the socceroos (1 Viewer)

[ashwin]

what do u guys think of australia? hiddink coaching them and all. needless to say he's an increadible coach, and i've always thought that the australian team has had quite a few capable players. do u think 2006 will finally be the year that they participate in a world cup again?

 

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[Slagathor]

Oh I dunno 'bout that... They'll have to get past Uruguay first and I'd personally hate to see that tradition of defeat being wasted

To tell you the truth I'm not too familiar with them. Any links?

 

[ashwin]

Hiddink confirmed as Australia coach
SYDNEY, July 22 (Reuters) - PSV Eindhoven coach Guus Hiddink was named as Australia's coach on Friday and immediately warned that his past success would not guarantee qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Hiddink: Socceroos' saviour? (MatthewAshton/Empics)
Hiddink, who led the Netherlands (1998) and South Korea (2002) to the World Cup semi-finals, will remain in charge of his Dutch club while he prepares the Socceroos for their final qualifiers against the Solomon Islands in September.

The winner of that two-legged Oceania playoff will face the fifth-placed South American team in another home and away playoff in November for a place in Germany.

'Coming here now, with my past, it is not a guarantee for success,' Hiddink told a news conference in Sydney. 'The only thing I can contribute, with all my efforts, is some knowledge and experience. In the end the players have to do it.

'I think this is a good challenge, in a very short time, to try and make the impossible, possible. And that's qualifying for Germany 2006.'

Hiddink, who was identified early in the selection process by Football Federation Australia (FFA) to succeed Frank Farina, would not be drawn on his future in the job should Australia fail to make their first World Cup finals since 1974.

'Hopefully, when we have reached that big goal (of qualifying), of course we will talk about that (the future) going into the World Cup,' he said.

'We didn't talk about (not qualifying), that means that we want to go well.

'That's a different situation, let's judge it at that moment.'

Hiddink will get his first opportunity to work with Australia next month when the squad assembles for a training camp in the Netherlands.

Australia cancelled a friendly with Colombia in London scheduled for next month after their new coach asked for the training get-together instead.

Hiddink became the most successful coach in the Dutch first division this year when PSV won the league, giving him his fifth title. He also guided the team to the Dutch Cup to complete the domestic double and reached the Champions League semi-finals.

Hiddink had already won four Dutch titles and the 1988 European Cup with PSV before he guided the Netherlands and South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals.

He also managed Real Madrid after leaving the Dutch job.

'The Hiddink appointment is the best possible response to our immediate need which is to give Australia every chance of success in the World Cup playoffs and, hopefully, in the finals next year,' FFA chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement.

'He has had a distinguished career and his record speaks for itself. We could not have hoped for a more qualified, internationally-recognised coach to lead us on the road to Germany.'

source: soccernet.com

Hiddink to ruffle Premiership feathers
New Australia boss Guus Hiddink could be heading for rows with several Premiership managers after organising a training camp in his native Holland just one day into the season.

The Dutchman has named a 28-man squad for the camp, including nine players from the Premier League, which will start on August 14.

The former PSV coach wants to examine his options ahead of the Socceroos' game with the Solomon Islands on September 3.

The timing of the camp, however, may cause a clash between the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) and those Premiership clubs who would lose players.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes - who would lose Lucas Neill and Brett Emerton - is considering whether to allow the players to leave and will inform the FFA of his decision tomorrow.

Middlesbrough would be similarly affected, with Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka called up by Hiddink for the four days at Hoenderloo.

Fulham (Ahmed Elrich), Everton (Tim Cahill), Birmingham (Stan Lazaridis) and Newcastle (Craig Moore) - who play Arsenal on August 14 - could also see players leave.

Liverpool's injury-troubled winger Harry Kewell has also been called up by Hiddink, though officials insist that the former Leeds man would attend only in a spectating capacity.

'Harry is injured but he'll be in camp,' Graham Arnold, the Socceroos' assistant coach, told the Australian Associated Press.

'Guus wants him to do some rehab with our physio and conditioning trainer.'

Liverpool have faced criticism from Kewell's agent, Bernie Mandic, and Frank Farina, Hiddink's predecessor, over the standard of medical treatment the winger was receiving at Anfield.

Farina also suggested that Benitez was playing a half-fit Kewell because of Liverpool's poor league form, exacerbating the player's injuries.

Coca-Cola Championship side Crystal Palace and League One outfit Bristol City would also lose players - Tony Popovic and Luke Wilkshire, respectively - at a crucial time in the season.nd

from these articles, really seems that hiddink means business

 

[Codino]

"come on aussie come on, come on."


hahaha