His Hong Kong mission accomplished, Socceroos coach Holger Osieck can turn his full attention to World Cup qualification and says there are players in his successful experimental squad who are certain to feature.
After a slow start, 17 unanswered goals against minnows Guam and Taiwan ensured an Australian team comprised mainly of A-League players easily bettered North Korea's goal difference on Sunday to book a place in next July's East Asian Cup.
There Australia will take on host nation South Korea, heavyweight Japan and defending champion China in a competition which falls outside FIFA's sanctioned international dates.
And while Osieck said he will use that tournament to look again at rising talent, he feels he has already unearthed some rising stars in Hong Kong.
Osieck will have the chance to test those who impressed him the most when Australia play an international friendly against a yet to be announced opponent in February before the next World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney in March.
"Absolutely I can see some of these players in the World Cup squad," Osieck said.
"I'm pretty sure that some of them will break through.
"I have another opportunity with an international in February which gives me another good look at some players.
"The game will probably be played in Europe so I'll have a different group there as well.
"So after that I will decide who will be ready for the Oman game."
Eight players earned their first international caps in Hong Kong with Aaron Mooy and Michael Marrone scoring on debut while the likes of Tomas Rogic, Aziz Behich and Eli Babalj also put their hand up for future selection.
"This really was a welcome opportunity to see the performance level of some players," Osieck said.
"But I never single out anybody, not publicly.
"We'll deal with it internally and they'll all get to know what my assessment is."
While Osieck would not play favourites, veteran Archie Thompson did.
The 34-year-old said Central Coast playmaker Rogic, despite only playing a total of 35 minutes in Hong Kong, was his pick of the bunch.
"They all impressed," said Thompson, whose lightning-fast hat-trick against Guam left him one away from Damian Mori's record 29 goals for the Socceroos.
"But I'm always going to say Tommy Rogic because he plays in my position and I just love watching him play.
"His touch is amazing for a big guy and he just seems to have so much time and gets out of tricky situations so easily.
Coach Holger Osieck says the Socceroos cannot afford to think beyond Friday's World Cup qualifier in Oman despite the quick turnaround for Tuesday's clash against Japan.
Australia has a testing start to the final stage of qualifying with the clash against reigning Asian champions Japan in Brisbane shortly after playing in oppressive heat in Muscat.
"I cannot play a team here and go into a qualifier and only have Japan in mind," Osieck said.
"That will never happen, that I will let that slip.
"Oman is like a first final. Our focus can only be on this game and the 11 players that will be starting will be the top players for that very moment."
Socceroos captain Lucas Neill required treatment for his groin at training on Wednesday but moved freely after having it stretched out.
Osieck said it was unlikely that Brett Holman would be available for next week's clash in Brisbane with the arrival of his second child imminent.
Japan blitzed world number 92 Oman 3-0 at Saitama Stadium on the weekend but the team from the Middle East is expected to put up a much better fight on home soil.
There is little chance of the Socceroos treating the home side lightly after losing to them 1-0 in Muscat last November.
Osieck believes set pieces will be crucial for Australia with towering striker Josh Kennedy available for the match starting at 11:00pm (AEST).
"I think set plays can be a good weapon," he said.
Australia coach Holger Osieck says he left Tim Cahill on the bench for the Socceroos' 0-0 draw with Oman as he was not sure of the star striker's fitness.
And Osieck finished the match with a substitution up his sleeve.
Cahill was one of the first names picked in the national team as recently as September last year.
But his services were not required at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex with Archie Thompson called into action to replace Harry Kewell up front on the hour mark.
When asked post-match about Cahill's omission from the starting side, Osieck says he was not convinced about the Everton star's fitness.
The coach praised the attitude of players such as Thompson, who attended a training camp in London before last week's friendly in Copenhagen.
"The starting 11 was based on my impressions during training," Osieck said.
"I have been together with a couple of boys for almost three weeks and you see them on a daily basis and you expect something.
"Some others, like Josh (Kennedy) he joined the team pretty late.
"Timmy joined us late.
"So I wasn't quite sure of their physical status, if it was sufficient."
Osieck's reservations about Kennedy could be the result of the big striker having had a stop-start season in the J-League to date.
Cahill has not played much either, having only had about an hour on the pitch in the past month.
He returned to Australia to conduct coaching clinics for a fortnight last month following the end of the English Premier League season.
While he was putting youngsters through their paces, the likes of Thompson were putting their best foot forward in front of Osieck.
With a tough turnaround for Tuesday's clash against Japan in Brisbane, it will be interesting to see whether Cahill is able to convince Osieck he is worthy of selection.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has been forced to defend his selection of Harry Kewell and Archie Thompson for next month's friendly against Denmark and following World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Japan, after admitting match fitness was a concern.
The Melbourne Victory team-mates have not played a competitive fixture in almost two months after their A-League campaign ended in the final round of the regular season on March 24.
But while Osieck, who on Tuesday named an extended 26-man squad for the upcoming matches, admitted the duo - the only A-League representatives named - may not make the final cut he was adamant they deserved a shot to prove their fitness.
Osieck said he had a "very intense chat" with former Liverpool star Kewell.
"He is aware of the situation and he knows my point," Osieck said.
"He is training with a personal trainer and I will definitely give him the opportunity to show whether it is good enough or not.
"Looking back at (the final match of the previous stage of World Cup qualification in February against) Saudi Arabia, he had a decent game and whenever he plays for the team, since I've been in charge, he does a job.
"So why should I not give him the opportunity to show that he is in a good state to play?
"Harry still has a lot of potential, we can't argue that."
