Asunto: National Team U21

So for the last match for the current U21s, we played UAE. We dominated the match, with 10 shots to 2, but unfortunately only won 1-0.

I will write a wrap up at some stage, but overall it has been a pretty successful season for this group of players, especially given how much worse they were than the previous lot.

All our strikers are 21 so will be getting the sack, which is a little scary moving in to the world cup season, as are almost all our defenders (but at least we have depth there).

Our GK will remain unchanged and the mids are a bit of a mixed bag.

Rough start to the new season (and likely to get rougher against NZ next week).

Our original opponent (Jamaica) booked another team which was frustrating, so we were forced to take on the much higher Hayastan.

They had a 12 rating advantage and it showed, with us losing 5-0.

Thankfully rating points really don't matter at this stage of the season moving in to a world cup. It was good to see some new faces on the field

So that wraps up the latest U21 season. Following this post, I will start posting last years dream team as well as the age group teams so you have an idea of what future years look like and what gold mine you may be sitting on.

So to see how the U21 team has progressed over the past two seasons, here are the Aus stats from the start of the last two seasons, moving in to the current one.

Users: 12 --> 13 --> 17
Rank: 50 --> 54 --> 52
Rank points: 1587.30 --> 1554.23 --> 1598.71
Number of players: 38 --> 40 --> 40
Average form: excellent --> excellent --> very good
Average age: 19.9 --> 19.9 --> 19.5
Average value: 518 811 AU$ --> 373 570 AU$ --> 338 350 AU$
Total value: 19 714 800 AU$ --> 14 942 800 AU$ --> 13 534 000 AU$

So despite losing 25% of our strength last season, I was able to move us up 2 places and 44 ranking points which was basically the goal (to stay in the 4th basket). We even had a chance of moving in to the 3rd basket, but the players honestly didn't deserve it, and we couldn't quite do it.

This coming season, we have lost another 10% value compared to last season, so not as big a drop, but still there. Having seen a lot of last seasons U20 teams (this seasons U21), we are going to be in for a rough ride this season, but I will certainly do the best I can moving us forward.

Results wise: 10W - 2D - 4L
58. El Salvador 5-0
61. China (loss) 2-1
48. Hayastan (loss) 0-1
67. Letsebuerg (win) 3-0
35. Lietuva (loss) 0-2
74. Ireland (win) 1-0
92. Nippon (win) 2-0
60. UAE (draw) 0-0
47. Moldova (win) 1-0
56. Sakartvelo (win) 4-2
86. Senegal (win) 2-0
84. Nigeria (win) 2-0
65. Kypros (win) 2-0
45. New Zealand (loss) 0-1
91. Ghana (draw) 1-1
60. UAE (win) 1-0


Given we are rank 52, most results kinda went as expected generally.

Moving forward, our aim will be to hold 4th in our group and maybe push for 3rd depending on who we get grouped with. I will be able to take a better look at this once the draw is out.

I will also be trying to give players their debuts to save them should they get fired.

If anyone has any suggestions or would like a specific kind of match run, I am all ears
(editado)
(editado)

To start off, we say farewell to our current U21 team. Although not exhaustive, these are the players mostly used, who made this season what it was

GK - Fihaki - an amazing GK, who will continue to be with us this season.
DEF - Selling - Led the defensive line. Sad to see the 44 game veteran go
DEF - Boutsianis
DEF - S.Worthy - although my last update had him at #6, I felt he was much better and found out when he was released, he was our 2nd best defender
DEF - Dunn
DEF - Collina - has been a regular since 19, and will lead this coming season as a 21yo
MID - Hill - Came in to the season late, but was only 19 this season
MID - Harnwell
MID - Beldham - despite stamina issues was a mainstay of our midfield (for 46' every game)
ATT - Trappe - Led the team, and our best striker for many seasons
ATT - Amien - Haven't got an update for many seasons, but his performances far exceed that last skills I was given
--------------------------------
GK - Farmer - Unlucky not to get more game time, but Fihaki is a monster. Will continue to reserve until he takes over the role when he is 21.
ATT - Singleton
DEF - Last - highly skilled but for some reason gets unexplainable low ratings, will be starting this coming season
DEF - Jones - a real all-rounder who will play a big role this coming season as a MID or DEF
MID - Rudan

We had a decent whilst not exceptional team. A couple of amazing players (Selling, Fihaki, Trappe) surrounded by a lot of ok players. We have very few returning players for the coming season, so it will be a huge changing of the guard
(editado)

Finally, some underage teams. As I said, this is very unreliable for mids, especially ones with low passing who don't make the teams, but are some of our best mids if trained, but can't have underage teams without listing the mids.
Those in bold are players that didn't make last seasons underage squads (because they weren't good enough of because they didnt exist yet)

U21
GK - Fihaki, Farmer (20)
DEF - Collina, Last, Coulthard, N.Patrizi, Hoang(20), Henry
MID - Jones, D.Worthy (19), Hill(20), Van Gisbergen (19), Tarka (20)
ATT - Van Gisbergen (19), Morgan, Cordozo, Marth (20)


U20
GK - Farmer, Zhao (19)
DEF - Hoang, Martinovic (18), Morgan, Nesic, Collins(19), Galal
MID - D. Worthy (19), Van Grisbergen (19), Hill, Tarka
ATT - Morgan, Van Gisbergen (19) , Marth , Prince, Silvagni[/b]


U19
GK - Zhao, Patterson
DEF - Martinovic (18), Collins, Inglis , Majurovski (18), Upton (18), Young
MID - D.Worthy, Van Grisbergen, Upton(18), Stephenson
ATT - Van Gisbergen , Mairou, Diggins, Aguis

Pretty much all U18s and below are new

U18
GK - Love (17), Van Egmond
DEF - Martinovic, Majurovski, Upton, Madaschi (17), Duffield, Laybutt
MID - Upton, Zillman, Scararaolo, Cook (17), Poiser (17)
ATT - Duffield, Marrapodi, Laybutt, Madaschi (17)

U17
GK - Love
DEF - Madaschi, Elrich
MID - Cook, Poiser
ATT - Madaschi, Poiser

Keep the updates coming, and these teams may change. It will be interesting to see how they develop as time progresses
(editado)
(editado)
(editado)
(editado)

U21 World Cup Draw

So the draw is out, and here are the teams we are playing, and their stats. Lets just say, we got a very difficult group as you will see.

