Under-funded Joeys fighting to keep up as World Cup hopes go on the line

With the Joeys’ hopes of progressing to the Under-17s FIFA World Cup on a knife-edge, coach Trevor Morgan finds himself in a tight spot as better-resourced rivals threaten to leave Australian youth football in the slow lane.

Failure to beat Iraq in Group D of the AFC Under-16 Championships on Tuesday evening in Kuala Lumpur will almost certainly end ambitions of the top-four finish in Malaysia needed to qualify for next year’s main event in Peru.

Morgan, an assistant to Tony Popovic when Western Sydney Wanderers won the AFC Champions League in 2014, has no doubt that Australia has the talent to flourish.

But beset by a chronic lack of funding, a dearth of top quality opponents leading into this tournament and precious few camps to hone togetherness and tactics, he’s got his work cut out to produce the results Australia craves.

Morgan isn’t complaining and insists his maiden tournament in charge can still be a success, despite the disappointment of being out-gunned 3-0 by a slick and superior Korea Republic in their opener.

While FFA - having shut down the famed AIS program in a cost-cutting measure - tightens the purse strings, the likes of hosts Malaysia have splashed $30 million over four years on developing their team at this tournament.

These are numbers Morgan can only dream of as he tries to work a mini-miracle with limited means.

Saturday’s loss to the Koreans was the first time his players had faced a top-tier nation in the region - and their first competitive fixture against anybody in a year.

It’s hardly the preparation he’d have wanted, but the former Westfield High and Football NSW head coach is focusing on three points against Iraq and Afghanistan after that, and extracting the best from what he’s got.

Beyond that, he’s embarking on an ambitious nationwide talent identification program which he hopes will yield some uncut diamonds.

“Every team wants more preparation,” he said. “But it’s the landscape we operate in.

“We under-performed against South Korea .. no doubt. I think you’ll see a more powerful performance against Iraq.

“People might question fitness levels but it was partially nerves that held us back against Korea and that’s over and done with now.

“We have the best sports science in the world but we need players exposed to quality opposition on a regular basis (as is the case with a lot of the teams competing in Malaysia).

“We have players who have qualities that can take them a long way in the game, but at this age there are also a lot of variables.”

Having worked with stars like Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton during his 28-year coaching career, Morgan, 47, knows what young talent looks like and at this year’s World Cup in Russia there were no less than six of his Westfield High alumni in the Socceroos squad.

He wants to maximize what can be achieved in years to come, with 1999’s World Youth Cup final appearance against Brazil just a distant memory now of a bygone era of achievement at under-age level.

“We need to find a better solution across the board for young players,” he added.

“We need everybody’s input. Once this is over I’ll meet with member federations because we need to do better for the kids.

“I’ll be seeking the involvement of all the stakeholders and I’ve already flown to each state and asked them to show me their best 30 players.”

Back in the 1990s there were 43 teams - across the NSL and national youth leagues - that offered youngsters a chance to play regularly at a high level.

There are now just 19 teams across the A-League and NYL, and vastly more numbers playing the game.

“I’d like kids playing 40 matches a season and maybe jumping up and down grades,” added Morgan.

“There are boys here who I believe have enough technical and physical quality to succeed but they need the right environment.

“Everybody else has lifted their game and seen the importance of winning these tournaments.

“England were huge underachievers and are now under-17s and under-20 world champions and under-19 European champions.

“We’ve not had the infrastructure and financial clout - inside and outside the sport. We’ve not had sponsors coming in and saying ‘we want to make a difference’.

“In Malaysia’s case it’s the government, not the football federation, who have provided the financial backing.

“I’ve watched a lot of kids come through (over 20 Socceroos including Mat Ryan and Aaron Mooy) and there’s talent in this group - it’s how well we manage their path over the next few years.”

All 23 of his players in Malaysia are home-based, aside from Tristan Hammond, who is attached to the Academy of Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga.

Melbourne City have the most of any A-League club with five players named, and Sydney FC four.

Melbourne Victory’s Birkan Kirdar is the only one with senior experience, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history to make a first team debut when he came off the bench against Shanghai SIPG in the AFC Champion’s League in April this year.

They will all need to 'man-up' up now to keep Australia alive in the must-win duel with Iraq.


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5 min read
Published 25 September 2018 3:12pm
By Dave Lewis

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