Australia v Germany World Cup 2010

Verbeek gambles and loses

By Marc Fox

Pim Verbeek.

Perhaps Pim Verbeek, the under fire Socceroos coach, had become fed up with all the pre-match talk of how Australia's line-up was going to be virtually identical to their World Cup opener against Japan in 2006.

For weeks, it had been speculated that Verbeek was going to entrust the task of stopping Germany to virtually the same players that carried Australia into the knockout phase four years before.

It seemed absolutely clear to all: the retired Mark Viduka out, talismanic Tim Cahill in. Numbers 1-10 the same.

Maybe even the ever-consistent Dutchman Verbeek thought he was becoming too predictable and that it might negatively affect Australia's World Cup opener.

Having seen Ghana beat Serbia earlier in the day, he must have known a goalless draw would lay the ideal platform for Australia to attempt to sneak into second in Group D and, uncharacteristically, decided that the element of surprise would be his best policy.

He took the biggest gamble of his managerial career and lost handsomely.

So much was wrong about the Socceroos side that crumbled under German verve.

It was the kind of team selection that takes the wind out of the players' sails before they'd even kicked off and disillusions those fans who stayed up all night to watch Asia's number 1 side start their campaign.

The reasons for omitting striker Josh Kennedy and midfielder Mark Bresciano plus a half-fit Harry Kewell will surface at some point over the next week. The presumably fully fit Kennedy and Bresciano were not even turned to as substitutes as Australia capitulated.

That was mystery enough, but why Verbeek tinkered with a tried and test system after honing it during AFC qualification would have stumped Inspector Poirot.

Richard Garcia, the Hull City midfielder who in the build-up admitted he feared for his place in the 23-man squad, was handed a start in attack, a role he'd not played since he was a kid.

Alongside him was Cahill, probably playing further forward than he might have expected. The Everton midfielder grew steadily frustrated as the goals went in at the other end.

As in Kaiserslautern four years ago, Cahill failed to play the whole 90 minutes. Then, however, he was introduced as a second-half substitute by Guus Hiddink and saved the Socceroos with two goals in the final moments.

The contrast with Sunday's game could not have been starker, Cahill drawing a red card early in the second half for a cumbersome attempt to dispossess Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Meanwhile, Australia's defence was as expected in so many ways.

The middle was especially vulnerable with Craig Moore and Lucas Neill rarely on the same page in laying their offside trap, the pair left fouling their opponents and berating the officials. Both are a booking away from missing the final group clash with Serbia.

Verbeek carried the can afterwards, offering no excuses. But you wonder whether he has a plan B.

Needing to beat the Ghanaians, he will at least dispense with one of Vinnie Grella or Carl Valeri, perhaps the former, and recall Kennedy, Kewell and Bresciano fitness permitting.

But, whether they reach the round of 16 or not, the consensus is that Australia are a team on a downward slope, and need top to bottom rebuilding before the Asian Cup next year.

Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com

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