Croatia v Australia

[davor_suker]

Ok in this thread NO BASHING. No "Australiais teh best in da world we wil kane evry1" bullshit, provide proper arguments so its not just a flame war.

Please predict - score, key players, formation etc.

I will post Croatia's later.

[VietnameseAussi]

Not sure about it yet..! Havent seen Australia play.. the last 'real' game was last year..! ! but.. i hope its an interesting game...! i guess?...

ps:.. can someone post the preparations we are having for the world cup?

Greece, Netherlands, Leiceistein or something?... is that it?...

[alchemist]

i think Australia will struggle against Croatia... they are strong enough in goals with Schwarzer and Kalac and have a couple good performers in defence (eg. Neil, Moore), but i think the likes of Popovic and Vidmar can be liabilities... for example, during the Uruguay game Vidmar misjudged a ball which put thru Recoba on goal and if he had scored - which he should have - Uruguay would be at the WC

the Australian midfield is pretty strong with Kewell, Bresciano, Cahill etc... they are creative and can come up with handy goals... but another major problem with the Socceroos is their attack... Viduka has done alright in the past at club level but i don't think he has cut it as Australia's no. 1 striker (i'd be surprised if he has scored more than a half a dozen goals for the national team)

[kewell_RuLeS.]

well it would be nice not to be flamed for my opinion!

i think the key for an australian win will be the midfield, it's australians strength, we have to dominate here and play up the park!, play in there half, with the likes of cahill kewell and bresciano, even Vince Grella in a defencive role, i think croatia will score one, so we need to finnish well in this game, maybe a 3-4-4 formation would be best.

[davor_suker]

well it would be nice not to be flamed for my opinion!

i think the key for an australian win will be the midfield, it's australians strength, we have to dominate here and play up the park!, play in there half, with the likes of cahill kewell and bresciano, even Vince Grella in a defencive role, i think croatia will score one, so we need to finnish well in this game, maybe a 3-4-4 formation would be best.

Im sick of this fighting. Just change your signature so there can be peace, ok?

Here is my team analysis for Croatia -

GOALKEEPERS - Tomislav Butina (Olympiakos) - Will most likely start for us in the cup, I have never really liked him but since Pletikosa's demise he has basically filled his shoes and I cant complain about the job he does - he hasnt made any stupid mistakes yet so ill just say now hes a very solid keeper.

Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split) - Fallen out of form ever since the scandal before euro2004, hence losing his contract with his club and returning to Hajduk. Once one of the best youngsters in europe and wanted by Liverpool, his career is in tatters and he shouldnt be on the NT - dont expect to see him play.


DEFENDERS -

Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin) - Yes you're all well aware of Josip Simunic, best player to ever come out of the AIS and no I dont agree with what he did...but hey would you have preferred him playing for Australia showing no heart and putting nothing behind his performances? Hes a very good defender, excellent in the air at 195cm hes quite the physical presence. He used to make some mistakes but now hes matured into a starter and a very very good one at that, and is now reputed to be the best defender in the bundesliga. Is a target of AC Milan but unfortunately he suffered a major knee injury in the transfer window and hasnt come back yet, so the move will have to wait.

Robert Kovac (Juventus) - Described by his former Bayern Munich coach as the "best man marker in the world", Robert Kovac is a quiet figure who lets his performances speak for themselves. Doesnt score much (if ever) but he has the ability to take almost any man out of the game, and has done so admirably against players like Thierry Henry and Ronaldo. He is truly a world class player and was a starter for Bayern Munich for many years before his switch to Juve, unfortunately injuries have hampered his time in Turin but he has still played regularly, with many Juventus faithful calling for him to replace Thuram in the heart of the Juve defence. He played the 90mins last game and got man of the match, so he is an excellent player.

Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray) - Voted best player in the Turkish league for the past two seasons ahead of players such as Anelka, probably our weakest player at the back but still solid none the less. A simple defender whos strong on the ball and generally reliable, had a shocking game vs Argentina gifting them their first goal.

Dario Simic (AC Milan) - Not a starter for us but im sure he will be used, the achilles heel of our defence is lack of pace but Simic has it in spades and could quite easily play if needed, chips in with goals and recently scored against Argentina. Plays almost every game for Milan, although not a starter he will generally come on.

MIDFIELD -

Igor Tudor (Juventus/Siena) - Igor has struggled with injuries his entire career, but for Croatia has moved into a DM role and has performed admirably, earning praise in each of his performances. He is a very strong player at 194cm and excellent in the air, he chips in with goals and will likely end his contract with Juve in the summer, with moves to Villareal and Manchester United possibilities.

Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin) - Niko Kovac isnt a very skillful player, but the older brother of defender Robert is fast and runs the entire game, and often turns games in the process. Man of the match when Croatia completely dominated Sweden in their last game, whoever is marking him will need to be veeerry fit.

Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk) - Our main man, the danger man...very very skillful, fast, dribbles excellently and amazing with set pieces, he is a target of Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Internazionale, with Liverpool recently tabling a bid only for it to be rejected by Shakhtars billionaire owner. Will likely move on after the world cup after handing in a transfer request, many analysts have likened him to be the next Pavel Nedved, Australia will need to look out for him.

Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen) - Plays on our left wing, very fast player, a tidy dribbler and decent with crosses, often performs well but is always overshadowed by Srna.

Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split) - Niko Kranjcar is a tough nut to crack - when the ball is at his feet, he can take peoples breath away with his skills and his potent shots, but he posesses one problem - lack of fitness and speed. Niko doesn't run and shouldnt start for us in my opinion, but his vision, touch and skill are second to none which is why he gets his spot, also helps being the coaches son ;) Hes still young and things can change, when Niko is on he is ON a very classy player who makes fools out of experienced defenders (against Bulgaria megged the defender before striking top corner) shouldnt start but scores often so will have to be watched closely. Considered hot property before his form slump, almost signed with Lyon in the window but chose not to, instead opting to show his substantial skills on the world stage so he can get some better offers.

Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb) - Another youngster, man of the match against Argentina. Fast, excellent dribbler, only loses out for lacking physical presence. He is definitely one to watch, will most certainly go on to bigger and better things, ripped the Argies to shreds and will hopefully start ahead of Kranjcar.

FORWARDS-

Dado Prso (Rangers) - The Rangers man is excellent in the air, has physical presence combined with skill and an excellent shot, unfortunately been hampered by injuries this season but has come back and scored on his debut back from injury for Rangers. Dado is an amazing player for Croatia, always giving 110%, running for everything, if you took out his heart and put it in Niko Kranjcar you'd have one of the best players in the world but thats life i guess...should be potent come June.

Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen) - One of the most feared strikers in the bundesliga, puts in excellent performances for Werder, wanted by many bigger clubs he is a class player, often struggled to replicate club form with form for Croatia, but that seems to be changing now. Watch out for 'Killer Klasnic."

Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow) - Only recently returned from a bad knee injury sustained in the friendly vs Brasil, Olic is an excellent dribbler and will be one of the fastest players in the world cup. Trouble is his shot is crap and not accurate. Doesnt stop him starring for CSKA, though. Should come on as a sub with his pace, against France skinned the entire team the second he got on the pitch.

Bosko Balaban (Club Brugge) - I dont like Balaban and hopefully he wont play - his only asset is he scores bucketloads for club and has so far done the same for Croatia. Against Iceland he played like absolute shit yet still scored two goals, also missed a sitter against Brazil which would have finished them off. Hopefully he doesnt play and i dont expect him to either.

Eduardo Da Silva (Dinamo Zagreb) - Our Brazilian is an excellent player, incredibly fast with all the skill and flair you can expect from a player with Brazilian heritage. Hopefully he makes the squad because he is an amazing player, turned down a 10million euro offer from Fenerbahce to help Dinamo Zagreb compete in the CL next year with their "dream team" which im pretty sure is financed by the mafia :P

[SiN]

i think australia's defence has to be worked on in order to cope with croatia's attack line. the defence will get hammered if the croatians get on top of them. the australian midfeild is the key role in this match, they have great skill and talent in that area so Hiddink will use this wisely. the attack is looking a bit iffy and i really think viduka must go.

[kewell_RuLeS.]

[QUOTE=davor_suker]Im sick of this fighting. Just change your signature so there can be peace, ok?

you couldn't control your fellow croatians from bashing australia and showing us no respect for making the world cup! :sad: :lol:

so that being the case the sig stands!

:wave:

[alchemist]

are you a Queenslander?

[purger]

maybe a 3-4-4 formation would be best.

Now I'm sure you don't know shit about football ;)

Never in my life I have heard of 3-4-4 formation :lol:

[kewell_RuLeS.]

Now I'm sure you don't know shit about football ;)

Never in my life I have heard of 3-4-4 formation :lol:

that last 4 at the back includes the goalkeeper you tool!, you see he stands behind the 3 defenders, stops the ball in the the big goals behind him, you ok now? want me to type slower?.

[only123123]

This is what will happen in Group F

#1 Brazil
#2 Croatia
#3 Australia
#4 Japan

[purger]

that last 4 at the back includes the goalkeeper you tool!, you see he stands behind the 3 defenders, stops the ball in the the big goals behind him, you ok now? want me to type slower?.

Hey, wannabe football fan, formations never includes goalkeepers 'cause they can't play right back, right wing or attacking midfield. They have their place in the team, place that is never affected with game formations.. As I said, you found out what kind of sport football is when Australia beat Uruguay and now you're trying to be smarter then you really are..