Osieck said he will be relying on assistant Socceroos coach Aurelio Vidmar to monitor Thompson's performance in Victory's friendly against Greek club Olympiakos on Saturday before deciding if he will make the final team.
"In his last game against Saudi, when he came on, we were 2-1 down and he changed the picture completely," Osieck recalled of Thompson.
"As coach you should never forget what the good players have done and at least give them the opportunity.
"But the fact that these two guys are on the list doesn't really mean that they will be included in the final selection."
Chris Herd is the only new face in the squad with Osieck saying he was delighted to finally have the West Australian, who plays for Aston Villa, fit after he was unavailable for February's fixture against Saudi Arabia due to injury.
Tim Cahill, Brett Holman and Matt McKay are among those who also missed the Saudi Arabia clash through injury or unavailability to be recalled.
Josh Kennedy was included despite being ruled out of his Japanese club Nagoya Grampus' Asian Champions League clash with the Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday night due to a back injury, with Osieck saying he was waiting on a report from his club's medical team to know the extent of the injury.
Sydney FC marquee pair Nicky Carle and Brett Emerton were not named - Carle has been dropped from the last squad, while Emerton is recovering from ankle surgery.
The Socceroos take on Denmark in Copenhagen on June 2 before kicking off their World Cup Asian fourth-round qualifying campaign against Oman in Muscat on June 8 and Japan in Brisbane four days later.
The Socceroos can book a spot in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with a top-two finish in Group B which also includes Iraq and Jordan.
Osieck will reduce the squad to 23 players prior to the qualifier against Oman.
Australia:
Mark Bresciano, Alex Brosque, Tim Cahill, David Carney, Nathan Coe (GK), Adam Federici (GK), Chris Herd, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Joshua Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Neil Kilkenny, Robbie Kruse, Matt McKay, Mark Milligan, Lucas Neill, Jade North, Sasa Ognenovski, Nikita Rukavytsya, Mark Schwarzer (GK), Matt Spiranovic, Archie Thompson, Carl Valeri, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams, Michael Zullo.
Australian coach Holger Osieck has brought back his big guns in naming a 26-man extended line-up ahead of clashes with Denmark, Oman and Japan next month.
The Socceroos will contest a friendly with the Danes in Copenhagen on June 2 before facing Oman in Muscat on June 8 and Japan in Brisbane four days later in a pair of World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Tim Cahill, Nathan Coe, Adam Federici, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Josh Kennedy, Neil Kilkenny, Robbie Kruse, Carl Valeri, Rhys Williams and Michael Zullo all return after being rested in February's 4-2 win over Saudi Arabia in Melbourne.
Midfielder Matt McKay and defender Luke Wilkshire are once again eligible for selection after being left out for the Saudi clash through suspension.
Aston Villa's Aussie utility Chris Herd will join the national squad for the first time while fellow Western Australian Nikita Rukavytsya returns to the national fold after a 14-month absence.
Herd was selected for the Socceroos squad last November for clashes with Oman and Thailand but injury kept him out of eligibility to play.
Osieck plans to cut three members from the squad before his troops take on Oman in Muscat.
Socceroos squad:
GK - Mark Schwarzer, Nathan Coe, Adam Federici.
Def: Sasa Ognenovski, Michael Zullo, Matthew Spiranovic, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams, Mark Milligan, Lucas Neill (C), Jade North, David Carney.
MF: Chris Herd, Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Mile Jedinak, Matt McKay, Carl Valeri, Neil Kilkenny, Harry Kewell. FW: Alex Brosque, Brett Holman, Josh Kennedy, Robbie Kruse, Nikita Rukavytsya, Archie Thompson.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck insists his players will not be going through the motions against 147th-ranked Malaysia, labelling Friday night's match a crucial part of preparations in Australia's World Cup qualifying campaign.
Australia meets the Asian minnow in Canberra as a warm-up for Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney and is expected to easily account for a side already knocked out of qualifying for Brazil 2014.
While some have questioned the value of the match, Osieck says it is a fixture he wanted and has vowed to start with a strong starting line-up, before taking the chance to experiment with things throughout the match.
"It's my intent to use this game for that purpose and it's an important part of preparations, not just preparation for the Oman game but even beyond that," Osieck said.
"We'll have to see the condition of the players (to decide the starting line-up), they all come from different backgrounds, some arrived very late so travel is again an issue.
"But we'll be on the pitch, it's the Socceroos, it's not a junior tournament."
Australia has made a flawless start on the road to Brazil, with maximum points from two games after battling to a 2-1 win over Thailand in Brisbane and an impressive 3-1 triumph away to Saudi Arabia.
Victory against Oman on Tuesday night would virtually assure Australia progresses to the next stage of qualifiers, but Osieck has emphasised the importance of focusing on the challenge at hand against the Malaysians.
"I think Malaysia are a good opponent for us because they have a similar style as Thailand and we can see like in our first qualifier, these games are not easy," he said.
"It's a different type of football, and I think down the road we have to prepare for any style of football.
"These games are always more a lose-lose situation because basically they are under-rated by the wider public.
"But I always stress the important of these games ... for the development of the team."
Osieck has named an entirely overseas-based team for the two matches, with big guns Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill (both injured), Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell (A-League commitments) all missing.
It ensures responsibility will again fall on the shoulders of Brett Holman, who starred against Saudi Arabia as he continued his remarkable transformation into one of Australia's most important players.
Osieck could use Holman sparingly in Friday's match after he played in Dutch leader AZ Alkmaar's 3-1 win over VVV-Venlo on Sunday night, though he will likely find some role for his most in-form player.
