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Pim's numbers game

by Marc Fox

Ten months ago in Canberra, the nation's capital, Australia received an almighty Asian Cup qualifying shock by Kuwait, the Middle Eastern state the Socceroos face in the return fixture this Wednesday needing a good result to keep qualification for the 2011 tournament alive.

Having only drawn their group opener against Indonesia (with a side that featured nine senior debutants), Pim Verbeek's overwhelmed reserves slipped to 1-0 defeat that was all the less surprising following a glance at the unfamiliar all A-League-based line-up the Dutchman was forced to field.

The match was certainly not a case of choosing numbers one to 11 for Verbeek. It was not even a case of fielding 12 to 22.

Craig Moore, the Socceroos 2006 World Cup captain, was there in central defence, wearing number three. However, the real story was told by the rest of the side's squad numbers.

Goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic wore number 82, Brisbane Roar winger Michael Zullo started in 90 and Verbeek even drafted in second-half subs Mitch Nichols (109) and Fabio Barbiero (111).

Like many previous Asian Cup qualifiers, this week's clash in Kuwait City again falls outside Fifa's official match dates and means the European clubs employing Verbeek's senior Socceroos need not release their players.

As such, none do and so Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano and co all remain, hoping their Australian-based back-ups prove strong enough to give them a shot at Asian Cup redemption in 2011.

Almost a year on from that embarrassing home defeat and with Australia now sitting top of Group B, the chance to draw a line under that previous loss and qualify for next year's tournament with one match to spare has arrived.

But Verbeek has once again been forced to undergo the same juggling act with his squad and draft in players with precious little chance of being included in his 23-man squad for South Africa in June.

He is optimistic in that at least the exercise doubles as an opportunity to run the rule over a series of fringe players, with the two areas of his side with squad places up for grabs in goal and attack.

Schwarzer, the evergreen Fulham shot-stopper, is Verbeek's undisputed No.1, but the names of his deputies are far less clear with three of the A-League's best young 'keepers in the Middle East auditioning for a possible World Cup berth.

Adelaide's Galekovic, last week linked with an unlikely move to Premier League side Portsmouth, is tipped to win his third cap, but it still looks as though Verbeek prefers the safety of overseas goalies Adam Federici (Reading) and Brad Jones (Middlesbrough) despite Jones' form slump.

Upfront, where nothing is certain and where goals remain at a premium, Alex Brosque might receive his chance to create an impression.

The left-footed Brosque, one of the good luck stories of the A-League, has played his part in shooting Sydney FC in the top of the league this season and has been talked up as the surprise candidate for Verbeek's fifth striking spot at the World Cup behind certainties Harry Kewell and Josh Kennedy.

A former national league young player-of-the-year, the 26-year-old returned from a disappointing spell in Europe for the inaugural season of the A-League and has steadily grown over the past four-and-a-half seasons, but his previous international appearance was way back in 2006, ironically against Kuwait in Sydney.

"I never gave up hope, but as the years went on it was getting further and further from my mind," he admitted to reporters from the Socceroos' training camp in Dubai. 2010 might well see Brosque fulfil all his junior potential on the biggest stage of all.

Marc Fox

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