1. France U21 Rank 7. Rates 48.1
2. Argentina U21 Rank 19. Rates 53.9
3. Hayastan U21 Rank 47. Rates 52.9 (yes, higher than the 1st basket team)
4. Australia U21 Rank 53. Rates 39.9
5. Cymru U21 Rank 73. Rates 41.6
6. Jamaica U21 Rank 81. Rates 37.6

So our chance of top 3 is right out the window, and it is going to be very difficult to even hold on to top 4.
Despite what rank would have you see, we probably have the hardest Pot 3 team, who has the ratings of a pot 1 or 2 team.

Cymru in pot 5 is very strong for a pot 5 team as well, rating above what we are. And even Jamaica, for a lower pot team, is fairly decent (would expect low 30's).

It will be a tough season for our U21's, so I expect to take quite a ranking point hit, over and above what normally happens in a World Cup season. Friendlies I will also just play by ear as RL is in the way of proper scouting based on team strength vs ranking points like I normally do.

This week in the U21's we will be playing a debut side, with a few one-gamers in the subs.

NZ are happy to go ahead with this, and will be playing a deep reserves match.

I don't expect us to win, and hopefully we don't get destroyed too much, but I figure one match at the start of the season to get all the debuts to save the players, out of the way, is best for the U21 NT.

If anyone has a player they really want to play (especially if they would be making their debut), please post and I'll try to fit them in.

I also normally wouldn't use our Rival NZ match to do this sort of thing, but given our last years U21s lost to NZ current U21s, it wasn't going to be much of a match anyway, and I trust Buczo to go with the deep reserves.

This is the linup for the coming match against NZ.

1 Steve Hudson GK
2 Brett Young DEF
3 Tom Majurovski DEF
4 Maka Galal DEF
5 Scott Inglis DEF
6 Iain O'Brien MID
7 Dean Stephenson MID
8 Angus Madaschi DEF
9 Stuart Giorgi MID
10 Kevin Tarka ATT
11 Todd Diggins ATT

12 GK
13 Graeme Upton DEF
14 Mark Cook MID
15 Tyson Duffield ATT

No reserve keeper as we don't have 3 keepers in the squad. So hopefully we don't lose our squad reserve as well

EDIT: Another change now, Steve Hudson is in for the keeper role. So all 14 players will be debutantes
(editado)
(editado)
(editado)

That’s a horrid WC draw!!!!! Finishing 4th would be a great result. Do we have enough defensive stocks for 5 at the back?

We could probably manage it. Would be good to watch someone of the 5 straight lines that the top teams use, but it may be a few weeks before I can properly scout to make such a tactic

Great posts for community engagement. Thanks.

Mitchell Amien is currently on the market and I'll try and pick him if it doesn't look like another Australian trainer wants him.

Steve Hudson is now in the lineup.

14 debutantes. Likely loss, but hopefully it's one game of sacrifice for the possibility of saving a few guns in the future

There's no reason if those of us who have recently returned stick around, why we can't have a mini-resurgence at the U21 level in time. Might take some effort to get the wheels rolling but we've done it before, we might just need to make a concerted effort. That equally applies to the senior side as well but longer. Like we'll never get back to #1 which we held for a week or two in our heyday but we should be able to get to a point where the side improves from what it currently is simply on the number of players in an out of systems. We might have fewer numbers but the rest of the world also has comparatively lower numbers across the board and we were never a large user base to begin with.

100% agree.

The good thing with those who have come back, is everyone is an experienced, and good quality manager.

For every user that sicks around, you could say maybe only 1in4 or 1in5 come out with a quality manager. You 4 basically represent 20 or so more users in the Aus setup, putting us closer to the equivalent of a 30 manager country

Continue your great job, friend.Go, my lovelly litle cangaroos!

Tom Majurovski, age: 18
club: Tribe, country: Australia
value: 104 800 AU$
wage: 1 360 AU$
outstanding form
adequate tactical discipline
height: 185 cm, weight: 82.7 kg, BMI: 24.16

average stamina tragic keeper
very good pace adequate defender
tragic technique average playmaker
tragic passing hopeless striker


Scott Inglis, age: 19
club: Tribe, country: Australia
value: 118 400 AU$
wage: 1 520 AU$
very good form
adequate tactical discipline
height: 169 cm, weight: 60.4 kg, BMI: 21.15

solid stamina hopeless keeper
very good pace adequate defender
hopeless technique average playmaker
unsatisfactory passing hopeless striker


Both have +3 pace training.

Neither have bumped in defending whilst i have had them (+9 general trainings)

Inglis is/was the #3 U19yo defender
Majurovski is/was the #2 U18yo defender and the #4 U19yo defender


Let me know in the next few days if you want either/both of them (and a preferred listing time of day). Otherwise I'll just list them whenever.

As I'm likely to sell Adkins over coming weeks (or as soon as cup in done), & Moffitt is poor talent, I could try both, but would rather only if either have talent.

G ? Any preference from a NT stance ?