"Season wise it's been a great start," Holman said of his recent club form.
"I think you get on a roll sometimes."
Adam Federici will almost certainly start in goals in Schwarzer's absence, while the likes of Alex Brosque, Robbie Kruse, James Troisi and Rhys Williams should all see some game time.
Malaysia bowed out of qualifying after losing to Singapore 6-4 on aggregate in a two-legged play-off in June, but Osieck is certain the visitors will be no easybeats.
"Their home game against Singapore they played in front of a crowd of 90,000, so they cannot be a Mickey Mouse team, I assure you," he said.
Posted June 6, 2011 06:27:00 Socceroos coach Holger Osieck says luring Harry Kewell back to Australia to join Melbourne Victory could be "extraordinary" and just what the A-League needs.
Kewell, 32, is reportedly considering a multi-million-dollar offer to join the Victory next season after the recent expiry of his contract with Turkish club Galatasaray.
The former Liverpool and Leeds midfielder met Victory officials in Melbourne this week, but his manager Bernie Mandic insisted the club was one in a "long list" in the hunt for his services.
While signing Kewell would still appear at long odds, securing the services of Australia's most famous soccer export would represent the biggest signing coup in six years of the A-League.
And Osieck threw his support behind the move after Australia's 3-0 win over New Zealand on Sunday.
"If that really happens then you can say it's going to be a big boost for the A-League," Osieck said.
"We talk about the standing and the quality, but if a player of his calibre would come back to Australia, for the A-League it would be extraordinary.
"I would definitely work on the move.
"I don't know how realistic it is, but if it really happens I think that is what the A-League needs, big names and in the shade of the big names the young players can develop.
"I think it's a perfect combination."
Head of the A-League Lyall Gorman stressed he was not privy to the progress of any negotiations, but said someone of Kewell's stature had the potential to significantly boost the league's attendances and exposure.
"He's got a wonderful brand on and off the field and would add tremendous value to the league," Gorman said.
According to reports on Sunday, Victory club chairman Anthony Di Pietro met Kewell in Melbourne last Monday to express interest in signing him, but said talks were not yet advanced.
Kewell's future had been up in the air since Galatasaray sporting director Bulent Tulun confirmed he and fellow Socceroo Lucas Neill would not be offered new contracts for next season.
The pair were linked with a move to newly-promoted English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers, while Kewell was apparently also on the radar of several clubs in America's MLS, as well as other A-League clubs including Sydney FC and Newcastle.
Mandic said on Saturday night Kewell would not be making any decisions on his future for some weeks and denied a deal was close to done with the Victory.
"You can add Melbourne Victory to a long list of clubs after Harry, which includes the majority of the A-League," Mandic said.
"We're in no hurry and Harry has said he's not thinking about football for the next couple of weeks."
Sydney-born Kewell has never ruled out returning to play in the A-League and has said in the past he is keen to play on to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
While his career had been blighted by injury at times, he returned to form to be one of Australia's best players at January's Asian Cup in Qatar.
Posted June 4, 2011 17:26:00 Australian coach Holger Osieck has thrown down the gauntlet to his fringe players, urging them to use Sunday's clash with New Zealand to prove they should be Socceroos regulars.
While Sunday's match at Adelaide Oval and a clash with Serbia in Melbourne on Tuesday are friendlies by name, they will not be by nature, with the German coach confirming he will use them to see if a host of new faces are up to Socceroos standard ahead of the start of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in September.
Osieck confirmed former Brisbane Roar winger Michael Zullo would start at left back against the All Whites and local product James Troisi would at least see some game time, while several others without significant international experience would get opportunities as the squad was carefully managed with two games in three days.
"There is a couple of new faces in the group and I'm really eager to see the boys that we have on the radar and have monitored over the last couple of months, see whether they are really up to date and in a position to help our team do a good job for the Socceroos," Osieck said.
"I'm looking for the players who can step up and be a regular member of the Socceroos. That's a great incentive for everybody.
"Looking back at the start of my job, one aspect of my mandate was to bring fresh blood into the group to rejuvenate the team.
"If you look back from game one and to today, a lot of players that hadn't been considered or that had been fringe so far have become regulars in the team. They have really enriched our team and have raised the level of the group."
With a host of first team regulars missing including Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer, Harry Kewell and David Carney, Osieck will field a new-look line-up in Adelaide.
He said goalkeeper Adam Federici would be saved for the Serbia game, after joining the camp late following Reading's promotion play-off loss, paving the way for Nathan Coe or Mitch Langerak to play a full match.
Captain Lucas Neill remained in doubt with a groin injury, with Osieck indicating he was unlikely to start in Adelaide, giving Jon McKain or Matthew Spiranovic a chance to start - possibly both if Sasa Ognenovski was also rested.
Brett Emerton would likely take the captain's armband in Neill's absence.
Rhys Williams, Neil Kilkenny, Alex Brosque and Dario Vidosic were others in line for game time, as Osieck weighed up whether to save some of his bigger names for the match against 2010 World Cup group opponents Serbia.
"It's going to be tough for one individual to play two games over 90 minutes, that's for sure," Osieck said.
"I want to have a good look at everybody. On the other hand, the public - they ask for the players who are a bit more popular than others - so I have to find the right balance."
The German dismissed talk his side could find the going easy against an injury-ravaged and travel-weary New Zealand side, having only arrived in Adelaide on Saturday after a 3-0 loss on Thursday to Mexico in Denver.
"I heard a lot of things regarding New Zealand and the team and I don't like to listen to that, that is all crap," Osieck said.
