ID :
124274
Wed, 05/26/2010 - 07:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/124274
The shortlink copeid
Socceroos' World Cup squad cut to 28
(AAP) - Coach Pim Verbeek admitted misfiring target man Scott McDonald had played himself out of Socceroos' World Cup contention, saying he simply failed to fit his system.
e first three players cut to provide
Verbeek with a 28-man provisional World Cup squad which leaves for a pre-tournament
training camp at altitude in South Africa on Wednesday.
Midfielder Nick Carle and defender Jade North were the other two casualties from the
31 players brought into the week-long camp in Melbourne.
McDonald has failed to score in 16 appearances for his country, and was again unable
to make any impact in Australia's 2-1 friendly win over New Zealand at the MCG on
Monday night.
Verbeek admitted the Middlesbrough striker struggled in his lone striker system, and
had missed out for that reason.
Instead Belgian-based Nikita Rukavytsya and Josh Kennedy will back up Harry Kewell
in South Africa.
"Scotty is a typical two-striker player, and that's where he feels happy also,"
Verbeek said.
"But we don't play with two strikers. We play with one striker up top and wingers,
so Scotty doesn't fit in this system.
"He knows it, and he tried everything.
"My decision is he is not a player to play the top (striker) all by himself."
The rest of the squad was fairly predictable, as Verbeek was able to convince
Football Federation Australia to allow him to take an extra player - fourth-string
goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic - along with the 27 he had originally flagged.
Star turns Kewell, Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer headline a squad containing 14 of
the 23 players who were part of the 2006 campaign.
The gifted Carle, another whom Verbeek sees as a systemic square peg, was also shown
the door - primarily because the Socceroos are blessed with an abundance of
midfielders.
North has barely played any football in the past 12 months after struggling to break
into a succession of overseas clubs.
Youngsters Tommy Oar and James Holland are also part of the squad.
But Verbeek said they were effectively going for the experience and were unlikely to
be part of the final 23-man World Cup squad he names on June 1.
Verbeek's selection contains at least one shadow player in all slots in his
preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and several with the flexibility to play multiple
positions.
Verbeek said the players from this squad who did not make the final 23 would be kept
on in South Africa for the duration of the tournament.
They play friendlies against Denmark on June 1 and the United States on June 5 in
Roodepoort ahead of their opening World Cup group match against Germany in Durban on
June 14 (Australian time).
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer, Adam Federici, Brad Jones, Eugene Galekovic.
Defenders: Scott Chipperfield, David Carney, Lucas Neill, Michael Beauchamp, Shane
Lowry, Craig Moore, Mark Milligan, Rhys Williams, Luke Wilkshire.
Midfielders: Vince Grella, Carl Valeri, Jason Culina, Mile Jedinak, Tim Cahill,
Brett Holman, Dario Vidosic, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton, Richard Garcia, James
Holland, Tommy Oar.
Strikers: Nikita Rukavytsya, Josh Kennedy, Harry Kewell.
e first three players cut to provide
Verbeek with a 28-man provisional World Cup squad which leaves for a pre-tournament
training camp at altitude in South Africa on Wednesday.
Midfielder Nick Carle and defender Jade North were the other two casualties from the
31 players brought into the week-long camp in Melbourne.
McDonald has failed to score in 16 appearances for his country, and was again unable
to make any impact in Australia's 2-1 friendly win over New Zealand at the MCG on
Monday night.
Verbeek admitted the Middlesbrough striker struggled in his lone striker system, and
had missed out for that reason.
Instead Belgian-based Nikita Rukavytsya and Josh Kennedy will back up Harry Kewell
in South Africa.
"Scotty is a typical two-striker player, and that's where he feels happy also,"
Verbeek said.
"But we don't play with two strikers. We play with one striker up top and wingers,
so Scotty doesn't fit in this system.
"He knows it, and he tried everything.
"My decision is he is not a player to play the top (striker) all by himself."
The rest of the squad was fairly predictable, as Verbeek was able to convince
Football Federation Australia to allow him to take an extra player - fourth-string
goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic - along with the 27 he had originally flagged.
Star turns Kewell, Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer headline a squad containing 14 of
the 23 players who were part of the 2006 campaign.
The gifted Carle, another whom Verbeek sees as a systemic square peg, was also shown
the door - primarily because the Socceroos are blessed with an abundance of
midfielders.
North has barely played any football in the past 12 months after struggling to break
into a succession of overseas clubs.
Youngsters Tommy Oar and James Holland are also part of the squad.
But Verbeek said they were effectively going for the experience and were unlikely to
be part of the final 23-man World Cup squad he names on June 1.
Verbeek's selection contains at least one shadow player in all slots in his
preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and several with the flexibility to play multiple
positions.
Verbeek said the players from this squad who did not make the final 23 would be kept
on in South Africa for the duration of the tournament.
They play friendlies against Denmark on June 1 and the United States on June 5 in
Roodepoort ahead of their opening World Cup group match against Germany in Durban on
June 14 (Australian time).
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer, Adam Federici, Brad Jones, Eugene Galekovic.
Defenders: Scott Chipperfield, David Carney, Lucas Neill, Michael Beauchamp, Shane
Lowry, Craig Moore, Mark Milligan, Rhys Williams, Luke Wilkshire.
Midfielders: Vince Grella, Carl Valeri, Jason Culina, Mile Jedinak, Tim Cahill,
Brett Holman, Dario Vidosic, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton, Richard Garcia, James
Holland, Tommy Oar.
Strikers: Nikita Rukavytsya, Josh Kennedy, Harry Kewell.
