A temporary break from World Cup matters, to review a book released to coincide with the tournament.
Now, to clear some ground first. Alert readers of this blog may recall that I've had some harsh words to say about Craig Foster in the past. Strangely, though, I still have mixed feelings towards SBS's chief football analyst; although so much of what he says and writes is either naive, condescending or wretchedly pretentious, a genuinely articulate former Socceroo who is a cogent real-time game analyst is in some ways a rare commodity.

We've been trying our best to profile each of the 32 teams that will compete at World Cup 2010, but our knowledge about each team is miniscule (or at least mine is anyway) when compared to that of our team bloggers.

If you're unfamiliar with World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you're reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams.

Another sign we Aussies are coming of age.
No more do we have to import Football humour from the UK, or even have the (cringe, barrel scraping) Footy shows various (NRL and AFL) give us some Aussie humour for our round ball game.
SBS with Santa, Sam and Ed are bringing us the humour, the FEVER, every night.

Another timely and interesting article in this week's edition of Goal! Weekly, this time concerning the infamous Article 19 of FIFA's transfer regulations. The article has appeared online as well, on the website of Australia's de facto player union.
The article's author, James Johnson, is a former professional player and now a lawyer in the employ of the PFA.

Paddy Bordier, Eamonn Flanagan and Lucy Zelic talk us through the best in Aussie football. What a fantastic podcast.
Are we seeing more Aussie Number 10's than ever before, 75% of all games decided i the last minute, Ray Gatt disected, Jesse Fink out thought, and all the Socceroos news, opinions and views.

Despite the gloom around some A-League clubs and crowds at the start of this season it is, unlike other codes, the International element of the game that will ultimately save Aussie football and the Aussie A-League.
The International nature of the game will allow Aussie football, with some smarts, to rebuild and re-invent itself time and time again.

The Australian football shirts are very popular shirt, probably due to a number of their top players playing in the top leagues around the world like the Premiership and Serie A. Football isn't the biggest sport in Australia which probably explains why their appearance at the 2010 World Cup is ...

There was a time Australia never made it to the World Cup. With Harry Kewell we got to two, it was so very nearly four.
If anyone ever doubted his contribution to Australian football, it's surely time to take a moment.
Often criticised for not playing enough, not doing enough for the Green and Gold, since his return to football from his Liverpool injuries he's hardly missed a game for Australia, across all the Asian nations.

Two thrilling finals games, both going to extra time, both played out in front of bumper crowds, and both featuring lengthy periods of end-to-end action and many fine goals. After all the disappointments and blunders of season 2009/10, perhaps Ben Buckley and Archie Fraser deserved such good news.
Wellington deserve great credit for emerging triumphant from the sudden-death gang of four below the top two.

Melbourne play again tomorrow night, Tuesday, in the Asian Champions League and they must win. Simple as that.
On a high from the win against Sydney but few Aussie clubs, even clubs across the World have to play Sunday then Tuesday. Seongnam winners on matchday one are the visitors to Melbourne.

It wouldn't be the K-League without a strong Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. The Yellows have won seven league titles and possess the biggest trophy cabinet in the southern half of the peninsula. It was 2006 however when the golden trophy last resided just south of Seoul. Since then, Pohang, Suwon and, most recently, Jeonbuk have claimed the mantle.

In this two-part interview I had the pleasure of speaking about a variety of topics with Australian Football Players director Sergio García.
He was extremely open about the growth of the A-League as well as we the development and future of the game Down Under. He also talked about the expectations of the Socceroos in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.

Part one of my interview with Sergio García, we talked about the development and expectations of the Socceroos is South Africa. In part two we talk about certain stars- past, present, and future- of Australian football as well as the growth of the game as well there.
He also talks about the respect and admiration that there is for MLS in that area of the world.

After what was a very successful 2002 World Cup campaign for Turkey, finishing third overall (oddly enough, beating their new coaches team to get that place), then finding the same result in the 2003 Confederations Cup, the Turkish national team has found themselves lacking in world football. Missing the 2006 World Cup and then not qualifying for this year's tournament in South Africa, something had to be done to solve the problem.

