s not coming home but to new frontiers….and without a dose of “Fair Play” (Part 2)
So, too 2022….
Millions of football fans around the world are still wondering how Qatar ultimately won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup. Yet in the end FIFA was seduced and “sold” by Qatar’s promise of a high-tech tournament.
I always maintained Australia was arguably punching above its weight in trying to secure the hosting rights to 2022, yet I also consistently argued we had a solid bid and our real and only rival, and favourite, was the United Sates of America. Exactly how the tiny Emirate state which has a climate conducive to hell on earth and its capital, Doha, is according to Lonely Planet, “the dullest place in the world” secured the rights over the mighty United States is about as impressive and moreover, believable as me getting lucky with Megan Gale.
And Jennifer Hawkins.
On the same night…..
Not only did the win leave me breathless, but more so, the gravity of same – 11 votes in the first round to the United States’ 3….14 votes in the fourth round to the United States’ 8!
Some of the reasons why I was, and will continue to be shocked by the Qatar win include:
-Heat – the average temperatures in June and July are a whopping 41 and 46 degrees celsius, respectively;
-Potential terrorist attacks/threats;
-The fact there will be ten stadiums within a 25 kilometre radius of Doha which was deemed incapable of hosting the (2016) Olympic Games only last year; and
-Restrictions on the consumption of alcohol.
To counter these problems Qatar has promised, amongst other things:
-Airconditioned stadiums which will be solar powered and therefore, carbon neutral. What effect will airconditioning have on the “ball”? It may make the Jabulani (which was used at this year’s last World Cup and branded by many as like playing with a beach ball), appear “normal”?!; and
-Fans will be able to drink alcohol in specially designed areas called “fan zones”. Will Doha, I mean Qatar, have room to fit these fan zones? Will they be air conditioned too?!
I’ll believe it when I see it.
For now, it is a fictional tale.
Just like Qatar’s bid video which was largely set in the future and the country shown as it “might” be in 2022.
The abovementioned concerns are shared by many, including FIFA. In fact, Qatar received the worst technical report of all the bidding nations from FIFA (for instance, FIFA labelled the punishing heat “a potential health risk”) and was the lowest ranked by FIFA’s own independent inspectors.
Yet FIFA still awarded Qatar the World Cup!
In the words of Paul Dalligan, “I have now seen it all”.
So, too the conspiracy theories…..I’m no investigative journalist but the following just doesn’t wash with me:
-How secretive was the voting when Qatari state owned broadcaster, al-Jazeera reported the result before Sepp Blatter opened his envelope and informed the world? And what of Qatari officials who were reportedly seen embracing one another and appeared relaxed in the lead up to same whilst Frank Lowy looked like he needed a year’s supply of Gastro Stop to curb his anxiety?
-What did Mohamed Bin Hamman say to Reyanld Temarii (the Oceania member who was suspended from voting for his part in an undercover newspaper sting) when he met him in Kuala Lumpur last week and shortly thereafter, Temarii stated he would proceed with his appeal, thereby allowing Oceania not to be represented in the ballot? Lest we forget that Temarii was quoted as saying he would have voted for Australia. To add salt to the wound, Hamman supported Temarii’s decision (to proceed with his appeal).
-The fact the Qataris were able to sponsor the Confederation of African Football Congress on 29 January 2010 and in doing so secured “exclusive” rights to make presentations to African delegates, including FIFA executive committee member, Issa Hayatou. Does that name sound familiar?! If not, read my last blog! In short, he has been accused of accepting bribes in the past! Australia, and the other 2022 bidding nations, could only attend the event as “observers” and could not organise press conferences.
Which brings me to my final point….
The integrity of the World Cup bidding process has been damaged and the system of bidding within FIFA ranks must change.
Transparency is needed.
In awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar (and the 2018 World Cup to Russia) does FIFA really care about the fans who have made the game what it is today? It would appear not. FIFA does not appear concerned if a supporter is subjected to a violent racist attack in Moscow or another dies of heat exhaustion whilst playing, “Let’s find the nearest watering hole” in Doha. I have no doubt that any of the other bidding nations would have delivered a better experience for the football fan than the eventual winners.
The “beautiful” game and its loyal fans, stands to lose.
Mark “The F Word” Fiorenti