Verbeek defends his selections

Verbeek waived the predictable for some bizarre selection decisions in the side's
4-0 defeat by a red-hot Germany at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday - raising the ire
of countless supporters and former players.
He benched striker Josh Kennedy and midfielder Mark Bresciano - both of whom had
played the Socceroos' two South African friendly matches - and shunned game-breaker
Harry Kewell, who sat tracksuited on the pine as the Socceroos spent 90 minutes
chasing German shadows.
Jason Culina was played in an unfamiliar left midfield role and struggled.
And Richard Garcia was deployed unusually as a striker - for much of the game in the
two-striker formation Verbeek has avoided studiously for the past two and a half
years.
Verbeek said Kewell at least was in his plans to play, but once Tim Cahill was
harshly sent off in the 58th minute for a challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger, he
changed his mind.
And Kennedy and Bresciano had not shown enough in training and their two previous
hitouts to earn a place, Verbeek said.
"The moment we start to play with 10 players, you need different players on the
field to Harry Kewell," the Dutchman said.
"That was the only reason I didn't bring him in. Against 10 men with a team that was
already better than us, you have to make different decisions." "If you lose 4-0
you can always say it didn't help, but nobody can prove we would have won if we had
those players on the field.
"They (Kennedy and Bresciano) didn't do well in the last two games, they didn't do
well in training - not well enough.
"The players who were on the field were the better players - that's the reality."
While the selections were unlikely to have stopped Germany - who played some of the
best football of the tournament so far - they were out of character for Verbeek.
He has steadfastly backed in the same players, the same 4-2-3-1 game plan regardless
of circumstances in the team's 14-match, two-and-a-half year qualification.
Verbeek said with Cahill - Australia's best and most reliable route to goal - now
set to miss the must-win clash against Ghana on June 19 in Rustenburg, he would
consider at least one change for the game.
"Now we have to go for the next six days and find what's the next starting 11 to
beat Ghana," he said.
"You cannot compare this game with the next game. We have to learn from this game.
"We have to score in the next two games, that's clear."