In the (self-dubbed) newbie derby, Gold Coast have been defeated by a rampant North Queensland Fury side. Robbie Fowler lead the team from start to finish, getting on the scoresheet twice. The defeat has added to the horrible week that the Gold Coast have suffered, including a 6-0 whitewash by Wellington, and a huge condemnation by the public over club owner Clive Palmer's (right) decision to cap crowds at 5,000 to save money.

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What amazes me about today's game is that Pim Verbeek sent out a near full strength Aussie team... and they struggled... againt Oman... again! And whilst Verbeek continues to persist with his conservative approach to games and a one striker formation, he should be thanking his lucky starts that Timmy . Click to continue reading...

Australia would be concerned after their 3-1 loss to South Korea. The Socceroos were wobbly, unsure and overly cautious and made a mockery of their FIFA ranking of 14. Pim Verbeek has much to think about between now and next year's World Cup in South Africa. On the one ... Click to continue reading...

Australian captain Lucas Neill and star midfielder Tim Cahill have been omitted from next week's friendly against South Korea, while Harry Kewell is also in doubt. Coach Pim Verbeek has named Kewell in a 24-man squad for the September 5 clash in Seoul, but says an ankle injury might keep him ... Click to continue reading...

Heracles Almelo may have lost the game against Feyenoord last weekend, Heracles coach Verbeek must have felt a little victorious when he saw his rebels on the bench. Roy Makaay, Kevin Hofland, Tim DeCler and Denny Landzaat are no longer the number one choice for new Feyenoord coach Mario Been. Click to continue reading...

Although it is only a friendly and the result itself will mean little, I am genuinely excited by the upcoming match against the Irish on Thursday morning (even if I am not looking forward to getting up at 4:30am to catch it live). Pim Verbeek has picked, whether by design or need, an extremely youthful side and hopefully some of these fringe players can get a starting run. Click to continue reading...

by Usman Azad, Football Perth Editor
CHRIS COYNE. In the past few weeks, Perth Glory fans have been salivating over his name - a Socceroo still in good form.
If you believe what you read in the press, then Coyne will decided soon whether he wants to play in the A-League, in Asia or stay in Europe. Click to continue reading...

With just over a month until the start of the new season I thought it about time I resume this blog. I lot has happened in the last couple of months but there are few items I want to mention specifically.
Firstly, congratulations to the Socceroos on qualification to their second world cup in a row (only our third in total). Click to continue reading...

World Cup fever grabs another Aussie Sports Journalist.
Stathi Paxinos, chief rugby league correspondent, The Age, wrote this...ha ha he really did

There are valid reasons for withdrawing Harry Kewell from Australia's game against Japan tonight at the MCG.

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For South Korea, the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign is almost over and first place in the group guaranteed. There is still one act to be played out however and it promises to be an intriguing one.
The final game takes place on Wednesday. South Korea have bagged the first of two automatic qualification spots which leaves one up for grabs. Click to continue reading...

Japan will send an understrength squad to Melbourne to face Australia on June 17, with Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura not making the trip as he nurses a groin injury.
Nakamura is joined on the sidelines by influential Gamba Osaka playmaker Yasuhito Endo, while VfL Wolfsburg representatives Makoto Hasebe and Yoshito Okubo have also pulled out, as has in-form VVV Venlo midfielder Keisuke Honda. Click to continue reading...

Mile Sterjovski (above) has signed a three-year deal with Perth Glory.
LONG-TIME friend Jacob Burns was a major reason for newly signed Perth Glory marquee player Mile Strejovski to join the club.
After weeks of speculation the Glory confirmed 30-year-old midfielder had signed a three-year contract which reportedly is one of the biggest deals in the short history of the A-League. Click to continue reading...

Tonight's The Night.

Nothing to do with Rod Stewart, and everything to do with the Socceroos. 1 point from this match and we are off to South Africa, guaranteed.

It brings back memories of November 16, 2005 for me. Although I will not be in Doha tonight, I will be in my lounge room at 2am tomorrow morning (after a nanna nap) to cheer the boys on.

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PERTH Glory midfielder Jacob Burns has vowed to fight for a place with the Socceroos squad in next year's World Cup in South Africa.
While Australian head coach Pim Verbeek has made it clear of his preference for overseas-based Socceroos in the past, Burns didn't feel a return to Australia would be bad for his World Cup hopes. Click to continue reading...

Having had such a busy season eating pies and occasionally playing a half-hearted match for Newcastle United, is it any surprise that everyone's favourite football mercenary Mark Viduka has declared himself unavailable for selection by Australia.The Australian coach, Pim Verbeek, gave Viduka extra time to make up his mind whether he wanted to join the Australia squad for their upcoming World Cup Click to continue reading...

National Show Download
We talk ACL, can the Jets do it?
We hear from Pim Verbeek..found out what he really said about Ljubo, Viduka and Richard Porter..don't believe 442 or Mike Cockerill on these stories.
And we discuss Seb Ryall and that sexual abuse case.
Locally DownloadRuss Gibbs has all the local football scores and news and this weeks local guest is Peter Funnell. Click to continue reading...

You just can't shut Ljubo Milicevic up.
Matthew Hall, now contributing articles to SBS's World Game website, presented the latest rant from the Jets defender to the world yesterday. No references to gay discos this time, but plenty of prolix bagging of Pim Verbeek. And again, Milicevic is getting a far more sympathetic hearing than he deserves. Click to continue reading...

Craig Foster's weekly piece in the Sun-Herald deals, naturally enough, with the new National Football Curriculum. But what is very surprising in the article is the vicious excoriation of Han Berger's predecessor as Technical Director, Rob Baan. When Baan was appointed, he was greeted with open arms by Foster (and the rest of the SBS crew). Click to continue reading...

