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Aussie Analysis: Australia's Goalkeeping Crisis
An injury to Mark Schwarzer and Australian goalkeeping could encounter serious problems, learns Goal.com's Chris Paraskevas...
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Jul 10, 2009 7:34:54 AM
With Mark Schwarzer in the form of his career and seemingly unbeatable between the posts for the Socceroos, it appears as though Australian goalkeeping is in safe hands.
Backing up the 36 year-old, who has been in imperious form for both club and country this season, is veteran shot-stopper Michael Petkovic, who enjoyed one of his best ever campaigns in Europe as his Turkish club Sivasspor narrowly missed out on what would have been the first league title in their history.
Closer scrutiny of Australia’s goalkeeping options however would reveal that the Socceroos are closer to a crisis situation than many might realize, according to goalkeeping legend Jim Fraser.
Fraser, the Australia’s first ever ‘keeper to perform at the World Cup Finals in 1974 where he was a key member of Rale Rasic’s history-making Socceroos squad, warns that whilst there are talented goalkeepers still being produced, the options beyond Schwarzer and Petkovic are limited.
“The problem with Australian goalkeeping is that we haven’t got anybody experienced under Mark [Schwarzer] coming through,” Fraser told Goal.com in an exclusive interview.
“I’ve been saying for ten years that we’ve got a problem in that area.
“We’ve got [Adam] Federici coming through, [Dean] Bouzanis and those guys but they’re very inexperienced - you can’t throw them into a World Cup match and expect them to excel.”
The former Australia ‘keeper doubts that even the 32 year-old Petkovic could be capable of stepping in for Mark Schwarzer at the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.
“Jason Petkovic is playing week after week in Turkey and is playing very well but could he step up to a World Cup match under pressure?
“That’s the problem – it’s a big step up. People can play at the top level but to play at a World Cup match where the world’s attention is on you if the team go out, that’s a big cross to bear.”
According to Fraser, goalkeeper development was neglected by the previous administrators in charge of Australian football and it continues to suffer from a lack of funding an attention.
Such is the level of neglect of goalkeeping in the game that Fraser started up the International Goalkeeping Academy nine years ago out of his own pocket in order to facilitate the development of aspiring shot-stoppers at all levels of the game.
“We’ve been lax and neglected goalkeepers,” Fraser continued. “We certainly don’t spend one-eleventh of our budget on coaching for goalkeepers.
“They’ve always been an add on and that’s why my academy started, out of my own funds, because it was always the first thing that was chopped out of budget but they still expect you to play on the night and do the right things.
He added: “I think the solution is that we need to pump a bit more money into it and give a little bit more recognition to what we do.
“I think Football Federation Australia (FFA) are certainly on the right track now and I think the old regime neglected us for a long period of time.
“We’ve got Tony Franken who is the Australian goalkeeping coach, we’re updating training curriculums under him and we’re looking to go to the right area but our immediate is problem right now.
“Who do you have at number 2 and 3? Petkovic is the obvious number 2 but the number 3 is a lottery ticket.
“That’s a shame because in the old days, when I played, you probably had six or seven goalkeepers in the state league who couldn’t represent their country, there wasn’t much in between them.”
In the event that both Schwarzer and Petkovic were unable to represent Australia at next year’s World Cup, that would leave the number one spot open to a variety of candidates, all talented but all lacking in experience, particularly on the world stage.
The likes of Reading’s Adam Federici (24) and Middlesbrough’s Brad Jones (27) have struggled to establish themselves in the first team of their respective clubs in the past, though the latter enjoyed more success following the departure of fellow Australian Mark Schwarzer last season.
However, Fraser says it is too late to start blooding another first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the 2010 World Cup, with only twelve months to go to the start of the tournament in South Africa and no competitive matches available in the lead-up.
Over the next four years though, the grooming of a successor to Schwarzer’s throne will be crucial, with a view to the 2014 Finals.
“It’s too late for this World Cup – it’s what we do over the next four years,” Fraser said.
“We’ve finally got a situation where we’re producing more good young goalkeepers and I’ve got some great ‘keepers coming through – but they’re five or seven years away from that sort of thing.”
Part of the grooming process will be allowing goalkeepers to move overseas at a young age, with the former Australia international deeming the A-League too short to effectively develop goalkeepers for the international stage.
He continued, “One of the things we’ve got to realize is, whilst they don’t want young kids to go overseas until they’re 18, I think with ‘keepers we should have 8 or 10 playing overseas at the top level if we want to have a good World Cup goalkeeper.
“You’ve got to get that experience of playing overseas in front of those big crowds week-in-week-out and vying for a position.
