Under 21s
| Team | M | W | D | L | + | – | = | P | |
| 1 | U21 Sweden | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 9 |
| 2 | U21 Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | U21 Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | U21 Israel | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | -13 | 0 |
Sweden def Australia 6-1
We went into the game knowing Sweden would have us covered in terms of pure talent. Assuming they would play wings we played a wide back 4, and went with a short passing tactic mainly due to the squad’s slightly higher count of passing vs AP.
Australia def Israel 4-1
After leaking goals against Sweden we changed things up to a wings tactic and saw some positive signs against the Israelis. Lawson was enormous on the wing before going off injured, setting up Milligan for 2 and Algoud for 1.
Ecuador drew Australia 2-2
This was our make or break game to qualify for the World Cup. Ecuador had a superior goal difference after getting a bigger result against Israel than what we managed in the earlier group matches. We stuck with the same wings tactic that we employed against Israel with a few minor tweaks. It was a disastrous start as we conceded 2 goals in the opening 11 minutes, but we clawed our way back to draw level in the 75th. Lawson and Milligan were again a deadly combination with Milligan netting both goals.
Despite having more chances than our opponent we had to settle for a draw, and thus our World Cup aspirations came to an end.
Notes from the National Coach
Our Under 21 depth was found lacking, with all Aussie managers seemingly hell bent on either creating defenders or strikers. We only had 2 players in the whole squad capable of playing on a wing and little to no AP in the mids to get it to them. Hopefully the next NC will have more to work with if we all start training passing and AP in our next lot of youths/U21s.
Thanks to Eric and Troy for their contributions, it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to put their hands up to assist from the top echelon of Aussie managers, so appreciate you guys stepping in with some tactical advice when requested.
Seniors
| Team | M | W | D | L | + | – | = | P | |
| 1 | Chile | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 16 |
| 2 | Argentina | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 7 | 20 | 11 |
| 3 | USA | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 11 |
| 4 | Australia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 11 |
| 5 | India | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 17 | -10 | 4 |
| 6 | MZ Country | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 28 | -19 | 4 |
| 7 | Guatemala | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 27 | -24 | 1 |
Our fixture in the group stages effectively meant our fate was decided in the first three round as we came up against the MZ minnows in India, Guatemala and MZ Country.
India – 3-1 win
We dominated this match but couldn’t convert our chances, with only 3 goals from 21 shots.
Goals: Minne 2, Beattie 1
Best: Aliendi in defence was huge shutting down their winger (26 tackles, 23 intercepts), Minne with 18 shots for 2 goals was also serviceable
Guatemala – 1-1 draw
This was a shock result and had the potential to derail our campaign. Guatemala matched our performance, and our 5 man defence against short passing didn’t work as well as anticipated.
Goals: Minne 1
Best: Bunworth down back was the only one to stick tackles (71%) and Minter off the bench as a winger stepped up in the last 30 mins after Nolan did nothing all game.
MZ Country – 3-0 win
Solid team performance reverting back to a regulation wings tactic against a weaker opponent.
Goals: Minne 2, Bundy 1
Best: Kilmister in the mids setup plenty of play and defended well. Knevett in the backs was also solid on their winger and hit targets distributing from defence.
USA – 3-3 draw
Probably our best performance for the tournament, and the first time we went in as underdogs. Again we went with a fairly standard wing tactic (if it’s not broken why fix it?). We went up 2-0 early, and were 3-2 up until a last minute equaliser by the US in the 92nd.
Goals: Minne 2, Shorten 1
Best: Minne converted a lot better this match with his 2 goals from just 6 chances, and Shorten’s work through the mids was vital.
Chile – 1-2 loss
Our only loss for the group stages came against Chile. We matched them in terms of stats, but their 91st minute strike sunk us. Minne was goalless for the first time this tournament.
Goals: Beattie 1
Best: Most of the play was through the mids, with Feutrill and Kilmister the standouts. Beattie also played his best game for the tournament.
Argentina: 4-3 win
Knowing we were safely through the group stages, this was a chance for our B team to get a run to avoid cards for the playoffs. In a simming of epic proportions we scored 4 goals from 10 chances to steal a victory from a much more fancied opponent. This time we snuck in the late winner in the 95th
Goals: Kinnard 2, Aroege 2
Best: Duncan in goals has a huge 26 saves, and Gillingwater through the mids hit plenty of targets
Playoffs
China – 3-4 loss
This game was a seesawing affair, with China coming out of the blocks quickly to go up 2-0 in the 17th minute. The team rallied with Minne bagging 2 in quick succession before Feutrill gave us the lead in the 54th. From there a red card to Aliendi made life hard, and China took the chances equalising not long after before putting the final nail in the coffin in the 91st minute to end our world cup campaign.
Fair to say a combination of injury and the red card played a key part in the outcome of this match, but nevertheless we were competitive against a much larger nation and walk away with our heads held high.
Goals: Minne 2, Feutrill 1
Best: Christina in defence was a workhorse, and Minne again converted well to cap a spectacular tournament.
Written by Senile Old Men
aussiezone 