Posted May 24, 2011 11:00:00 Updated May 24, 2011 11:06:00 Holger Osieck believes in the Socceroos and Australian football.
It is obvious from the way he speaks about his side and the game in this country, there is plenty of potential to be fulfilled.
Nine months into his role as Socceroos coach and Osieck is being widely praised.
He so far has the results to back up the plaudits and the backing of his boss, Football Federation of Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy.
As far as good football is concerned, Osieck has spent a lot of time as FIFA's technical director, where his focus was on the game, not the money or the politics.
For him the World Cup juggernaut has become just a little too big and too commercial.
Still it is clear the World Cup is the pinnacle of football for Osieck, who was deputy to the legendary Franz Beckenbauer when Germany won the World Cup in 1990.
Australia somewhat disappointingly failed to make it out of the group stages at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and parted ways with coach Pim Verbeek after the tournament.
Osieck's first major test as Socceroos boss came at the Asian Cup earlier this year where Australia made the final but fell to a 1-0 defeat in extra time to Japan.
Since then Australia notched up an impressive 2-1 victory over Germany in Monchengladbach, and Osieck admits successful results has helped his goal to transform the Socceroos into a more attacking side.
"I think it's my style of football. I try to be very positive and try to encourage all players to play up, to take risks in a way, because without risks you cannot gain anything, and so far it has worked," he said.
"That is probably why I had a good start with the team and the players - they listened. They're very perceptive and it's great fun for me to work with them."
While he prefers not to be compared to his predecessor, it is obvious Osieck thinks his style of coaching can benefit the Socceroos and the game in Australia.
"When you activate the potential of the players, then you get a lot more from them," Osieck explained.
"We are good team, we have good potential, we have good individuals, we a have great team spirit. So why should we hide?
"Wherever I work I pursue that kind of football.
"Success is a major issue in football but entertainment is another one and people come to see you win but they want to be entertained as well. You have to get a good mix here."
Homegrown talent
The Socceroos coach called on A-League stars Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse to play key roles for the Socceroos during the Asian Cup, with the Brisbane Roar skipper in particular rising to the challenge.
Osieck admitted he knew little about the league when he arrived in Australia, but says younger, developing players need to break away from the misconception it is not up to standard.
"I kept saying that the standard of the A-League is a lot better than people obviously think it is," he said.
"It goes a little bit into that inferiority area where they think 'we are not good enough'.
"But they are good. Still there's room for improvement, but I can tell you quite frankly that I have seen a lot of entertaining, good quality games and that is what football is about.
"To attract the crowd. To go there, to provide some entertaining stuff, and that is what I saw in most of the games I went to."
The educator
Osieck has already endeared himself to the Australian football public with his willingness to learn the national anthem and, of course, a string of good results.
But it seems the German, more importantly, has designs to leave a football legacy in Australia.
"I consider myself always as an educator," he said.
"Not just to move people around and chase them. I worked on many different levels - youth department, development, I coached national teams, I coached professional club teams.
"Wherever I worked I always tried to convince them some stuff, to people, to educate, to educate them to the game, to educate them to perform.
"What it means to perform on the top level with all the things that these days come to the players, environment, media etc.
"And I really tried to convey some kind of help and assistance to them."
Osieck has practiced what he preaches by spending a lot of his time in Australia, something he says is very important for his position and what he is trying to achieve.
"I got hired by FFA not to be distant coaching person and do everything via computer or via telephone or Blackberry," he said.
"In order to develop a good affinity to the country you work for you have to be there.
"And even though sometimes we have a break sometimes with the national team I need to be here, I need to be in the office, I need to talk to people and you got to have the personal contact. It's very crucial."
Growing the game
Osieck says his time at FIFA gave him enough insight to know the Socceroos were far from small fries on the global football stage.
"Australia has a pretty good rating there (FIFA). They played in the last two World Cups and they achieved a lot on the football level. I think they had a pretty decent recognition," he said.
"Football, maybe in comparison to the traditional sports here in Australia, is maybe not the top rank but internationally, and football is a world game, it's a different standing."
It is perhaps for those reasons why Osieck was so disappointed Australia's 2022 World Cup bid was eliminated so quickly at the FIFA vote, which has now been shrouded in allegations of bribery.
"It's very disappointing because knowing the international football scenery and having experienced Australia right now, it would have been a perfect place," he said.
"To come to Australia, to enjoy the country to enjoy the hospitality and it definitely would have been a great boost for football here in this country.
"You have to consider that the event actually is a four-week campaign and down the road, it would have been in another 11 years.
"But football is not just the World Cup. Football is a lot more, and it takes a lot more strides to develop football and get the standing.
"We have to first of all get the message across that Australian football people don't have to be inferior to other domestic sports."
But Osieck does recognise the game, and massive events like the World Cup, are turning into a commercial beasts and it is unfortunately starting to spell the end of its association with the common fan and leading to more controversy over hosting rights.
"Things in football have gone in to direction that it's becoming more and more gigantic," he said.
"It's getting more and more complicated and the commercialism in that respect has gained superiority and that is definitely not ideal.
"I had a chat with Alex Ferguson once and he said 'when you deal with the devil you have to play with his rules'.
"That is obviously the case here as well. So it takes a little bit away from football itself, from the genuine football because down the road maybe, only people who have enough money can afford to be there and not the normal fan, and that is not positive."
Updated May 24, 2011 14:01:00 Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has opened the door for a number of periphery figures to shine in Australia's upcoming home friendlies against New Zealand and Serbia.
Veterans Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer and David Carney were not named due to injury concerns after the conclusion of the European season.
