Is it time for a changing of the guard at Australia’s national soccer team?

WORDS ALAN GRANT

Scott McDonald
Photo: Getty Images

Soccer in Australia received a huge boost from the Socceroos’ heroic efforts in last year’s World Cup in Germany. However, after a disappointing performance in the sweltering heat of the recent Asian Cup when they were knocked out by Japan in the quarter-finals, a changing of the guard may be imminent.

Ahead of Australia’s friendly match against Argentina at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 11 September, we profile four Socceroos: two veterans of the team and two younger squad members destined to play significant roles in the years ahead.

Harry Kewell

Having made his debut for the Socceroos at the tender age of 17 in 1996, the 28-year-old pretty-boy Kewell now fits squarely in the veteran category. The injury-prone star has only played 29 times for his country but has scored nine goals for Australia and is one of the best attacking players in the world – he can still make huge contributions to the national team… if he can stay fit.

Speaking before the Asian Cup, the Liverpool F.C. star admitted that during his latest battle with injury earlier this year doubts crept into this mind as to whether he’d come back.

“You get over one injury and then another one appears and all of a sudden you kind of wonder ‘Am I ever going to be the same again?’” says Kewell.

Strong support from his family and club pulled him through, he said. As for that veteran tag, Kewell jokes: “I still like to be classified as young. I’m not that old!” Let’s just hope for Australia’s sake that Kewell stays healthy.

Mark Viduka

Mark Viduka fends off Lucas Neill Question marks also hang over the Socceroos’ career of captain Viduka, who has flirted with international retirement several times over the past few years. Soon after joining English Premier League outfit Newcastle United in June, it looked like the big, burly striker would quit before the Asian Cup, as the tournament clashed with his new club’s preseason. But the pull of the green and gold jersey proved too strong.

“Moving to a new club, you have to assert yourself there… and obviously it would be an advantage to start off from the start of the preseason with the whole team,” Viduka said a few days before the squad flew to Bangkok for the Asian Cup. “But in the end, playing for Australia was too important for me to give up.”

Viduka, 31, led the line gallantly in the Asian Cup, scoring three goals in four games to bring his career mark to 11 goals from 43 appearances. Whether he adds to either of those tallies remains to be seen.

Scott McDonald

If Viduka does retire, one of the players poised to step into his boots is the 24-year-old McDonald. Born in Melbourne to Scottish parents, he made a name for himself playing in Scotland for top-flight outfit Motherwell. Nicknamed “Skippy” at the club, the diminutive player earned a big-money move this year to Glasgow Celtic after an impressive goal-scoring record for the small-town team.

McDonald, who made his Socceroos debut against Bahrain in February last year, is eager to add to his four caps.

“I would like to think I’m in with a shot when the likes of Mark Viduka step down from international duty. I’m most definitely confident in my own abilities and feel I could do a good job for Australia,” he says.

While desperate to make the long journey for the upcoming Argentina game, McDonald has his eyes on bigger things: South Africa and World Cup glory in 2010.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young lad to play in a World Cup. After seeing how well we did last time, it would be great to play and to go a bit further.”

Mark Milligan

Already the captain of the Australian under-23s team, Milligan made a big impression during the Asian Cup. He not only earned his fourth cap but starred in the middle of defence as the Socceroos thumped hosts Thailand 4–0 in the do-or-die match in Bangkok on 16 July that secured Australia a quarter-final berth in the Asian Cup.

The odds are short on the 22-year-old Milligan securing a transfer from his hometown Sydney F.C. to a European club this season. Hopefully such a long-distance move won’t put the brakes on what promises to be an impressive Socceroos career.

Fight for the Finals
With the footy finals upon us, the story in both the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) is all about the usual season leaders’ dominance and an incredibly tight scramble behind them to make the finals.

In the AFL, it’s so close that with four rounds of fixtures remaining, no fewer than 12 teams have realistic chances of reaching the final eight. Runaway minor premiers Geelong are not involved in the war of attrition, however, making them big favourites for Grand Final glory at the MCG on 29 September.

In rugby league, it would be fitting to see the two teams who dominated the NRL regular season, the Melbourne Storm and the Manly Sea Eagles, contest the Grand Final at Telstra Stadium on 30 September, but finals footy doesn’t always work out that way. It’s a case of get yourself to the matches and scream for your team because it’s fair game for all!