A bomb disposal squad would be required to defuse the various explosives lobbed at the A-League by Zeljko Kalac in this "exclusive".
Kalac has quite a history of, to use a polite term, frankness. Long-term followers of the Socceroos will not have forgotten his self-serving, unprofessional digs at Mark Schwarzer just prior to the 2006 World Cup, which rebounded on him spectacularly in Stuttgart.

Sorry Mr Dimetriou it's a Melbourne Victory player, when it said Australian Football I thought of you!
Good luck with your recruitment in Co.Kerry and South Africa, mate!
From the Bangkok Post

Following his new deal with Melbourne Victory, he is believed to be the highest-paid Thai footballer.

A-League, Socceroos, Robbi Fowler, Nearpost, Perth Glory, Matildas, Asian Champions League, FFA, Asia Cup, India, South Korea, World Cup Memories we've got it all.
Lucy Zelic, Paddy Bordier and Eamonn Flanagan take you through all the Australian football news and views, quiz and this weeks dedication to SBS lover of all things English football!

A-League, Socceroos, Sydney FC..they love them on the Nearpost even when they aren't playing, Perth Glory, Asian Champions League, FFA, Asia Cup, India, World Cup Memories we've got it all.
Lucy Zelic, Paddy Bordier and Terry Henry take you through all the Australian football news and views, quiz and this weeks dedication to Craig Foster because he wrote a book.

32 Days.
Tomorrow is the official FIFA date that a preliminary list of 30 players must be officially named by each World Cup squad. Some of these have been named, including that of our group rivals Germany and Ghana, but Pim Verbeek is to make his list known tomorrow, probably of 27 players.

Congratulations to the England T20 cricket team, world T20 champions after beating Australia by seven wickets earlier today! It's unlikely we'll be playing the Australian football team in the World Cup Final but you never know

Now I know we think we're great, but beating the English and a few white South Africans at cricket, winning the Rugby League World Cup against three other nations doesn't make us brilliant at sport..even though we think it does.
Nor does winning the State of Origin. No-one else plays last time I looked; although I'm often told it's the World's Greatest Sporting event, that and the Anzac Day game at the AFL with the World's Greatest Athletes taking part.

Now that the World Cup is behind us, more mundane matters are on the Australian football agenda...and at the top of the list is the choice of a successor to Pim Verbeek.
Various names have been thrown around in the last few weeks...some reasonable, some not so reasonable, some outright hilarious.

Versatility is often said to be a key attribute in the modern game and when Liverpool appointed Peter Brukner they gained more than just a top doctor.
Best-selling author, respected media pundit, manager of the Australia's Athletics team for the Sydney Olympics, pioneer in his field and internet sensation, there is much more to the affable Brukner than meets the eye.

A story about the search for Pim Verbeek's successor on the SBS World Game website today attracted a remark worthy of reproduction. The article mentioned the various names canvassed by the FFA for the vacant Socceroo position, none of which show much evidence of imagination or lateral thinking on the part of the national body.

The Football Federation of Australia (FFA) on Thursday formally handed over its bid for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 finals at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur in AFC House.
AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam received the bid book from FFA Chairman Frank Lowy in the presence of AFC Vice President Zhang Jilong, AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay and FFA CEO Ben Buckle.

Peter Funnell has been interviewing Ron Smith over the past couple of weeks on Nearpost local. Go to www.nearpostlocal.blogspot.com for these classic interviews and sit back and enjoy.
Ron Smith, fmr AIS Coach, Perth Glory, Socceroos Technical Coach and much much more is quite simply an Australian Football Legend.

Blacktown City won the NSW Premier League grand final 1-0 over Bonnyrigg this afternoon in a game that promised much in the first half-hour, but deteriorated thereafter. It was fitting, however, that Tolgay Ozbey managed to crown his excellent season with the winning penalty, even if he had a somewhat indifferent afternoon.

I call on all the Australian Football Media to get out there and stir it up with the FFA.
Forget your cosy alliances and to those with Agendas, put them to one side. It's time to actually ask some hard questions of those running the game.
Who is brave enough to challenge Frank Lowy and the state of the game.