Osieck named 12 players from the squad that defeated Germany in late March while calling up the likes of emerging talents James Troisi and former Roar pair Dario Vidosic and Michael Zullo.
He also included veteran Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson who won a recall after not playing for the Socceroos since March 2009.
Rhys Williams makes his long-awaited return to the fold following a successful recovery from a groin injury that has hampered him since before the World Cup.
"From my point of view these games have a particular significance because they are part of our preparation program for the starting World Cup [qualifying] campaign in September," Osieck said.
"There are definitely some interesting players on the list, some players I want to see which should be given the opportunity to show their potential, if they are up to the standard of the Socceroos."
Osieck spoke particularly highly of Zullo who has been playing at left back for Dutch side Utrecht in the Eredivise, the Netherland's top league.
The Socceroos coach said the former Roar winger was an example of the young players he thinks have the potential to step up on the international level.
"When I was in Europe I not only went to games in England, but in more countries and I took the opportunity to follow him play for Utrecht," Osieck said.
"I think he has a good potential, I like him, he is a busy little player on the left flank and he brings in a lot of pace, he has excellent passing and crossing technique and I was really impressed."
Lucas Neill returns to captain the side and will be joined by the experienced Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton.
Japanese-based players Alex Brosque, Josh Kennedy, Mark Milligan and Matthew Spiranovic were selected along with the K-League-based Sasa Ognenovski.
Adam Federici, Nathan Coe and Mitchell Langerak will fight it out for a spot in goals for the two matches after Fulham keeper Schwarzer was forced into surgery for a groin injury.
A-League stars Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse retained their positions in the squad after impressing at the Asian Cup.
Strikers Nikita Rukavytysa, Scott McDonald and Nathan Burns were not named.
The Socceroos take on the All Whites in Adelaide on June 5 before facing Serbia in Melbourne two days later.
Injury worries
Osieck said he told Cahill in March he would not be picked so he could recover fully from a niggling foot injury he carried through the Asian Cup.
But he said the omission of Schwarzer and Kewell, who Osieck said will be out for a "couple of months" were unfortunately forced.
"Mark called me, we had a chat last week and he told me he has to undergo a groin operation which was not foreseeable," he said.
"We have to do without him which is not good, but when you look at the goalkeepers on the list, it's a great opportunity for them to show what we have.
"Mitch Langerak who did well with Dortmund, he made a good impression and I'm really looking forward to seeing him here.
"I'm in permanent contact with [Kewell]. I had him on the original list and... he missed out on a couple of games in May and end of April," Osieck added.
"He came back (for Turkish club Galatasaray), played, but he was substituted in his last game at half-time and so I think it was a very honest discussion we had and I had the feeling he didn't feel comfortable about his performance level.
"I said I don't want to get you into any kind of predicament and that is the reason I left him out.
"He's going to be out long term, it's going to be a couple of months before he can return."
Australia: Alex Brosque, Nathan Coe, Brett Emerton, Adam Federici, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Josh Kennedy, Neil Kilkenny, Robbie Kruse, Mitchell Langerak, Jon McKain, Matt McKay, Mark Milligan, Lucas Neill (c), Sasa Ognenovski, Matthew Spiranovic, Archie Thompson, James Troisi, Carl Valeri, Dario Vidosic, Rhys Williams, Luke Wilkshire, Michael Zullo.
Published:Tuesday, May 24, 2011 1:34 AESTExpires:Monday, August 22, 2011 1:34 AEST
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck says he has rested key players struggling with niggles for upcoming friendlies, to ensure they are fit for World Cup qualifiers which begin in September.
Published:Monday, May 23, 2011 12:45 AESTExpires:Sunday, August 21, 2011 12:45 AEST
Socceroos coach Holgier Osieck spoke with Sunday Profile about why he agreed to coach the side, the tactics he implements and why it's important he lives in Australia.
Holger Osieck - Interview from Sunday Profile - (ABC) Skip to navigation Skip to content Search:RadioTVShopNewsSportLocalChildrenScienceEnvironmentmore Topicshelp HomeProfilesArchiveListenPodcastAboutContact Holger OsieckThursday, May 19, 2011 Socceroos coach Holger Osieck speaks to the media during a pre-match news conference for the Asian Cup in Doha January 13, 2011 | Jo Yong-Hak Related Audio:
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MONICA ATTARD: Hello, and welcome to Sunday Profile. I'm Monica Attard and we're joined today by a man who's determined to see the Socceroos do very well in the next FIFA World Cup - Holger Osieck. Nine months into the role of national coach and Holger Osieck is been widely praised. Certainly his boss, the Football Federation of Australia Chairman Frank Lowy says he's the definitely right man for the job. And results look good, but the real pressure will start to build in September this year when the World Cup qualifiers start. As far good football is concerned, well Osieck has spent a lot of time as FIFA's Technical Director where his focus was on the game, not the money or the politics, and for him the World Cup juggernaut has become just a little too big and too commercial. Still the World Cup is the pinnacle of football and so for Osieck, who has spent much of his career as a club and national coach as well as deputy to the legendary Franz Beckenbauer when Germany won the World Cup in 1990, getting the Socceroos a berth at the next World Cup in three years time is pretty much what it's all about. But first, why did he leave a cushy job at FIFA headquarters to go back into the thick of it? HOLGER OSIECK: Yeah, that is definitely a major question because people told me 'ah, you have a great job, why do you go back?" but I can tell you once you are a coach, you are always a coach. It was a nice, let's say, intermezzo in my coaching career and so I'm, the FIFA stuff I mean, and now I'm very happy to be back in the real life. MONICA ATTARD: Is it the adrenalin rush? What is it? HOLGER OSIECK: Well it's pretty tough to say. But yeah, adrenalin is definitely part of it but I think, or I considered myself always as an educator as well. Not just to move people around and chase them whatever. I worked on many different levels - youth department, development. I coached national teams, I coached professional club teams and wherever I worked I always tried to convince them some stuff, to people, to educate, to educate them to the game, to educate them to performance, what