The End ... for this World Cup

I went straight to bed after the result in disappointment. We dominated possession before, and after, the Italian defender was sent off. Time and time again I called out to the boys on the screen, "C'mon, you've got to score! 0-0 is no good when you have the extra man. You lose the advantage in a penalty shootout."

Who is to blame for the way it ended? Well, we must acknowledge first of all that it was always going to end, the question was: When? Almost certainly not by lifting the World Cup. So finishing was always going to be bitter. The cruel twist was that our best player all tournament, the reliable Lucas Neill, gave away the penalty that cost us the game. Lucas is not to blame though. I point the finger nowhere - the blame falls on the Australian public for failing to embrace the world game sooner. Why? It was our lack of forward firepower that cost us. We need to develop our players better to be generating world-class strikers, and other positional players for that matter. My cry continued for a strike partner for Viduka, and Aloisi should have been on from the start. The midfielders were just too far back and not penetrating enough to bring us a goal. Frankly, I thought we didn't know what to do with the 1-man advantage going forward. Or, perhaps, Italy made us look that way with their defensive organisation.

The result was the right result. Italy had the better chances and ought to have converted. The way the result eventuated was bitter, but it was the right result. Italians could argue that the red-carding of the defender was not justified, as equally as we could argue there was no penalty value for Neill's last-minute tackle.

I want to focus on the forwards, because I can not question the efforts of the others. Is Viduka a world-class striker? History may tell us he was hard working, and over-powered by close checking, and perhaps robbed by the referees - but he is no Luca Toni, Totti, Ronaldo, Adriano, or Robinho. The result against Croatia was the right result, because I think we are where they are at: Viduka is about Prso's quality. I can only hope that the late-teenagers in Australia decide not to convert to another sport and stick with football, and tell themselves: "I'll be there in the World Cup, and I'll crack open Italian defences like an Henry or Shevchenko". Yes, I hope we have an arsenal of strike options for South Africa 2010. We'll be there next time - which is all we can now think about, next time.

The music will now fade, the green-and-gold adornments and endorsements across Australia fade from view, the bleary eyes will turn clear again. People will rub their eyes and think: "What's happening in the AFL?" etc. The test will now be the Asian Cup qualifiers: will we get the same support? I sure hope so.

Come Asia, I believe we must start preparing for the next World Cup. Viduka, Chipperfield, Schwarzer, Moore, Popovic and co ought to get their send-offs but should not be allowed to linger. We have to start preparing. Let Wilkshire, Beauchamp, Milligan Thompson and others get more game-time - they are our future. People say of Robert Shaw at the Adelaide Crows, and now also Gary Ayres, that we need to appreciate who they recruited and developed during their relatively lean coaching periods. Hiddink did not give us a lean time, but I now think forward with interest regarding players Hiddink has blooded during this World Cup - my non-favourite Wilkshire, the revived Sterjovski, the legendary Neill (boy I feel for him like I felt for Prince William when Diana died!), the vivacious Thompson and last but not least, one Jason Culina. I don't want to hear talk from a 30-something player of "I'll play on to 2010" - only goalkeepers can achieve that (perhaps Kalac might get a chance at redemption). Let's blood the "kids" and let them show us what they've got. There'll be massive public pressure in 2010, expectation to "go one better" - or even further - than the Socceroos of 2006. We better start the hard work now. As our world ranking inevitably climbs and we meet better opponents in friendlies, as we enter Asia with the Asian Football Federation sides wondering: Ooops, should we have let these guys into our pool? ... The world is our oyster.

Who should coach us? Give Graeme Arnold the job, for 2 years at least. Appoint someone like Houllier or another world-class coach as a "technical director", not head coach, to offer insights and advice and sit on the sidelines with tips. Arnold might bloom into a world-class international coach. After 2 years, see if we need another Hiddink-type to finish the job. But please don't blow money on a world-class manager unless he is going to develop the players in a way that rules Arnold out on the grounds of class.

If we appoint Arnold, it saddens me to say that we might have to wave goodbye to John Kosmina at Adelaide United. He has been touted as a future national coach and would make a good deputy. His ability to mould a top-class outfit out of also-rans sniffs of Hiddink-like qualities.

Speaking of my beloved Adelaide United, I do hope John Aloisi and Stan Lazaridis come to the club. Sure, every Socceroo's value will have lifted on the private market after the World Cup, but we need to lift the standard of the A-League too. Players should realise that we have a local product we need to improve, as no doubt sponsors and worldwide fans of the world game will think: Hmmm, I must take notice of this A-League. Australia produces good players. We might see Brazilians etc lining up to come here to learn to play against "physical" opposition. As my mate Roger and I discuss from time to time, the future is exciting.

I should finish, but want to close on a point I raised when we qualified for Germany 2006 by beating Uruguay in a penalty shootout. I said, at that time, that it was time we abandoned the name "Socceroos". Like my team selections during this World Cup, I admit again I was wrong. Sure, as time goes on, we will use the term less and describe them as "Australia" or "the 'Roos" (fits better in newspaper headlines). However, seeing the Australian supporters holding up their "Socceroos" scarves in Kaiserslautern, Stuttgart etc made me appreciate something: We should keep the name as a reminder of our tragic past. To me, seeing that scarf reads "Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters" - we have been downtrodden, ridiculed and abused in our own country, but "this is (our time) ... all the world will start to see you shine...."

Go you Socceroos.