In a week which featured a battling friendly win for the Socceroos but little other football news of note, the raging debate over the health of the A-League has dominated the Australian football media. Everyone has had their say, with Archie Fraser venting his spleen at his former employers, various bloggers and commentators joining the fray, and finally Frank Lowy choosing to exculpate himself via Mike Cockerill.

Aaron Walker, Lucy Zelic and Peter Funnell discuss all the news from Australian football. 30 minutes of news views opinions and more.
Don't miss it. 6.30pm Tuesday streamed on www.2xxfm.org.au and available on the poddie here or on itunes later tonight
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Lucy Zelic, Paddy Bordier and Eamonn Flanagan discuss all the news from Australian football. 30 minutes of news views opinions and more. Quiz, dedications and we make the hard calls.
Who are the Olyroos who will play for the Socceroos and who are the Olyroos who'll never make it?
We call the Young Socceroos who will make it; and those who'll never play for the Big Boys.

What a game!
The Mariners are reborn.
They keep the ball, have more skilful players in their front six than ever before and if there strikers could hit the target or even score they'd be in with a shout of the title surely.
As it is they got three last night, and with Oliver Bozanic, Michael McGlinchy and Paddy Perez in the midfield how can you not want to watch this Graham Arnold lead team.

Get the best in Aussie football streamed on www.2xxfm.org.au or 98.3fm if you are in Canberra - how lucky are you.
All the Aussie football news from the weekend, Socceroos, W-League gossip, Young Socceroos, and of course we talk Ray Gatt, Clive Palmer, Julia Gillard and Sepp Blatter.
Quiz, dedications and predictions of the Melbourne Derby and Australia Paraquay game - Paddy Bordier, Lucy Zelic and Eamonn Flanagan help you make up your mind on all things football.

Looks like the first Melbourne Derby is officially a sell-out.
Should be a cracker with the stadium atmosphere making it a passionate affair.
Pity all Australian football fans won't get to see this event on TV, just the Fox diehards....another missed opportunity I guess.
But first sold-out A-League game of the season, and this is a Melbourne Heart home game, so no matter who fills the stadium the crowd averages for the Heart this season are about to go from around 7,000 per game to about 12,000 I guess!

Is it just me or are most of the Australian Football Media a bit short up top.
So Holger, our Holger, picks six A-League players and suddenly the Aussie Coach is embracing the A-League and therefore the A-League is great blah blah blah.
But Michael Beauchamp, Jon Mckain, David Carney, Mile Jedinak, Tommy Oar, Dario Vidosic and of course last night, Jade North, Jason Culina, Matt McKay have all graced the A-League over the years.

Name the top three A-League players with the most shots, not goals mind you, in the A-League this year.
Paddy Bordier, Eamonn Flanagan and Aaron Walker talk us through the best in Aussie football. What a fantastic podcast.
Well done those Young Socceroos, who should go and who should stay from the Green and Gold, is Robbie Fowler coming back, is Robbie Hooker a cheap FFA option, are the FFA ready to bail out the West and Derby day in Melbourne how good was that?

When FIFA gave a strong indication that it wanted the 2018 World Cup to go to Europe, the FFA got the hint and concentrated all their efforts on 2022. It has taken the USA much longer to get the message, and their delay in shifting their strategy could certainly be seen as an admission that they may yet lose out on 2022, despite their current status as favourites.

Aaron Walker and Eamonn Flanagan discuss all things Aussie football.
Young Socceroos, A-League wrap and preview and all your Matildas news right here. Quiz, dedications and all the news.
How many football poddies only cover Aussie football?
We are clearly Australia's number one football poddie, apart from all the others, We discuss all the news from Australian football.

David Fuentes Solarno, Peter Funnell and Eamonn Flanagan discuss all things Aussie football.
Costa Rica focus, A-League wrap and we preview all A-League games and issues and all your Matildas news right here. Quiz, dedications and all the news.
How many football poddies only cover Aussie football?

David Fuentes Solarno, Peter Funnell and Eamonn Flanagan discuss all things Aussie football.
Costa Rica focus, A-League wrap and we preview all A-League games and issues and all your Matildas news right here. Quiz, dedications and all the news.
How many football poddies only cover Aussie football?