it means to perform on the top level with all the things that these days come to the players, environment, media etcetera. And I really tried to convey some kind of help and assistance to them. MONICA ATTARD: Any why the Socceroos Holger? Because this is not a country where soccer is exactly the number one game? HOLGER OSIECK: Well actually I think there is some kind of controversy in it. I figured that in Australia people don't really consider their international standing. Going back to my position as FIFA, Australia has a pretty good rating there. They played in the last two world cups and they achieved a lot and on the football level I think they had a pretty decent recognition. Football maybe in comparison to the traditional sports here in Australia, it's maybe not the top rank but internationally, and football is a world game, it's a different standing.MONICA ATTARD: I suppose the only way to get it right in terms of the Australian public is for us to actually win, and win a lot. Is that how you see it? HOLGER OSIECK: In order to have arguments you go to to be successful, that's for sure. And whatever you do in let's say the sector of development, of getting some kind of improvement, you only get your message across when you can produce results, that's a fact.MONICA ATTARD: Holger, can I talk to you a little bit please if I might about FIFA? Because last week we heard about new allegations of corruption in the soccer world after a British Parliamentary committee was told that members of the executive were both offered bribes and demanded bribes during the bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 world cups. Did those allegations surprise you? HOLGER OSIECK: That is a question that is impossible for me to answer. First and foremost, my job was on the technical side, everything that is related to the game itself. And I have never been a politician and I will never be one because when I came to the school of diplomacy, there was a diversion, so therefore I can never be a politician and therefore I think it's impossible to give you a sufficient answer. MONICA ATTARD: but nonetheless, you've been soccer world for a very very long time, and in the world of FIFA for a very very long time. You've heard previous allegations, no doubt, of corruption and bribery demands and bribery acceptance in some cases. Did they not surprise you when you heard these latest claims? HOLGER OSIECK: Well I mean you don't just have to have to focus on football. Allegations of that kind you find in any part of business, economy, politics, whatever. People obviously when they are in certain positions they get tempted to get involved in stuff like that but as long as it's dealing with allegations and you have no proof so what can you say?MONICA ATTARD: And if the proof comes in and these allegations are in fact substantiated, do you think then FIFA then has to turn around and say yes, we have a problem? HOLGER OSIECK: Ya, if it comes true, yes, but we have to underline, if. MONICA ATTARD: Given Australia only got one vote of the last FIFA executive meeting when we bid to host the 2022 World Cup, how do you think we might have gone if the alleged bribery wasn't involved? HOLGER OSIECK: Again, it goes back to the question you just asked me. Basically I was very disappointed that the outcome of the election. First of all, when public, that is never good because obviously it should have been done secretly, and secondly that Australia didn't just get considered to host it. It's very disappointing because I mean, knowing the international football scenery and having experienced Australia right now it would have been a perfect place to anybody to come to Australia, to enjoy the country to enjoy the hospitality and it definitely would have been a great boost for football here in this country. MONICA ATTARD: It would have made a difference, do you think? HOLGER OSIECK: You have to consider that the event actually is a four week's campaign and down the road, it would have been in another 11 years. But football is not just the World Cup. Football is a lot more, and it takes a lot more strides to develop football and get the standing, and as I said previously, we have to first of all get the message across that Australian football people don't have to be inferior to other domestic sports. MONICA ATTARD: Do you think Holger that the allegations that we've seen raised in relation to FIFA have an impact on the passion with which people follow football, and support football and promote the game? HOLGER OSIECK: I'm not too sure .... you see if you look at let's say at the amount of spectators that come to the game, and I just returned from Europe, I was in a position to follow some Champion's League games and the crowd is so enthusiastic, and so passionate. They want to see their teams, they want to see the game. And football really has become an event. It's almost a must to be a part of it and I don't think that the general supporters don't really care too much about that. It's maybe part of the actual discussion in football but as I said the World Cup is only one percent from 99 so the same occurs here in this case. MONICA ATTARD: Now I appreciate you say you're not a politician but can I ask you whether you think there is any other way to determine who hosts the World Cup? HOLGER OSIECK: Ya, well I mean again, things in football have gone in to direction that it's becoming more and more gigantic. There had been tournaments that I even went to like the 82 World Cup in Spain and Mexico 86 for instance. It was more laid back, you didn't even have the problem of the tickets. You could buy your tickets at the stadium, at the ticket counters whatever but now you have to do it all via internet, you have to pre-order and then all the stuff. I mean it's getting more and more complicated and the commercialism in that respect has gained superiority and that is definitely not ideal. I had a chat with Alex Ferguson once and he said 'you know, when you deal with the devil you have to play with his rules' and that is obviously the case here as well. So it takes a little bit away from football itself, from the genuine football because down the road maybe, only people who have enough money can afford to be there and not the normal fan, and that is not positive.MONICA ATTARD: And those commercial aspects are eating into the process that determines who hosts the world cup? HOLGER OSIECK: Obviously that's the case. MONICA ATTARD: Okay, now you've been the national coach for nine months and you've been widely praised so obviously you're doing something very right. How would you characterise what you are doing with the Socceroos at the moment? HOLGER OSIECK: First of all I think it's always very difficult start when you get into a new job. And first of all you have to get access to the players and you have to get your message across and the players have to be ready to be perceptive. And I think and we had a pretty decent start and again, what you said before, results count, We had a good