Road to Bejing - Olyroos 2008

[marinersman]

Ivory Coast are up one against Serbia after twelve minutes. And yes there is still a chance we can go through. Will have to beat the Africans though.

 

[scottmac]

Instead of building them up, it's like Arnold has instilled his own insecurities into the players.

Too right, he is way too scared to coach them to play real football (if that is a possibility) so instead of trying to win he tries to avoid defeat

 

[marinersman]

2-1 to Ivory Coast after 43 mins.

 

[Mariner Girl]

4-2 to Ivory Coast at full time.

That means:  Argentina    6
                    Ivory Coast  3
                    Olyroos        1
                    Serbia          1

We beat Ivory Coast and Argentina beats or draws with Serbia and we are home and hosed for the next round.

 

[northernspirit]

if we cant win a single group stage match we dont deserve to go through anyway, wont be easy but we can do it

 

[Andy]

Matt Simon has been called into the squad following the Injury to Archie

 

[marinersman]

The good news is the game's on SBS at 9.45pm tomorrow night. Thank f**k, no channel 7.

 

[MattSimon]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/12/content_9197521.htm

Soccer preview: Cote d'Ivoire aspires for place in quarterfinals

    TIANJIN, North China, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire is eager to beat Australia on Wednesday to advance into the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's soccer tournament.

    The young Elephants, with three points from their first two matches, need another three points to ensure them a place in the knockout stage while the Australians, with one point now, will qualify only if they beat Cote d'Ivoire and Serbia fails to beat Argentina in the final round of Group A.

    "We hope to go to the second round," Cote d'Ivoire head coach Gerard Gili said. "We have good players, this is important."

    Midfielder Kafoumba Coulibaly said: "We trained a lot to prepare for this match. Our goal is to go to the second round and to the final."

    Despite the absence of some big names like Arsenal's Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Tottenham Hotspur's Didier Zokora and Chelsea's Didier Drogba, the young Elephants have proved that they could compete with any opponents at the Olympic tournament.

    Forward Salomon Kalou said: "This is the first time for Cote d'lvoire to compete in the Olympic Games. You know the first game is always the most difficult. Now we are accustomed to the situation here, and we are getting better."

    Talking about the team's basic concept of football, Gili said: "We play with quality. African players are physically strong and technical. All the team play together."

    On the Australia side, forward Archie Thompson said: "We have to win the last game. If we don't, we will go out of the tournament."

    However, Thompson and another key player Ruben Zadkovich may miss the match for injury

    "Archie Thompson has got an injury to his foot and Ruben Zadkovich has a thigh problem," said head coach Graham Arnoldout.

Zadkovich injured? Matt Simon playing for Archie?

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

* Not sure how accurate the source is though, since the author describes Zadkovich as a "key player"

 

[trev]

here is the four four two link
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/82371,its-agony-for-archie.aspx

 

[FFC Mariner]

Good - Archie has done nothing except prove he is injury prone and unfit. His injury also hurts MV so thats good too.

Matty Simon to score the goal that puts us into the 2nd round in the last minute.

Works for me

 

[Bex]

Go Matty Simon!!!! Imagine if he gets another hatrick

 

[FFC Mariner]

Bet anything that Rustyatitsoff will start. Possibly with that ex-scumfilth Bridge alongside him.

Do we know if Matt has been called up to the squad??

Given Arnolds love of hoofing long balls, it would be just like him to leave a genuine target man out of the squad.

Quite a large part of me sort of hopes they get stuffed and Arnold will be gone for good.

 

[Mariner Girl]

I've heard that Matty has been called to the squad, don't know about starting though.  verhead:

Death to the long ball 

 

[bulldogmariner]

Hopefully Matty will get game time especially if we need to score i can see arnold throwing him up front and playing long balls into his head as that is his only tactics our man has

 

[FFC Mariner]

Hence my bemusement at Arnoldout not including him in the squad.

The tool plays 2 DM's, sits deep and hits hopeful long balls towards............no one.

 

[thomas477]

I hope matty scores tonight, despite all my comments about him, I really hope he scores and i also hope that Thompson is gone for at least a month.

 

[mariners4ever]

thats IF GA i actually smart enough to use matty, which he isnt, so matty wont be playing

 

[Atomic]

What's going on with the state of the pitch?? It's disgraceful.

 

[Part_Timer]

right fooooooot david

 

[Marinerchick]

its digusting