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Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Australia News Pim Gives Kids Report Card

Pim Verbeek said Australia's 1-0 loss to China game him a valuable insight into some of his players who looked better in training than in Sunday night's game.

“Some young players did good today, the way I saw them before. And some players were better in the training in the last week's than they showed today,” he said after tonight's World Cup qualifier.

“Some players can do better than what they showed today.”

Nevertheless, Verbeek enjoyed seeing Matt Spiranovic and Jade North in the centre of the park. “Matthew is only 19 or 20 but it's good to see him play in a full game.”

Verbeek praised his young troops but lamented their tactical naivety. In the first half in particular wide midfielders James Troisi and James Holland played almost as deep wingers in a 4-2-4 formation.

"That was definitely not the plan. Because it was one of the things I said at half-time. We played 4-2-4 and we never play that way... it was too easy for the Chinese team with four players on one line. So that was one of the problems in the first half.

“We had good chances in the first half but we were not dangerous at all in the second half. And that's the disappointment of the second half."

Verbeek was nevertheless upbeat about giving his younger stars a chance on the biggest stage.

“The final pass and the final decision was not good enough. That's why they are young players and that's where they have to improve.

“As an example, if it's 0-1 with five minutes left, you don't play possession football. You play the ball in the box... but okay, that's what they have to learn.

“But of course there are positives. This was quite a young squad playing against the full China squad.

"Losing is not good but some young players did well.”

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