start in Europe, we played two games, we won one and we tied one and then we had a game here against Paraguay, we won again and that of course helps to build. Then secondly, I think it's my style of football, I try to be very positive and try to encourage all players to play up, to take risks in a way, because without risks you cannot gain anything and so far it worked. That is probably why I had a good start with the team and the players they listened, they're very perceptive and it's great fun for me to work with them. MONICA ATTARD: Your style though is very different to that of your predecessor Pim Verbeek. Why have you adopted a more attacking style of play? HOLGER OSIECK: Well I, first of all I don't want to compare to anybody .... everybody has .... MONICA ATTARD: but those comparisons are being made .... HOLGER OSIECK: Yeah, but I never, never refer to anybody else in the job. I am in charge from August 1st. I do what I have to do. I got the confidence of FFA and I hope I can meet the expectations. I have my own style of football and I think when you, let's see, activate the potential of the players then you get a lot more from them. We are good team, we have good potential, we have good individuals, we a have great team spirit and why should we hide?MONICA ATTARD: So you think then a more attacking style suits the Socceroos? HOLGER OSIECK: Yeah, it's not just Socceroos, it's in general. And wherever I work I pursue that kind of football. I try to play up, try to play attractive, try to create something up. I mean success is s very major issue in football but entertainment is another one and people come to see you win but they want to be entertained as well. You have to get a good mix here. MONICA ATTARD: And how are you coping with that very Australian sensibility that it's much better to try than to win. HOLGER OSIECK: No I don't like that. Just to try is not good enough. What do you try for? To fail? That's not the idea. You try to win so again you have to combine both aspects.MONICA ATTARD: Now it's part of your contract I believe to live in Australia, whilst Pim Verbeek was criticised for not being here that all that much. You've said that this is an important thing - why is it important to live here? HOLGER OSIECK: I got hired by FFA not to be distant coaching person and do everything via computer or via telephone or whatever Blackberry, you name it. No I think in order to develop a good affinity to the country you work for you have to be there. And even though sometimes we have a break sometimes with the national team I need to be here, I need to be in the office, I need to talk to people and you got to have the personal contact. It's very crucial. MONICA ATTARD: It doesn't hamper you from keeping in touch with Australian players overseas and getting a bit of an insight into how they're playing? HOLGER OSIECK: Based on our modern technology it's very easy to get information over the weekend. So I am well informed how they do over the weekend. I am still in touch, sometimes text message because of the time difference, sometimes they catch me on the phone or I catch them so I think information wise I am really up to do and sometimes I even have the opportunity to see them live. So after our game in Germany I stayed four weeks in Europe. I travelled Europe. I went to England, to Holland, I saw them in the clubs, saw direct context with the clubs, so you can combine both aspects. MONICA ATTARD: Still you must spend an awful your weekends watching a lot of soccer? HOLGER OSIECK: Yeah, well it's part of the job and when you are a soccer coach you have to be mad in a certain way and that's my kind of madness to follow all the games. And I have to tell you in Australia we are in a good position, TV channels, they provide you with all the necessary games. Be it, England premiership, be in Bundesliga, be it Holland, be it Spain. You know everything what is going on in Europe and so you can see the live pictures which is definitely great. MONICA ATTARD: You must be forming in your mind the makeup of the squad as you build towards the next World Cup campaign. What's the future for Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano, Harry Kewell because of course they're household names in this country. HOLGER OSIECK: Well I know and as you can see they are still part and I am happy they are still around and I always keep saying I don't care about age. There is no old and young players, it's only good and bad players and as long you are on your top level of play then you gonna be there.MONICA ATTARD: And they still are? HOLGER OSIECK: They are still. MONICA ATTARD: Now there are two friendlies coming up next month. The Socceroos will play Serbia and New Zealand. Do you need some of the more senior players like Tim Cahill to play or can they have a rest after their European season? HOLGER OSIECK: I definitely will consider most of the squad that went to Qatar to play the Asian Cup however there's going to be some issues with players who after the long season are really suffering from injuries and need to have not only a rest but the respective treatment to get them fit again and I think one or the other may not be part of the squad but for that reason and I think it's more important to have them ready for the qualifying campaign that starts in September. MONICA ATTARD: So who might not be part of the squad? HOLGER OSIECK: Well it's a no secret I can tell you that Tim won't be in. He had problems playing for his club due to the kind of injury he was carrying over almost more than half of a season and I think we have to look down the road to keep him back rather than to kill him because some people want to see him play. That wouldn't be a good idea. MONICA ATTARD: And who are some of the newer faces we might see? HOLGER OSIECK: Well you could see then already in the Asian Cup. Matty McKay, he made an impact. Robbie Kruse, he made an impact. We had recently a scouting camp in Germany where we invited 20 players who were fringe or who were not in the radar so far and I think I got some good impression and the one or the other will make it to the top ranks, I'm pretty confident about that. MONICA ATTARD: Now you were part of the coaching staff of the German national team that won the 1990 World Cup with Franz Beckenbauer who's considered of course a national treasure in your country. That was 21 years ago. Was that the high point do you reckon of your soccer career? HOLGER OSIECK: Well it was definitely a very special event to be sure to be part of World Cup winning group but on the other hand it was only one part of my coaching over the years and I always keep saying it's different when you are in charge and you determine what's going on or when you are, like in this case, the second man and somebody else is still ahead of you. So I mean it's great because everybody plays a very important part in the whole context but to be the number one I think is definitely of higher value, let's put it like that. MONICA ATTARD: I can imagine it is. So what does