Bring it on!
The FFA has released it's National Curriculum. See media release below.
It talks skills, Aussie psyche and how all elite teams will follow the 4-3-3 model.
Can someone please tell Pim Verbeek!
But three things caught my eye...

1.

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"I want to go back to MLS." - Afshin Ghotbi
He has taken part in three World Cups, he's worked with Guus Hiddink, Pim Verbeek and Dick Advocaat, Steve Sampson's winning Galaxy team and was raised in America and will coach Iran through Iran's World Cup Qualifying yet he can not seem to get a look from MLS. Click to continue reading...

The belittling of the A-League continues apace at SBS, with their blogger-in-chief now essaying an apologia on behalf of Pim Verbeek, interspersed with various digs at the national competition. It's becoming distinctly tiresome.
Perhaps Peter Turnbull's comments - coming in the wake of the Mariners' lamentable collapse against Kawasaki last week - were on the harsh side. Click to continue reading...

Australian manager Pim Verbeek is keen to get Tim Cahill back in the squad for the next round of World Cup qualifiers after watching the midfielder earn his side a victory 2 weeks ago and a point at the weekend as he looks to try and regain his full fitness. As ... Click to continue reading...

Feyenoord had victory on it's mind at three levels: three points, confidence and the fans goodwill. Instead of three points, Feyenoord had to make do with one, but it did score on the two other objectives. Gertjan Verbeek: "We didn't play great football, but we fought for every meter and showed Click to continue reading...

Scott MacDonald, Jade North, Josh Kennedy, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, Mark Viduka, Tim Cahill, Matthew Spiranovic, Michael Beauchamp, Mile Sterjovski, Bruce Djite. Non of these players started tonight and don't forget Nicky Carle!
Asia has tested the Socceroos; and Pim Verbeek now has a depth of player few could have dreamed of after the last World Cup. Click to continue reading...

Carl Valeri to start.
Remember the Socceroos at the World Cup in Germany 2006. How could you forget one of Australia's greatest sporting moments?
How many Canberrans played against Carl in his junior days. Maybe beat him in a sprint or a tackle, maybe even nutmegged him.
Well Canberra's Carl Valeri, the former Tuggeranong United junior, is crucial to Australia's hopes to get to South Africa 2010. Click to continue reading...

The entire A-League has been handed a weekend's recess to allow the national team to concentrate on their World Cup qualifying visit to Uzbekistan on September 10, but it turns out only one side will actually be affected by national team coach Pim Verbeek's call-ups.
After finally being convinced to elongate the regular season to allow byes over FIFA-recognised match dates, Australian football authorities must now wonder why they bothered. Click to continue reading...

Just a few quick (they were meant to be short) thoughts on the game: Our passing was sloppy and often impatient. We weren't as careful and measured in our build up as we normally are under Verbeek. Too often, Grella hit hopeful long-balls up the park that would result in a turnover. Even some of [. Click to continue reading...

And I mean literally... The influence of the coach gets more and more. Marco van Basten, Louis van Gaal and Gertjan Verbeek were also in charge of the actual renovations of their respective stadiums. When Van Basten started as youth coach in Amsterdam, 5 years ago, he'd wander around in the dressing Click to continue reading...

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Australia play South Africa at Loftus Road, Tuesday 19 August (Maybe Nick Ward will be returning?)
Football Federation Australia - South Africa and The Netherlands to face Qantas Socceroos Monday, 7 July 2008
The road to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is being mapped out at Football Federation Australia (FFA) with the announcement today of two prestigious international matches in August and September to kick-off the next stage of the World Cup qualifying campaign as well as qualifiers for the 2011 Asian Cup, courtesy of FOXTEL. Click to continue reading...

Pim Verbeek's Australia have made it through to their toughest qualifying campaign since joining the Asian confederation - and with a match to spare at that. But a flattering points total wasn't enough to paper over the cracks of some suspect selections by the new national coach.
It's perhaps not so much Verbeek's first choice side which is suspect. Click to continue reading...

A young Socceroos side lost 1-0 at home to China tonight at the ANZ stadium in Sydney in front of 70,000 fans.
And the performance showed, what most have always said about Australia, that we lack depth, real depth, beyond the first squad.
This is not a new situation.
Australia has never been able to put out a "second eleven" in it's football history and beat sides the quality of China. Click to continue reading...

Come back Craig we loved you as a critic:)
SBS Commentator Craig Foster has written a piece in the SMH, see full article below, on the Dutchification of Aussie football.
In general it's fine but there are a few glaring mis-placed passes.

While the Socceroos' performances against Iraq raise concerns about their ability against stronger opposition, Verbeek has answered every question put to him, and his management of the logistical challenges of Asia has been perfect.

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After some weeks of negotiation, it was today announced that hapless ex-England manager Steve McLaren has agreed to be the new manager of Dutch top-flight side FC Twente. An interesting career decision it is, but a good one, I think. Twente are a nice side, have just qualified for the Champions League and are in a league where the dominance of the top three sides is not as strong as it has been in previous eras. Click to continue reading...

Tuggeranong United fans are heading to Sydney in big numbers for the Australia China game on the weekend.
And they are expected to be rewarded by seeing Carl Valeri and his former Under 11 Tuggers team-mate Nikolai Topor-Stanley in the starting line-up.
What the Armchair Aussies want, we get. Click to continue reading...

Well, John Howard warned us it would happen. He even went to war cause of it. Now finally, he has been vindicated. Australia has finally been hit by a weapon of mass destruction fired from the Middle East, or is this more of a case of friendly fire? Verbeek has come out and really expressed himself [. Click to continue reading...