“We’re not going to have any problems packing the A-League with quality ‘keepers but we don’t play enough games. Overseas, the ‘keepers will be playing 50 or 60 games a year with top clubs.”
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
All the Australian soccer coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
Backing up the 36 year-old, who has been in imperious form for both club and country this season, is veteran shot-stopper Michael Petkovic, who enjoyed one of his best ever campaigns in Europe as his Turkish club Sivasspor narrowly missed out on what would have been the first league title in their history.
Closer scrutiny of Australia’s goalkeeping options however would reveal that the Socceroos are closer to a crisis situation than many might realize, according to goalkeeping legend Jim Fraser.
Fraser, the Australia’s first ever ‘keeper to perform at the World Cup Finals in 1974 where he was a key member of Rale Rasic’s history-making Socceroos squad, warns that whilst there are talented goalkeepers still being produced, the options beyond Schwarzer and Petkovic are limited.
“The problem with Australian goalkeeping is that we haven’t got anybody experienced under Mark [Schwarzer] coming through,” Fraser told Goal.com in an exclusive interview.
“I’ve been saying for ten years that we’ve got a problem in that area.
“We’ve got [Adam] Federici coming through, [Dean] Bouzanis and those guys but they’re very inexperienced - you can’t throw them into a World Cup match and expect them to excel.”
The former Australia ‘keeper doubts that even the 32 year-old Petkovic could be capable of stepping in for Mark Schwarzer at the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.
“Jason Petkovic is playing week after week in Turkey and is playing very well but could he step up to a World Cup match under pressure?
“That’s the problem – it’s a big step up. People can play at the top level but to play at a World Cup match where the world’s attention is on you if the team go out, that’s a big cross to bear.”
According to Fraser, goalkeeper development was neglected by the previous administrators in charge of Australian football and it continues to suffer from a lack of funding an attention.
Such is the level of neglect of goalkeeping in the game that Fraser started up the International Goalkeeping Academy nine years ago out of his own pocket in order to facilitate the development of aspiring shot-stoppers at all levels of the game.
“We’ve been lax and neglected goalkeepers,” Fraser continued. “We certainly don’t spend one-eleventh of our budget on coaching for goalkeepers.
“They’ve always been an add on and that’s why my academy started, out of my own funds, because it was always the first thing that was chopped out of budget but they still expect you to play on the night and do the right things.
He added: “I think the solution is that we need to pump a bit more money into it and give a little bit more recognition to what we do.
“I think Football Federation Australia (FFA) are certainly on the right track now and I think the old regime neglected us for a long period of time.
“We’ve got Tony Franken who is the Australian goalkeeping coach, we’re updating training curriculums under him and we’re looking to go to the right area but our immediate is problem right now.
“Who do you have at number 2 and 3? Petkovic is the obvious number 2 but the number 3 is a lottery ticket.
“That’s a shame because in the old days, when I played, you probably had six or seven goalkeepers in the state league who couldn’t represent their country, there wasn’t much in between them.”
In the event that both Schwarzer and Petkovic were unable to represent Australia at next year’s World Cup, that would leave the number one spot open to a variety of candidates, all talented but all lacking in experience, particularly on the world stage.
The likes of Reading’s Adam Federici (24) and Middlesbrough’s Brad Jones (27) have struggled to establish themselves in the first team of their respective clubs in the past, though the latter enjoyed more success following the departure of fellow Australian Mark Schwarzer last season.
However, Fraser says it is too late to start blooding another first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the 2010 World Cup, with only twelve months to go to the start of the tournament in South Africa and no competitive matches available in the lead-up.
Over the next four years though, the grooming of a successor to Schwarzer’s throne will be crucial, with a view to the 2014 Finals.
“It’s too late for this World Cup – it’s what we do over the next four years,” Fraser said.
“We’ve finally got a situation where we’re producing more good young goalkeepers and I’ve got some great ‘keepers coming through – but they’re five or seven years away from that sort of thing.”
Part of the grooming process will be allowing goalkeepers to move overseas at a young age, with the former Australia international deeming the A-League too short to effectively develop goalkeepers for the international stage.
He continued, “One of the things we’ve got to realize is, whilst they don’t want young kids to go overseas until they’re 18, I think with ‘keepers we should have 8 or 10 playing overseas at the top level if we want to have a good World Cup goalkeeper.
“You’ve got to get that experience of playing overseas in front of those big crowds week-in-week-out and vying for a position.
“We’re not going to have any problems packing the A-League with quality ‘keepers but we don’t play enough games. Overseas, the ‘keepers will be playing 50 or 60 games a year with top clubs.”
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
All the Australian soccer coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
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