it feel like, to win the World Cup? HOLGER OSIECK: Ya, I mean it's great. As you know it's the most prestigious tournament you can play in football. It's always four years so that makes it special again. It's not too many teams who have won it when you look in the chronicle order so it's only a couple of them and well to be part of that, it's really special. MONICA ATTARD: And so do you remain then firm friends with the people who went on that journey with you? The people like Franz Beckenbauer, I mean does he remain a friend of yours? HOLGER OSIECK: Ya, we have a very good relationship still and I mean now because of the geographical distance it's not always easy to see each other but when I was in Germany and attending some of the Champions League games I could see him because he's still doing some TV stuff there as a commentator and ... no it's good. We recently, recently last July we had a reunion of the entire group who went to Italy for the 20th anniversary and almost everybody was there. Some have passed away already but most of the players where there and it was really great to see them. Some have changed a little bit. MONICA ATTARD: Now after coaching in Germany you worked in Turkey, and Canada and Japan. You had real success in getting the Canadian national side to a level that they'd never reached before. You won the 2000 Gold Cup. Is that the first time that you really tasted success as coach at that level? HOLGER OSIECK: No, with my club teams I had similar success. I mean with Olympic Marseille we went to the European Champions League Final. Still I was number two with Beckenbauer. But I won the Turkish Cup and I won of course with Canada, was special. And later on I won the Champions League in Asia with the Japanese team. So there was kind of success but to win with Canada, it was kind of a Cinderella story because in CONCACAF, still number one is Mexico and the US of course they are on top and we managed to win the tournament that was really, ya, it was another special event. MONICA ATTARD: Of course the team in Canada became known as Holger's Heroes I believe. But you were criticised for your tough approach, not pandering to reputations, and indulging poorly performing players, well at least that's the public criticism. Reflecting on that time, do you think the criticism was fair? HOLGER OSIECK: Of course it was. As a coach you have to sense whether people tend to be complacent or not and we wanted to quality for the World Cup in 2002 and we didn't make it for some obvious reasons and I wasn't happy about that. Because the potential of the team was obvious. They have proved it before but in the qualifying there was a couple of issues that I couldn't accept and of course when you have some players who get criticised and you cannot always treat them with fluffy balls then it comes to some kind of disagreement. MONICA ATTARD: And it did in that case? HOLGER OSIECK: It actually did, yeah. MONICA ATTARD: There's a lot of money being spent in developing soccer in Asia, in particular I think Indonesia and China are spending a small fortune. Is that something that you should be worried about as Socceroos Coach? HOLGER OSIECK: Well I mean money is one issue, but I can tell you money is not the sole solution. Because some people throw money into the market and they do not know how to spend it wisely. You could see it in the Arab states already. They transfer big names and then throw the money out of the window and the bottom line is that they don't gain anything. See if you have money , fine, but you have to spend it wisely and most people don't have the knowledge because there's a lot of people involved in football they think that money can get them the football brain but it's definitely not possible. MONICA ATTARD: Let's look a little at the A-League situation in Australia because one of the reasons that you were appointed is to educate and foster younger players. Is the standard of the A-League in Australia where you would like it to be? HOLGER OSIECK: Well when I came to Australia I didn't really have a clue about the A-League and so I travelled a lot. I travelled to all the clubs and introduced myself of course and went and tried to establish contact and that worked pretty well. So all of the games gave me a good idea about the potential and the quality of the A-League. I think I kept saying that the standard of the A-League Is a lot better than people obviously think it is. Because, again, it goes a little bit into that inferiority area where they think 'ah we are not good enough'. But they are good. But still there's room for improvement but I can tell you quite frankly that I have seen a lot of entertaining, good quality games and that is what football is about, to attract the crowd. To go there, to provide some entertaining stuff, and that is what I saw in most of the games I went to. MONICA ATTARD: Well many of the players from the A-League are actually going off during the 5 month off-season to play in Asia, I assume from your point of view that that's going to be good thing? HOLGER OSIECK: Of course it is. I mean that is probably a weak point of the A-League; its scheduling, because the break is way too long. And down the road if players in that break don't have the opportunity to maintain their level of play and keep playing they definitely will lose a lot of ground. And in particular the young players, who are still in their development, they need to be playing permanently to in order to really get them up to a higher standard. And so I think it's not ideal that they go abroad but it's the only solution we have right now to keep them playing. MONICA ATTARD: Not ideal from the perspective of the impact that it has on the game here? HOLGER OSIECK: Well, I would prefer to have more the all year round schedule here in Australia like they have in other countries as well, that would be the ideal situation. MONICA ATTARD: Okay, a final question if I might, your ultimate goal is obviously to get a berth for Australia at the next World Cup in three years time. Do you think we will? HOLGER OSIECK: Well I'm pretty confident. That is the reason why I'm here because I really want to get the team to the next World cup. MONICA ATTARD: And you desperately want that? HOLGER OSIECK: I desperately want that.MONICA ATTARD: That was the Socceroos' Coach Holger Osieck speaking to me at the Headquarters at the Football Federation of Australia in Sydney.
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HomeProfilesArchiveListenPodcastAboutContact Holger OsieckThursday, May 19, 2011 
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck speaks to the media during a pre-match news conference for the Asian Cup in Doha January 13, 2011 | Jo Yong-Hak 
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MONICA ATTARD: Hello, and welcome to Sunday Profile. I'm Monica Attard and we're joined today by a man who's determined to see the Socceroos do very well in the next FIFA World Cup - Holger Osieck.
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