4-4-2 most common formation
4-3-2(wingers)-1 Mourinho formation :D
3-5-2 formation mostly played by ex-yu countries and teams

and bunch of other variations in which neither one includes goalies..

And why are you avoiding to answer my question? How many people are there on football pitch during a game?

[kewell_RuLeS.]

Hey, wannabe football fan, formations never includes goalkeepers 'cause they can't play right back, right wing or attacking midfield. They have their place in the team, place that is never affected with game formations.. As I said, you found out what kind of sport football is when Australia beat Uruguay and now you're trying to be smarter then you really are..

4-4-2 most common formation
4-3-2(wingers)-1 Mourinho formation :D
3-5-2 formation mostly played by ex-yu countries and teams

and bunch of other variations in which neither one includes goalies..

And why are you avoiding to answer my question? How many people are there on football pitch during a game?

look purger kodus to you my friend, nice spot, your my hero and you must know more then me. i'm at ease believe it or not.

and whats wrong can't you count 4-4-2? plus goalie? what are you special ?

[purger]

purger my friend

I'm not your friend, at least not yet ;)

your my hero

Now, let's not get gushy over here :D

you must know more then me.

It's a gift, I can't help it

and whats wrong can't you count 4-4-2? plus goalie?

No you can't. 'Cause goalies can't affect playing formations on the field and therefor are not included in various formations.. During game you can change any formations,change players places in the team, from 4-5-1 quickly transform to more attacking one 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 or whatever formation you like. But goalie still remains on his position. you will never hear coach saying we are playing 1-4-5-1 formation but I want you to quickly transform to 1-3-4-3 formation when I tell you so..

what are you special?

You said it yourself :whoo:

[thecolourofslee]

my aussie team:

-----------Schwarzer

------Neill Vidmar Moore

Emerton----------------Chipperfield

------------Grella

----Bresciano Cahill Kewell

----------Viduka

[alchemist]

my aussie team:

-----------Schwarzer

------Neill Vidmar Moore

Emerton----------------Chipperfield

------------Grella

----Bresciano Cahill Kewell

----------Viduka

i think Aloisi should make the starting team

[kewell_RuLeS.]

i think Aloisi should make the starting team

putting one up front is like sacking guus before the world cup! crazy in my books!.

[HRVATSKA]

well it would be nice not to be flamed for my opinion!

i think the key for an australian win will be the midfield, it's australians strength, we have to dominate here and play up the park!, play in there half, with the likes of cahill kewell and bresciano, even Vince Grella in a defencive role, i think croatia will score one, so we need to finnish well in this game, maybe a 3-4-4 formation would be best.

3-4-4? So you guys need an extra player to even play us, haha, I think you ment 4-4-2

[purger]

3-4-4? So you guys need an extra player to even play us, haha, I think you ment 4-4-2

The only problem is he doesn't think! ;)

[alchemist]

i think the best formation for Australia to employ in the World Cup is three defenders across the back, 2 wing backs, a 3 man midfield with a distributor (eg. Grella), and 2 attacking midfielders (Kewell & Bresciano) with Cahill coming off the bench, and Viduka and Aloisi up front... hence, a 5-3-2 formation

[davor_suker]

Hey Kewell how about this formation-


2-7-7-4

Two keepers (because you count them in the formation) 7 defenders, 7 midfielders and 4 strikers, seeing as you are unaware as to how many people play football, maybe this is why you think you will win so badly :lol:

[josh79er]

Ok, he ***ked up, but I think he has a point with the fact that we need to play two strikers, especially against a physicaly weaker side in Japan.
I would Partner Alosi with Dukes who is in a purple patch at the moment scoring 4 goals in 4 games a goal in each!! Alosi is quite big and strong and think he would be a great partner for dukes up front, at least start him against Japan and see how the partnership works

[davor_suker]

Ok, he ***ked up, but I think he has a point with the fact that we need to play two strikers, especially against a physicaly weaker side in Japan.
I would Partner Alosi with Dukes who is in a purple patch at the moment scoring 4 goals in 4 games a goal in each!! Alosi is quite big and strong and think he would be a great partner for dukes up front, at least start him against Japan and see how the partnership works

The problem with that is, unless you compromise the backline (very bad idea considering how frail it is already) you will be foregoing either Cahill or Bresciano, provided you play with a DM which is pretty much essential as established in the Uruguay game.

[josh79er]

That is very true, we would have to lose a player, somewhere???
But i think this has been the main problem for dukes, he has all the weight on his shoulders as the only striker, so maybe a 3-1-4-2, keeping thst DM at back to make up numbers in defence or a 4-4-2 with a a midfielder like grella dropping back as needed. I really think we need 2 strikers as it is to much pressure for dukes and he doesn't perform for Australia as the solo striker

[josh79er]

In club games with apartner and not as much pressure he gets results, so go with that i say, plus i think oir defence is gettin srtronger with the signs of Craig Moore playing again!!!