Jim SpearsA-League in Asia
October 8th 2008 10:17
I was listening to "Football Weekly" the Guardian: Online football podcast this week and I was surprised to hear Adelaide United mentioned. Adelaide's matches against Bunyodkur in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League caught nearly correspondent by surprise, as you'd expect, but fortunately one correspondent had been reliably informed by his friend that Australian football was terrible and the matter was put to rest within seconds.
But not with me...See I can't help but wonder where the A-League's at? Second year in Asia and we have a team in the semi-finals...that's good right? Pim Verbeek set out a challenge to A-League clubs/players early when he said training in Europe was better than playing in the A-League. "If you train for three weeks with Nuremberg or with Karlsruhe, I have to be very honest, I still think that's better than playing A-League games," but that was last year, Version 3.0.
Version 4.0 has continued the development in Australian football. Route 1 is an option rather than rule; there is still plenty of direct play but the balance is changing. John "Arsene" Kosima recently worried: "we're too concerned about getting to the box, and playing well to get there, to keep all the whingers, the football aficionados, off our back...Sometimes you've just got to have a lash." Sydney won 3-0. Kosmina is a winner, his results yell in your face, he will be the first to find the balance.
With many A-League games played in summer high pace, direct football is impossible. The humidity of Asian football makes controlled football the best option. Adelaide have shown the patience and temperament required for Asian success.
If you want to win you need to be able to mix it up but at least we're trying.
But not with me...See I can't help but wonder where the A-League's at? Second year in Asia and we have a team in the semi-finals...that's good right? Pim Verbeek set out a challenge to A-League clubs/players early when he said training in Europe was better than playing in the A-League. "If you train for three weeks with Nuremberg or with Karlsruhe, I have to be very honest, I still think that's better than playing A-League games," but that was last year, Version 3.0.
John Kosmina. Getty Images: Robert Gray)
Version 4.0 has continued the development in Australian football. Route 1 is an option rather than rule; there is still plenty of direct play but the balance is changing. John "Arsene" Kosima recently worried: "we're too concerned about getting to the box, and playing well to get there, to keep all the whingers, the football aficionados, off our back...Sometimes you've just got to have a lash." Sydney won 3-0. Kosmina is a winner, his results yell in your face, he will be the first to find the balance.
With many A-League games played in summer high pace, direct football is impossible. The humidity of Asian football makes controlled football the best option. Adelaide have shown the patience and temperament required for Asian success.
If you want to win you need to be able to mix it up but at least we're trying.
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